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Discover how PEPperPRINT Peptide Microarray products have been used in different fields of research.

Soybean Allergy Related Epitopes

Kern, Karolin; Spiegel, Holger; Havenith, Heide; Szardenings, Michael
Nov 2018
The invention relates to a compilation comprising at least five different peptides, each peptide comprising at least one sequence element corresponding to an epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 1-354, wherein at least five different epitopes are represented. The invention further relates to an in vitro method for determining a patient’s immune status to soybean allergens, to a method for detecting at least one soybean allergen in a substance and to a method for determining the allergenicity of a soybean variety. Additionally, the invention relates to a kit comprising at least one composition containing a compound comprising at least five different sequence elements each corresponding to an epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 1-354, wherein at least five different epitopes are represented. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a peptide comprising a sequence element corresponding to an epitope for providing a molecule binding to a protein or peptide comprising the epitope.

Linear epitopes in Onchocerca volvulus vaccine candidate proteins and excretory-secretory proteins

Lagatie, Ole; Verheyen, Ann; Van Dorst, Bieke; Batsa Debrah, Linda; Debrah, Alex; Stuyver, Lieven J.
Parasite Immunol.
Nov 2018
In our previous study, a proteome-wide screen was conducted to identify linear epitopes in this parasite’s proteome, resulting in the discovery of three immunodominant motifs. Here, we investigated whether such antigenic peptides were found in proteins that were already known as vaccine candidates and excretome/secretome proteins for Onchocerca volvulus This approach led to the identification of 71 immunoreactive stretches in 46 proteins. A deep-dive into the immunoreactivity profiles of eight vaccine candidates that were chosen as most promising candidates for further development (Ov-CPI-2, Ov-ALT-1, Ov-RAL-2, Ov-ASP-1, Ov-103, Ov-RBP-1, Ov-CHI-1, and Ov-B20), resulted in the identification of a poly-glutamine stretch in Ov-RAL-2 that has properties for use as a serodiagnostic marker for O. volvulus infection. A peptide ELISA was developed, and the performance of this assay was evaluated. Based on this assessment, it was found that this assay has a sensitivity of 75.0% [95% CI: 64.9%-83.5%] and a specificity of 98.5% [95% CI: 94.6%-99.8%]. Furthermore, 8.7% reactivity in Asian parasite-infected individuals (8 out of 92) was observed. Besides this identification of a linear epitope marker, the information on the presence of linear epitopes in vaccine candidate proteins might be useful in the study of vaccines for river blindness.

Interaction of the Warsaw breakage syndrome DNA helicase DDX11 with the replication fork-protection factor Timeless promotes sister chromatid cohesion

Cortone, Giuseppe; Zheng, Ge; Pensieri, Pasquale; Chiappetta, Viviana; Tatè, Rosarita; Malacaria, Eva; Pichierri, Pietro; Yu, Hongtao; Pisani, Francesca M.
PLoS Genet.
Oct 2018
Establishment of sister chromatid cohesion is coupled to DNA replication, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. DDX11 (also named ChlR1) is a super-family 2 Fe-S cluster-containing DNA helicase implicated in Warsaw breakage syndrome (WABS). Herein, we examined the role of DDX11 in cohesion establishment in human cells. We demonstrated that DDX11 interacts with Timeless, a component of the replication fork-protection complex, through a conserved peptide motif. The DDX11-Timeless interaction is critical for sister chromatid cohesion in interphase and mitosis. Immunofluorescence studies further revealed that cohesin association with chromatin requires DDX11. Finally, we demonstrated that DDX11 localises at nascent DNA by SIRF analysis. Moreover, we found that DDX11 promotes cohesin binding to the DNA replication forks in concert with Timeless and that recombinant purified cohesin interacts with DDX11 in vitro. Collectively, our results establish a critical role for the DDX11-Timeless interaction in coordinating DNA replication with sister chromatid cohesion, and have important implications for understanding the molecular basis of WABS.

