title: Cloning, characterization, and modeling of a monoclonal anti-human transferrin antibody that competes with the transferrin receptor.
abstract: In this report we describe the isolation and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against human serum transferrin (Tf) and the cloning and sequencing of its cDNA. The antibody competes with the transferrin receptor (TR) for binding to human Tf and is therefore expected to bind at or very close to a region of interaction between Tf and its receptor. From the deduced amino acid sequence, we constructed a 3-dimensional model of the variable domains of the antibody based on the canonical structure model for the hypervariable loops. The proposed structure of the antibody is a first step toward a more detailed characterization of the antibody-Tf complex and possibly toward a better understanding of the Tf interaction with its receptor. The model might prove useful in guiding site-directed mutagenesis studies, simplifying the experimental elucidation of the antibody structure, and in the use of automatic procedures to dock the interacting molecules as soon as structural information about the structure of the human Tf molecule will be available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orlandini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tramontano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oliviero
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000187:drug effects*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014168:Transferrin