PMID: 9463398

Authors:

Holmes MA, Buss TN, Foote J

Title:

Conformational correction mechanisms aiding antigen recognition by a humanized antibody.

Journal:

J Exp Med. 1998 Feb 16;187(4):479-85.

Abstract:

The crystal structure of the complex between hen egg lysozyme and the Fv fragment of a humanized antilysozyme antibody was determined to 2.7-A resolution. The structure of the antigen combining site in the complex is nearly identical to that of the complexed form of the parent mouse antibody, D1.3. In contrast, the combining sites of the unliganded mouse and humanized antilysozymes show moderate conformational differences. This disparity suggests that a conformational readjustment process linked to antigen binding reverses adverse conformations in the complementarity determining regions that had been introduced by engineering these segments next to human framework regions in the humanized antibody.