Reduction of leucocyte cell surface disulfide bonds during immune activation is dynamic as revealed by a quantitative proteomics workflow (SH-IQ)

A proximity-based in silico approach to identify redox-labile disulfide bonds: The example of FVIII

Allosteric disulfide bonds permit highly responsive, transient 'switch-like' properties that are ideal for processes like coagulation and inflammation that require rapid and localised responses to damage or injury. Haemophilia A (HA) is a rare bleeding disorder managed with exogenous coagulation factor(F) VIII products. FVIII has eight disulfide bonds and is known to be redox labile, but it is not known how reduction/oxidation affects the structure-function relationship, or its immunogenicity-a serious complication for 30% severe HA patients. Understanding how redox-mediated changes influence FVIII can inform molecular engineering strategies aimed at improving activity and stability, and reducing immunogenicity. FVIII is a challenging molecule to work with owing to its poor expression and instability so, in a proof-of-concept study, we used molecular dynamics (MD) to identify which disulfide bonds were most likely to be reduced and how this would affect structure/function; results were then experimentally verified. MD identified Cys1899-Cys1903 disulfide as the most likely to undergo reduction based on energy and proximity criteria. Further MD suggested this reduction led to a more open conformation. Here we present our findings and highlight the value of MD approaches.

Luciferin-Bioinspired Click Ligation Enables Hydrogel Platforms with Fine-Tunable Properties for 3D Cell Culture

There is an increasing interest in coupling reactions for cross-linking of cell-encapsulating hydrogels under biocompatible, chemoselective, and tunable conditions. Inspired by the biosynthesis of luciferins in fireflies, here we exploit the cyanobenzothiazole-cysteine (CBT-Cys) click ligation to develop polyethylene glycol hydrogels as tunable scaffolds for cell encapsulation. Taking advantage of the chemoselectivity and versatility of CBT-Cys ligation, a highly flexible gel platform is reported here. We demonstrate luciferin-inspired hydrogels with important advantages for cell encapsulation applications: (i) gel precursors derived from inexpensive reagents and with good stability in aqueous solution (>4 weeks), (ii) adjustable gel mechanics within physiological ranges (E = 180-6240 Pa), (iii) easy tunability of the gelation rate (seconds to minutes) by external means, (iv) high microscale homogeneity, (v) good cytocompatibility, and (iv) regulable biological properties. These flexible and robust CBT-Cys hydrogels are proved as supportive matrices for 3D culture of different cell types, namely, fibroblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells. Our findings expand the toolkit of click chemistries for the fabrication of tunable biomaterials.