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58 items found (0 items not approved), displaying 1 to 10.[First/Prev] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 [Next/Last]

Instruments / Technical Area	Publication Details	Published
I03-Macromolecular Crystallography I04-Macromolecular Crystallography I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography	Production and crystallization of nanobodies in complex with the receptor binding domain of the SARS-COV-2 spike protein Audrey Le Bas , Halina Mikolajek , Jiandong Huo , Chelsea Norman , Joshua Dormon , James Naismith , Raymond Owens Bio-Protocol 12 DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4406 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [27031] Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) on the surface of epithelial cells, leading to fusion, and entry of the virus into the cell. This interaction can be blocked by the binding of llama-derived nanobodies (VHHs) to the RBD, leading to virus neutralisation. Structural analysis of VHH-RBD complexes by X-ray crystallography enables VHH epitopes to be precisely mapped, and the effect of variant mutations to be interpreted and predicted. Key to this is a protocol for the reproducible production and crystallization of the VHH-RBD complexes. Based on our experience, we describe a workflow for expressing and purifying the proteins, and the screening conditions for generating diffraction quality crystals of VHH-RBD complexes. Production and crystallization of protein complexes takes approximately twelve days, from construction of vectors to harvesting and freezing crystals for data collection.	May 2022
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength) I04-Macromolecular Crystallography	The structure of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae SapA in a closed conformation reveals a constricted ligand-binding cavity and a novel RNA binding motif Petra Lukacik , C. David Owen , Gemma Harris , Jani Reddy Bolla , Sarah Picaud , Irfan Alibay , Joanne E. Nettleship , Louise E. Bird , Raymond Owens , Philip C. Biggin , Panagis Filippakopoulos , Carol V. Robinson , Martin A. Walsh Plos One 16 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256070 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [4990, 5073, 4988] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a significant pathogen in respiratory disease and otitis media. Important for NTHi survival, colonization and persistence in vivo is the Sap (sensitivity to antimicrobial peptides) ABC transporter system. Current models propose a direct role for Sap in heme and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) transport. Here, the crystal structure of SapA, the periplasmic component of Sap, in a closed, ligand bound conformation, is presented. Phylogenetic and cavity volume analysis predicts that the small, hydrophobic SapA central ligand binding cavity is most likely occupied by a hydrophobic di- or tri- peptide. The cavity is of insufficient volume to accommodate heme or folded AMPs. Crystal structures of SapA have identified surface interactions with heme and dsRNA. Heme binds SapA weakly (Kd 282 μM) through a surface exposed histidine, while the dsRNA is coordinated via residues which constitute part of a conserved motif (estimated Kd 4.4 μM). The RNA affinity falls within the range observed for characterized RNA/protein complexes. Overall, we describe in molecular-detail the interactions of SapA with heme and dsRNA and propose a role for SapA in the transport of di- or tri-peptides.	Oct 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)	Crystallographic approach to fragment-based hit discovery against Schistosoma mansoni purine nucleoside phosphorylase Muhamamd Faheem , Napoleao Fonseca Valadares , Jose Brandao-Neto , Domenico Bellini , Patrick Collins , Nicholas M. Pearce , Louise Bird , Juliana Torini De Souza , Raymond Owens , Humberto Pereira , Frank Von Delft , João Alexandre Ribeiro Gonçalves Barbosa Biochemical Journal DOI: 10.1042/BCJ20210041 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [11175] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Several Schistosoma species cause Schistosomiasis, an endemic disease in 78 countries that is ranked second amongst the parasitic diseases in terms of its socioeconomic impact and human health importance. The drug recommended for treatment by the WHO is praziquantel (PZQ), but there are concerns associated with PZQ, such as the lack of information about its exact mechanism of action, its high price, its effectiveness – which is limited to the parasite’s adult form – and reports of resistance. The parasites lack the de novo purine pathway, rendering them dependent on the purine salvage pathway or host purine bases for nucleotide synthesis. Thus, the Schistosoma purine salvage pathway is an attractive target for the development of necessary and selective new drugs. In this study, the purine nucleotide phosphorylase II (PNP2), a new isoform of PNP1, was submitted to a high-throughput fragment-based hit discovery using a crystallographic screening strategy. PNP2 was crystallized and crystals were soaked with 827 fragments, a subset of the Maybridge 1000 library. X-ray diffraction data was collected and structures were solved. Out of 827-screened fragments we have obtained a total of 19 fragments that show binding to PNP2. 