Combinatorial Synthesis of Macromolecular Arrays by Microchannel Cantilever Spotting (µCS)

Atwater, Jordyn; Mattes, Daniela S.; Streit, Bettina; von Bojničić-Kninski, Clemens; Loeffler, Felix F.; Breitling, Frank; Fuchs, Harald; Hirtz, Michael
Adv. Mater..
Aug 2018
Surface-bound microarrays of multiple oligo- and macromolecules (e.g., peptides, DNA) offer versatile options in biomedical applications like drug screening, DNA analysis, or medical diagnostics. Combinatorial syntheses of these molecules in situ can save significant resources in regard to processing time and material use. Furthermore, high feature densities are needed to enable high-throughput and low sample volumes as generally regarded in combinatorial chemistry. Here, a scanning-probe-lithography-based approach for the combinatorial in situ synthesis of macromolecules is presented in microarray format. Feature sizes below 40 µm allow for the creation of high-density arrays with feature densities of 62 500 features per cm2. To demonstrate feasibility of this approach for biomedical applications, a multiplexed array of functional protein tags (HA- and FLAG-tag) is synthesized, and selective binding of respective epitope recognizing antibodies is shown. This approach uses only small amounts of base chemicals for synthesis and can be further parallelized, therefore, opening up a route to flexible, highly dense, and cost-effective microarrays.

Universal detection of foot and mouth disease virus based on the conserved VP0 protein

Loureiro, Silvia; Porta, Claudine; Maity, Hemanta K.; Perez, Eva; Bagno, Flavia F.; Kotecha, Abhay; Fry, Elizabeth; Ren, Jingshan; Stuart, David I.; Hoenemann, Holger; Serrano, Amaya; van den Born, Erwin; Charleston, Bryan; Jones, Ian M.
Wellcome Open Res.
Jul 2018
Background : Foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV), a member of the picornaviridae that causes vesicular disease in ungulates, has seven serotypes and a large number of strains, making universal detection challenging. The mature virion is made up of 4 structural proteins, virus protein (VP) 1 – VP4, VP1-VP3 of which form the outer surface of the particle and VP4 largely contained within. Prior to mature virion formation VP2 and VP4 occur together as VP0, a structural component of the pre-capsid which, as a result of containing the internal VP4 sequence, is relatively conserved among all strains and serotypes. Detection of VP0 might therefore represent a universal virus marker. Methods : FMDV virus protein 0 (VP0) was expressed in bacteria as a SUMO fusion protein and the SUMO carrier removed by site specific proteolysis. Rabbit polyvalent sera were generated to the isolated VP0 protein and their reactivity characterised by a number of immunoassays and by epitope mapping on peptide arrays. Results : The specific VP0 serum recognised a variety of FMDV serotypes, as virus and as virus-like-particles, by a variety of assay formats. Epitope mapping showed the predominant epitopes to occur within the unstructured but highly conserved region of the sequence shared among many serotypes. When immunogold stained VLPs were assessed by TEM analysis they revealed exposure of epitopes on the surface of some particles, consistent with particle breathing hitherto reported for some other picornaviruses but not for FMDV. Conclusion : A polyvalent serum based on the VP0 protein of FMDV represents a broadly reactive reagent capable of detection of many if not all FMDV isolates. The suggestion of particle breathing obtained with this serum suggests a reconsideration of the FMDV entry mechanism.

