Molecular Characterization of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Neural Crest-Like Cells Revealed a Spatiotemporal Expression of an Mlc-3 Isoform.

Background And Objectives: Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells represent a perfect model system for the investigation of early developmental processes. Besides their differentiation into derivatives of the three primary germ layers, they can also be differentiated into derivatives of the 'fourth' germ layer, the neural crest (NC). Due to its multipotency, extensive migration and outstanding capacity to generate a remarkable number of different cell types, the NC plays a key role in early developmental processes.

The impact of proline isomerization on antigen binding and the analytical profile of a trispecific anti-HIV antibody.

Proline conformational isomerization is a mechanism that affects different types of protein functions and behaviors. Using analytical characterization, structural analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations, we studied the causes of an aberrant two-peak size-exclusion chromatography profile observed for a trispecific anti-HIV antibody. We found that proline isomerization in the tyrosine-proline-proline (YPP) motif in the heavy chain complementarity-determining region (CDR)3 domain of one of the antibody arms (10e8v4) was a component of this profile.

Quantitative live-cell imaging and 3D modeling reveal critical functional features in the cytosolic complex of phagocyte NADPH oxidase.

Phagocyte NADPH oxidase produces superoxide anions, a precursor of reactive oxygen species (ROS) critical for host responses to microbial infections. However, uncontrolled ROS production contributes to inflammation, making NADPH oxidase a major drug target. It consists of two membranous (Nox2 and p22) and three cytosolic subunits (p40, p47, and p67) that undergo structural changes during enzyme activation.

A Rationally Designed Connector for Assembly of Protein-Functionalized DNA Nanostructures.

We report on the rational engineering of the binding interface of the self-ligating HaloTag protein to generate an optimized linker for DNA nanostructures. Five amino acids positioned around the active-site entry channel for the chlorohexyl ligand (CH) of the HaloTag protein were exchanged for positively charged lysine amino acids to produce the HOB (halo-based oligonucleotide binder) protein. HOB was genetically fused with the enzyme cytochrome P450 BM3, as well as with BMR, the separated reductase domain of BM3.

Newly engineered cyan fluorescent proteins with enhanced performances for live cell FRET imaging.

Cyan fluorescent proteins (CFPs) derived from Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein are the most widely used Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) donors in genetically encoded biosensors for live-cell imaging and bioassays. However, the weak and complex fluorescence emission of cyan variants, such as enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP) or Cerulean, has long remained a major bottleneck in these FRET techniques. Recently, several CFPs with greatly improved performances, including mTurquoise, mTurquoise2, mCerulean3, and Aquamarine, have been engineered through a mixture of site-directed and large-scale random mutagenesis.

Transcription factor lbx1 expression in mouse embryonic stem cell-derived phenotypes.

Transcription factor Lbx1 is known to play a role in the migration of muscle progenitor cells in limb buds and also in neuronal determination processes. In addition, involvement of Lbx1 in cardiac neural crest-related cardiogenesis was postulated. Here, we used mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells which have the capacity to develop into cells of all three primary germ layers.