14 of these fragments bind to the active site of PNP2, while five were observed in three other sites. Here we present the first fragment screening against PNP2.	Sep 2021
I03-Macromolecular Crystallography I04-Macromolecular Crystallography I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography	A potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralising nanobody shows therapeutic efficacy in the Syrian golden hamster model of COVID-19 Jiandong Huo , Halina Mikolajek , Audrey Le Bas , Jordan J. Clark , Parul Sharma , Anja Kipar , Joshua Dormon , Chelsea Norman , Miriam Weckener , Daniel K. Clare , Peter J. Harrison , Julia A. Tree , Karen R. Buttigieg , Francisco J. Salguero , Robert Watson , Daniel Knott , Oliver Carnell , Didier Ngabo , Michael J. Elmore , Susan Fotheringham , Adam Harding , Lucile Moynie , Philip N. Ward , Maud Dumoux , Tessa Prince , Yper Hall , Julian A. Hiscox , Andrew Owen , William James , Miles W. Carroll , James P. Stewart , James Naismith , Raymond Owens Nature Communications 12 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25480-z Diamond Proposal Number(s): [27031] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: SARS-CoV-2 remains a global threat to human health particularly as escape mutants emerge. There is an unmet need for effective treatments against COVID-19 for which neutralizing single domain antibodies (nanobodies) have significant potential. Their small size and stability mean that nanobodies are compatible with respiratory administration. We report four nanobodies (C5, H3, C1, F2) engineered as homotrimers with pmolar affinity for the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Crystal structures show C5 and H3 overlap the ACE2 epitope, whilst C1 and F2 bind to a different epitope. Cryo Electron Microscopy shows C5 binding results in an all down arrangement of the Spike protein. C1, H3 and C5 all neutralize the Victoria strain, and the highly transmissible Alpha (B.1.1.7 first identified in Kent, UK) strain and C1 also neutralizes the Beta (B.1.35, first identified in South Africa). Administration of C5-trimer via the respiratory route showed potent therapeutic efficacy in the Syrian hamster model of COVID-19 and separately, effective prophylaxis. The molecule was similarly potent by intraperitoneal injection.	Sep 2021
	Transient transfection and expression of eukaryotic membrane proteins in Expi293F cells and their screening on a small scale: Application for structural studies Ganna O. Krasnoselska , Maud Dumoux , Nadisha Gamage , Harish Cheruvara , James Birch , Andrew Quigley , Raymond J. Owens DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1406-8_5 Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Cancers, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases remain some of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. The structure-guided drug design is essential to advance drug development for these important diseases. One of the key challenges in the structure determination workflow is the production of eukaryotic membrane proteins (drug targets) of high quality. A number of expression systems have been developed for the production of eukaryotic membrane proteins. In this chapter, an optimized detailed protocol for transient transfection and expression of eukaryotic membrane proteins in Expi293F cells is presented. Testing expression and purification on a small scale allow optimizing conditions for sample preparation for downstream structural (cryo-EM) elucidation.	May 2021
