In the pursuit of precision medicine for bipolar disorder (BD), identifying and functionally characterizing genetic mutations is crucial for refining therapeutic approaches. Dr. Siderovski’s lab recently published a study that exemplified such translational advances by evaluating the impact of a high-penetrance, familial BD-associated missense mutation, R59Q, within the PDZ domain of Regulator of G-protein Signaling 12 (RGS12). Utilizing the Nicoya Altoâ„¢ Digital Surface Plasmon Resonanceâ„¢ (SPR) platform, this research rapidly assessed the mutation’s impact on RGS12 binding affinity to candidate peptide targets—CXCR2, MEK2, and SAPAP3. Results reveal a significant reduction in binding affinity across all tested peptides, suggesting altered protein-peptide interactions attributed to the R59Q mutation. This binding deficiency, corroborated by AlphaFold-derived structural models and molecular dynamics simulations, demonstrates how SPR-based functional testing can accelerate our understanding of disease-related mutations. This approach bridges genetic discovery with functional validation, supporting the translational vision where mutation-specific insights drive personalized pharmacotherapy in psychiatric disorders. By integrating Nicoya’s SPR technology, we move closer to realizing precision treatments informed by unique genetic landscapes—a foundational goal for enhancing disease management and therapeutic outcomes in BD and other complex diseases.
Useful resources are linked below.
As the world’s only surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system powered by digital microfluidics, Alto™ revolutionizes real-time interaction analysis by eliminating the need to compromise on quality and time. Go from sample to answer within hours while streamlining even the toughest of biologics applications with Alto’s intuitive and automated ecosystem. Designed to take the complexity out of SPR, Alto™ will empower your team with the data they need to take their discoveries to the next level.
Read it here.
Alto’s comprehensive software, the Nicosystem, provides a one-stop centralized hub for acquisition and analysis of real-time binding data, all while offering an intuitive user interface, one-click analysis feature, and the flexibility of accessing your experiments from anywhere.
Learn more here.
"*" indicates required fields
"*" indicates required fields
Â
Â
Over 600 researchers worldwide are using OpenSPRâ„¢ to get the data reviewers are looking for. Read our brochure to learn more!
"*" indicates required fields
Interested in learning more about how Alto can accelerate your drug discovery? Fill out the form below to download a product brochure.
"*" indicates required fields