1
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Alvarez JAE, Dean SN. TEMPRO: nanobody melting temperature estimation model using protein embeddings. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19074. [PMID: 39154093 PMCID: PMC11330463 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70101-6] [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] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) or nanobodies have received widespread attention due to their small size (~ 15 kDa) and diverse applications in bio-derived therapeutics. As many modern biotechnology breakthroughs are applied to antibody engineering and design, nanobody thermostability or melting temperature (Tm) is crucial for their successful utilization. In this study, we present TEMPRO which is a predictive modeling approach for estimating the Tm of nanobodies using computational methods. Our methodology integrates various nanobody biophysical features to include Evolutionary Scale Modeling (ESM) embeddings, NetSurfP3 structural predictions, pLDDT scores per sdAb region from AlphaFold2, and each sequence's physicochemical characteristics. This approach is validated with our combined dataset containing 567 unique sequences with corresponding experimental Tm values from a manually curated internal data and a recently published nanobody database, NbThermo. Our results indicate the efficacy of protein embeddings in reliably predicting the Tm of sdAbs with mean absolute error (MAE) of 4.03 °C and root mean squared error (RMSE) of 5.66 °C, thus offering a valuable tool for the optimization of nanobodies for various biomedical and therapeutic applications. Moreover, we have validated the models' performance using experimentally determined Tms from nanobodies not found in NbThermo. This predictive model not only enhances nanobody thermostability prediction, but also provides a useful perspective of using embeddings as a tool for facilitating a broader applicability of downstream protein analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Anthony E Alvarez
- Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Scott N Dean
- Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, USA.
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2
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Mortelecque J, Zejneli O, Bégard S, Simões MC, ElHajjar L, Nguyen M, Cantrelle FX, Hanoulle X, Rain JC, Colin M, Gomes CM, Buée L, Landrieu I, Danis C, Dupré E. A selection and optimization strategy for single-domain antibodies targeting the PHF6 linear peptide within the tau intrinsically disordered protein. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107163. [PMID: 38484799 PMCID: PMC11007443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107163] [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] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of variable domain of the heavy-chain of the heavy-chain-only antibodies (VHHs) as disease-modifying biomolecules in neurodegenerative disorders holds promises, including targeting of aggregation-sensitive proteins. Exploitation of their clinical values depends however on the capacity to deliver VHHs with optimal physico-chemical properties for their specific context of use. We described previously a VHH with high therapeutic potential in a family of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies. The activity of this promising parent VHH named Z70 relies on its binding within the central region of the tau protein. Accordingly, we carried out random mutagenesis followed by yeast two-hybrid screening to obtain optimized variants. The VHHs selected from this initial screen targeted the same epitope as VHH Z70 as shown using NMR spectroscopy and had indeed improved binding affinities according to dissociation constant values obtained by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. The improved affinities can be partially rationalized based on three-dimensional structures and NMR data of three complexes consisting of an optimized VHH and a peptide containing the tau epitope. Interestingly, the ability of the VHH variants to inhibit tau aggregation and seeding could not be predicted from their affinity alone. We indeed showed that the in vitro and in cellulo VHH stabilities are other limiting key factors to their efficacy. Our results demonstrate that only a complete pipeline of experiments, here described, permits a rational selection of optimized VHH variants, resulting in the selection of VHH variants with higher affinities and/or acting against tau seeding in cell models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Mortelecque
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - Orgeta Zejneli
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Séverine Bégard
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Margarida C Simões
- BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lea ElHajjar
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - Marine Nguyen
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - François-Xavier Cantrelle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - Xavier Hanoulle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | | | - Morvane Colin
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Cláudio M Gomes
- BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luc Buée
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France.
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France.
| | - Clément Danis
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Elian Dupré
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France.
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3
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Ratnikova NM, Kravchenko Y, Ivanova A, Zhuchkov V, Frolova E, Chumakov S. A Novel Anti-CD47 Nanobody Tetramer for Cancer Therapy. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:2. [PMID: 38247566 PMCID: PMC10801496 DOI: 10.3390/antib13010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
CD47 acts as a defense mechanism for tumor cells by sending a "don't eat me" signal via its bond with SIRPα. With CD47's overexpression linked to poor cancer outcomes, its pathway has become a target in cancer immunotherapy. Though monoclonal antibodies offer specificity, they have limitations like the large size and production costs. Nanobodies, due to their small size and unique properties, present a promising therapeutic alternative. In our study, a high-affinity anti-CD47 nanobody was engineered from an immunized alpaca. We isolated a specific VHH from the phage library, which has nanomolar affinity to SIRPα, and constructed a streptavidin-based tetramer. The efficacy of the nanobody and its derivative was evaluated using various assays. The new nanobody demonstrated higher affinity than the monoclonal anti-CD47 antibody, B6H12.2. The nanobody and its derivatives also stimulated substantial phagocytosis of tumor cell lines and induced apoptosis in U937 cells, a response confirmed in both in vitro and in vivo settings. Our results underscore the potential of the engineered anti-CD47 nanobody as a promising candidate for cancer immunotherapy. The derived nanobody could offer a more effective, cost-efficient alternative to conventional antibodies in disrupting the CD47-SIRPα axis, opening doors for its standalone or combinatorial therapeutic applications in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya M. Ratnikova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (N.M.R.); (V.Z.)
