mouse monoclonal IgG2a; CNTFRα Antibody (AN-B2) is an IgG2a κ mouse monoclonal CNTFR alpha antibody (also designated CNTFRα antibody) that detects the CNTFR alpha protein of mouse, rat and human origin by WB, IP, IF, IHC(P), FCM and ELISA. CNTFRα Antibody (AN-B2) is available as both the non-conjugated anti-CNTFR alpha antibody form, as well as multiple conjugated forms of anti-CNTFR alpha antibody, including agarose, HRP, PE, FITC and multiple Alexa Fluor® conjugates. Ciliary neurotrophic factor, or CNTF, is a neuropoietic cytokine that promotes the survival and differentiation of a number of cell types including sensory, sympathetic and motor neurons. CNTF, LIF and IL-6 belong to a family of cytokines that share structural homology and signal through identical receptor components. The CNTF receptor (CNTFR) is comprised of CNTFRα, a CNTFR-specific chain, and a heterodimer of the gp130 chain common to the IL-6 and LIF receptor and the LIFRb chain. The CNTFR complex has been shown to augment DNA synthesis through the activation of transcription factors Stat1 and Stat3. CNTF has been implicated as a protein involved in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. However, unlike mice lacking CNTF, mice containing a homozygous null mutation in the gene encoding the CNTFRα chain die perinatally and display severe motor neuron deficits. This data suggests the existence of a second CNTFR ligand that plays a critical role in development of the neonatal nervous system.