Reductionist Approach in Peptide-Based Nanotechnology

Gazit, Ehud
Annu. Rev. Biochem..
Jun 2018
The formation of ordered nanostructures by molecular self-assembly of proteins and peptides represents one of the principal directions in nanotechnology. Indeed, polyamides provide superior features as materials with diverse physical properties. A reductionist approach allowed the identification of extremely short peptide sequences, as short as dipeptides, which could form well-ordered amyloid-like β-sheet-rich assemblies comparable to supramolecular structures made of much larger proteins. Some of the peptide assemblies show remarkable mechanical, optical, and electrical characteristics. Another direction of reductionism utilized a natural noncoded amino acid, α-aminoisobutryic acid, to form short superhelical assemblies. The use of this exceptional helix inducer motif allowed the fabrication of single heptad repeats used in various biointerfaces, including their use as surfactants and DNA-binding agents. Two additional directions of the reductionist approach include the use of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and coassembly techniques. The diversified accomplishments of the reductionist approach, as well as the exciting future advances it bears, are discussed.

A public antibody lineage that potently inhibits malaria infection through dual binding to the circumsporozoite protein

Tan, Joshua; Sack, Brandon K; Oyen, David; Zenklusen, Isabelle; Piccoli, Luca; Barbieri, Sonia; Foglierini, Mathilde; Fregni, Chiara Silacci; Marcandalli, Jessica; Jongo, Said; Abdulla, Salim; Perez, Laurent; Corradin, Giampietro; Varani, Luca; Sallusto, Federica; Sim, Betty Kim Lee; Hoffman, Stephen L; Kappe, Stefan H I; Daubenberger, Claudia; Wilson, Ian A; Lanzavecchia, Antonio
Nat Med.
Mar 2018
Immunization with attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites (PfSPZs) has been shown to be protective against malaria, but the features of the antibody response induced by this treatment remain unclear. To investigate this response in detail, we isolated IgM and IgG monoclonal antibodies from Tanzanian volunteers who were immunized with repeated injection of Sanaria PfSPZ Vaccine and who were found to be protected from controlled human malaria infection with infectious homologous PfSPZs. All isolated IgG monoclonal antibodies bound to P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) and recognized distinct epitopes in its N terminus, NANP-repeat region, and C terminus. Strikingly, the most effective antibodies, as determined in a humanized mouse model, bound not only to the repeat region, but also to a minimal peptide at the PfCSP N-terminal junction that is not in the RTS,S vaccine. These dual-specific antibodies were isolated from different donors and were encoded by VH3-30 or VH3-33 alleles that encode tryptophan or arginine at position 52. Using structural and mutational data, we describe the elements required for germline recognition and affinity maturation. Our study provides potent neutralizing antibodies and relevant information for lineage-targeted vaccine design and immunization strategies.

A Trifunctional Linker for Purified 3D Assembled Peptide Structure Arrays

Mattes, Daniela S.; Rentschler, Simone; Foertsch, Tobias C.; Münch, Stephan W.; Loeffler, Felix F.; Nesterov-Mueller, Alexander; Bräse, Stefan; Breitling, Frank
Small Methods.
Feb 2018
Microarrays are an important tool in modern research that allow the rapid screening of many different interactions simultaneously. Peptide arrays, which bear different peptides arranged in separate spots, permit high-throughput screening to investigate linear and cyclic binding sites. To study conformational or discontinuous binding sites, protein arrays are the major choice. However, the tremendous costs for the generation of high-density protein arrays of high purity restrict progress in protein research. Therefore, peptide-based arrays, which can mimic assembled peptide structures, have an enormous potential. Here, a method is presented to create such structures in the array format as an alternative to protein arrays. A trifunctional linker is developed with an azide, a protected alkyne, and a carboxyl group, which can react with two or three different peptides. Due to the spatial proximity, the peptides interact and can form an assembled peptide structure. As a proof of concept, assembled peptide structures are demonstrated on beads and on a polymer surface and the approach can be validated via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization spectrometry. Furthermore, a multistep transfer of peptide arrays is shown, generating purified assembled peptide structure arrays in high density.

