The interaction of multivalent carbohydrate derivatives with carbohydrate-binding proteins (lectins) is frequently observed in biological systems, and their inhibition by tailored multivalent ligands is a powerful strategy for the treatment of many human diseases. fli Compared to monovalent interactions, multivalency can lead to significantly increased binding affinities and specificities. Seve...

We study the distribution of multivalent counterions next to a dielectric slab, bearing a quenched, random distribution of charges on one of its solution interfaces, with a given mean and variance, both in the absence and in the presence of a bathing monovalent salt solution. We use the previously derived approach based on the dressed multivalent-ion theory that combines aspects of the strong a...

Elucidation of interactions involving DNA and histone post-translational-modifications (PTMs) is essential for providing insights into complex biological functions. Reader assemblies connected by flexible linkages facilitate avidity and increase affinity; however, little is known about the contribution to the recognition process of multiple PTMs because of rigidity in the absence of conformatio...

There is a significant need for an effective multivalent Shigella vaccine that targets the most prevalent serotypes. Most Shigella vaccines under development utilize serotype-specific lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) as a major component based on protection and epidemiological data. As vaccine formulations advance from monovalent to multivalent, assays and reagents need to be developed to accurately ...

Activation of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 2 (TRAILR2) can induce apoptosis in a variety of human cancer cell lines and xenografts, while lacking toxicity in normal cells. The natural ligand and agonistic antibodies show antitumor activity in preclinical models of cancer, and this had led to significant excitement in the clinical potential of these agents. Unfortunately, this ...

The first prophylactic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine trial in Africa, with a clade B immunogen, is currently under way in Uganda, in a region where clades A and D are endemic. The use of a B clade vaccine is based on anticipated cross-recognition of endemic strains of HIV-1 in Uganda, but, in fact, little is known about the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in that re...

A multivalent galactosyl carborane derivative 10 (dendritic glyco-borane, DGB) was synthesized and demonstrated as a potential cell-targeting agent in BNCT with HepG2 cells. DGB 10 improved the delivery of boron to HepG2 cells and neutron irradiation data show DGB 10 with ten-fold improvement at killing the HepG2 cells over BSH.

Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) binds to the nerve cell surface and inhibits nerve regeneration. The nerve cell surface ligand(s) for MAG are not established, although sialic acid-bearing glycans have been implicated. We identify the nerve cell surface gangliosides GD1a and GT1b as specific functional ligands for MAG-mediated inhibition of neurite outgrowth from primary rat cerebellar gran...

CHD4 is a catalytic subunit of the NuRD (nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase) complex essential in transcriptional regulation, chromatin assembly and DNA damage repair. CHD4 contains tandem plant homeodomain (PHD) fingers connected by a short linker, the biological function of which remains unclear. Here we explore the combinatorial action of the CHD4 PHD1/2 fingers and detail the molecular b...

Multivalent interactions between deformable mesoscopic units are ubiquitous in biology, where membrane macromolecules mediate the interactions between neighbouring living cells and between cells and solid substrates. Lately, analogous artificial materials have been synthesised by functionalising the outer surface of compliant Brownian units, for example emulsion droplets and lipid vesicles, wit...