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

Bayesian Analysis of MicroScale Thermophoresis Data to Quantify Affinity of Protein:Protein Interactions with Human Survivin

Garcia-Bonete, Maria-Jose; Jensen, Maja; Recktenwald, Christian V.; Rocha, Sandra; Stadler, Volker; Bokarewa, Maria; Katona, Gergely
Sci Rep.
Dec 2017
A biomolecular ensemble exhibits different responses to a temperature gradient depending on its diffusion properties. MicroScale Thermophoresis technique exploits this effect and is becoming a popular technique for analyzing interactions of biomolecules in solution. When comparing affinities of related compounds, the reliability of the determined thermodynamic parameters often comes into question. The thermophoresis binding curves can be assessed by Bayesian inference, which provides a probability distribution for the dissociation constant of the interacting partners. By applying Bayesian machine learning principles, binding curves can be autonomously analyzed without manual intervention and without introducing subjective bias by outlier rejection. We demonstrate the Bayesian inference protocol on the known survivin:borealin interaction and on the putative protein-protein interactions between human survivin and two members of the human Shugoshin-like family (hSgol1 and hSgol2). These interactions were identified in a protein microarray binding assay against survivin and confirmed by MicroScale Thermophoresis.

A recombinant BBSome core complex and how it interacts with ciliary cargo

Klink, Björn Udo; Zent, Eldar; Juneja, Puneet; Kuhlee, Anne; Raunser, Stefan; Wittinghofer, Alfred
Cilia are small, antenna-like structures on the surface of eukaryotic cells that harbor a unique set of sensory proteins, including GPCRs and other membrane proteins. The transport of these proteins involves the BBSome, an eight-membered protein complex that is recruited to ciliary membranes by the G-protein Arl6. BBSome malfunction leads to Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a ciliopathy with severe consequences. Short ciliary targeting sequences (CTS) have been identified that trigger the transport of ciliary proteins. However, mechanistic studies that relate ciliary targeting to BBSome binding are missing. Here we used heterologously expressed BBSome subcomplexes to analyze the complex architecture and to investigate the binding of GPCRs and other receptors to the BBSome. A stable heterohexameric complex was identified that binds to GPCRs with interactions that only partially overlap with previously described CTS, indicating a more complex recognition than anticipated. Arl6•GTP does not affect these interactions, suggesting no direct involvement in cargo loading/unloading.

Antibody fingerprints in lyme disease deciphered with high density peptide arrays

Weber, Laura K.; Isse, Awale; Rentschler, Simone; Kneusel, Richard E.; Palermo, Andrea; Hubbuch, Jürgen; Nesterov-Mueller, Alexander; Breitling, Frank; Loeffler, Felix F.
Eng. Life Sci..
Oct 2017
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in Europe and North America. Previous studies discovered the immunogenic role of a surface-exposed lipoprotein (VlsE) of Borreliella burgdorferi. We employed high density peptide arrays to investigate the antibody response to the VlsE protein in VlsE-positive patients by mapping the protein as overlapping peptides and subsequent in-depth epitope substitution analyses. These investigations led to the identification of antibody fingerprints represented by a number of key residues that are indispensable for the binding of the respective antibody. This approach allows us to compare the antibody specificities of different patients to the resolution of single amino acids. Our study revealed that the sera of VlsE-positive patients recognize different epitopes on the protein. Remarkably, in those cases where the same epitope is targeted, the antibody fingerprint is almost identical. Furthermore, we could correlate two fingerprints with human autoantigens and an Epstein-Barr virus epitope; yet, the link to autoimmune disorders seems unlikely and must be investigated in further studies. The other three fingerprints are much more specific for B. burgdorferi. Since antibody fingerprints of longer sequences have proven to be highly disease specific, our findings suggest that the fingerprints could function as diagnostic markers that can reduce false positive test results.

Identification of Streptococcus cristatus peptides that repress expression of virulence genes in Porphyromonas gingivalis

