Blood proteins articles from across Nature Portfolio

Human serum transferrin plays a crucial role in iron homeostasis, but its interaction with potential metallodrugs remains underexplored. Here, the authors solve the X-ray structure of an adduct between transferrin (Fe_C-hTF) and [V^V₂O₆]^2–, generated from a vanadium-based drug [V^IVO(acac)₂], showing that binding preserves the overall conformation of Fe_C-hTF.

Vicinal disulfide bond in VWF A2 domain regulates force-induced conformational changes and A1- GPIbα binding, revealing mechanisms of autoinhibition critical for hemostasis and thrombosis.

Advancements in plasma proteomics have opened new avenues for biomarker discovery, necessitating a clear understanding of technological capabilities. Here, the authors compare HiRIEF LC-MS/MS and Olink Explore 3072, revealing complementary strengths and moderate quantitative agreement, and introduce PeptAffinity, a resource facilitating detailed peptide-level exploration of differences in protein quantification between platforms.

Coagulation factor IX (FIX) contributes to hemostasis through both plasma activity and binding to extravascular collagen IV. Here, the authors show that collagen binding of albumin-fused hyperactive FIX can be engineered to tailor the pharmacokinetics, distribution, and functional properties in mice for tailored short- or long-term hemophilia B therapy.

Measurement of phosphorylated tau protein in blood plasma allows Alzheimer’s disease to be distinguished from other neurological diseases and may assist in disease detection during the prodromal stage.