AtaGenix Provides Custom PRPF19 Protein Expression Services for Huazhong University of Science and Technology’s Diabetic Nephropathy Research

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease, with renal tubular epithelial cell (RTEC) injury playing a critical role in its progression. A 2025 study published in Cell Communication and Signaling (DOI: 10.1186/s12964-025-02253-5) by researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology revealed that ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, drives late-stage DN. The study identified PRPF19 as a key E3 ligase mediating the ubiquitination and degradation of vitamin D receptor (VDR), which regulates GPX4 expression to inhibit ferroptosis. Targeting PRPF19 with berberine (BBR) was shown to reduce VDR degradation, offering a novel therapeutic strategy for DN.

Client Requirements

The research team, led by Qiongyao He and colleagues at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, required high-purity PRPF19 protein for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies to investigate its interaction with BBR, a potential PRPF19 inhibitor. AtaGenix Laboratories Co., Ltd. (Wuhan, China) was commissioned to provide custom PRPF19 protein expression and preparation services, ensuring the protein was suitable for SPR, Western blot (WB), and immunoprecipitation (IP) assays.

Technical Challenges

1. Protein Purity: Producing high-purity PRPF19 protein to ensure reliable SPR binding studies with BBR.
2. Functional Integrity: Maintaining the structural and functional integrity of PRPF19 for accurate interaction studies and downstream WB and IP validations.
3. Scalability: Delivering sufficient quantities of PRPF19 protein to support multiple experimental assays in a timely manner.

Custom Protein Solution

AtaGenix collaborated with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology research team to provide custom PRPF19 protein expression services, supporting their study published in Cell Communication and Signaling. Our solution included:

1. Protein Expression and Purification:
- Expressed PRPF19 protein at 1.67 mg/ml using optimized recombinant systems to achieve high yield and purity.
- Purified PRPF19 protein with rigorous quality control, ensuring compatibility with SPR assays on the Biacore T200 platform.

2. Validation and Support:
- Validated PRPF19 protein functionality through WB and IP assays, confirming its role in VDR ubiquitination.
- Provided technical support to optimize protein performance in SPR studies, enabling real-time analysis of BBR-PRPF19 interactions.

SPR showing binding of BBR to PRPF19

The high-purity PRPF19 protein enabled the research team to confirm BBR’s inhibitory effect on PRPF19, stabilizing VDR and reducing ferroptosis in RTECs. Validated through WB and IP assays, the protein supported the study’s findings, advancing the development of PRPF19-targeted therapies for DN.

For more information, visit www.atagenix.com. AtaGenix provides one-stop customized support from antibody/protein design to functional validation, covering custom antibodies, protein expression, phage display, and multi-platform validation.

Need high-purity proteins for SPR assays or therapeutic research? AtaGenix delivers end-to-end protein expression, purification, and validation services.

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