Biology subjects

Oh, B.-H.

Publications and source records attributed to Oh, B.-H..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Predicting conformational changes induced by biomolecular interactions

Biomolecular interactions trigger structural changes of protein complexes essential for cellular signaling, regulation, and drug action. Modern co-folding models can now generate detailed structures of multi-component complexes directly from sequence. However, recent evaluations reveal that they frequently fail to capture specific conformational states induced by a ligand or partner. Here, we show that explicitly modeling the structural transition from an unbound to a bound state, rather than generating the bound complex alone, better resolves these interaction-induced states. Our generative learning framework, K-Fold, transforms independently predicted unbound component priors into an assembled complex through an ultrafast diffusion bridge, operating entirely without multiple sequence alignments. By eliminating co-evolutionary dependencies, K-Fold accurately recovers non-coevolved interfaces in antibody-antigen and targeted-degrader complexes, as well as ligand-directed regulatory states in GPCRs and kinases. Furthermore, by coupling this diffusion bridge with diverse monomeric equilibrium ensembles, K-Fold provides a computationally tractable foundation for sampling complex multi-state landscapes without retraining. These results demonstrate that formulating molecular assembly as an explicit structural transition moves structure prediction beyond static geometries toward capturing biomolecular dynamics.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

An integrated in silico-in vitro workflow for discovering high-affinity, selective antibodies to the KRAS(G12D)-MHC I complex

Antibodies that recognize peptide-loaded class I major histocompatibility complex (pMHC I) molecules could enable therapeutic targeting of intracellular oncogenic proteins, yet their discovery has been hampered by the small size of peptide antigens and allele-specificity. We describe an integrated in silico-in vitro workflow for generating high-affinity, selective antibodies to KRAS(G12D)10 presented by HLA-C*08:02, a clinically validated cancer neoantigen. In silico, multiple human antibody-derived variable fragments (Fvs) plausibly docked to the target pMHC were generated, followed by limited complementarity-determining region (CDR) sequence design. In vitro, CDR diversity was introduced at 3-4 positions per Fv to construct yeast surface display library for iterative selections. This workflow yielded antibodies with exclusive binding to KRAS(G12D)10/HLA-C*08:02 without cross-reactivity. Affinity maturation achieved nanomolar dissociation constants, and incorporation into chimeric antigen receptor T cells enabled specific activation against target-positive cells. This study establishes a practical design-to-function pipeline for TCR-like antibody discovery, and demonstrates the feasibility of therapeutic targeting against KRAS(G12D)-driven malignancies.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2025

De Novo design of a potent Wnt Surrogate specific for the frizzled7 subtype members

In humans, 19 Wnt ligands interact with 10 Frizzled (Fzd) receptors and the co-receptors LRP5/6 to initiate signaling. Wnts and Fzds are highly promiscuous, making it challenging to dissect the specific outcomes of individual Wnt-Fzd interactions. Developing Wnt surrogates with specificity for individual Fzd subtypes could be pivotal. We present a modular, potent, and Fzd7-specific Wnt surrogate that consists of three de novo designed modules, a Fzd7 binder, an LRP6 binder and a homodimeric protein. The Fzd7-specific module was designed by targeting two less conserved surface patches on the cysteine-rich domain (CRD) of Fzds to achieve both selectivity and affinity. It exhibits a strong binding affinity (KD < 2.3 nM) for the very closely related Fzd7 subtype members (Fzd7, Fzd1, Fzd2) with no measurable binding to the CRDs of the other seven Fzd receptors. This Wnt surrogate induced spheroid organoid formation from intestinal stem cells at subnanomolar concentration, and promoted full hair follicle regeneration and robust hair growth in mice. These results suggest that our strategy could be extended to design modular Wnt surrogates capable of selectively activating individual Fzd receptors, providing a valuable tool kit for development and differentiation, organoid cultures and targeted regeneration.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

Computational design of a single-domain antibody that specifically recognizes WT1 peptide-loaded class I MHC

T cell receptor (TCR)-like antibodies that recognize peptide-loaded class I MHC (pMHC) complexes can enable precise targeting of cancer cells, but developing single-domain binders with high specificity and affinity is challenging. Here, we report the computational design and experimental validation of a TCR-like single-domain antibody (sdAb) that specifically recognizes the WT1-derived peptide RMFPNAPYL presented by HLA-A*02:01. Starting from the crystal structure of a Fab antibody bound to RMF/HLA- A02:01, we repurposed the VH domain into a stable, soluble Trastuzumab-derived VH scaffold. The resulting sdAb, RMFsdAb, spans all nine peptide residues and shows no binding to a control pMHC with a different peptide. Its biophysical properties were improved by fusion to human serum albumin domain III (HSA D3), yielding a monodisperse HSA D3-RMFsdAb with 81 nM affinity and specificity for RMF/HLA- A*02:01. We further engineered a bivalent format (RMFsdAb-HSA D3-RMFsdAb), which dramatically increased apparent binding affinity to 0.4 nM. When expressed on a CAR T cell, HSA D3-RMFsdAb functioned as the antigen-recognition domain to selectively activate T cells in the presence of RMF/HLA-A*02:01-positive cells. Our results demonstrate a viable strategy to develop high-specificity, peptide-focused TCR-like sdAbs for pMHC-targeted therapeutics.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2025

