Nanobodies are single domain antibodies derived from the variable regions of Camelidae atypical immunoglobulins. They show great promise as high affinity reagents for research, diagnostics and therapeutics due to their high specificity, small size (~15 kDa) and straightforward bacterial expression. However, identification of repertoires with sufficiently high affinity has proven time consuming and difficult, hampering nanobody implementation. Here, we present a rapid, straightforward approach that generates large repertoires of readily expressible recombinant nanobodies with high affinities and specificities against a given antigen. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach through the production of large repertoires of nanobodies against two antigens, GFP and mCherry, with Kd values into the sub-nanomolar range. After mapping diverse epitopes on GFP, we were also able to design ultra-high affinity dimeric nanobodies with Kds down to ~30 pM. The approach presented is well-suited for the routine production of high affinity capture reagents for various biomedical applications.

Highlights d Integrated proteogenomic characterization in 103 ccRCC cases d Delineation of chromosomal translocation events leading to chromosome 3p loss d Tumor-specific proteomic/phosphoproteomic alterations unrevealed by mRNA analysis d Immune-based subtypes of ccRCC defined by mRNA, proteome, and phosphoproteome

In the originally published version of this article, Daniel Geiszler's last name was misspelled. This error has now been corrected in the article online.

Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is a major repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), involving synapsis and ligation of the broken strands. We describe the use of in vivo and in vitro single-molecule methods to define the organization and interaction of NHEJ repair proteins at DSB ends. Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy allowed the precise visualization of XRCC4, XLF, and DNA ligase IV filaments adjacent to DSBs, which bridge the broken chromosome and direct rejoining. We show, by singlemolecule FRET analysis of the Ku/XRCC4/XLF/DNA ligase IV NHEJ ligation complex, that end-to-end synapsis involves a dynamic positioning of the two ends relative to one another. Our observations form the basis of a new model for NHEJ that describes the mechanism whereby filament-forming proteins bridge DNA DSBs in vivo. In this scheme, the filaments at either end of the DSB interact dynamically to achieve optimal configuration and end-to-end positioning and ligation.genomic integrity | DNA repair | nonhomologous end-joining | super-resolution microscopy | single-molecule FRET C hromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs), considered the most cytotoxic form of DNA damage, occur as a result of normal cellular processes (1, 2) as well as cancer therapies (3-5). The cellular DNA damage response (DDR) and repair pathways responsible for maintaining genomic integrity are highly regulated and synchronized processes, both temporally and spatially, involving the coordinated recruitment, assembly, and disassembly of numerous macromolecular complexes (6, 7). In mammalian cells, nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the primary DSB repair pathway; it is active throughout the cell cycle and is crucial for viability. Dysfunctional NHEJ is associated with several clinical conditions, including LIG4 syndrome and severe combined immunodeficiency (1,8). Despite its importance, however, the details of how the NHEJ complex assembles at DSBs, brings together a pair of breaks, and organizes subsequent catalytic repair steps remain unknown.In NHEJ, DSBs are initially recognized by the Ku 70/80 heterodimer (Ku), which encircles dsDNA ends (Ku:DNA) and serves as a molecular scaffold for recruitment of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), XRCC4 (X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 4), XLF (XRCC4 like factor), and DNA ligase IV (LigIV) (1,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14). Previous NHEJ models suggested that after binding of Ku to DNA ends, DNA-PKcs binds Ku:DNA to form a DNA-PK holoenzyme and bridges the broken ends (15-18); however, recent experiments indicate that DNAPKcs may have different roles in NHEJ, such as the stabilization of core NHEJ factors, recruitment and retention of accessory factors, involvement in the DDR signaling cascade, and repair of complex and clustered . In addition, recent structural studies have shown that XRCC4 and XLF form filamentous structures in vitro (26-28). Whether such filaments mediate repair in vivo has not yet been determined.Our present understanding of the cellular NHEJ response to DSBs ...

Although DNA replication is a fundamental aspect of biology, it is not known what determines where DNA replication starts and stops in the human genome. Here we directly identify and quantitatively compare sites of replication initiation and termination in untransformed human cells. We report that replication preferentially initiates at the transcription start site of genes occupied by high levels of RNA polymerase II, and terminates at their polyadenylation sites, thus ensuring global co-directionality of transcription and replication, particularly at gene 5’ ends. During replication stress, replication initiation is stimulated downstream of genes and termination is redistributed to gene bodies; this globally re-orients replication relative to transcription around gene 3’ ends. These data suggest that replication initiation and termination are coupled to transcription in human cells, and propose a model for the impact of replication stress on genome integrity.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens current vaccines and therapeutic antibodies and urgently demands powerful new therapeutics that can resist viral escape. We therefore generated a large nanobody repertoire to saturate the distinct and highly conserved available epitope space of SARS-CoV-2 spike, including the S1 receptor binding domain, N-terminal domain, and the S2 subunit, to identify new nanobody binding sites that may reflect novel mechanisms of viral neutralization. Structural mapping and functional assays show that indeed these highly stable monovalent nanobodies potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, display numerous neutralization mechanisms, are effective against emerging variants of concern, and are resistant to mutational escape. Rational combinations of these nanobodies that bind to distinct sites within and between spike subunits exhibit extraordinary synergy and suggest multiple tailored therapeutic and prophylactic strategies.

NaV1.5 and EB1 localization at the cell end is Cx43-dependent. Cx43 is part of a molecular complex that determines capture of the microtubule plus-end at the ID, facilitating cargo delivery. These observations link excitability and electrical coupling through a common molecular mechanism.

Intercellular adhesion and electrical excitability are considered separate cellular properties. Studies of myelinated fibres, however, show that voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) aggregate with cell adhesion molecules at discrete subcellular locations, such as the nodes of Ranvier. Demonstration of similar macromolecular organization in cardiac muscle is missing. Here we combine nanoscale-imaging (single-molecule localization microscopy; electron microscopy; and ‘angle view' scanning patch clamp) with mathematical simulations to demonstrate distinct hubs at the cardiac intercalated disc, populated by clusters of the adhesion molecule N-cadherin and the VGSC NaV1.5. We show that the N-cadherin-NaV1.5 association is not random, that NaV1.5 molecules in these clusters are major contributors to cardiac sodium current, and that loss of NaV1.5 expression reduces intercellular adhesion strength. We speculate that adhesion/excitability nodes are key sites for crosstalk of the contractile and electrical molecular apparatus and may represent the structural substrate of cardiomyopathies in patients with mutations in molecules of the VGSC complex.