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)	Schistosomiasis drug discovery in the era of automation and artificial intelligence José T. Moreira-Filho , Arthur C. Silva , Rafael F. Dantas , Barbara F. Gomes , Lauro R. De Souza Neto , Jose Brandao-Neto , Raymond J. Owens , Nicholas Furnham , Bruno J. Neves , Floriano P. Silva-Junior , Carolina H. Andrade Frontiers In Immunology 12 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.642383 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [16978] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma and affects over 200 million people worldwide. The control and treatment of this neglected tropical disease is based on a single drug, praziquantel, which raises concerns about the development of drug resistance. This, and the lack of efficacy of praziquantel against juvenile worms, highlights the urgency for new antischistosomal therapies. In this review we focus on innovative approaches to the identification of antischistosomal drug candidates, including the use of automated assays, fragment-based screening, computer-aided and artificial intelligence-based computational methods. We highlight the current developments that may contribute to optimizing research outputs and lead to more effective drugs for this highly prevalent disease, in a more cost-effective drug discovery endeavor.	May 2021
B21-High Throughput SAXS	Human DDX17 unwinds rift valley fever virus non-coding RNAs Corey R. Nelson , Tyler Mrozowich , Sean M. Park , Simmone D’souza , Amy Henrickson , Justin R. J. Vigar , Hans-Joachim Wieden , Raymond J. Owens , Borries Demeler , Trushar R. Patel International Journal Of Molecular Sciences 22 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010054 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [22113] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-transmitted virus from the Bunyaviridae family that causes high rates of mortality and morbidity in humans and ruminant animals. Previous studies indicated that DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) restricts RVFV replication by recognizing two primary non-coding RNAs in the S-segment of the genome: the intergenic region (IGR) and 5′ non-coding region (NCR). However, we lack molecular insights into the direct binding of DDX17 with RVFV non-coding RNAs and information on the unwinding of both non-coding RNAs by DDX17. Therefore, we performed an extensive biophysical analysis of the DDX17 helicase domain (DDX17135–555) and RVFV non-coding RNAs, IGR and 5’ NCR. The homogeneity studies using analytical ultracentrifugation indicated that DDX17135–555, IGR, and 5’ NCR are pure. Next, we performed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments, which suggested that DDX17 and both RNAs are homogenous as well. SAXS analysis also demonstrated that DDX17 is globular to an extent, whereas the RNAs adopt an extended conformation in solution. Subsequently, microscale thermophoresis (MST) experiments were performed to investigate the direct binding of DDX17 to the non-coding RNAs. The MST experiments demonstrated that DDX17 binds with the IGR and 5’ NCR with a dissociation constant of 5.77 ± 0.15 µM and 9.85 ± 0.11 µM, respectively. As DDX17135–555 is an RNA helicase, we next determined if it could unwind IGR and NCR. We developed a helicase assay using MST and fluorescently-labeled oligos, which suggested DDX17135–555 can unwind both RNAs. Overall, our study provides direct evidence of DDX17135–555 interacting with and unwinding RVFV non-coding regions.	Jan 2021
	A COVID-19 vaccine candidate using SpyCatcher multimerization of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain induces potent neutralising antibody responses Tiong Kit Tan , Pramila Rijal , Rolle Rahikainen , Anthony H. Keeble , Lisa Schimanski , Saira Hussain , Ruth Harvey , Jack W. P. Hayes , Jane C. Edwards , Rebecca K. Mclean , Veronica Martini , Miriam Pedrera , Nazia Thakur , Carina Conceicao , Isabelle Dietrich , Holly Shelton , Anna Ludi , Ginette Wilsden , Clare Browning , Adrian K. Zagrajek , Dagmara Bialy , Sushant Bhat , Phoebe Stevenson-Leggett , Philippa Hollinghurst , Matthew Tully , Katy Moffat , Chris Chiu , Ryan Waters , Ashley Gray , Mehreen Azhar , Valerie Mioulet , Joseph Newman , Amin S. Asfor , Alison Burman , Sylvia Crossley , John A. Hammond , Elma Tchilian , Bryan Charleston , Dalan Bailey , Tobias J. Tuthill , Simon P. Graham , Helen M. E. Duyvesteyn , Tomas Malinauskas , Jiandong Huo , Julia A. Tree , Karen R. Buttigieg , Raymond J. Owens , Miles W. Carroll , Rodney S. Daniels , John W. Mccauley , David I. Stuart , Kuan-Ying A. Huang , Mark Howarth , Alain R. Townsend Nature Communications 12 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20654-7 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: There is need for effective and affordable vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 to tackle the ongoing pandemic. In this study, we describe a protein nanoparticle vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine is based on the display of coronavirus spike glycoprotein receptor-binding domain (RBD) on a synthetic virus-like particle (VLP) platform, SpyCatcher003-mi3, using SpyTag/SpyCatcher technology. Low doses of RBD-SpyVLP in a prime-boost regimen induce a strong neutralising antibody response in mice and pigs that is superior to convalescent human sera. We evaluate antibody quality using ACE2 blocking and neutralisation of cell infection by pseudovirus or wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Using competition assays with a monoclonal antibody panel, we show that RBD-SpyVLP induces a polyclonal antibody response that recognises key epitopes on the RBD, reducing the likelihood of selecting neutralisation-escape mutants. Moreover, RBD-SpyVLP is thermostable and can be lyophilised without losing immunogenicity, to facilitate global distribution and reduce cold-chain dependence. The data suggests that RBD-SpyVLP provides strong potential to address clinical and logistic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.	Jan 2021
