DDX6 Antibodies

Background

The DDX6 gene (also known as RCK) encodes a type of RNA helicase belonging to the DEAD-box family. This protein mainly forms a ribonucleoprotein complex in the cytoplasm and functions by regulating the translation, degradation, and storage of messenger RNA through the energy generated from ATP hydrolysis. It participates in the post-transcriptional regulation of various biological functions such as cell cycle and stress response through these processes. This gene was identified in research in the early 1990s, and its homologues are highly conserved in different species, providing a key model for revealing the RNA metabolism mechanism. The structural and functional studies of the DDX6 protein have greatly advanced the understanding of gene expression regulation, RNA homeostasis maintenance, and related molecular mechanisms of diseases.

Structure Function Application Advantage Our Products

Structure of DDX6

The protein encoded by the DDX6 gene has a molecular weight of approximately 54 kDa. The specific value may vary slightly among different species due to differences in amino acid sequences.

Species	Human	Mouse	Fruit fly	Yeast
Molecular Weight (kDa)	54	54	53	51
Primary Structural Differences	Conservative DEAD-box domain	Highly similar to humans	Similar core domain structure	Homologous protein Dhh1, with conserved function

The DDX6 protein is composed of approximately 480 amino acids and its core structure consists of multiple conserved protein domains. The core of this protein is its DEAD-box helicase domain, which is composed of RecA-like domain 1 and 2 and is connected by a flexible hinge region. This domain can hydrolyze ATP to provide the energy needed for RNA unwinding. The N-terminal and C-terminal regions of the protein contain low complexity regions, which are crucial for the interaction with other proteins (such as LSm protein, CCR4-NOT complex) and the formation of stress granules, collectively forming the functional basis for regulating the fate of mRNA.

Fig. 1 DDX3X-interaction mutation in DDX6 impairs miRNA silencing in mESCs.¹

Key structural properties of DDX6:

Conservative DEAD-box helicase domain
ATP hydrolysis and RNA-binding pockets formed by RecA-like double domains
Conformational changes dependent on ATP hydrolysis drive RNA unrotation
Low-complexity regions at both ends mediate protein interactions with phase separation

Functions of DDX6

The protein encoded by the DDX6 gene (DEAD-box helicase 6) mainly functions as a regulatory hub for RNA metabolism. However, it is also widely involved in a variety of crucial cellular biological processes, including the formation of stress granules and translation inhibition.

Function	Description
mRNA Translation Inhibition	By binding to the 3' UTR of specific mRNA or interacting with translation inhibitory factors (such as 4E-T), the translation initiation of the target mRNA is inhibited.
mRNA Degradation Regulation	As a key component, it participates in the formation of P-bodies (processing bodies) and recruits the CCR4-NOT deadenylation complex to initiate the deadenylation and degradation of mRNA.
Stress Particle Assembly	Under cellular stress conditions (such as hypoxia, heat shock), the low-complexity regions mediate liquid-liquid phase separation, facilitating the assembly of stress particles, which isolate and protect non-essential mRNAs.
microRNA-mediated silencing	It collaborates with components such as the AGO protein and other RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISC) to enhance the silencing efficiency of microRNA on its target mRNA.
Cell Cycle and Developmental Regulation	By selectively regulating the mRNA stability of a group of genes related to the cell cycle and differentiation, it affects cell proliferation, pluripotency of stem cells, and early embryonic development.

Unlike single-function proteins, DDX6, through its helicase activity and the combination with scaffold proteins, dynamically regulates the fate of mRNA in different cell states. Its functional network exhibits high context dependence and complexity.

Applications of DDX6 and DDX6 Antibody in Literature

1. Ripin, Nina, et al. "DDX6 modulates P-body and stress granule assembly, composition, and docking." Journal of Cell Biology 223.6 (2024): e202306022. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202306022

Research has found that the P-body component DDX6 inhibits the formation and composition of stress granules through ATPase activity. Meanwhile, the P-body component can regulate the interaction between the two types of granules, revealing a new mechanism by which it regulates the assembly of stress granules.

2. Weber, Ramona, and Chung-Te Chang. "Human DDX6 regulates translation and decay of inefficiently translated mRNAs." Elife 13 (2024): RP92426. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.92426

Studies have shown that human DDX6, by recognizing mrnas with low translation rates and relying on its ATPase activity to bind to ribosomes, mediates the deadenosine-dependent degradation of these inefficient translated mrnas.

3. Lu, Yanyan, et al. "DDX6 interacts with DDX3X to repress translation in microRNA-mediated silencing." Nucleic Acids Research 53.17 (2025): gkaf868. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf868

Research shows that in embryonic stem cells, DDX6 mediates the translation inhibition of miRNA on target mRNA by directly binding to DDX3X and inhibiting its function, and this effect is independent of mRNA degradation.

4. Senatore, Emanuela, et al. "Praja2 controls P-body assembly and translation in glioblastoma by non-proteolytic ubiquitylation of DDX6." EMBO reports 26.9 (2025): 2347-2377. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44319-025-00425-5

Research has revealed that in glioblastoma, the E3 ligase praja2 regulates P-body assembly and mRNA translation by non-degrading ubiquitination modification of DDX6, thereby controlling tumor growth.

5. Shih, Chia-Yu, et al. "RNA helicase DDX6 regulates A-to-I editing and neuronal differentiation in human cells." International journal of molecular sciences 24.4 (2023): 3197. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043197

Research has found that DDX6 interacts with ADAR1 in the nucleus, negatively regulating the ADAR-mediated RNA editing process and influencing neuronal differentiation, revealing its new nuclear function.

Creative Biolabs: DDX6 Antibodies for Research

Creative Biolabs specializes in the production of high-quality DDX6 antibodies for research and industrial applications. Our portfolio includes monoclonal antibodies tailored for ELISA, Flow Cytometry, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and other diagnostic methodologies.

Custom DDX6 Antibody Development: Tailor-made solutions to meet specific research requirements.
Bulk Production: Large-scale antibody manufacturing for industry partners.
Technical Support: Expert consultation for protocol optimization and troubleshooting.
Aliquoting Services: Conveniently sized aliquots for long-term storage and consistent experimental outcomes.

For more details on our DDX6 antibodies, custom preparations, or technical support, contact us at email.

Reference

Lu, Yanyan, et al. "DDX6 interacts with DDX3X to repress translation in microRNA-mediated silencing." Nucleic Acids Research 53.17 (2025): gkaf868. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf868