Generation of antigene-fixed nanifibers and its application to autoantibody detection

• Project/Area Number: 15K15190
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Laboratory medicine
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Yokoyama Shigeru 金沢大学, 子どものこころの発達研究センター, 教授 (00210633)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YOSHIKAWA Hiroaki 金沢大学, 保健管理センター, 教授 (10272981)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: 膜タンパク / 自己抗体 / ナノファイバー / 免疫学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In autoimmune neuropsychiatric diseases, neurotransmitter receptors and ionic channels are known to be targeted by autoantibodies that destruct neural tissues. In an attempt to establish a detection systems for autoantibodies, we produced these proteins in Escherichia coli. Of several proteins tried, two subunits for the glutamate receptor, GluN1-1 and GRIA2, and a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, nAchR-alpha7 were successfully produced in large amount. We are now trying to find out media to dissolve these recombinant proteins and optimal conditions to integrate them into nanofibers.