Akt (also known as Protein kinase B or Rac) is a major effector of the PI-3 kinase pathway. Akt regulates cell growth through the phosphorylation of mTOR and cell survival through the inactivation of caspase-9, BAD, and various transcription factors. Akt also regulates glycogen synthesis through the phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK-3α and β. This kit provides basic components for the quantitative determination of total Akt in human, mouse, and rat whole cell lysates. Base kits generally include only MSD plates coated with the capture antibody, SULFO-TAG-labeled antibody, and MSD proprietary read buffer. (See product insert for a list of kit components). Base kits are most commonly used for high-throughput screening and assay development.