Development of an enabling platform biotechnology for the production of proteins.

Protein-based drugs are a mainstay of modern medicine. In contrast to antibodies, most of these need highly individualized production processes which often limits their development. Here, we develop an immunoglobulin domain tag (i-Tag), which can be fused to any protein of interest.

Members of the Hsp70 Family Recognize Distinct Types of Sequences to Execute ER Quality Control.

Protein maturation in the endoplasmic reticulum is controlled by multiple chaperones, but how they recognize and determine the fate of their clients remains unclear. We developed an in vivo peptide library covering substrates of the ER Hsp70 system: BiP, Grp170, and three of BiP's DnaJ-family co-factors (ERdj3, ERdj4, and ERdj5). In vivo binding studies revealed that sites for pro-folding chaperones BiP and ERdj3 were frequent and dispersed throughout the clients, whereas Grp170, ERdj4, and ERdj5 specifically recognized a distinct type of rarer sequence with a high predicted aggregation potential.

Effects of repetitive imagination of alcohol consumption on craving in alcohol-dependent patients: A pilot study.

Background: In the majority of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), the clinical course is characterized by multiple relapses to drinking, frequently preceded by intense craving for alcohol. The present pilot study aimed to assess the effects of a repetitive imaginary cue-exposure protocol in reducing craving in recently abstinent alcohol-dependent patients.

Methods: Sixty-four patients were randomly assigned to six intervention groups and were instructed to repetitively imagine: i) drinking a glass of their preferred alcoholic drink (low vs.

Dimerization-dependent folding underlies assembly control of the clonotypic αβT cell receptor chains.

In eukaryotic cells, secretory pathway proteins must pass stringent quality control checkpoints before exiting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Acquisition of native structure is generally considered to be the most important prerequisite for ER exit. However, structurally detailed protein folding studies in the ER are few.

BiP and its nucleotide exchange factors Grp170 and Sil1: mechanisms of action and biological functions.

BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein) is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) orthologue of the Hsp70 family of molecular chaperones and is intricately involved in most functions of this organelle through its interactions with a variety of substrates and regulatory proteins. Like all Hsp70 family members, the ability of BiP to bind and release unfolded proteins is tightly regulated by a cycle of ATP binding, hydrolysis, and nucleotide exchange. As a characteristic of the Hsp70 family, multiple DnaJ-like co-factors can target substrates to BiP and stimulate its ATPase activity to stabilize the binding of BiP to substrates.

The structural analysis of shark IgNAR antibodies reveals evolutionary principles of immunoglobulins.

Sharks and other cartilaginous fish are the phylogenetically oldest living organisms that rely on antibodies as part of their adaptive immune system. They produce the immunoglobulin new antigen receptor (IgNAR), a homodimeric heavy chain-only antibody, as a major part of their humoral adaptive immune response. Here, we report the atomic resolution structure of the IgNAR constant domains and a structural model of this heavy chain-only antibody.

The large Hsp70 Grp170 binds to unfolded protein substrates in vivo with a regulation distinct from conventional Hsp70s.

The Hsp70 superfamily is a ubiquitous chaperone class that includes conventional and large Hsp70s. BiP is the only conventional Hsp70 in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) whose functions include: assisting protein folding, targeting misfolded proteins for degradation, and regulating the transducers of the unfolded protein response. The ER also possesses a single large Hsp70, the glucose-regulated protein of 170 kDa (Grp170).

Conformational selection in substrate recognition by Hsp70 chaperones.

Hsp70s are molecular chaperones involved in the folding and assembly of proteins. They recognize hydrophobic amino acid stretches in their substrate binding groove. However, a detailed understanding of substrate specificity is still missing.

Breast cancer cell CD200 expression regulates immune response to EMT6 tumor cells in mice.

CD200 has been characterized as an important immunoregulatory molecule, increased expression of which can lead to decreased transplant rejection, autoimmunity, and allergic disease. Elevated CD200 expression has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in a number of human malignancies. We have found that cells of the transplantable EMT6 mouse breast cancer line growing in vitro express low levels of CD200, but levels increase markedly during growth in immunocompetent mice.