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Oyama K, Ueda T. Relationship between protein conformational stability and its immunogenicity when administering antigens to mice using adjuvants-Analysis employed the CH2 domain in human antibodies. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307320. [PMID: 39038003 PMCID: PMC11262634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) play a crucial role in the immune system by breaking down antigens into peptide fragments that subsequently bind to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Previous studies indicate that stable proteins can impede CD4+ T cell stimulation by hindering antigen processing and presentation. Conversely, certain proteins require stabilization in order to activate the immune response. Several factors, including the characteristics of the protein and the utilization of different adjuvants in animal experiments, may contribute to this disparity. In this study, we investigated the impact of adjuvants on antigen administration in mice, specifically focusing on the stability of the CH2 domain. Consequently, the CH2 domain induced a stronger IgG response in comparison to the stabilized one when using Alum and PBS (without adjuvant). On the other hand, animal experiment using Freund's adjuvant showed the opposite results. These findings indicate the significance of considering the intrinsic conformational stability of a protein when eliciting its immunogenicity, particularly within the context of vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Oyama
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Ueda
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Ueda T. [Modulation of Aggregation and Immunogenicity of a Protein: Based on the Study of Hen Lysozyme]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2024; 144:299-310. [PMID: 38432940 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.23-00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
This study focuses on the modulation of protein aggregation and immunogenicity. As a starting point for investigating long-range interactions within a non-native protein, the effects of perturbing denatured protein states on their aggregation, including the formation of amyloid fibrils, were evaluated. The effects of adducts, sugar modifications, and stabilization on protein aggregation were then examined. We also investigated how protein immunogenicity was affected by enhancing protein conformational stability and other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Ueda
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University
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Foo ACY, Mueller GA. Abundance and Stability as Common Properties of Allergens. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2021; 2:769728. [PMID: 35386965 PMCID: PMC8974735 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2021.769728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There have been many attempts to identify common biophysical properties which differentiate allergens from their non-immunogenic counterparts. This review will focus on recent studies which examine two such factors: abundance and stability. Anecdotal accounts have speculated that the elevated abundance of potential allergens would increase the likelihood of human exposure and thus the probability of sensitization. Similarly, the stability of potential allergens dictates its ability to remain a viable immunogen during the transfer from the source to humans. This stability could also increase the resilience of potential allergens to both gastric and endosomal degradation, further skewing the immune system toward allergy. Statistical analyses confirm both abundance and stability as common properties of allergens, while epidemiological surveys show a correlation between exposure levels (abundance) and allergic disease. Additional studies show that changes in protein stability can predictably alter gastric/endosomal processing and immunogenicity, providing a mechanistic link between stability and allergenicity. However, notable exceptions exist to both hypotheses which highlight the multifaceted nature of immunological sensitization, and further inform our understanding of some of these other factors and their contribution to allergic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Geoffrey A. Mueller
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
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Mueller GA, Glesner J, Daniel JL, Zhang J, Hyduke N, Richardson CM, DeRose EF, Chapman MD, Peebles RS, A Smith S, Pomés A. Mapping Human Monoclonal IgE Epitopes on the Major Dust Mite Allergen Der p 2. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 205:1999-2007. [PMID: 32907999 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
IgE Abs drive the symptoms of allergic disease upon cross-linking allergens on mast cells or basophils. If the IgE binding sites on the allergens could be identified, it may be useful for creating new forms of immunotherapy. However, direct knowledge of the human IgE (hIgE) epitopes is limited because of the very low frequency of IgE-producing B cells in blood. A new hybridoma technology using human B cells from house dust mite-allergic patients was used to identify four Der p 2-specific hIgE mAbs. Their relative binding sites were assessed and compared by immunoassays with three previously studied murine IgG mAbs. Immunoassays showed that the recognition of Der p 2 by the first three hIgE was inhibited by a single murine IgG, but the fourth hIgE recognized a different epitope from all the other mAbs. The functional ability of the hIgE that bind different epitopes to cross-link Der p 2 was demonstrated in a mouse model of passive systemic anaphylaxis. Nuclear magnetic resonance analyses of Der p 2 in complex with IgG and IgE Abs were used to identify specific residues in the epitopes. To our knowledge, the combination of immunoassays to distinguish overlapping epitopes and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses to identify specific residues involved in Ab binding provided the first epitope mapping of hIgE mAbs to an allergen. The technologies developed in this study will be useful in high-resolution mapping of human epitopes on other Ags and the design of improved therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey A Mueller
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709;
| | - Jill Glesner
- Basic Research, Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc., Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - Jacob L Daniel
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232; and
| | - Jian Zhang
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232; and
| | - Noah Hyduke
- University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 22908
| | | | - Eugene F DeRose
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Martin D Chapman
- Basic Research, Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc., Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | | | - Scott A Smith
