About PILR-alpha
Cell signaling pathways rely on a dynamic interaction between activating and inhibiting processes. SHP-1-mediated dephosphorylation of protein tyrosine residues is central to the regulation of several cell signaling pathways. Two types of inhibitory receptor superfamily members are immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM)-bearing receptors and their non-ITIM-bearing, activating counterparts. Control of cell signaling via SHP-1 is thought to occur through a balance between PILRalpha-mediated inhibition and PILRbeta-mediated activation. These paired immunoglobulin-like receptor genes are located in a tandem head-to-tail orientation on chromosome 7. This particular gene encodes the ITIM-bearing member of the receptor pair, which functions in the inhibitory role. Alternative splicing has been observed at this locus and three variants, each encoding a distinct isoform, are described. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

About Alexa Fluor 546
Alexa Fluor™ 546 (AF546, Alexa 546) has an excitation peak at 556 nm and an emission peak at 573 nm, and is spectrally similar to Cy®3 (GE Healthcare), TRITC and iFluor® 555 (ATT Bioquest). Many flow cytometers are equipped with 532nm lasers, so while Alexa 546 can be used for flow cytometry, PE is more commonly used due to its brightness and spectral characteristics. This dye is commonly used for fluorescence microscopy applications.