title: Production, crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis of two nanobodies against the Duffy binding-like (DBL) domain DBL6ℇ-FCR3 of the Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSA protein.
abstract: The VAR2CSA protein has been closely associated with pregnancy-associated malaria and is recognized as the main adhesin exposed on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Chondroitin sulfate A was identified as the main host receptor in the placenta. Single-domain heavy-chain camelid antibodies, more commonly called nanobodies, were selected and produced against the DBL6ℇ-FCR3 domain of VAR2CSA. Crystals of two specific nanobodies, Nb2907 and Nb2919, identified as strong binders to DBL6ℇ-FCR3 and the full-length VAR2CSA exposed on the surface of FCR3 P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes, were obtained. Crystals of Nb2907 diffract to 2.45 Å resolution and belong to space group C2 with unit-cell parameters a=136.1, b=78.5, c=103.4 Å, β=118.8°, whereas Nb2919 crystals diffract to 2.15 Å resolution and belong to space group P4₃2₁2 with unit-cell parameters a=b=62.7, c=167.2 Å.
authors.affiliation: Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology (DBIT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anneleen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vuchelen
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pardon
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steyaert
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gamain
authors.forename: Remy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Loris
authors.forename: Nico A J
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: van Nuland
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramboarina
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D001665:Binding Sites; D002161:Camelids, New World / Q000276:immunology; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D061905:Single-Domain Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D061905:Single-Domain Antibodies; C512601:VAR2CSA protein, Plasmodium falciparum
keywords: DBL domain; VAR2CSA; nanobody; pregnancy-associated malaria