Vacuole Positioning Intrabody Development Service

The experienced scientists at Creative Biolabs have accumulated decade’s experiences to search the VSS libraries from multiple organisms. Without a doubt, our platform possesses multiple cutting-edge technologies and optimization procedures to produce the most reliable vacuole positioning intrabodies.

Vacuole Positioning

The vacuole is a unique and multifunctional membrane-bound organelle, which is present prominently in all plant, fungal cells, and even some protists, animal, and bacterial cells. In detail, three genera of filamentous sulfur bacteria, the Thioploca, Beggiatoa, and Thiomargarita possess vacuole occupied 40-80% of the cell volume with a high concentration of nitrate ions. Specifically, some Cyanobacteria species possess gas vacuole, which is freely permeable for gas to control buoyancy. In yeast, vacuole is a dynamic structure to rapidly modify its morphology, and involves in homeostasis of cell pH, osmoregulation, storing amino acids, degradative processes, and isolating toxic ions (Sr²⁺, Co²⁺, Pb²⁺). Interestingly, the first contractile vacuole was observed in protozoa by Spallanzani in 1776 other than plant cells.

In plant cells, the vacuole is an essentially enclosed compartment surrounded by tonoplast with no basic shape or definite size and filled with water, inorganic and organic molecules, even engulfed solids. As a specific organelle originated from the fusion of multiple membrane vesicles, the vacuole stores proteins, polysaccharides, organic acids, pigments, and conducts many bio-functions:

• Isolate materials harmful to the cell and waste products, and export unwanted substances from the cell.
• Store water and small molecules within plant cells, maintain internal hydrostatic pressure or turgor to support structures such as leaves and flowers via aquaporins in the tonoplast to control the flow of water in and out of the vacuole by active transport.
• Create an acidic internal environment by transport of protons from the cytosol to the vacuole to create a proton motive force for nutrients transportation, and to optimize the activities of hydrolysis enzymes.
• Provide the seeds, germinating plant or its organs with water and proteins for germination or quick growth.
• Play a major role in autophagy to balance biogenesis and degradation of many substances and cell structures.
• Perform or aid the lysis and recycling of misfolded proteins, invading bacteria or provide house for symbiotic bacteria.
• Store chemicals in the vacuole to react with chemicals in the cytosol to form toxic chemicals once the cell is broken.

Fig. 1 Intrabody targeting vacuolar.

Vacuolar Sorting Signals (VSS)

Since the vacuolar proteins are synthesized and translocated into the ER and transported to the vacuoles through the secretory pathway, the vacuolar proteins commonly contain sorting signals destined for vacuolar targeting and retention. There are four categories of sorting strategies adopted by vacuole depicted as the following:

• N-terminal vacuolar sorting signals (NVSS)
  The functionally conserved NVSS is NPIRL/P or NPIXL motif, such as the N-terminal NPLDV motif of potato proteinase inhibitor (PT20).
• C-terminal vacuolar sorting signals (CVSS)
• Internal vacuole sorting signals (IVSS)
• Protein structure-dependent vacuole sorting mechanism
  a) Multiple internal domains forming a higher-order structure to function as a VSS such as 11S globulin legumin of field bean.
  b) The aggregation of seed storage proteins by dense vesicles.

Other Anchoring Modification Options Provided by Creative Biolabs

Including the vacuoles, Creative Biolabs can also develop specific positioning antibody for a variety of destination, which including but not limited to:

At Creative Biolabs, our scientists are always eager to design revolutionary strategies and advanced technologies to assist on our clients’ valuable projects. If you are interested in developing novel intrabody, please do not hesitate to inquire us for more details.

All of our antibody products and services can only be used for preclinical research studies. Do not use them on humans.