How to Choose a CD206 Antibody: Expression Control and Disease Links of the M2 Macrophage Marker
Why CD206 Sits at the Center of M2 Macrophage Work
No one phenotypes M2 macrophages without CD206. The marker is widely used, and that popularity creates its own trap. CD206 is expressed on tissue macrophages, dendritic cells, and some endothelial cells at the same time. A study that reports only a positivity rate, without naming the cell type behind it, can easily draw the wrong conclusion. The sections below gather the molecular background, the disease contexts, the staining problems that recur in practice, and a parameter set for reference.
What Kind of Molecule Is CD206?
CD206 carries two common names: mannose receptor (MR) and mannose receptor C-type 1 (MRC1). It is a transmembrane glycoprotein in the C-type lectin family. Its annotated cellular localization is the cell membrane, and the mouse sequence maps to UniProt accession Q61830.
Functionally, CD206 works as an endocytic portal. It binds glycoproteins that terminate in mannose and mediates their recognition and internalization by the cell. Part of the scavenging work performed at an inflammatory site falls to this receptor.
It also serves as a homeostatic receptor. The product page states that CD206 binds and clears unwanted high-mannose N-linked glycoproteins and pituitary hormones from the circulation. Molecules in blood that are due for recycling travel this route.
The listed molecular aliases are macrophage mannose receptor 1, MMR, and Mrc1. These three names describe a single protein.
Which Diseases and Research Settings Involve CD206?
The most direct link is macrophage polarization. The page lists CD206 as a marker of the M2 phenotype and notes that M2 macrophages take part in immunosuppression, tissue remodeling, and Th2 effector responses. All three point the same way: hold inflammation down and rebuild tissue.
In tumor research the marker is used to label M2-like populations among tumor-associated macrophages. Regions where immune function is suppressed tend to accumulate M2-like cells. Investigators working on the immune microenvironment meet this pattern routinely.
Tissue repair and fibrosis follow the same logic. Macrophages switch between a pro-inflammatory and a repair state, and CD206 is the standard readout for the latter.
Timing has to be fixed in advance. The page notes that CD206 expression is regulated by multiple cytokines, so culture conditions change the readout. Cells harvested on day three and on day seven may not deliver the same positivity rate. This variability reflects the biology rather than the antibody, which is why control design matters more here than raw signal strength.
The product page does not list drug development progress for this target, so nothing further is added here.
Three Difficulties in Flow Cytometry Detection
Obtaining single-cell suspensions is the main barrier. CD206 is expressed mainly on tissue macrophages, while flow cytometry requires a suspension. The type and duration of enzymatic digestion remove part of the surface antigen, so any change in digestion shifts the positivity rate. When this step is not controlled, optimizing the antibody further has limited value.
Positive and negative populations often merge into a continuous transition. Monocytes and dendritic cells also carry CD206, though at different intensities. Setting a baseline with an isotype control and reading the overall shift is more reliable than forcing a hard gate.
Species must be matched. This catalog number is raised in rat and lists mouse (Ms) as its only reactive species, with dilution guidance set for mouse samples. Human cell samples require a different catalog number. A host-species mismatch cannot be rescued by a better secondary antibody.
Background control belongs to the staining system. This product is unconjugated, so signal depends on secondary amplification, and amplification raises background along with signal. Blocking buffer choice, wash cycles, and secondary incubation time all move the background line. Once background climbs, weakly positive populations disappear beneath it.
Antibody titration deserves its own step. Because CD206 density differs between tissue macrophages and dendritic cells, a dilution that resolves one population may saturate the other. Running a two-fold titration series on the intended sample type before fixing a working dilution avoids that problem. Reading fluorescence on a log scale and reporting the median fluorescence intensity alongside the percentage of positive cells also makes results comparable between operators. A positivity rate alone hides shifts in expression level, while the intensity value captures them.
A Reference Reagent for Mouse CD206
ANT BIO PTE. LTD. supplies a rat monoclonal antibody against mouse CD206 under catalog number S0B60382, clone S-4793. The isotype is IgG2a, kappa. The antibody is purified by Protein G at 2 mg/ml, supplied unconjugated in liquid form, and buffered in PBS pH 7.4. Sizes cover 25 microliters, 100 microliters, and 1 milliliter, and the stated application is flow cytometry at a recommended dilution of 1:200 for mouse samples.
| Product Name | Catalog No. | Host & Format | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat Anti-Mouse CD206 Antibody (S-4793) | S0B60382 | Rat / IgG2a, kappa / unconjugated, 2 mg/ml | FCM; recommended dilution 1:200; reactive species Ms |
Storage follows the page notation of 12 months from receipt or reconstitution at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius in the supplied state. The product page for this code shows no independent validation image and does not list the immunogen, predicted reactive species, positive samples, or an isotype control. Those fields are recorded here as published, without supplementation. Sequence information traces to UniProt Q61830, and staining conditions and batch data should be confirmed against the accompanying datasheet and certificate of analysis.
Outlook
The open question with CD206 is never presence or absence. It is how much signal appears, on which cell type, and under which regulatory conditions. The molecule is a scavenger and, at the same time, a signal lamp marking the end of inflammation. Fix the controls, the digestion protocol, and the species, and a positivity rate starts to mean something.
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