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232; and
| | - Anna Pomés
- Basic Research, Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc., Charlottesville, VA 22903
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Kamenik AS, Hofer F, Handle PH, Liedl KR. Dynamics Rationalize Proteolytic Susceptibility of the Major Birch Pollen Allergen Bet v 1. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:18. [PMID: 32154264 PMCID: PMC7045072 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteolytic susceptibility during endolysosomal degradation is decisive for allergic sensitization. In the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 most protease cleavage sites are located within its secondary structure elements, which are inherently inaccessible to proteases. The allergen thus must unfold locally, exposing the cleavage sites to become susceptible to proteolysis. Hence, allergen cleavage rates are presumed to be linked to their fold stability, i.e., unfolding probability. Yet, these locally unfolded structures have neither been captured in experiment nor simulation due to limitations in resolution and sampling time, respectively. Here, we perform classic and enhanced molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to quantify fold dynamics on extended timescales of Bet v 1a and two variants with higher and lower cleavage rates. Already at the nanosecond-timescale we observe a significantly higher flexibility for the destabilized variant compared to Bet v 1a and the proteolytically stabilized mutant. Estimating the thermodynamics and kinetics of local unfolding around an initial cleavage site, we find that the Bet v 1 variant with the highest cleavage rate also shows the highest probability for local unfolding. For the stabilized mutant on the other hand we only find minimal unfolding probability. These results strengthen the link between the conformational dynamics of allergen proteins and their stability during endolysosomal degradation. The presented approach further allows atomistic insights in the conformational ensemble of allergen proteins and provides probability estimates below experimental detection limits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Klaus R. Liedl
- Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Glesner J, Kapingidza AB, Godzwon M, Offermann LR, Mueller GA, DeRose EF, Wright P, Richardson CM, Woodfolk JA, Vailes LD, Wünschmann S, London RE, Chapman MD, Ohlin M, Chruszcz M, Pomés A. A Human IgE Antibody Binding Site on Der p 2 for the Design of a Recombinant Allergen for Immunotherapy. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2019; 203:2545-2556. [PMID: 31554696 PMCID: PMC6810898 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Der p 2 is one of the most important allergens from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus Identification of human IgE Ab binding epitopes can be used for rational design of allergens with reduced IgE reactivity for therapy. Antigenic analysis of Der p 2 was performed by site-directed mutagenesis based on the x-ray crystal structure of the allergen in complex with a Fab from the murine IgG mAb 7A1 that binds an epitope overlapping with human IgE binding sites. Conformational changes upon Ab binding were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance using a 7A1-single-chain variable fragment. In addition, a human IgE Ab construct that interferes with mAb 7A1 binding was isolated from a combinatorial phage-display library constructed from a mite-allergic patient and expressed as two recombinant forms (single-chain Fab in Pichia pastoris and Fab in Escherichia coli). These two IgE Ab constructs and the mAb 7A1 failed to recognize two Der p 2 epitope double mutants designed to abolish the allergen-Ab interaction while preserving the fold necessary to bind Abs at other sites of the allergen surface. A 10-100-fold reduction in binding of IgE from allergic subjects to the mutants additionally showed that the residues mutated were involved in IgE Ab binding. In summary, mutagenesis of a Der p 2 epitope defined by x-ray crystallography revealed an IgE Ab binding site that will be considered for the design of hypoallergens for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Glesner
- Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc., Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | | | | | | | - Geoffrey A Mueller
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; and
| | - Eugene F DeRose
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; and
| | - Paul Wright
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | | | | | - Lisa D Vailes
- Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc., Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | | | - Robert E London
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; and
| | | | | | | | - Anna Pomés
- Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc., Charlottesville, VA 22903;
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Scheiblhofer S, Laimer J, Machado Y, Weiss R, Thalhamer J. Influence of protein fold stability on immunogenicity and its implications for vaccine design. Expert Rev Vaccines 2017; 16:479-489. [PMID: 28290225 PMCID: PMC5490637 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2017.1306441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In modern vaccinology and immunotherapy, recombinant proteins more and more replace whole organisms to induce protective or curative immune responses. Structural stability of proteins is of crucial importance for efficient presentation of antigenic peptides on MHC, which plays a decisive role for triggering strong immune reactions. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss structural stability as a key factor for modulating the potency of recombinant vaccines and its importance for antigen proteolysis, presentation, and stimulation of B and T cells. Moreover, the impact of fold stability on downstream events determining the differentiation of T cells into effector cells is reviewed. We summarize studies investigating the impact of protein fold stability on the outcome of the immune response and provide an overview on computational methods to estimate the effects of point mutations on protein stability. Expert commentary: Based on this information, the rational design of up-to-date vaccines is discussed. A model for predicting immunogenicity of proteins based on their conformational stability at different pH values is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Scheiblhofer
- a Department of Molecular Biology , University of Salzburg , Salzburg , Austria
| | - Josef Laimer
- a Department of Molecular Biology , University of Salzburg , Salzburg , Austria
| | - Yoan Machado
- a Department of Molecular Biology , University of Salzburg , Salzburg , Austria
| | - Richard Weiss
- a Department of Molecular Biology , University of Salzburg , Salzburg , Austria
| | - Josef Thalhamer
- a Department of Molecular Biology , University of Salzburg , Salzburg , Austria
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