Commonly Used Organelle Marker Antibodies in Plant Cells

Plasma Membrane

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

General marker

PIP2 (Plasma membrane intrinsic protein 2)

Aquaporin, widely used PM marker in plants

Proton pump

H⁺-ATPase (AHA1/AHA2)

Most common PM marker for Arabidopsis and crops

Receptor/Transporter

BRI1, PIN1

Marker for signaling and auxin transport

Cytosol

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Soluble enzyme

GAPDH, UGPase

Common cytosolic enzyme markers

Cytoskeletal

Actin, Tubulin

Used to show cytoplasmic structure

Negative marker

Lack of membrane proteins

Confirms cytosolic purity

Nucleus

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Structural

Lamin-like proteins (NMCP1/NMCP2)

Plant equivalent of nuclear lamins

Chromatin

Histone H3, Histone H4

Used for nuclear localization

Transcription factor

WRKY, MYB

Common nuclear-localized regulatory proteins

Mitochondrion

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Outer membrane

VDAC (Porin)

Conserved mitochondrial outer membrane protein

Inner membrane

COXII (Cytochrome c oxidase subunit II)

Common mitochondrial marker in plants

Matrix enzyme

HSP60, IDH (Isocitrate dehydrogenase)

Used for mitochondria detection

Chloroplast

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Outer envelope

TOC75 (Translocon at outer chloroplast membrane 75)

Outer envelope marker

Thylakoid membrane

LHCII (Light-harvesting complex II)

Most common thylakoid marker

Stroma enzyme

Rubisco large subunit (rbcL)

Abundant soluble chloroplast marker

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Chaperone

BiP/GRP78 (Binding immunoglobulin protein)

Highly conserved ER marker

Membrane protein

Calnexin, Calreticulin

Used for ER structure visualization

Folding enzyme

PDI (Protein disulfide isomerase)

Catalyzes disulfide bond formation

Golgi Apparatus

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Cis-Golgi

ManI (α-Mannosidase I)

Cis-Golgi enzyme marker

Trans-Golgi

SYP32, TGN46-like

Used for Golgi and trans-Golgi localization

Structural

GMAP10, Golgin-84

Golgi matrix components

Endosomes

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Early endosome/TGN

VTI12, SYP61

Associated with early endosome and TGN compartments

Recycling endosome

RabA1e, RabA1g

Markers for endocytic recycling in plant cells

Late endosome/MVB

RabF2a (ARA7), RabF2b (RHA1)

Commonly used for late endosome and MVB tracking

Vacuole/Lytic Compartment

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Membrane protein

V-ATPase subunit VHA-a3

Main tonoplast proton pump marker

Lytic enzyme

Aleu (Aleu-mCherry marker), Cathepsin-like proteases

Used in lytic vacuole studies

Storage protein

TIPs (Tonoplast intrinsic proteins)

Aquaporin family members, tonoplast localized

Peroxisome

Function

Common Marker Proteins

Notes

Matrix enzyme

Catalase (CAT)

Classic peroxisomal enzyme marker

Membrane protein

PMP70 (Peroxisomal membrane protein 70)

Conserved across species

Photorespiration enzyme

Glycolate oxidase (GOX)

Used in leaf tissue-specific labeling

Summary Table (Condensed)

Organelle

Common Markers

Plasma membrane

H⁺-ATPase, PIP2, BRI1

Cytosol

GAPDH, Actin

Nucleus

Histone H3, NMCP1

Mitochondrion

VDAC, COXII, HSP60

Chloroplast

rbcL, TOC75, LHCII

ER

BiP, Calnexin, PDI

Golgi

ManI, SYP32, ArF1

Endosome

SYP61, RabF2a (ARA7), RabA1e

Vacuole

V-ATPase, TIPs

Peroxisome

Catalase, PMP70

 

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