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, FRC Biotechnology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Yulia Kravchenko
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (N.M.R.); (V.Z.)
| | - Anna Ivanova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (N.M.R.); (V.Z.)
- Kulakov National Medical Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Vladislav Zhuchkov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (N.M.R.); (V.Z.)
| | - Elena Frolova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (N.M.R.); (V.Z.)
| | - Stepan Chumakov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia; (N.M.R.); (V.Z.)
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4
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Kim DY, Kandalaft H, Lowden MJ, Yang Q, Rossotti MA, Robotham A, Kelly JF, Hussack G, Schrag JD, Henry KA, Tanha J. Sequence tolerance of immunoglobulin variable domain framework regions to noncanonical intradomain disulfide linkages. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105278. [PMID: 37742917 PMCID: PMC10641266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105278] [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] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Most immunoglobulin (Ig) domains bear only a single highly conserved canonical intradomain, inter-β-sheet disulfide linkage formed between Cys23-Cys104, and incorporation of rare noncanonical disulfide linkages at other locations can enhance Ig domain stability. Here, we exhaustively surveyed the sequence tolerance of Ig variable (V) domain framework regions (FRs) to noncanonical disulfide linkages. Starting from a destabilized VH domain lacking a Cys23-Cys104 disulfide linkage, we generated and screened phage-displayed libraries of engineered VHs, bearing all possible pairwise combinations of Cys residues in neighboring β-strands of the Ig fold FRs. This approach identified seven novel Cys pairs in VH FRs (Cys4-Cys25, Cys4-Cys118, Cys5-Cys120, Cys6-Cys119, Cys22-Cys88, Cys24-Cys86, and Cys45-Cys100; the international ImMunoGeneTics information system numbering), whose presence rescued domain folding and stability. Introduction of a subset of these noncanonical disulfide linkages (three intra-β-sheet: Cys4-Cys25, Cys22-Cys88, and Cys24-Cys86, and one inter-β-sheet: Cys6-Cys119) into a diverse panel of VH, VL, and VHH domains enhanced their thermostability and protease resistance without significantly impacting expression, solubility, or binding to cognate antigens. None of the noncanonical disulfide linkages identified were present in the natural human VH repertoire. These data reveal an unexpected permissiveness of Ig V domains to noncanonical disulfide linkages at diverse locations in FRs, absent in the human repertoire, whose presence is compatible with antigen recognition and improves domain stability. Our work represents the most complete assessment to date of the role of engineered noncanonical disulfide bonding within FRs in Ig V domain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Young Kim
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hiba Kandalaft
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael J Lowden
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qingling Yang
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin A Rossotti
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna Robotham
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John F Kelly
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Greg Hussack
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph D Schrag
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kevin A Henry
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jamshid Tanha
- Life Sciences Division, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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5
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Li JD, Wu GP, Li LH, Wang LT, Liang YF, Fang RY, Zhang QL, Xie LL, Shen X, Shen YD, Xu ZL, Wang H, Hammock BD. Structural Insights into the Stability and Recognition Mechanism of the Antiquinalphos Nanobody for the Detection of Quinalphos in Foods. Anal Chem 2023; 95:11306-11315. [PMID: 37428097 PMCID: PMC10829938 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01370] [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] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Nanobodies (Nbs) have great potential in immunoassays due to their exceptional physicochemical properties. With the immortal nature of Nbs and the ability to manipulate their structures using protein engineering, it will become increasingly valuable to understand what structural features of Nbs drive high stability, affinity, and selectivity. Here, we employed an anti-quinalphos Nb as a model to illustrate the structural basis of Nbs' distinctive physicochemical properties and the recognition mechanism. The results indicated that the Nb-11A-ligand complexes exhibit a "tunnel" binding mode formed by CDR1, CDR2, and FR3. The orientation and hydrophobicity of small ligands are the primary determinants of their diverse affinities to Nb-11A. In addition, the primary factors contributing to Nb-11A's limited stability at high temperatures and in organic solvents are the rearrangement of the hydrogen bonding network and the enlargement of the binding cavity. Importantly, Ala 97 and Ala 34 at the active cavity's bottom and Arg 29 and Leu 73 at its entrance play vital roles in hapten recognition, which were further confirmed by mutant Nb-F3. Thus, our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the recognition and stability mechanisms of anti-hapten Nbs and shed new light on the rational design of novel haptens and directed evolution to produce high-performance antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Dong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Guang-Pei Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Li-Hua Li
- Future Technology Institute, South China Normal University, 510631, China
| | - Lan-Teng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yi-Fan Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ru-Yu Fang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qiu-Ling Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ling-Ling Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xing Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yu-Dong Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhen-Lin Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Processing and Safety Control of Livestock and Poultry Products, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bruce D. Hammock
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-Davis, California 95616, United States
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6
