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Ma B, Chen H, Gong J, Liu W, Wei X, Zhang Y, Li X, Li M, Wang Y, Shang S, Tian B, Li Y, Wang R, Tan Z. Enhancing Protein Solubility via Glycosylation: From Chemical Synthesis to Machine Learning Predictions. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:3001-3010. [PMID: 38598264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Glycosylation is a valuable tool for modulating protein solubility; however, the lack of reliable research strategies has impeded efficient progress in understanding and applying this modification. This study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating the solubility of a model glycoprotein molecule, the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), through a two-stage process. In the first stage, an approach involving chemical synthesis, comparative analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations of a library of glycoforms was employed to elucidate the effect of different glycosylation patterns on solubility and the key factors responsible for the effect. In the second stage, a predictive mathematical formula, innovatively harnessing machine learning algorithms, was derived to relate solubility to the identified key factors and accurately predict the solubility of the newly designed glycoforms. Demonstrating feasibility and effectiveness, this two-stage approach offers a valuable strategy for advancing glycosylation research, especially for the discovery of glycoforms with increased solubility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Hedi Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jinyuan Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Wenqiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xiuli Wei
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yajing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Meng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yani Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Shiying Shang
- Center of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Boxue Tian
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yaohao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ruihan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Chemical Engineering College, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066600, China
| | - Zhongping Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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2
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Li S. Detergents and alternatives in cryo-EM studies of membrane proteins. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2022; 54:1049-1056. [PMID: 35866608 PMCID: PMC9828306 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2022088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Structure determination of membrane proteins has been a long-standing challenge to understand the molecular basis of life processes. Detergents are widely used to study the structure and function of membrane proteins by various experimental methods, and the application of membrane mimetics is also a prevalent trend in the field of cryo-EM analysis. This review focuses on the widely-used detergents and corresponding properties and structures, and also discusses the growing interests in membrane mimetic systems used in cryo-EM studies, providing insights into the role of detergent alternatives in structure determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Li
- />Department of Life ScienceNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaBeijing100085China
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Zampieri V, Hilpert C, Garnier M, Gestin Y, Delolme S, Martin J, Falson P, Launay G, Chaptal V. The Det.Belt Server: A Tool to Visualize and Estimate Amphipathic Solvent Belts around Membrane Proteins. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:459. [PMID: 34206634 PMCID: PMC8307592 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11070459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Detergents wrap around membrane proteins to form a belt covering the hydrophobic part of the protein serving for membrane insertion and interaction with lipids. The number of detergent monomers forming this belt is usually unknown to investigators, unless dedicated detergent quantification is undertaken, which for many projects is difficult to setup. Yet, having an approximate knowledge of the amount of detergent forming the belt is extremely useful, to better grasp the protein of interest in interaction with its direct environment rather than picturing the membrane protein "naked". We created the Det.Belt server to dress up membrane proteins and represent in 3D the bulk made by detergent molecules wrapping in a belt. Many detergents are included in a database, allowing investigators to screen in silico the effect of different detergents around their membrane protein. The input number of detergents is changeable with fast recomputation of the belt for interactive usage. Metrics representing the belt are readily available together with scripts to render quality 3D images for publication. The Det.Belt server is a tool for biochemists to better grasp their sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Zampieri
- EMBL Grenoble, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 90181, CEDEX 9, 38042 Grenoble, France;
| | - Cécile Hilpert
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Mélanie Garnier
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Yannick Gestin
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Sébastien Delolme
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Juliette Martin
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Pierre Falson
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Guillaume Launay
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
| | - Vincent Chaptal
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (CNRS UMR 5086), University of Lyon, IBCP, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France; (C.H.); (M.G.); (Y.G.); (S.D.); (J.M.); (P.F.)
