Anticalin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anticalin is a new generation of therapeutic protein products, synthesized from human lipocalins which are a family of naturally binding proteins. Anticalins are being used in lieu of monoclonal antibodies, the physicochemical properties being the same except for differences in their molecular weight, the former having a size of about 20kDa.

[edit] Structure

Characteristic for Anticalins is their barrel structure formed by eight antiparallel β-strands pairwise connected by loops and an attached α-helix. The main structure of Anticalins is identical to wild type lipocalins. Conformational deviations are primarily located in the four loops reaching in the ligand binding site.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Bachelor Thesis: Effect of Enzyme and Ligand Protonation on the Binding of Fluorescein to Anticalin