Proteins interacting with diverse ligands - proteins, peptides or DNA - are the basic principles underlying many biological processes, such as antigen-antibody binding, signal transduction or receptor binding. The technique of oligopeptide synthesis on a cellulose membrane and the subsequent binding assays allow the investigation of protein interactions. A particular advantage of these peptide arrays (SPOT - technology) is the high number of oligopeptide probes that can be tested in parallel. Detailed protocols for peptide synthesis, and the analysis of protein-protein, protein-DNA interactions as well as epitope mapping are presented in this manual. It is ideally suited not only for basic research laboratories but also for diagnostic and therapeutic applications since many diseases are related to dysfunctions in protein recognition and binding.

Christopher Schirwitz's thesis focuses on improving the quality of in situ synthesized high-complexity peptide micro arrays. Micro arrays containing proteins or small protein fragments in the form of peptides have become of great interest in proteomic research. With the help of these microarrays a large number of potential target molecules can be screened for interaction with a probe in a short timeframe. However, protein and peptide micro arrays are still lagging behind oligonucleotide arrays in terms of density, quality and manufacturing costs. A new approach developed at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) has improved the synthesis of high-density peptide arrays. The current technology is capable of producing arrays with up to 40,000 different peptides per square cm by means of micro particle-based solid phase peptide synthesis. However, in situ synthesis approaches bear a conceptual disadvantage: The quality of the peptides is dependent on the efficiency of the synthesis so that peptide fragments are present in the resulting array among the desired full-length peptides. In peptide-protein interaction studies such peptide fragments. The central achievement of this thesis is the development of a new method allowing for the fast one-step purification of entire arrays without loss of resolution or spatial information. Christopher Schirwitz's work has resulted in a number of publications in high ranking journals.

Protein Arrays: Methods and Protocols is an introduction to protein array technology and its application to the multiplexed detection of proteins. Although protein array technology has some roots in gene array technology, it can only be described as a distant relative. Unlike DNA, with its established rules of base pairing, and therefore predictable biochemical behavior, proteins are rich with diversity. Proteins can be large or small, compact or extended, basic or acidic, hydrophobic or hydrophilic, and so on. Just as importantly, their behavior is determined by the environment in which they reside, and so the composition of the buffer in which experiments are performed has a dramatic impact on the outcome of the experiment. Thus, if the goal is to simultaneously measure the expression of a large number of proteins, these variables must be addressed. Not to be deterred, scientists have created a variety of solutions to successfully detect and ch- acterize multiple proteins simultaneously. It is the intent of this volume to introduce to the reader a set of technological solutions to the diversity problem as well as to provide the reader with some examples of practical applications of these technologies.

This detailed volume provides an updated overview of current uses of peptide microarray technology, showcasing consolidated applications while highlighting some of the most intriguing novelties and emerging fields of use. The methodologies within this collection are of considerable value for both advanced users and new-comers in the peptide microarray arena, as the renowned contributors describe full coverage of the aspects related to their workflows, from microchip manufacturing to advanced analytical applications. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and up-to-date, Peptide Microarrays: Methods and Protocols, Third Edition aims to make the use of peptide microarrays more and more accessible while stimulating further developments to sustain exciting discoveries in the biochemistry and medicine realms.

This volume covers an array of techniques available for studying peptide-protein docking and design. The book is divided into four sections: peptide binding site prediction; peptide-protein docking; prediction and design of peptide binding specificity; and the design of inhibitory peptides. The chapters in Modeling Peptide-Protein Interactions: Methods and Protocols cover topics such as the usage of ACCLUSTER and PeptiMap for peptide binding site prediction; AnchorDock and ATTRACT for blind, flexible docking of peptides to proteins; flexible peptide docking using HADDOCK and FlexPepDock; identifying loop-mediated protein-protein interactions using LoopFinder; and protein-peptide interaction design using PinaColada. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary details for successful application of the different approaches and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, as well as tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and thorough, Modeling Peptide-Protein Interactions: Methods and Protocols provides a diverse and unified overview of this rapidly advancing field of major interest and applicability.