Dieter Willbold, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute for Structural Biology and Biophysics, Structural Biochemistry (ISB-3), and Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Institute of Physical Biology.

Specificity and affinity of protein ligand interactions define the protein's function. Investigation of protein ligand interactions at high spatial resolution and by quantitative means will reveak basic principles of intermolecular interactions in general and will allow their rational manipulation.
Examples studied are viral proteins (HIV and SARS-CoV) and their interactions with host cell target proteins, as well as proteins involved in function and dysfunction of the nervous system.



Selected Publications

Willbold D, Krüger U, Frank R, Rosin-Arbesfeld R, Gazit A, Yaniv A, Rösch P, Sequence Specific Resonance Assignments of the 1H-NMR Spectra of a Synthetic, Biologically Active EIAV-Tat Protein. Biochemistry 32, 8439-8445 (1993)

Mayr LM, Willbold D, Rösch P, Schmid FX, Generation of a non-prolyl cis peptide bond in ribonuclease T1. J. Mol. Biol. 240, 288-293 (1994)

Willbold D, Rosin-Arbesfeld R, Sticht H, Frank R, Rösch P, Structure of the equine infectious anemia virus Tat protein. Science 264, 1584-1587 (1994)

Sticht H, Bayer P, Willbold D, Dames S, Hilbich C, Beyreuther K, Frank RW, Rösch P, Structure of amyloid A4-(1-40)-peptide of Alzheimer's desease. Eur. J. Biochem. 233, 293-298 (1995)

Rösch P, Willbold D, Is EIAV Tat protein a homeodomain? Science 272, 1672 (1996)

Baur AS, Sass G, Laffert B, Willbold D, Mayer C, Peterlin BM, The N-terminus of Nef from HIV-1 associates with a protein complex containing Lck and a serine kinase. Immunity 6, 283-291 (1997)

Willbold D, Hoffmann S, Rösch P, Secondary structure and tertiary fold of the human immunodeficiency virus protein U (Vpu) cytoplasmic domain in solution. Eur. J. Biochem. 245, 581-588 (1997)

Willbold D, Metzger AU, Sticht H, Gallert KC, Voit R, Dank N, Bayer P, Krauss G, Goody RS, Rösch P, Equine infectious anemia virus transactivator is a homeodomain type protein., J. Mol. Biol. 277, 749-755 (1998)

Preusser A, Briese L, Baur AS, Willbold D, Direct in vitro binding of full-length HIV-1 Nef protein to CD4 cytoplasmic domain. J. Virol. 75, 3960-3964 (2001)

Engler A, Stangler T, Willbold D, Structure of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr(34-51) peptide in micelle containing aqueous solution. Eur. J. Biochem. 269, 3264-3269 (2002)

Stangler T, Mayr LM, Willbold D, Solution structure of the GABAA receptor associated protein GABARAP: Implications for biological function and its regulation. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 13363-13366 (2002)

Wiesehan K, Buder K, Linke RP, Patt S, Stoldt M, Unger E, Schmitt B, Bucci E, Willbold D Selection of D-amino-acid peptides that bind to Alzheimer's disease amyloid peptide A 1-42 by mirror image phage display. ChemBioChem 4, 748-753 (2003)

Wiesehan K, Willbold D, Mirror image phage display: Aiming at the mirror. ChemBioChem 4, 811-815 (2003)

Witte V, Laffert B, Rosorius O, Lischka P, Blume K, Galler G, Stilper A, Willbold D, Blume K, D'Aloja P, Sixt M, Kolanus J, Ott M, Kolanus W, Schuler G, Baur AS, HIV-1 Nef Mimics an Integrin Receptor Signal that Recruits the Polycomb Group Protein Eed to the Plasma Membrane. Molecular Cell 13, 179-190 (2004)

Harrer E, Bäuerle M, Ferstl B, Chaplin P, Petzold B, Mateo L, Handley A, Tzatzaris M, Vollmar J, Bergmann S, Rittmaier M, Eismann K, Müller S, Kalden JR, Spriewald B, Willbold D & Harrer T. Therapeutic vaccination of HIV-1-infected patients on HAART with a recombinant HIV-1 nef-expressing MVA: safety, immunogenicity and influence on viral load during treatment interruption. Antiviral Therapy 10, 285-300 (2005)

Tran T, Hoffmann, S, Wiesehan K, Jonas E, Luge C, Aladag A and Willbold D, Insights into human Lck SH3 domain binding specificity: Different binding modes of artificial and native ligands. Biochemistry 44, 15042-15052 (2005)

Hänel K, Stangler T, Stoldt M and Willbold D. Solution structure of the X4 protein coded by the SARS related coronavirus reveals an immunoglobulin like fold and suggests a binding activity to integrin I domains. J. Biomed. Sci. 13, 281-293 (2006)

Stangler T, Hartmann R, Willbold D, König BW, Modern high resolution NMR for the study of structure, dynamics and interactions of biological macromolecules. Z. Phys. Chem. 220, 567-613 (2006)

Schmidt H, Hoffmann S, Tran T, Stoldt M, Stangler T, Wiesehan K and Willbold D, Solution structure of a Hck SH3 domain ligand complex reveals novel interaction modes. J. Mol. Biol. 365, 1517-1532 (2007)

Hoffmann S, Jonas E, König S, Preußer-Kunze A, Willbold D. Nef protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 binds its own myristoylated N-terminus. Biol. Chem. 366, 181-183 (2007)

Birkmann E, Henke F, Weinmann N, Dumpitak C, Groshup M, Funke A, Willbold D, Riesner D, Counting of single prion particles bound to a capture-antibody surface (surface-FIDA), Vet. Microbiol. 123, 294-304 (2007)

H. Schmidt, S. Hoffmann, T. Tran, M. Stoldt, T. Stangler, K. Wiesehan and D. Willbold. Solution structure of a Hck SH3 domain ligand complex reveals novel interaction modes. J. Mol. Biol. 365, 1517-1532 (2007)

M. Wittlich, B. W. König, S. Hoffmann, D. Willbold. Structural characterisation of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of human CD4. BBA Biomem. 3, 2949-2960 (2007)

E. Birkmann, F. Henke, S. A. Funke, O. Bannach, D. Riesner, D. Willbold. A highly sensitive diagnostic assay for aggregate-related diseases e.g. prion disease and Alzheimer's disease. Rejuvenation Res. 11, 359-363 (2008)

O. H. Weiergraeber, T. Stangler, Y. Thielmann, J. Mohrluder, K. Wiesehan, D. Willbold. Ligand binding mode of GABAA receptor-associated protein. J. Mol. Biol., 381, 1320-1331 (2008)

K. Elfrink, J. Ollesch, J. Stoehr, D. Willbold, D. Riesner, K. Gerwert. Structural changes of membrane-anchored native PrPc. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 105 (31), 10815-10819 (2008)