@article{DemchukMuellerOschkinatetal.1994, author = {Demchuk, E. and Mueller, T. and Oschkinat, H. and Sebald, Walter and Wade, R. C.}, title = {Receptor binding properties of four-helix-bundle growth factors deduced from electrostatic analysis}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-62424}, year = {1994}, abstract = {Hormones of the hematopoietin class mediate signal transduction by binding to specific transmembrane receptors. Structural data show that the human growth hormone (hGH) forms a complex with a homodimeric receptor and that hGH is a member of a class of hematopoietins possessing an antiparallel 4-a-helix bundle fold. Mutagenesis experiments suggest that electrostatic interactions may have an important influence on hormonereceptor recognition. In order to examine the specificity of hormone-receptor complexation, an analysis was made of the electrostatic potentials of hGH, interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and the hGH and IL-4 receptors. The binding surfaces of hGH and its receptor, and of IL-4 and its receptor, show complementary electrostatic potentials. The potentials of the hGH and its receptor display approximately 2-fold rotational symmetry because the receptor subunits are identical. In contrast, the potentials of GM-CSF and IL-2 Iack such symmetry, consistent with their known high affinity for hetero-oligomeric receptors. Analysis of the electrostatic potentials supports a recently proposed hetero-oligomeric model for a high-affinity IL-4 receptor and suggests a possible new receptor binding mode for G-CSF; it also provides valuable information for guiding structural and mutagenesis studies of signal-transducing proteins and their receptors.}, subject = {Biochemie}, language = {en} } @article{BoschertFrischBacketal.2016, author = {Boschert, V. and Frisch, C. and Back, J. W. and van Pee,, K. and Weidauer, S. E. and Muth, E.-M. and Schmieder, P. and Beerbaum, M. and Knappik, A. and Timmerman, P. and Mueller, T. D.}, title = {The sclerostin-neutralizing antibody AbD09097 recognizes an epitope adjacent to sclerostin's binding site for the Wnt co-receptor LRP6}, series = {Open Biology}, volume = {6}, journal = {Open Biology}, doi = {10.1098/rsob.160120}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177925}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The glycoprotein sclerostin has been identified as a negative regulator of bone growth. It exerts its function by interacting with the Wnt co-receptor LRP5/6, blocks the binding of Wnt factors and thereby inhibits Wnt signalling. Neutralizing anti-sclerostin antibodies are able to restore Wnt activity and enhance bone growth thereby presenting a new osteoanabolic therapy approach for diseases such as osteoporosis. We have generated various Fab antibodies against human and murine sclerostin using a phage display set-up. Biochemical analyses have identified one Fab developed against murine sclerostin, AbD09097 that efficiently neutralizes sclerostin's Wnt inhibitory activity. In vitro interaction analysis using sclerostin variants revealed that this neutralizing Fab binds to sclerostin's flexible second loop, which has been shown to harbour the LRP5/6 binding motif. Affinity maturation was then applied to AbD09097, providing a set of improved neutralizing Fab antibodies which particularly bind human sclerostin with enhanced affinity. Determining the crystal structure of AbD09097 provides first insights into how this antibody might recognize and neutralize sclerostin. Together with the structure-function relationship derived from affinity maturation these new data will foster the rational design of new and highly efficient anti-sclerostin antibodies for the therapy of bone loss diseases such as osteoporosis.}, language = {en} } @article{BoehmScherzerShabalaetal.2016, author = {B{\"o}hm, J. and Scherzer, S. and Shabala, S. and Krol, E. and Neher, E. and Mueller, T. D. and Hedrich, R.}, title = {Venus flytrap HKT1-type channel provides for prey sodium uptake into carnivorous plant without conflicting with electrical excitability}, series = {Molecular Plant}, volume = {9}, journal = {Molecular Plant}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1016/j.molp.2015.09.017}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189803}, pages = {428-436}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The animal diet of the carnivorous Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, contains a sodium load that enters the capture organ via an HKT1-type sodium channel, expressed in special epithelia cells on the inner trap lobe surface. DmHKT1 expression and sodium uptake activity is induced upon prey contact. Here, we analyzed the HKT1 properties required for prey sodium osmolyte management of carnivorous Dionaea. Analyses were based on homology modeling, generation of model-derived point mutants, and their functional testing in Xenopus oocytes. We showed that the wild-type HKT1 and its Na\(^+\)- and K\(^+\)-permeable mutants function as ion channels rather than K\(^+\) transporters driven by proton or sodium gradients. These structural and biophysical features of a high-capacity, Na\(^+\)-selective ion channel enable Dionaea glands to manage prey-derived sodium loads without confounding the action potential-based information management of the flytrap.}, language = {en} }