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Optimization of Detergent-Mediated Reconstitution of Influenza A M2 Protein into Proteoliposomes. MEMBRANES 2018; 8:membranes8040103. [PMID: 30413063 PMCID: PMC6315538 DOI: 10.3390/membranes8040103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We report the optimization of detergent-mediated reconstitution of an integral membrane-bound protein, full-length influenza M2 protein, by direct insertion into detergent-saturated liposomes. Detergent-mediated reconstitution is an important method for preparing proteoliposomes for studying membrane proteins, and must be optimized for each combination of protein and membrane constituents used. The purpose of the reconstitution was to prepare samples for site-directed spin-labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (SDSL-EPR) studies. Our goals in optimizing the protocol were to minimize the amount of detergent used, reduce overall proteoliposome preparation time, and confirm the removal of all detergent. The liposomes were comprised of (1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine (POPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] (POPG), and the detergent octylglucoside (OG) was used for reconstitution. Rigorous physical characterization was applied to optimize each step of the reconstitution process. We used dynamic light scattering (DLS) to determine the amount of OG needed to saturate the preformed liposomes. During detergent removal by absorption with Bio-Beads, we quantified the detergent concentration by means of a colorimetric assay, thereby determining the number of Bio-Bead additions needed to remove all detergent from the final proteoliposomes. We found that the overnight Bio-Bead incubation used in previously published protocols can be omitted, reducing the time needed for reconstitution. We also monitored the size distribution of the proteoliposomes with DLS, confirming that the size distribution remains essentially constant throughout the reconstitution process.
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Birch J, Axford D, Foadi J, Meyer A, Eckhardt A, Thielmann Y, Moraes I. The fine art of integral membrane protein crystallisation. Methods 2018; 147:150-162. [PMID: 29778646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Integral membrane proteins are among the most fascinating and important biomolecules as they play a vital role in many biological functions. Knowledge of their atomic structures is fundamental to the understanding of their biochemical function and key in many drug discovery programs. However, over the years, structure determination of integral membrane proteins has proven to be far from trivial, hence they are underrepresented in the protein data bank. Low expression levels, insolubility and instability are just a few of the many hurdles one faces when studying these proteins. X-ray crystallography has been the most used method to determine atomic structures of membrane proteins. However, the production of high quality membrane protein crystals is always very challenging, often seen more as art than a rational experiment. Here we review valuable approaches, methods and techniques to successful membrane protein crystallisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Birch
- Membrane Protein Laboratory, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Danny Axford
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - James Foadi
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Arne Meyer
- XtalConcepts GmbH, Schnackenburgallee 13, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Annette Eckhardt
- XtalConcepts GmbH, Schnackenburgallee 13, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yvonne Thielmann
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Molecular Membrane Biology, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Isabel Moraes
- Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK; Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK; National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, UK.
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6
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Hao Z, Thomsen M, Postis VLG, Lesiuk A, Sharples D, Wang Y, Bartlam M, Goldman A. A Novel and Fast Purification Method for Nucleoside Transporters. Front Mol Biosci 2016; 3:23. [PMID: 27376071 PMCID: PMC4899457 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2016.00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleoside transporters (NTs) play critical biological roles in humans, and to understand the molecular mechanism of nucleoside transport requires high-resolution structural information. However, the main bottleneck for structural analysis of NTs is the production of pure, stable, and high quality native protein for crystallization trials. Here we report a novel membrane protein expression and purification strategy, including construction of a high-yield membrane protein expression vector, and a new and fast purification protocol for NTs. The advantages of this strategy are the improved time efficiency, leading to high quality, active, stable membrane proteins, and the efficient use of reagents and consumables. Our strategy might serve as a useful point of reference for investigating NTs and other membrane proteins by clarifying the technical points of vector construction and improvements of membrane protein expression and purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Hao
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai UniversityTianjin, China; Faculty of Biological Sciences, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of LeedsLeeds, UK
| | - Maren Thomsen
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds Leeds, UK
| | - Vincent L G Postis
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of LeedsLeeds, UK; Biomedicine Research Group, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett UniversityLeeds, UK
| | - Amelia Lesiuk
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds Leeds, UK
| | - David Sharples
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds Leeds, UK
