Solubility and stability engineering of human VH domains

Methods Mol Biol. 2012:911:355-72. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61779-968-6_21.

Abstract

Solubility and stability are amongst the factors contributing to the therapeutic efficacy of biologics. Human antibody heavy chain variable domains, VHs, are one class of biologics; improving VH biophysical properties is the focus of significant protein engineering efforts. Here, we describe an efficacy engineering approach which involves the introduction of a disulfide linkage in the VH core and which improves both VH solubility and stability. More specifically, we describe protocols for generation of disulfide engineered human VHs and their characterization in terms of disulfide linkage formation, non-aggregation, and stability. Our solubility/stability engineering approach may be applied to other VHs.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Complementarity Determining Regions / chemistry
  • Disulfides
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Protein Engineering*
  • Protein Stability
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / chemistry*
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / genetics
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / isolation & purification
  • Solubility
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Complementarity Determining Regions
  • Disulfides
  • Single-Domain Antibodies