Ho, Meng-Hsuan; Lamont, Richard J.; Xie, Hua
Sci Rep.
May 2017
Dental plaque is a complex multispecies biofilm, and is a direct precursor of periodontal disease. The virulence of periodontal pathogens, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, is expressed in the context of this polymicrobial community. Previously, we reported an antagonistic relationship between Streptococcus cristatus and P. gingivalis, and identified arginine deiminase (ArcA) of S. cristatus as the signaling molecule to which P. gingivalis responds by repressing the expression and production of FimA protein. Here we demonstrate that direct interaction between P. gingivalis and S. cristatus is necessary for the cell-cell communication. Two surface proteins of P. gingivalis, PGN_0294 and PGN_0806, were found to interact with S. cristatus ArcA. Using a peptide array analysis, we identified several P. gingivalis-binding sites of ArcA, which led to the discovery of an 11-mer peptide with the native sequence of ArcA that repressed expression of fimbriae and of gingipains. These data indicate that a functional motif of ArcA is sufficient to selectively alter virulence gene expression in P. gingivalis, and PGN_0294 and PGN_0806 may serve as receptors for ArcA. Our findings provide a molecular basis for future rational design of agents that interfere with the initiation and formation of a P. gingivalis-induced pathogenic community.

Peptide array functionalization via the Ugi four-component reaction

Ridder, B.; Mattes, D. S.; Nesterov-Mueller, A.; Breitling, F.; Meier, M. A. R.
Chem. Commun..
May 2017
The Ugi four-component reaction was investigated as a tool for the functionalization of peptide arrays via post-synthetic side-chain modification, mimicking post-translational processes. Additionally, as a proof of concept for the synthesis of peptidomimetics on arrays, the integration of an Ugi unit into a growing peptide chain was demonstrated.

Autoantikehad täppismeditsiinis

Jaks, Viljar; Uibo, Raivo
Immuuntolerantsi häirumine, mille üheks väljundiks on antikehade teke organismile omaste biomolekulide vastu, on oluline patogeneetiline mehhanism mitmete laialdaselt levinud haiguste puhul ja seetõttu on autoantikehade määramine kujunenud oluliseks diagnostiliseks vahendiks. Artiklis on käsitletud autoantikehade esinemise olulisust haiguste tekke ja kulu prognoosimisel. Kuigi sellekohane info on veel üsna napp, on selge, et organismi immuunstaatuse muutus eelneb aastaid haiguse ilmnemisele ning autoimmuunset komponenti sisaldava haiguse kulg ja prognoos on seotud patsiendil esinevate kindlate autoantikehadega. Sellest tulenevalt võime loota, et organismi immuunstaatuse uurimine, eriti aga autoantikehade spektri iseloomustamine, on tulevikus geneetilise info analüüsimise kõrval üks täppismeditsiini olulisemaid tööriistu.

Antibody repertoire profiling with mimotope arrays

Pashova, Shina; Schneider, Christoph; von Gunten, Stephan; Pashov, Anastas
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics.
Jan 2017
Large-scale profiling and monitoring of antibody repertoires is possible through next generation sequencing (NGS), phage display libraries and microarrays. These methods can be combined in a pipeline, which ultimately maps the antibody reactivities onto defined arrays of structures – peptides or carbohydrates. The arrays can help analyze the individual specificities or can be used as complex patterns. In any case, the targets recognized should formally be considered mimotopes unless they are proven to be epitopes driving the antibody synthesis. Here, the advantages and disadvantages of the major profiling techniques as well as their current and future application in disease prediction and vaccination are discussed.

Histatin 5 binds to Porphyromonas gingivalis hemagglutinin B (HagB) and alters HagB-induced chemokine responses

Borgwardt, Derek S.; Martin, Aaron D.; Van Hemert, Jonathan R.; Yang, Jianyi; Fischer, Carol L.; Recker, Erica N.; Nair, Prashant R.; Vidva, Robinson; Chandrashekaraiah, Shwetha; Progulske-Fox, Ann; Drake, David; Cavanaugh, Joseph E.; Vali, Shireen; Zhang, Yang; Brogden, Kim A.
Sci Rep.
Jan 2014
Histatins are human salivary gland peptides with anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we hypothesized that histatin 5 binds to Porphyromonas gingivalis hemagglutinin B (HagB) and attenuates HagB-induced chemokine responses in human myeloid dendritic cells. Histatin 5 bound to immobilized HagB in a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy-based biosensor system. SPR spectroscopy kinetic and equilibrium analyses, protein microarray studies and I-TASSER structural modeling studies all demonstrated two histatin 5 binding sites on HagB. One site had a stronger affinity with a KD1 of 1.9 μM and one site had a weaker affinity with a KD2 of 60.0 μM. Binding has biological implications and predictive modeling studies and exposure of dendritic cells both demonstrated that 20.0 μM histatin 5 attenuated (p < 0.05) 0.02 μM HagB-induced CCL3/MIP-1α, CCL4/MIP-1β and TNFα responses. Thus histatin 5 is capable of attenuating chemokine responses, which may help control oral inflammation.