| | - Yingying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University Tianjin, China
| | - Mark Bartlam
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of LeedsLeeds, UK; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai UniversityTianjin, China; State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Adrian Goldman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of LeedsLeeds, UK; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai UniversityTianjin, China; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Biosciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
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7
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Gimpl K, Klement J, Keller S. Characterising protein/detergent complexes by triple-detection size-exclusion chromatography. Biol Proced Online 2016; 18:4. [PMID: 26880869 PMCID: PMC4753644 DOI: 10.1186/s12575-015-0031-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In vitro investigations of membrane proteins usually depend on detergents for protein solubilisation and stabilisation. The amount of detergent bound to a membrane protein is relevant to successful experiment design and data analysis but is often unknown. Triple-detection size-exclusion chromatography enables simultaneous separation of protein/detergent complexes and protein-free detergent micelles and determination of their molar masses in a straightforward and absolute manner. Size-exclusion chromatography is used to separate different species, while ultraviolet absorbance, static light scattering, and refractive index measurements allow molar mass determination of protein and detergent components. RESULTS We refined standard experimental and data-analysis procedures for challenging membrane-protein samples that elude routine approaches. The general procedures including preparatory steps, measurements, and data analysis for the characterisation of both routine and complex samples in difficult solvents such as concentrated denaturant solutions are demonstrated. The applicability of the protocol but also its limitations and possible solutions are discussed, and an extensive troubleshooting section is provided. CONCLUSIONS We established and validated a protocol for triple-detection size-exclusion chromatography that enables the inexperienced user to perform and analyse measurements of well-behaved protein/detergent complexes. More experienced users are provided with an example of a more sophisticated analysis procedure allowing mass determination under challenging separation conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Gimpl
- Molecular Biophysics, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jessica Klement
- Molecular Biophysics, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Sandro Keller
- Molecular Biophysics, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
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Johnson JL, Kalyoncu S, Lieberman RL. Lessons from an α-Helical Membrane Enzyme: Expression, Purification, and Detergent Optimization for Biophysical and Structural Characterization. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1432:281-301. [PMID: 27485343 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3637-3_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This chapter outlines the protocol developed in our lab to produce a multipass α-helical membrane protein. We present our work flow, from ortholog selection to protein purification, including molecular biology for plasmid construction, protein expression in E. coli, membrane isolation and detergent solubilization, protein purification and tag removal, biophysical assessment of protein stability in different detergents, and detergent concentration determination using thin-layer chromatography. We focus on results from our ongoing work with intramembrane aspartyl proteases from archaeal organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Johnson
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0400, USA
| | - Sibel Kalyoncu
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0400, USA
| | - Raquel L Lieberman
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0400, USA.
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Loll PJ. Membrane proteins, detergents and crystals: what is the state of the art? ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS 2014; 70:1576-83. [PMID: 25484203 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x14025035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
At the time when the first membrane-protein crystal structure was determined, crystallization of these molecules was widely perceived as extremely arduous. Today, that perception has changed drastically, and the process is regarded as routine (or nearly so). On the occasion of the International Year of Crystallography 2014, this review presents a snapshot of the current state of the art, with an emphasis on the role of detergents in this process. A survey of membrane-protein crystal structures published since 2012 reveals that the direct crystallization of protein-detergent complexes remains the dominant methodology; in addition, lipidic mesophases have proven immensely useful, particularly in specific niches, and bicelles, while perhaps undervalued, have provided important contributions as well. Evolving trends include the addition of lipids to protein-detergent complexes and the gradual incorporation of new detergents into the standard repertoire. Stability has emerged as a critical parameter controlling how a membrane protein behaves in the presence of detergent, and efforts to enhance stability are discussed. Finally, although discovery-based screening approaches continue to dwarf mechanistic efforts to unravel crystallization, recent technical advances offer hope that future experiments might incorporate the rational manipulation of crystallization behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Loll
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 North 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
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