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Knauf G, Groover KE, O’Donnell AC, Davies BW. Generation of Synthetic Acinetobacter baumannii-Specific Nanobodies. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1190-1195. [PMID: 37162304 PMCID: PMC10262196 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading cause of drug-resistant infections. Here, we investigated the potential of developing nanobodies that can recognize A. baumannii over other Gram-negative bacteria. Through generation and panning of a synthetic nanobody library, we identified several potential lead candidates. We demonstrate how incorporation of next-generation sequencing analysis can aid in the selection of lead candidate nanobodies. Using monoclonal phage display, we validated the binding of lead nanobodies to A. baumannii. Subsequent purification and biochemical characterization revealed one particularly robust nanobody that specifically bound select A. baumannii strains compared to other common drug-resistant pathogens. These findings support the potential for nanobodies to selectively target A. baumannii and the identification of lead candidates for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory
A. Knauf
- Department
of Molecular Biosciences, The University
of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Kyra E. Groover
- Department
of Molecular Biosciences, The University
of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Angela C. O’Donnell
- Department
of Molecular Biosciences, The University
of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
- John
Ring LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Bryan W. Davies
- Department
of Molecular Biosciences, The University
of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
- John
Ring LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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7
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Valdés-Tresanco MS, Valdés-Tresanco ME, Molina-Abad E, Moreno E. NbThermo: a new thermostability database for nanobodies. Database (Oxford) 2023; 2023:baad021. [PMID: 37042467 PMCID: PMC10091358 DOI: 10.1093/database/baad021] [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: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
We present NbThermo-a first-in-class database that collects melting temperatures (Tm), amino acid sequences and several other categories of useful data for hundreds of nanobodies (Nbs), compiled from an extensive literature search. This so-far unique database currently contains up-to-date, manually curated data for 564 Nbs. It represents a contribution to efforts aimed at developing new algorithms for reliable Tm prediction to assist Nb engineering for a wide range of applications of these unique biomolecules. Nbs from the two most common source organisms-llama and camel-show similar distributions of melting temperatures. A first exploratory research that takes advantage of this large data collection evidences that understanding the structural bases of Nb thermostability is a complex task, since there are no apparent differences in sequence patterns between the frameworks of Nbs with lower and higher melting temperatures, indicating that the highly variable loops play a relevant role in defining Nb thermostability. Database URL https://valdes-tresanco-ms.github.io/NbThermo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario S Valdés-Tresanco
- Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Medellin, Cra. 87 No. 30-65, Medellin 050026, Colombia
| | - Mario E Valdés-Tresanco
- Centre for Molecular Simulations and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | | | - Ernesto Moreno
- Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Medellin, Cra. 87 No. 30-65, Medellin 050026, Colombia
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8
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Rosace A, Bennett A, Oeller M, Mortensen MM, Sakhnini L, Lorenzen N, Poulsen C, Sormanni P. Automated optimisation of solubility and conformational stability of antibodies and proteins. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1937. [PMID: 37024501 PMCID: PMC10079162 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37668-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Biologics, such as antibodies and enzymes, are crucial in research, biotechnology, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Often, biologics with suitable functionality are discovered, but their development is impeded by developability issues. Stability and solubility are key biophysical traits underpinning developability potential, as they determine aggregation, correlate with production yield and poly-specificity, and are essential to access parenteral and oral delivery. While advances for the optimisation of individual traits have been made, the co-optimization of multiple traits remains highly problematic and time-consuming, as mutations that improve one property often negatively impact others. In this work, we introduce a fully automated computational strategy for the simultaneous optimisation of conformational stability and solubility, which we experimentally validate on six antibodies, including two approved therapeutics. Our results on 42 designs demonstrate that the computational procedure is highly effective at improving developability potential, while not affecting antigen-binding. We make the method available as a webserver at www-cohsoftware.ch.cam.ac.uk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Rosace
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield road, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, UK
- Master in Bioinformatics for Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Anja Bennett
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield road, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Mammalian Expression, Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Nordisk Park 1, 2760, Måløv, Denmark
- BRIC, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marc Oeller
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield road, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mie M Mortensen
- Department of Purification Technologies, Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Nordisk Park 1, 2760, Måløv, Denmark
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, University of Aalborg, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Laila Sakhnini
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield road, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Biophysics and Injectable Formulation 2, Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, 2760, Denmark
| | - Nikolai Lorenzen
- Department of Biophysics and Injectable Formulation 2, Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, 2760, Denmark
| | - Christian Poulsen
- Department of Mammalian Expression, Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Nordisk Park 1, 2760, Måløv, Denmark
| | - Pietro Sormanni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield road, CB2 1EW, Cambridge, UK.