Development and characterization of a human monoclonal antibody targeting the N-terminal region of hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein E1

Mesalam, Ahmed Atef; Desombere, Isabelle; Farhoudi, Ali; Van Houtte, Freya; Verhoye, Lieven; Ball, Jonathan; Dubuisson, Jean; Foung, Steven K.H.; Patel, Arvind H.; Persson, Mats A.A.; Leroux-Roels, Geert; Meuleman, Philip
Virology.
Jan 2018
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope have been raised mainly against envelope protein 2 (E2), while the antigenic epitopes of envelope protein 1 (E1) are not fully identified. Here we describe the detailed characterization of a human mAb, designated A6, generated from an HCV genotype 1b infected patient. ELISA results showed reactivity of mAb A6 to full-length HCV E1E2 of genotypes 1a, 1b and 2a. Epitope mapping identified a region spanning amino acids 230–239 within the N-terminal region of E1 as critical for binding. Antibody binding to this epitope was not conformation dependent. Neutralization assays showed that mAb A6 lacks neutralizing capacity and does not interfere with the activity of known neutralizing antibodies. In summary, mAb A6 is an important tool to study the structure and function of E1 within the viral envelope, a crucial step in the development of an effective prophylactic HCV vaccine.

Spot peptide arrays and SPR measurements: throughput and quantification in antibody selectivity studies: Peptide Arrays for Antibody Selectivity Studies

Vernet, Thierry; Choulier, Laurence; Nominé, Yves; Bellard, Laure; Baltzinger, Mireille; Travé, Gilles; Altschuh, Danièle
J. Mol. Recognit..
Oct 2015
Antibody selectivity represents a major issue in the development of efficient immuno-therapeutics and detection assays. Its description requires a comparison of the affinities of the antibody for a significant number of antigen variants. In the case of peptide antigens, this task can now be addressed to a significant level of details owing to improvements in spot peptide array technologies. They allow the high-throughput mutational analysis of peptides with, depending on assay design, an evaluation of binding stabilities. Here, we examine the cross-reactive capacity of an antibody fragment using the PEPperCHIP® technology platform (PEPperPRINT GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany; >8800 peptides per microarray) combined with the surface plasmon resonance characterization (Biacore® technology; GE-Healthcare Biacore, Uppsala, Sweden) of a subset of interactions. ScFv1F4 recognizes the N-terminal end of oncoprotein E6 of human papilloma virus 16. The spot permutation analysis (i.e. each position substituted by all amino acids except cysteine) of the wild type decapeptide (sequence 6TAMFQDPQER15) and of 15 variants thereof defined the optimal epitope and provided a ranking for variant recognition. The SPR affinity measurements mostly validated the ranking of complex stabilities deduced from array data and defined the sensitivity of spot fluorescence intensities, bringing further insight into the conditions for cross-reactivity. Our data demonstrate the importance of throughput and quantification in the assessment of antibody selectivity.

Single-Molecule Detection on a Protein-Array Assay Platform for the Exposure of a Tuberculosis Antigen

Schmidt, Ronny; Jacak, Jaroslaw; Schirwitz, Christopher; Stadler, Volker; Michel, Gerd; Marmé, Nicole; Schütz, Gerhard J.; Hoheisel, Jörg D.; Knemeyer, Jens-Peter
J. Proteome Res..
Jan 2011

Combinatorial Synthesis of Peptide Arrays with a Laser Printer

Stadler, Volker; Felgenhauer, Thomas; Beyer, Mario; Fernandez, Simon; Leibe, Klaus; Güttler, Stefan; Gröning, Martin; König, Kai; Torralba, Gloria; Hausmann, Michael; Lindenstruth, Volker; Nesterov, Alexander; Block, Ines; Pipkorn, Rüdiger; Poustka, Annemarie; Bischoff, F. Ralf; Breitling, Frank
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed..
Sep 2008
Special delivery: The “freezing” of activated amino acid derivatives within solid particles enables a laser printer to deliver these “postal packages” to defined locations on a solid support with high resolution. Subsequent parallel coupling is initiated simply by melting a whole layer of 20 different amino acid particles (see schematic representation; Fmoc=9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl).

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