Single domain antibodies: promising experimental and therapeutic tools in infection and immunity

Antibodies are important tools for experimental research and medical applications. Most antibodies are composed of two heavy and two light chains. Both chains contribute to the antigen-binding site which is usually flat or concave. In addition to these conventional antibodies, llamas, other camelids, and sharks also produce antibodies composed only of heavy chains. The antigen-binding site of these unusual heavy chain antibodies (hcAbs) is formed only by a single domain, designated VHH in camelid hcAbs and VNAR in shark hcAbs. VHH and VNAR are easily produced as recombinant proteins, designated single domain antibodies (sdAbs) or nanobodies. The CDR3 region of these sdAbs possesses the extraordinary capacity to form long fingerlike extensions that can extend into cavities on antigens, e.g., the active site crevice of enzymes. Other advantageous features of nanobodies include their small size, high solubility, thermal stability, refolding capacity, and good tissue penetration in vivo. Here we review the results of several recent proof-of-principle studies that open the exciting perspective of using sdAbs for modulating immune functions and for targeting toxins and microbes

Recent advances of spin crossover research

Thermal spin transition (spin crossover), one of the most fascinating dynamic electronic structure phenomena occurring in coordination compounds of third row transition metal ions, mostly of iron(II), iron(III) and cobalt(II) with critical ligand field strengths competing with the spin pairing energy, has attracted increasing attention by many research groups. One of the reasons is the promising potential for practical applications. In this chapter we intend to cover essential recent work, primarily accomplished within the European research network on "Thermal and Optical Switching of Molecular Spin States (TOSS)". New spin crossover compounds and their thermal spin transition behaviour, also under applied pressure, novel effects observed by irradiation and magnetic field, will be discussed. Progress in theoretical treatments of spin crossover phenomena, particularly cooperativity, will be briefly outlined. The chapter concludes with a summary of research highlights published by the partner laboratories of the TMR network TOSS.</p

Recent advances of spin crossover research

Thermal spin transition (spin crossover), one of the most fascinating dynamic electronic structure phenomena occurring in coordination compounds of third row transition metal ions, mostly of iron(II), iron(III) and cobalt(II) with critical ligand field strengths competing with the spin pairing energy, has attracted increasing attention by many research groups. One of the reasons is the promising potential for practical applications. In this chapter we intend to cover essential recent work, primarily accomplished within the European research network on "Thermal and Optical Switching of Molecular Spin States (TOSS)". New spin crossover compounds and their thermal spin transition behaviour, also under applied pressure, novel effects observed by irradiation and magnetic field, will be discussed. Progress in theoretical treatments of spin crossover phenomena, particularly cooperativity, will be briefly outlined. The chapter concludes with a summary of research highlights published by the partner laboratories of the TMR network TOSS

Structure and physical properties of [mu-tris(1,4-bis(tetrazol-1-yl)butane-N4,N4 ')iron(II)] bis(hexafluorophosphate), a new Fe(II) spin-crossover compound with a three-dimensional threefold interlocked crystal lattice

[mu-Tris(1,4-bis(tetrazol-1-yl)butane-N4,N4')iron(II)] bis(hexafluorophosphate), [Fe(btzb)(3)](PF6)(2), crystallizes in a three-dimensional 3-fold interlocked structure featuring a sharp two-step spin-crossover behavior. The spin conversion takes place between 164 and 182 K showing a discontinuity at about T-1/2 = 174 K and a hysteresis of about 4 K between T-1/2 and the low-spin state. The spin transition has been independently followed by magnetic susceptibility measurements, Fe-57-Mossbauer spectroscopy, and variable temperature far and midrange FIR spectroscopy. The title compound crystallizes in the trigonal space group P (3) over bar (No. 147) with a unit cell content of one formula unit plus a small amount of disordered solvent. The lattice parameters were determined by X-ray diffraction at several temperatures between 100 and 300 K. Complete crystal structures were resolved for 9 of these temperatures between 100 (only low spin, LS) and 300 K (only high spin, HS), Z = 1 [Fe(btzb)(3)](PF6)(2): 300 K (HS), a = 11.258(6) Angstrom, c = 8.948(6) Angstrom, V = 982.2(10) Angstrom(3); 100 K (LS), a = 10.989(3) Angstrom, c = 8.702(2) Angstrom, V = 910.1(4) Angstrom(3). The molecular structure consists of octahedral coordinated iron(II) centers bridged by six N4,N4' coordinating bis(tetrazole) ligands to form three 3-dimensional networks. Each of these three networks is symmetry related and interpenetrates each other within a unit cell to form the interlocked structure. The Fe-N bond lengths change between 1.993(1) Angstrom at 100 K in the LS state and 2.193(2) Angstrom at 300 K in the HS state. The nearest Fe separation is along the c-axis and identical with the lattice parameter c