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9
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Tomimoto Y, Yamazaki R, Shirai H. Increasing the melting temperature of VHH with the in silico free energy score. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4922. [PMID: 36966210 PMCID: PMC10039853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32022-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
VHH, the antigen-binding fragment of a heavy chain-only antibody, is a useful component of antibody-based therapeutics. Thermal stability, represented by the melting temperature (Tm), is one of the key factors affecting the developability of antibody-based therapeutics. In this study, we examined whether the in silico free energy score dStability can be used to design mutants with improved Tm compared to the anti-lysozyme VHH, D3-L11. After verifying that exhaustive mutagenesis was inefficient for improving Tm, we performed a two-round rational approach that combined dStability calculations with a small number of experiments. This method improved the Tm by more than 5 °C in several single mutants including A79I. It reduced the affinity for the antigen by less than 1.6-fold. We speculate that stabilization of A79I required exquisite compatibility among neighboring residues to fill in the internal cavity in the protein. Given that we identified only one mutation that could simultaneously improve Tm and almost maintain affinity, we concluded that achieving both is extremely difficult, even with single mutations that are not located in the paratope. Therefore, we recommend using a variety of approaches when trying to achieve such a feat. Our method will be a useful complementary approach to other existing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Tomimoto
- Applied Research and Operations, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba city, Ibaraki, 305-8585, Japan
| | - Rika Yamazaki
- Applied Research and Operations, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba city, Ibaraki, 305-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroki Shirai
- Applied Research and Operations, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba city, Ibaraki, 305-8585, Japan.
- Riken Center for Computational Science, Nihonbashi 1-Chome Mitsui Building, 15th floor, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Tsukuba, 103-0027, Japan.
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10
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Jin BK, Odongo S, Radwanska M, Magez S. NANOBODIES®: A Review of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5994. [PMID: 36983063 PMCID: PMC10057852 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
NANOBODY® (a registered trademark of Ablynx N.V) molecules (Nbs), also referred to as single domain-based VHHs, are antibody fragments derived from heavy-chain only IgG antibodies found in the Camelidae family. Due to their small size, simple structure, high antigen binding affinity, and remarkable stability in extreme conditions, nanobodies possess the potential to overcome several of the limitations of conventional monoclonal antibodies. For many years, nanobodies have been of great interest in a wide variety of research fields, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This culminated in the approval of the world's first nanobody based drug (Caplacizumab) in 2018 with others following soon thereafter. This review will provide an overview, with examples, of (i) the structure and advantages of nanobodies compared to conventional monoclonal antibodies, (ii) methods used to generate and produce antigen-specific nanobodies, (iii) applications for diagnostics, and (iv) ongoing clinical trials for nanobody therapeutics as well as promising candidates for clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-kyung Jin
- Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon 21985, Republic of Korea
| | - Steven Odongo
- Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon 21985, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda
- Center for Biosecurity and Global Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda
| | - Magdalena Radwanska
- Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon 21985, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stefan Magez
- Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon 21985, Republic of Korea
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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11
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A Novel Cost-Effective Nanobody against Fumonisin B1 Contaminations: Efficacy Test in Dairy Milk and Chickens. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14120821. [PMID: 36548718 PMCID: PMC9788183 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14120821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a secondary metabolite produced mainly by Fusarium verticillioides or Fusarium proliferatum. It poses a huge threat to the sustainable animal industry and human health as well via food chains (egg, meat and milk). Although E. coli-expressed nanobodies are documented for diagnostic applications, nanobodies remain elusive as FB1 detoxifiers in feed and food. RESULTS In the present study, the E. coli-expressed nanobody was assessed to remove FB1 in fresh milk, embryonated eggs and broilers. Firstly, 2 alpacas received intramuscularly FB1-adjuvanted BSA 6 times, and then the variable domain of the heavy-chain antibody (VHH) of fb1 genes were amplified to clone into the pCANTAB 5 E vector in order to generate a VHH-FB1 phage antibody display library, yielding 3.4 × 1010 capacity with 96.7% positivity. Afterwards, 5 anti-FB1 nanobodies were expressed and identified. Furthermore, maximal 43.2% FB1 was removed from milk by 1:2000 concentration of nanobody 5 (Nb5). Furthermore, SPF-embryonated eggs were inoculated into albumens with nanobody-treated FB1. The Nb5 group yielded an 83.3% hatching rate, higher body weight, lower gizzard ulceration and fewer FB1 residuals. In order to warrant the above results, 50 broilers aged 10 days were received orally with 20 ppm of FB1 for 20 days. At the same time, birds were fed orally with 50 μg of Nb5 or bivalent nanobody 11 (BiNb11). Finally, the Nb5 group showed a higher relative body weight gain and lower gastric ulcerations and fewer inflammations in the thymus and bursa. CONCLUSIONS Based on the above evidence, the Nb5 nanobody may be considered as an additional FB1 detoxifier, contributing to FB1 decontamination.
