Active Recombinant Human DDC Full Length protein, His-tagged

• Cat.No.: DDC-284H
• Product Overview: Active Recombinant Human DDC Full Length protein(NP_000781.1) (Met 1-Glu 480) was expressed in Insect Cells with a polyhistidine tag at the C-terminus.

Specification

• Species: Human
• Source: Insect Cells
• Tag: His
• Protein Length: 1-480 aa
• Form: Lyophilized from sterile 50mM Tris, 100mM NaCl, pH 8, 10% glycerol.
• Bio-activity: Measured by its ability to convert the substrate 3, 4-dihydroxy L-phenylalanine (L-Dopa) to 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine (dopamine). The dopamine product is measured by its absorbance at 340 nm after derivatization with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid The specific activity is >1500 pmoles/min/μg.
• Molecular Mass: The recombinant human DDC consists of 490 amino acids and predicts a molecular mass of 55 kDa. It migrates as an approximately 48 kDa protein in SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions.
• Endotoxin: < 1.0 EU per μg protein as determined by the LAL method.
• Purity: > 90 % as determined by SDS-PAGE
• Storage: Store it under sterile conditions at -20°C to -80°C upon receiving. Recommend to aliquot the protein into smaller quantities for optimal storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
• Reconstitution: It is recommended that sterile water be added to the vial to prepare a stock solution of 0.2 ug/ul. Centrifuge the vial at 4°C before opening to recover the entire contents.

Gene Information

• Gene Name: DDC dopa decarboxylase (aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase) [ Homo sapiens ]
• Official Symbol: DDC
• Synonyms: DDC; dopa decarboxylase (aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase); aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase; AADC
• Gene ID: 1644
• mRNA Refseq: NM_000790
• Protein Refseq: NP_000781
• MIM: 107930
• UniProt ID: P20711

Case Study

Case 1: Tsopela V, et al. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res. 2024

L-Dopa Decarboxylase (DDC) regulates autophagy in hepatocytes via dopamine/serotonin synthesis, with dengue virus (DENV) infection suppressing DDC to block autophagosome-lysosome fusion and enhance viral replication. Silencing DDC or inhibiting its enzymatic activity impairs autophagy completion and oxidative phosphorylation, while autophagy induction upregulates DDC, linking metabolic pathways to antiviral responses and highlighting DDC as a therapeutic target in viral infections.

Fig1. Western blot analysis using antibodies targeting DDC, p62, LC3B and β-actin protein levels.

Fig2. DENV NS3, DDC, LC3B, and β-actin immunoblotting.

Case 2: Florou D, et al. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2013

L-Dopa Decarboxylase (DDC) emerges as a prognostic biomarker in gastric adenocarcinoma, with higher expression linked to intestinal histotype, distal tumor localization, and improved disease-free survival (p=0.031) and overall survival (p=0.016). PCR and immunoblot analyses highlight DDC’s clinical relevance, positioning it as a potential therapeutic target and stratification tool for precision oncology in high-risk gastric cancer patients.

Fig1. Depiction of DDC immunological detection in gastric tissue samples.

Fig2. Overall survival (OS) of DDC-positive or DDC-negative gastric cancer patients.

Application

1. Therapeutic Potential of Recombinant DDC Protein in Cancer and Viral Infections Recombinant DDC (L-Dopa decarboxylase) protein demonstrates dual therapeutic utility in oncology and virology. In gastric adenocarcinoma, DDC overexpression correlates with improved survival, suggesting its role in tumor suppression via autophagy regulation and dopamine/serotonin synthesis. Preclinical models indicate that recombinant DDC could restore dysregulated metabolic pathways in DDC-deficient tumors, sensitizing them to chemotherapy. Additionally, its ability to counteract viral suppression of autophagy—as seen in dengue virus infection—positions recombinant DDC as a novel antiviral agent by blocking viral replication through autolysosome formation. 2. Diagnostic and Prognostic Value in Precision Medicine As a biomarker, recombinant DDC enables risk stratification in gastric cancer, particularly for intestinal-type and distal tumors. Immunoblot and PCR-based assays using recombinant DDC standardize detection of tumor-specific DDC expression, which predicts disease-free and overall survival (p<0.05). Integration into liquid biopsy platforms could enhance early diagnosis and monitor therapeutic responses, aligning with precision oncology frameworks. Its association with oxidative phosphorylation further links DDC levels to metabolic reprogramming in cancers, offering insights for targeted therapies. 3. Research and Drug Development Applications Recombinant DDC accelerates mechanistic studies on autophagy-metabolism crosstalk and viral pathogenesis. High-throughput screens identify small-molecule modulators of DDC activity, potentially enhancing chemotherapy efficacy or mitigating viral resistance. Structural studies of DDC-autophagy protein interactions inform the design of enzyme activators or inhibitors. Collaborative efforts explore its synergy with immunotherapy or CRISPR-based gene editing, expanding its role in next-generation therapies for neuroendocrine tumors and infectious diseases.

Fig1. Schematic representation of the molecular mechanism by which MC-LR disrupts dopamine synthesis. (Huifang Wu, 2024)