COSSAC: Catalysis of sequence selective amide and peptide hydrolysis by antibodies and proteins

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 98.0199

Key words (English)

Catalytic antibodies; recombinant antibodies; enzymes

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: FMRXCT980193

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 10.1 Stimulation of training and mobility

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: University Sheffield (UK)

Abstract (English)

The transition state for the basic cleavage of an amide has established the experimental observation that torsional rotation does indeed facilitate C-N bond cleavage by many orders of magnitude. Initial results on catalysis of such torsional distortional processes is being related to the natural self-splicing activity of proteins as inteins. Crystals have been grown from one carbamate-cleaving antibody by the Gif group. The first haptens for torsionally-strained amide cleavage have been generated and are now in immunisation. Immobilisation of an esterase antibody on a solid support has maintained binding affinity with some loss of turnover activity. New advances in metalloproteins structures have been made and supported a better understanding of their mechanisms of action for design into artificial protein catalysts. Work on anti-idiotypic antibodies is making excellent progress into ß-lactamase activity and is now being applied to protease activity. The first haptens for selecting from large protein libraries have been synthesised and are under investigation in selection processes.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 98.0199