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12
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Brain Delivery of IGF1R5, a Single-Domain Antibody Targeting Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Receptor. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071452. [PMID: 35890347 PMCID: PMC9316817 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of drugs and therapeutic antibodies to reach central nervous system (CNS) targets is greatly diminished by the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT), which is responsible for the transport of natural protein ligands across the BBB, was identified as a way to increase drug delivery to the brain. In this study, we characterized IGF1R5, which is a single-domain antibody (sdAb) that binds to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) at the BBB, as a ligand that triggers RMT and could deliver cargo molecules that otherwise do not cross the BBB. Surface plasmon resonance binding analyses demonstrated the species cross-reactivity of IGF1R5 toward IGF1R from multiple species. To overcome the short serum half-life of sdAbs, we fused IGF1R5 to the human (hFc) or mouse Fc domain (mFc). IGF1R5 in both N- and C-terminal mFc fusion showed enhanced transmigration across a rat BBB model (SV-ARBEC) in vitro. Increased levels of hFc-IGF1R5 in the cerebrospinal fluid and vessel-depleted brain parenchyma fractions further confirmed the ability of IGF1R5 to cross the BBB in vivo. We next tested whether this carrier was able to ferry a pharmacologically active payload across the BBB by measuring the hypothermic and analgesic properties of neurotensin and galanin, respectively. The fusion of IGF1R5-hFc to neurotensin induced a dose-dependent reduction in the core temperature. The reversal of hyperalgesia by galanin that was chemically linked to IGF1R5-mFc was demonstrated using the Hargreaves model of inflammatory pain. Taken together, our results provided a proof of concept that appropriate antibodies, such as IGF1R5 against IGF1R, are suitable as RMT carriers for the delivery of therapeutic cargos for CNS applications.
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13
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Wang F, Yang YY, Wan DB, Li JD, Liang YF, Li ZF, Shen YD, Xu ZL, Yang JY, Wang H, Gettemans J, Hammock BD, Sun YM. Nanobodies for accurate recognition of iso-tenuazonic acid and development of sensitive immunoassay for contaminant detection in foods. Food Control 2022; 136. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.108835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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14
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Chen ZJ, Zhang YF, Chen JL, Lin ZS, Wu MF, Shen YD, Luo L, Wang H, Wen XW, Hammock B, Lei HT, Xu ZL. Production and Characterization of Biotinylated Anti-fenitrothion Nanobodies and Development of Sensitive Fluoroimmunoassay. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:4102-4111. [PMID: 35333506 PMCID: PMC9484545 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
A simple and sensitive fluoroimmunoassay (FIA) based on a heavy-chain antibody (VHH) for rapid detection of fenitrothion was developed. A VHH library was constructed from an immunized alpaca, and one clone recognizing fenitrothion (namely, VHHjd8) was achieved after careful biopanning. It was biotinylated by fusing with the Avi tag and biotin ligase to obtain a fusion protein (VHHjd8-BT), showing both binding capacity to fenitrothion and the streptavidin poly-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (SA-polyHRP). Based on a competitive assay format, the absorbance spectrum of oxidized 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine generated by SA-polyHRP overlapped the emission spectrum of carbon dots, which resulted in quenching of signals due to the inner-filter effect. The developed FIA showed an IC50 value of 1.4 ng/mL and a limit of detection of 0.03 ng/mL, which exhibited 15-fold improvement compared with conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The recovery test of FIA was validated by standard GC-MS/MS, and the results showed good consistency, indicating that the assay is an ideal tool for rapid screening of fenitrothion in bulk food samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Jian Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yi-Feng Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jia-Lin Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ze-Shan Lin
- Guangzhou Institute of Food Inspection, Guangzhou 510410, China
| | - Min-Fu Wu
- Department of Food Science, Foshan Polytechnic, Foshan 528137, China
| | - Yu-Dong Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Lin Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Wen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bruce Hammock
- Department of Entomology and UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Hong-Tao Lei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhen-Lin Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety/ Research Center for Green Development of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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15
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Valdés-Tresanco MS, Molina-Zapata A, Pose AG, Moreno E. Structural Insights into the Design of Synthetic Nanobody Libraries. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27072198. [PMID: 35408597 PMCID: PMC9000494 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Single domain antibodies from camelids, or nanobodies, are a unique class of antibody fragments with several advantageous characteristics: small monomeric size, high stability and solubility and easy tailoring for multiple applications. Nanobodies are gaining increasing acceptance as diagnostic tools and promising therapeutic agents in cancer and other diseases. While most nanobodies are obtained from immunized animals of the camelid family, a few synthetic nanobody libraries constructed in recent years have shown the capability of generating high quality nanobodies in terms of affinity and stability. Since this synthetic approach has important advantages over the use of animals, the recent advances are indeed encouraging. Here we review over a dozen synthetic nanobody libraries reported so far and discuss the different approaches followed in their construction and validation, with an emphasis on framework and hypervariable loop design as critical issues defining their potential as high-class nanobody sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario S. Valdés-Tresanco
- Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Medellin, Medellin 050026, Colombia; (A.M.-Z.); (A.G.P.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.V.-T.); (E.M.)