Computational design of monomeric Fc variants with distinct pH-responsive FcRn-binding profiles

IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies form a [~]150 kDa homodimer through dimerization of the Fc domain, which prolongs their in vivo half-life via pH-dependent binding to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). Conformationally stable, half-life-extended monomeric Fc (mFc) variants offer a promising platform for antibodies and Fc-fusion therapeutics, enabling deeper tissue penetration, reduced toxicity, and simplified manufacturing. Due to the loss of binding avidity, mFc requires significantly enhanced FcRn-binding affinity at pH 6.0, but retaining weak binding at neutral pH to achieve comparable serum half-life, making engineering such mFc variants highly challenging. Mainly by computational design approach, we created mFc mutants with diverse human FcRn-binding profiles, including two variants that exhibit 17- and 47-fold stronger FcRn binding at pH 6.0 (KD of 30.7 nM and 88 nM) compared to a baseline mFc, while maintaining greater than 213-fold weaker binding at pH 7.4 (KD of 6,549 nM and 39,150 nM). These variants are highly soluble and display a melting temperature greater than 60.6 {degrees}C, underscoring their potential as platforms for extending the in vivo half-life of therapeutic modalities. Other mFc variants with different pH-responsive FcRn-binding profiles would potentially fit for other therapeutic needs. Moreover, transferring the same variations into IgG4 Fc generated IgG4 mFc variants with FcRn-binding properties similar to those of the parent IgG1 mFc variants. Furthermore, incorporating the FcRn-binding affinity-enhancing substitutions into native Fc produced a dimeric Fc variant that exhibits strong, pH-responsive FcRn-binding affinities, promising an extended half-life in serum.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2022

Noncovalent antibody catenation on a target surface drastically increases the antigen-binding avidity

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are widely used for diagnosis and therapy. Given the unique dimeric structure of IgG, we hypothesized that, by genetically fusing a homodimeric protein (catenator) to the C-terminus of IgG, reversible catenation of antibody molecules could be induced on a surface where target antigen molecules are abundant, and that it could be an effective way to greatly enhance the antigen-binding avidity. A thermodynamic simulation shows that quite low homodimerization affinity of a catenator, e.g. dissociation constant of 100 M, can enhance nanomolar antigen-binding avidity to a picomolar level, and that the fold enhancement sharply depends on the density of the antigen. In a proof-of-concept experiment where antigen molecules are immobilized on a biosensor tip, C-terminal fusion of a weakly homodimerizing protein to two different antibodies enhanced the antigen-binding avidity by at least 210 to 5,120 folds from the intrinsic binding avidity. Thus, the homodimerization-induced antibody catenation would be a simple, powerful and general approach to improve many antibody applications, including the detection of scarce biomarkers and targeted anticancer therapies.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2020

De novo design of modular and tunable allosteric biosensors

Naturally occurring allosteric protein switches have been repurposed for developing novel biosensors and reporters for cellular and clinical applications 1, but the number of such switches is limited, and engineering them is often challenging as each is different. Here, we show that a very general class of allosteric protein-based biosensors can be created by inverting the flow of information through de novo designed protein switches in which binding of a peptide key triggers biological outputs of interest 2. Using broadly applicable design principles, we allosterically couple binding of protein analytes of interest to the reconstitution of luciferase activity and a bioluminescent readout through the association of designed lock and key proteins. Because the sensor is based purely on thermodynamic coupling of analyte binding to switch activation, only one target binding domain is required, which simplifies sensor design and allows direct readout in solution. We demonstrate the modularity of this platform by creating biosensors that, with little optimization, sensitively detect the anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2, the hIgG1 Fc domain, the Her2 receptor, and Botulinum neurotoxin B, as well as biosensors for cardiac Troponin I and an anti-Hepatitis B virus (HBV) antibody that achieve the sub-nanomolar sensitivity necessary to detect clinically relevant concentrations of these molecules. Given the current need for diagnostic tools for tracking COVID-19 3, we use the approach to design sensors of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 protein epitopes and of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. The latter, which incorporates a de novo designed RBD binder, has a limit of detection of 15pM with an up to seventeen fold increase in luminescence upon addition of RBD. The modularity and sensitivity of the platform should enable the rapid construction of sensors for a wide range of analytes and highlights the power of de novo protein design to create multi-state protein systems with new and useful functions.

synthetic biology↗