Combinatorial Peptide Synthesis on a Microchip

Schirwitz, Christopher; Block, Ines; König, Kai; Nesterov, Alexander; Fernandez, Simon; Felgenhauer, Thomas; Leibe, Klaus; Torralba, Gloria; Hausmann, Michael; Lindenstruth, Volker; Stadler, Volker; Breitling, Frank; Bischoff, F. Ralf
Current Protocols in Protein Science.
Aug 2009
Microchips are used in the combinatorial synthesis of peptide arrays by means of amino acid microparticle deposition. The surface of custom-built microchips can be equipped with an amino-modified poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate (PEGMA) graft polymer coating, which permits high loading of functional groups and resists nonspecific protein adsorption. Specific microparticles that are addressed to the polymer-coated microchip surface in a well defined pattern release preactivated amino acids upon melting, and thus allow combinatorial synthesis of high-complexity peptide arrays directly on the chip surface. Currently, arrays with densities of up to 40,000 peptide spots/cm2 can be generated in this way, with a minimum of coupling cycles required for full combinatorial synthesis. Without using any additional blocking agent, specific peptide recognition has been verified by background-free immunostaining on the chip-based array. This unit describes microchip surface modification, combinatorial peptide array synthesis on the chip, and a typical immunoassay employing the resulting high-density peptide arrays.

Particle-Based Synthesis of Peptide Arrays

Breitling, Frank; Felgenhauer, Thomas; Nesterov, Alexander; Lindenstruth, Volker; Stadler, Volker; Bischoff, F. Ralf
ChemBioChem.
Mar 2009
Lithographic methods allow for the combinatorial synthesis of >50,000 oligonucleotides per cm(2), and this has revolutionized the field of genomics. High-density peptide arrays promise to advance the field of proteomics in a similar way, but currently lag behind. This is mainly due to the monomer-by-monomer repeated consecutive coupling of 20 different amino acids associated with lithography, which adds up to an excessive number of coupling cycles. Combinatorial synthesis based on electrically charged solid amino acid particles resolves this problem. A color laser printer or a chip addresses the different charged particles consecutively to a solid support, where, when completed, the whole layer of solid amino acid particles is melted at once. This frees hitherto immobilized amino acids to couple all 20 different amino acids to the support in one single coupling reaction. The method should allow for the translation of entire genomes into sets of overlapping peptides to be used in proteome research.

High-density peptide arrays

Breitling, Frank; Nesterov, Alexander; Stadler, Volker; Felgenhauer, Thomas; Bischoff, F. Ralf
Mol. BioSyst..
Jan 2009
Arrays promise to advance biology by allowing parallel screening for many different binding partners. Meanwhile, lithographic methods enable combinatorial synthesis of >50 000 oligonucleotides per cm2, an advance that has revolutionized the whole field of genomics. A similar development is expected for the field of proteomics, provided that affordable, very high-density peptide arrays are available. However, peptide arrays lag behind oligonucleotide arrays. This review discusses recent developments in the field with an emphasis on methods that lead to very high-density peptide arrays.

A Novel Combinatorial Approach to High-Density Peptide Arrays

Beyer, Mario; Block, Ines; König, Kai; Nesterov, Alexander; Fernandez, Simon; Felgenhauer, Thomas; Schirwitz, Christopher; Leibe, Klaus; Bischoff, Ralf F.; Breitling, Frank; Stadler, Volker
Combinatorial synthesis of peptides on solid supports (1), either as spots on cellulose membranes (2) or with split-pool-libraries on polymer beads (3), substantially forwarded research in the field of peptide-protein interactions. Admittedly, these concepts have specific limitations, on one hand the number of synthesizable peptide sequences per area, on the other hand elaborate decoding/encoding strategies, false-positive results and sequence limitations. We recently established a method to produce high-density peptide arrays on microelectronic chips (4). Solid amino acid microparticles were charged by friction and transferred to defined pixel electrodes onto the chip’s surface, where they couple to a functional polymer coating simply upon melting (Fig. 16.1 A-D,F). By applying standard Fmoc chemistry according to Merrifield, peptide array densities of up to 40,000 spots per square centimetre were achieved (Fig. 16.1G). The term Merrifield synthesis describes the consecutive linear coupling and deprotecting of L-amino acids modified with base-labile fluorenylmethoxy (Fmoc) groups at the N-terminus and different acid-sensitive protecting groups at their side chains. Removing side chain protecting groups takes place only once at the very end of each synthesis and generates the natural peptide sequence thereby.

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