| | - Andrea Molina-Zapata
- Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Medellin, Medellin 050026, Colombia; (A.M.-Z.); (A.G.P.)
- Grupo de Micología Médica y Experimental, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellin 050034, Colombia
| | - Alaín González Pose
- Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Medellin, Medellin 050026, Colombia; (A.M.-Z.); (A.G.P.)
| | - Ernesto Moreno
- Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Medellin, Medellin 050026, Colombia; (A.M.-Z.); (A.G.P.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.V.-T.); (E.M.)
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16
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Deszyński P, Młokosiewicz J, Volanakis A, Jaszczyszyn I, Castellana N, Bonissone S, Ganesan R, Krawczyk K. INDI-integrated nanobody database for immunoinformatics. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:D1273-D1281. [PMID: 34747487 PMCID: PMC8728276 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies, a subclass of antibodies found in camelids, are versatile molecular binding scaffolds composed of a single polypeptide chain. The small size of nanobodies bestows multiple therapeutic advantages (stability, tumor penetration) with the first therapeutic approval in 2018 cementing the clinical viability of this format. Structured data and sequence information of nanobodies will enable the accelerated clinical development of nanobody-based therapeutics. Though the nanobody sequence and structure data are deposited in the public domain at an accelerating pace, the heterogeneity of sources and lack of standardization hampers reliable harvesting of nanobody information. We address this issue by creating the Integrated Database of Nanobodies for Immunoinformatics (INDI, http://naturalantibody.com/nanobodies). INDI collates nanobodies from all the major public outlets of biological sequences: patents, GenBank, next-generation sequencing repositories, structures and scientific publications. We equip INDI with powerful nanobody-specific sequence and text search facilitating access to >11 million nanobody sequences. INDI should facilitate development of novel nanobody-specific computational protocols helping to deliver on the therapeutic promise of this drug format.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam Volanakis
- Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Natalie Castellana
- Abterra Biosciences Inc. 3030 Bunker Hill Street Suite 218, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
| | - Stefano Bonissone
- Abterra Biosciences Inc. 3030 Bunker Hill Street Suite 218, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
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17
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Cai J, Romão E, Wu G, Li J, Li L, Wang Z, Li Y, Yang J, Shen Y, Xu Z, Muyldermans S, Wang H. Nanobodies as binding-chaperones stabilize the recombinant Bombyx mori acetylcholinesterase and protect the enzyme activity in pesticide detection. Enzyme Microb Technol 2022; 155:109992. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.109992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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Dingus JG, Tang JCY, Amamoto R, Wallick GK, Cepko CL. A general approach for stabilizing nanobodies for intracellular expression. eLife 2022; 11:68253. [PMID: 36416528 PMCID: PMC9683787 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional antibodies and their derived fragments are difficult to deploy against intracellular targets in live cells, due to their bulk and structural complexity. Nanobodies provide an alternative modality, with well-documented examples of intracellular expression. Despite their promise as intracellular reagents, there has not been a systematic study of nanobody intracellular expression. Here, we examined intracellular expression of 75 nanobodies from the Protein Data Bank. Surprisingly, a majority of these nanobodies were unstable in cells, illustrated by aggregation and clearance. Using comparative analysis and framework mutagenesis, we developed a general approach that stabilized a great majority of nanobodies that were originally unstable intracellularly, without significantly compromising target binding. This approach led to the identification of distinct sequence features that impacted the intracellular stability of tested nanobodies. Mutationally stabilized nanobody expression was found to extend to in vivo contexts, in the murine retina and in E. coli. These data provide for improvements in nanobody engineering for intracellular applications, potentiating a growing field of intracellular interrogation and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Dingus
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Jonathan CY Tang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Ryoji Amamoto
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Grace K Wallick
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
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19
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Petersen BM, Ulmer SA, Rhodes ER, Gutierrez-Gonzalez MF, Dekosky BJ, Sprenger KG, Whitehead TA. Regulatory Approved Monoclonal Antibodies Contain Framework Mutations Predicted From Human Antibody Repertoires. Front Immunol 2021; 12:728694. [PMID: 34646268 PMCID: PMC8503325 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.728694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are an important class of therapeutics used to treat cancer, inflammation, and infectious diseases. Identifying highly developable mAb sequences in silico could greatly reduce the time and cost required for therapeutic mAb development. Here, we present position-specific scoring matrices (PSSMs) for antibody framework mutations developed using baseline human antibody repertoire sequences. Our analysis shows that human antibody repertoire-based PSSMs are consistent across individuals and demonstrate high correlations between related germlines. We show that mutations in existing therapeutic antibodies can be accurately predicted solely from baseline human antibody sequence data. We find that mAbs developed using humanized mice had more human-like FR mutations than mAbs originally developed by hybridoma technology. A quantitative assessment of entire framework regions of therapeutic antibodies revealed that there may be potential for improving the properties of existing therapeutic antibodies by incorporating additional mutations of high frequency in baseline human antibody repertoires. In addition, high frequency mutations in baseline human antibody repertoires were predicted in silico to reduce immunogenicity in therapeutic mAbs due to the removal of T cell epitopes. Several therapeutic mAbs were identified to have common, universally high-scoring framework mutations, and molecular dynamics simulations revealed the mechanistic basis for the evolutionary selection of these mutations. Our results suggest that baseline human antibody repertoires may be useful as predictive tools to guide mAb development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Petersen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Sophia A Ulmer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Emily R Rhodes
