ACE-031: research overview
What is ACE-031
ACE-031 is a soluble fusion protein. It joins the outer part of the activin receptor type IIB, known as ActRIIB, to an Fc fragment taken from an IgG antibody. The Fc fragment is attached to make the protein easier to produce and purify. The construct is made by biotechnological methods rather than peptide synthesis, so it is much larger than the short peptides in our range.
The protein was designed as a tool for studying TGF-beta signalling, a family of signalling proteins that regulate development and tissue function. For a laboratory, this means a material with its own solubility and storage profile, which we describe below.
Mechanism described in research
In the body, the activin receptor type IIB binds ligands from the TGF-beta family, including myostatin (GDF-8) and activin. ACE-031 works like a decoy. Its receptor portion captures these molecules in solution and limits how many of them reach receptors on the cell surface. In vitro studies have described reduced myostatin-dependent and related signalling in this way.
In animal models, blocking myostatin signalling has been examined for effects on muscle mass and strength, as well as on how muscle responds to load. Because the protein also binds other ligands from this family, results from a single experimental system should be read alongside the full binding profile.
ACE-031 has been studied in clinical trials, and the published literature describes its pharmacological properties. It is not an approved medicine. In our shop, it is sold only as a laboratory research reagent.
Research areas
- TGF-beta signalling and the GDF and activin protein families
- The role of myostatin (GDF-8) in regulating muscle mass in in vitro models
- Animal models of myostatin signalling inhibition
- Ligand binding assays for type II receptors
- Fc-fusion proteins as molecular biology tools
Product specification
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | ACE-031 |
| Type | soluble fusion protein ActRIIB-Fc |
| Bound ligands | myostatin (GDF-8) and other TGF-beta ligands |
| Form | lyophilized powder |
| Purity | ≥ 99% (HPLC) |
| Mass | confirmed by mass spectrometry (MS) |
| Available sizes | 1 mg |
Working in the laboratory
Storage
Keep the lyophilized powder at -20 °C, tightly sealed and away from moisture. Before opening the vial, let it warm to room temperature so that water does not condense on the material.
Once reconstituted, store the solution at 2-8 °C and use it according to your experimental plan. Avoid repeated freezing and thawing, because temperature swings can degrade the protein over time.
Solvent
ACE-031 dissolves in water, so water or bacteriostatic water is the basic choice. Bacteriostatic water contains a preservative, which matters when one vial is divided into several portions. Acetic acid is used as a solvent for selected peptides with limited water solubility. The solvent and volume are always set by your research protocol, and the concentration calculator helps you convert the weight of the lyophilized powder into a solution concentration.
Batch quality: HPLC and MS
Each batch is analysed by HPLC, which confirms purity of 99% or higher. Mass spectrometry (MS) confirms a molecular mass consistent with the product description. The batch number ties the measured results to a specific delivery. Details of our checks are on the quality page.
Related products
- GDF-8 (myostatin): the ligand bound by ACE-031
- Follistatin 344: a protein that binds activin and myostatin, used in comparative studies of this axis
- Ipamorelin: a growth hormone secretagogue, described in other research systems
You will find more reagents from this group in the GH axis category. Batch testing details are on the quality page, and weight-to-concentration conversions are in the concentration calculator.
