Simple and highly efficient detection of PSD95 using a nanobody and its recombinant minibody derivative

Abstract

The post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) is a crucial scaffolding protein participating in the organization and regulation of synapses. PSD95 interacts with numerous molecules, including neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels. The functional dysregulation of PSD95 as well as its abundance and localization has been implicated with several neurological disorders, making it an attractive target to develop strategies able to monitor PSD95 accurately for diagnostics and therapeutics. This study characterizes a novel camelid single-domain antibody (nanobody) that binds strongly and with high specificity to rat, mouse and human PSD95. This nanobody allows for a more precise detection and better quantification of PSD95 in various biological samples. We expect that the flexibility and unique performance of this thoroughly characterized affinity tool will help to further understand the role of PSD95 in normal and diseased neuronal synapses.