Aggregation of human recombinant monoclonal antibodies influences the capacity of dendritic cells to stimulate adaptive T-cell responses in vitro.

Subvisible proteinaceous particles which are present in all therapeutic protein formulations are in the focus of intense discussions between health authorities, academics and biopharmaceutical companies in the context of concerns that such particles could promote unwanted immunogenicity via anti-drug antibody formation. In order to provide further understanding of the subject, this study closely examines the specific biological effects proteinaceous particles may exert on dendritic cells (DCs) as the most efficient antigen-presenting cell population crucial for the initiation of the adaptive immune response. Two different model IgG antibodies were subjected to three different types of exaggerated physical stress to generate subvisible particles in far greater concentrations than the ones typical for the currently marketed biotherapeutical antibodies.

Size fractionation of microscopic protein aggregates using a preparative fluorescence-activated cell sorter.

Protein aggregation, which takes place both in vivo and in vitro, is an important degradative pathway for all proteins. Protein aggregates have distinct physicochemical and biological properties that are important to study and characterize from the perspective of both fundamental and applied sciences. The size of protein aggregates varies across a huge range, spanning several orders of magnitude.

Blinking effect and the use of quantum dots in single molecule spectroscopy.

Luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QD) have unique photo-physical properties: high photostability, brightness and narrow size-tunable fluorescence spectra. Due to their unique properties, QD-based single molecule studies have become increasingly more popular during the last years. However QDs show a strong blinking effect (random and intermittent light emission), which may limit their use in single molecule fluorescence studies.

Discrimination between silicone oil droplets and protein aggregates in biopharmaceuticals: a novel multiparametric image filter for sub-visible particles in microflow imaging analysis.

Purpose: Accurate monitoring of the sub-visible particle load in protein biopharmaceuticals is increasingly important to drug development. Manufacturers are expected to characterize and control sub-visible protein particles in their products due to their potential immunogenicity. Light obscuration, the most commonly used analytical tool to count microscopic particles, does not allow discrimination between potentially harmful protein aggregates and harmless pharmaceutical components, e.

Time-dependent FRET with single enzymes: domain motions and catalysis in H(+)-ATP synthases.

H(+)-ATP synthases are molecular machines which couple transmembrane proton transport with ATP synthesis from ADP and inorganic phosphate by a rotational mechanism. Single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (spFRET) in single molecules is a powerful tool to analyse conformational changes. It is used to investigate subunit movements in H(+)-ATP synthases from E.

Subunit movements in single membrane-bound H+-ATP synthases from chloroplasts during ATP synthesis.

Subunit movements within the H(+)-ATP synthase from chloroplasts (CF(0)F(1)) are investigated during ATP synthesis. The gamma-subunit (gammaCys-322) is covalently labeled with a fluorescence donor (ATTO532). A fluorescence acceptor (adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imino)triphosphate (AMPPNP)-ATTO665) is noncovalently bound to a noncatalytic site at one alpha-subunit.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer in single enzyme molecules with a quantum dot as donor.

H(+)-ATPsynthases couple a transmembrane proton transport with ATP synthesis and ATP hydrolysis. Previously, the relative subunit movement during this process has been measured by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between two organic fluorophores covalently bound to different subunits. To improve the photophysical stability, a luminescent CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal (quantum dot) was bound to the enzyme and an organic fluorophore, Alexa568, was used as fluorescence acceptor.