Structure-based Development of Human Interleukin-1β-Specific Antibody That Simultaneously Inhibits Binding to Both IL-1RI and IL-1RAcP.

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a potent pleiotropic cytokine playing a central role in protecting cells from microbial pathogen infection or endogenous stress. After it binds to IL-1RI and recruits IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAcP), signaling culminates in activation of NF-κB. Many pathophysiological diseases have been attributed to the derailment of IL-1β regulation.

Development of a Versatile and Modular Linker for Antibody-Drug Conjugates Based on Oligonucleotide Strand Pairing.

Linker design is crucial to the success of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). In this work, we developed a modular linker format for attaching molecular cargos to antibodies based on strand pairing between complementary oligonucleotides. We prepared antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) by attaching 18-mer oligonucleotides to an anti-HER2 antibody through thiol-maleimide chemistry, a method generally applicable to any immunoglobulin with interchain disulfide bridges.

Crystal Structure of PigA: A Prolyl Thioester-Oxidizing Enzyme in Prodigiosin Biosynthesis.

Prodigiosin is an intensely red pigment comprising three pyrroles. The biosynthetic pathway includes a two-step proline oxidation catalyzed by phosphatidylinositol N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase subunit A (PigA), with flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as its cofactor. The enzyme is crystallized in the apo form and in complex with FAD and proline.

Chromophore Deprotonation State Alters the Optical Properties of Blue Chromoprotein.

Chromoproteins (CPs) have unique colors and can be used in biological applications. In this work, a novel blue CP with a maximum absorption peak (λmax) at 608 nm was identified from the carpet anemone Stichodactyla gigantea (sgBP). In vivo expression of sgBP in zebrafish would change the appearance of the fishes to have a blue color, indicating the potential biomarker function.