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography	The structure-function relationship of oncogenic LMTK3 Angeliki Ditsiou , Chiara Cilibrasi , Nikiana Simigdala , Athanasios Papakyriakou , Leanne Milton-Harris , Viviana Vella , Joanne E. Nettleship , Jae Ho Lo , Shivani Soni , Goar Smbatyan , Panagiota Ntavelou , Teresa Gagliano , Maria Chiara Iachini , Sahir Khurshid , Thomas Simon , Lihong Zhou , Storm Hassell-Hart , Philip Carter , Laurence H. Pearl , Robin L. Owen , Raymond J. Owens , S. Mark Roe , Naomi E. Chayen , Heinz-Josef Lenz , John Spencer , Chrisostomos Prodromou , Apostolos Klinakis , Justin Stebbing , Georgios Giamas Science Advances 6 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc3099 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [14493] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Elucidating signaling driven by lemur tyrosine kinase 3 (LMTK3) could help drug development. Here, we solve the crystal structure of LMTK3 kinase domain to 2.1Å resolution, determine its consensus motif and phosphoproteome, unveiling in vitro and in vivo LMTK3 substrates. Via high-throughput homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence screen coupled with biochemical, cellular, and biophysical assays, we identify a potent LMTK3 small-molecule inhibitor (C28). Functional and mechanistic studies reveal LMTK3 is a heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) client protein, requiring HSP90 for folding and stability, while C28 promotes proteasome-mediated degradation of LMTK3. Pharmacologic inhibition of LMTK3 decreases proliferation of cancer cell lines in the NCI-60 panel, with a concomitant increase in apoptosis in breast cancer cells, recapitulating effects of LMTK3 gene silencing. Furthermore, LMTK3 inhibition reduces growth of xenograft and transgenic breast cancer mouse models without displaying systemic toxicity at effective doses. Our data reinforce LMTK3 as a druggable target for cancer therapy.	Nov 2020
I03-Macromolecular Crystallography Krios I-Titan Krios I at Diamond	Neutralizing nanobodies bind SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD and block interaction with ACE2 Jiangdong Huo , Audrey Le Bas , Reinis R. Ruza , Helen M. E. Duyvesteyn , Halina Mikolajek , Tomas Malinauskas , Tiong Kit Tan , Pramila Rijal , Maud Dumoux , Philip N. Ward , Jingshan Ren , Daming Zhou , Peter J. Harrison , Miriam Weckener , Daniel K. Clare , Vinod K. Vogirala , Julika Radecke , Lucile Moynie , Yuguang Zhao , Javier Gilbert-Jaramillo , Michael L. Knight , Julia A. Tree , Karen R. Buttigieg , Naomi Coombes , Michael J. Elmore , Miles W. Carroll , Loic Carrique , Pranav N. M. Shah , William James , Alain R. Townsend , David I. Stuart , Raymond J. Owens , James H. Naismith Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 21 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0469-6 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [27031, 27051] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The SARS-CoV-2 virus is more transmissible than previous coronaviruses and causes a more serious illness than influenza. The SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein binds to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor as a prelude to viral entry into the cell. Using a naive llama single-domain antibody library and PCR-based maturation, we have produced two closely related nanobodies, H11-D4 and H11-H4, that bind RBD (KD of 39 and 12 nM, respectively) and block its interaction with ACE2. Single-particle cryo-EM revealed that both nanobodies bind to all three RBDs in the spike trimer. Crystal structures of each nanobody–RBD complex revealed how both nanobodies recognize the same epitope, which partly overlaps with the ACE2 binding surface, explaining the blocking of the RBD–ACE2 interaction. Nanobody-Fc fusions showed neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 (4–6 nM for H11-H4, 18 nM for H11-D4) and additive neutralization with the SARS-CoV-1/2 antibody CR3022.	Jul 2020

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