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Sun L, Kallolimath S, Palt R, Eminger F, Strasser R, Steinkellner H. Codon optimization regulates IgG3 and IgM expression and glycosylation in N. benthamiana. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1320586. [PMID: 38125307 PMCID: PMC10731585 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1320586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are being increasingly recognized for the production of complex human proteins, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Various methods have been applied to boost recombinant expression, with DNA codon usage being an important approach. Here, we transiently expressed three complex human mAbs in Nicotiana benthamiana, namely one IgG3 and two IgM directed against SARS-CoV-2 as codon optimized(CO) and non-codon optimized (NCO) variants. qRT-PCR exhibited significantly increased mRNA levels of all CO variants compared to the non-codon optimized orthologues, in line with increased protein expression. Purified CO and NCO mAbs did not exhibit obvious biochemical differences, as determined by SDS-PAGE and antigen binding activities. By contrast, enhanced production selectively impacts on glycosite occupancy and N-glycan processing, with increased mannosidic structures. The results point to a careful monitoring of recombinant proteins upon enhancing expression. Especially if it comes to therapeutic application even subtle modifications might alter product efficacy or increase immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Kallolimath S, Palt R, Föderl-Höbenreich E, Sun L, Chen Q, Pruckner F, Eidenberger L, Strasser R, Zatloukal K, Steinkellner H. Glyco engineered pentameric SARS-CoV-2 IgMs show superior activities compared to IgG1 orthologues. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1147960. [PMID: 37359564 PMCID: PMC10285447 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1147960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is the largest antibody isotype with unique features like extensive glycosylation and oligomerization. Major hurdles in characterizing its properties are difficulties in the production of well-defined multimers. Here we report the expression of two SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies in glycoengineered plants. Isotype switch from IgG1 to IgM resulted in the production of IgMs, composed of 21 human protein subunits correctly assembled into pentamers. All four recombinant monoclonal antibodies carried a highly reproducible human-type N-glycosylation profile, with a single dominant N-glycan species at each glycosite. Both pentameric IgMs exhibited increased antigen binding and virus neutralization potency, up to 390-fold, compared to the parental IgG1. Collectively, the results may impact on the future design of vaccines, diagnostics and antibody-based therapies and emphasize the versatile use of plants for the expression of highly complex human proteins with targeted posttranslational modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somanath Kallolimath
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Palt
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Lin Sun
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Qiang Chen
- The Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Florian Pruckner
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Eidenberger
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kurt Zatloukal
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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McNulty MJ, Silberstein DZ, Kuhn BT, Padgett HS, Nandi S, McDonald KA, Cross CE. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and recombinant protein sources with focus on plant sources: Updates, challenges and perspectives. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 163:10-30. [PMID: 33279618 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by low plasma levels of A1AT, a serine protease inhibitor representing the most abundant circulating antiprotease normally present at plasma levels of 1-2 g/L. The dominant clinical manifestations include predispositions to early onset emphysema due to protease/antiprotease imbalance in distal lung parenchyma and liver disease largely due to unsecreted polymerized accumulations of misfolded mutant A1AT within the endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes. Since 1987, the only FDA licensed specific therapy for the emphysema component has been infusions of A1AT purified from pooled human plasma at the 2020 cost of up to US $200,000/year with the risk of intermittent shortages. In the past three decades various, potentially less expensive, recombinant forms of human A1AT have reached early stages of development, one of which is just reaching the stage of human clinical trials. The focus of this review is to update strategies for the treatment of the pulmonary component of A1ATD with some focus on perspectives for therapeutic production and regulatory approval of a recombinant product from plants. We review other competitive technologies for treating the lung disease manifestations of A1ATD, highlight strategies for the generation of data potentially helpful for securing FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) approval and present challenges in the selection of clinical trial strategies required for FDA licensing of a New Drug Approval (NDA) for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J McNulty
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David Z Silberstein
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brooks T Kuhn
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; University of California, Davis, Alpha-1 Deficiency Clinic, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | | | - Somen Nandi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Global HealthShare Initiative®, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Karen A McDonald
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Global HealthShare Initiative®, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Carroll E Cross
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; University of California, Davis, Alpha-1 Deficiency Clinic, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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MacDonald J. History and Promise of Plant-Made Vaccines for Animals. PROSPECTS OF PLANT-BASED VACCINES IN VETERINARY MEDICINE 2018. [PMCID: PMC7122757 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-90137-4_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Wang X, Jiang D, Shi J, Yang D. Expression of α-1,6-fucosyltransferase (FUT8) in rice grain and immunogenicity evaluation of plant-specific glycans. J Biotechnol 2016; 242:111-121. [PMID: 28013072 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Rice seed is a cost-effective bioreactor for the large-scale production of pharmaceuticals. However, convincing evidence of the immunogenicity of plant-specific glycans is still limited although plant-specific glycans are considered potential allergic antigens. In the present study, we found that the α-1,3-fucose content of the glycoprotein produced from rice seed was much lower than that in leaf, and conversely, a higher β-1,2-xylose content was detected in seed than that in leaf. We detected the α-1,6-fucose content in the glutelin and recombinant human α1-antitrypsin (OsrAAT). The further results in a line containing AAT and FUT8 genes indicated that the α-1,6-fucose content of modified glycosylated recombinant α1-antitrypsin (mgOsrAAT) was 38.4%, while glutelin was only 6.8%. Interestingly, the α-1,3-fucose content of mgOsrAAT was significantly reduced by 59.8% compared with that of OsrAAT. Furthermore, we assessed the immunogenicity of OsrAAT, mgOsrAAT and human α1-antitrypsin (hAAT) using an animal system. The PCA results indicated no significant differences in the IgG, IgM and IgE titers among OsrAAT, mgOsrAAT and hAAT. Further studies revealed that those antibodies were mainly from α-1,3-fucose, but not from β-1,2-xylose, indicating that α-1,3-fucose was the major immunogenic resource. Our results demonstrated that α-1,3-fucose contents in seed proteins was much less than that of leaf, and could not be a plant-specific glycan because it also exists in human proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianghong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Daiming Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jingni Shi
- Healthgen Biotechnology Corp., Gaoxin Avenue, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Daichang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
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