Recognition of FAK by phospho-specific antibodies
against serine phosphorylated antigens and specific competition by
phosphorylated peptides. (A) Reactivity of the phospho-specific
antibodies with immune complexes of endogenous FAK (lanes 3 and 4, 7
and 8, 11 and 12, and 15 and 16) and proteins in lysates (lanes 5 and
6, 9 and 10, 13 and 14, and 17 and 18) of unsynchronized (U) and
mitotic (M) HeLa cells. FAK is indicated by the arrow; additional
cross-reactive bands are indicated by dots (●). (B) Reactivity of the
phospho-specific antibodies in Western blots can be specifically
blocked by preincubation with phosphorylated synthetic peptide antigen.
Each phospho-specific antibody was preincubated at a working
concentration of 2-3 μg/ml in the absence of peptide or with a 20- to
100-fold molar excess of nonphosphorylated or phosphorylated peptide.
Nitrocellulose strips containing U and M HeLa cell proteins resolved by
SDS-PAGE were blocked and then incubated with the pretreated antibody
solutions. Total FAK was detected by immunoblotting
with the monoclonal antibody 2A7 (lanes 1 and 2). The band
corresponding to FAK is indicated by the open arrow; in the anti-pS2
blot, FAK appears as a weak signal migrating above the strong band at
∼120 kDa.