NbThermo: a new thermostability database for nanobodies.
Mario S Valdés-Tresanco1, Mario E Valdés-Tresanco2, Esteban Molina-Abad3
1Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Medellin, Cra. 87 No. 30-65, Medellin 050026, Colombia.
Database : the Journal of Biological Databases and Curation
|April 12, 2023
Summary
NbThermo is a new database of nanobody (Nb) melting temperatures and sequences. This resource aids in predicting Nb stability, revealing that variable loops are key to thermostability.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Structural Biology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Nanobodies (Nbs) are unique biologics with broad applications.
- Predicting Nb melting temperature (Tm) is crucial for engineering stable Nbs.
- Current data on Nb stability is fragmented across literature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a centralized database (NbThermo) for nanobody data.
- To compile melting temperatures, amino acid sequences, and other relevant data for Nbs.
- To facilitate the development of predictive algorithms for Nb thermostability.
Main Methods:
- Extensive literature search for nanobody data.
- Manual curation and compilation of data into the NbThermo database.
- Exploratory analysis of collected nanobody sequences and melting temperatures.
Main Results:
- NbThermo database contains curated data for 564 nanobodies.
- Melting temperature distributions are similar for llama and camel-derived Nbs.
- No significant sequence pattern differences were found in Nb frameworks, suggesting loop regions dictate thermostability.
Conclusions:
- NbThermo provides a valuable resource for nanobody research and engineering.
- Predicting nanobody thermostability is complex and influenced by structural features.
- Variable loops are critical determinants of nanobody thermal stability.
