Publication
Title
Exploiting sequence and stability information for directing nanobody stability engineering
Author
Abstract
Background: Variable domains of camelid heavy-chain antibodies, commonly named nanobodies, have high biotechnological potential. In view of their broad range of applications in research, diagnostics and therapy, engineering their stability is of particular interest. One important aspect is the improvement of thermostability, because it can have immediate effects on conformational stability, protease resistance and aggregation propensity of the protein. Methods: We analyzed the sequences and thermostabilities of 78 purified nanobody binders. From this data, potentially stabilizing amino acid variations were identified and studied experimentally. Results: Some mutations improved the stability of nanobodies by up to 6.1 degrees C, with an average of 2.3 degrees C across eight modified nanobodies. The stabilizing mechanism involves an improvement of both conformational stability and aggregation behavior, explaining the variable degree of stabilization in individual molecules. In some instances, variations predicted to be stabilizing actually led to thermal destabilization of the proteins. The reasons for this contradiction between prediction and experiment were investigated. Conclusions: The results reveal a mutational strategy to improve the biophysical behavior of nanobody binders and indicate a species-specificity of nanobody architecture.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Biochimica et biophysica acta : G : general subjects. - Amsterdam, 1964, currens
Publication
Amsterdam : Elsevier , 2017
ISSN
0304-4165 [print]
1872-8006 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.BBAGEN.2017.06.014
Volume/pages
1861 :9 (2017) , p. 2196-2205
ISI
000408071800005
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
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Publication type
Subject
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.10.2018
Last edited 28.08.2024
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