Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) Antibodies Novocastra

Antigen Background

The glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a multigene family of isoenzymes which catalyze the conjugation of glutathione to electrophilic substrates. These enzymes are involved in the detoxification of both endogenous and exogenous electrophiles which can react with cellular components such as DNA. The modification of DNA by reactive compounds can initiate carcinogenesis and the GSTs are believed to play a role in neutralizing carcinogens. The cytosolic GST isoenzymes have been classified into four evolutionary classes; alpha, mu, pi and theta. These isoenzymes are reported to be singly or multi-expressed in a variety of normal tissues, including stomach, bowel, brain, heart, liver, pancreas, breast, kidney and skin at differing levels. In gastric cancers, the levels of GSTalpha and pi are reported to differ from normal gastric tissue with GSTalpha showing decreased levels and GSTpi increased levels. GSTmu is also known to play a role in detoxification of epoxides released from cigarette smoke.