Cover. Modification of the ionizing radiation response in living cells by an scFv against the DNA-dependent protein kinase. The structural model depicts scFv 18-2 and was generated using the WAM tool (http://antibody.bath.ac.uk). Heavy and light chain framework regions (darker colors) each adopt a typical immunoglobulin fold. Cysteine residues (yellow) stabilize structure by formation of intrachain disulfide bonds. Complementarity determining regions (lighter colors) form a continuous antigen-binding surface. This surface binds to a novel regulatory site in the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, a critical modulator of DNA double-strand break repair. Micrographs depict pairs of human melanoma cells, one of which has been microinjected with scFv 18-2 (green). Histone γ-H2AX foci, which indicate unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks, are present in both cells 30 min after ionizing radiation treatment (left), but persist to much greater extent in the microinjected cell 90 min after treatment (right). See article by Li et al. in this issue [Nucleic Acids Res. 31, 5848--5857].
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