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | | | - Brandon J Dekosky
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Kayla G Sprenger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Timothy A Whitehead
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
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20
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Güttler T, Aksu M, Dickmanns A, Stegmann KM, Gregor K, Rees R, Taxer W, Rymarenko O, Schünemann J, Dienemann C, Gunkel P, Mussil B, Krull J, Teichmann U, Groß U, Cordes VC, Dobbelstein M, Görlich D. Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by highly potent, hyperthermostable, and mutation-tolerant nanobodies. EMBO J 2021; 40:e107985. [PMID: 34302370 PMCID: PMC8420576 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021107985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins represent a treatment option for COVID-19. However, their production in mammalian cells is not scalable to meet the global demand. Single-domain (VHH) antibodies (also called nanobodies) provide an alternative suitable for microbial production. Using alpaca immune libraries against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, we isolated 45 infection-blocking VHH antibodies. These include nanobodies that can withstand 95°C. The most effective VHH antibody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 at 17-50 pM concentration (0.2-0.7 µg per liter), binds the open and closed states of the Spike, and shows a tight RBD interaction in the X-ray and cryo-EM structures. The best VHH trimers neutralize even at 40 ng per liter. We constructed nanobody tandems and identified nanobody monomers that tolerate the K417N/T, E484K, N501Y, and L452R immune-escape mutations found in the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Epsilon, Iota, and Delta/Kappa lineages. We also demonstrate neutralization of the Beta strain at low-picomolar VHH concentrations. We further discovered VHH antibodies that enforce native folding of the RBD in the E. coli cytosol, where its folding normally fails. Such "fold-promoting" nanobodies may allow for simplified production of vaccines and their adaptation to viral escape-mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Güttler
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Metin Aksu
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Antje Dickmanns
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, GZMB, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kim M Stegmann
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, GZMB, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Gregor
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Renate Rees
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Waltraud Taxer
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oleh Rymarenko
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Schünemann
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Dienemann
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Philip Gunkel
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bianka Mussil
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Krull
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Teichmann
- Animal facility, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Uwe Groß
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Volker C Cordes
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Dobbelstein
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, GZMB, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dirk Görlich
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
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21
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Shin JE, Riesselman AJ, Kollasch AW, McMahon C, Simon E, Sander C, Manglik A, Kruse AC, Marks DS. Protein design and variant prediction using autoregressive generative models. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2403. [PMID: 33893299 PMCID: PMC8065141 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22732-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to design functional sequences and predict effects of variation is central to protein engineering and biotherapeutics. State-of-art computational methods rely on models that leverage evolutionary information but are inadequate for important applications where multiple sequence alignments are not robust. Such applications include the prediction of variant effects of indels, disordered proteins, and the design of proteins such as antibodies due to the highly variable complementarity determining regions. We introduce a deep generative model adapted from natural language processing for prediction and design of diverse functional sequences without the need for alignments. The model performs state-of-art prediction of missense and indel effects and we successfully design and test a diverse 105-nanobody library that shows better expression than a 1000-fold larger synthetic library. Our results demonstrate the power of the alignment-free autoregressive model in generalizing to regions of sequence space traditionally considered beyond the reach of prediction and design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Eun Shin
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam J Riesselman
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- insitro, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aaron W Kollasch
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Conor McMahon
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elana Simon
- Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Reverie Labs, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chris Sander
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aashish Manglik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew C Kruse
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Debora S Marks
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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22
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Chouchane L, Grivel JC, Farag EABA, Pavlovski I, Maacha S, Sathappan A, Al-Romaihi HE, Abuaqel SW, Ata MMA, Chouchane AI, Remadi S, Halabi N, Rafii A, Al-Thani MH, Marr N, Subramanian M, Shan J. Dromedary camels as a natural source of neutralizing nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2. JCI Insight 2021; 6:145785. [PMID: 33529170 PMCID: PMC8021111 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.145785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of prophylactic and therapeutic agents for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a current global health priority. Here, we investigated the presence of cross-neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in dromedary camels that were Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) seropositive but MERS-CoV free. The tested 229 dromedaries had anti–MERS-CoV camel antibodies with variable cross-reactivity patterns against SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including the S trimer and M, N, and E proteins. Using SARS-CoV-2 competitive immunofluorescence immunoassays and pseudovirus neutralization assays, we found medium-to-high titers of cross-neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in these animals. Through linear B cell epitope mapping using phage immunoprecipitation sequencing and a SARS-CoV-2 peptide/proteome microarray, we identified a large repertoire of Betacoronavirus cross-reactive antibody specificities in these dromedaries and demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2–specific VHH antibody repertoire is qualitatively diverse. This analysis revealed not only several SARS-CoV-2 epitopes that are highly immunogenic in humans, including a neutralizing epitope, but also epitopes exclusively targeted by camel antibodies. The identified SARS-CoV-2 cross-neutralizing camel antibodies are not proposed as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Rather, their presence in nonimmunized camels supports the development of SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune camels, which could be a prominent source of therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotfi Chouchane
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Igor Pavlovski
- Deep Phenotyping Core, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Selma Maacha
- Deep Phenotyping Core, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi
- Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sirin Wj Abuaqel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | - Najeeb Halabi
- Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Arash Rafii
- Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Nico Marr
- Department of Immunology, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Murugan Subramanian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jingxuan Shan
- Genetic Intelligence Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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23
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Liu JL, Webb EM, Zabetakis D, Burke CW, Gardner CL, Glass PJ, Legler PM, Weger-Lucarelli J, Anderson GP, Goldman ER. Stabilization of a Broadly Neutralizing Anti-Chikungunya Virus Single Domain Antibody. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:626028. [PMID: 33585527 PMCID: PMC7876468 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.626028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A single domain antibody (clone CC3) previously found to neutralize a vaccine strain of the chikungunya virus (PRNT50 = 2. 5 ng/mL) was found to be broadly neutralizing. Clone CC3 is not only able to neutralize a wild-type (WT) strain of chikungunya virus (CHIKV), but also neutralizes WT strains of Mayaro virus (MAYV) and Ross River virus (RRV); both arthralgic, Old World alphaviruses. Interestingly, CC3 also demonstrated a degree of neutralizing activity against the New World alphavirus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV); albeit both the vaccine strain, TC-83, and the parental, WT Trinidad donkey strain had PRNT50 values ~1,000-fold higher than that of CHIKV. However, no neutralization activity was observed with Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV). Ten CC3 variants designed to possess a range of isoelectric points, both higher and lower, were constructed. This approach successfully identified several lower pI mutants which possessed improved thermal stabilities by as much as 10°C over the original CC3 (Tm = 62°C), and excellent refolding abilities while maintaining their capacity to bind and neutralize CHIKV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinny L Liu
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Emily M Webb
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Dan Zabetakis
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Crystal W Burke
- Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, United States
| | - Christina L Gardner
- Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, United States
| | - Pamela J Glass
- Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, United States
| | - Patricia M Legler
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
| | | | - George P Anderson
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Ellen R Goldman
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, Washington, DC, United States
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24
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Sawant MS, Streu CN, Wu L, Tessier PM. Toward Drug-Like Multispecific Antibodies by Design. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7496. [PMID: 33053650 PMCID: PMC7589779 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of antibody therapeutics is strongly influenced by their multifunctional nature that couples antigen recognition mediated by their variable regions with effector functions and half-life extension mediated by a subset of their constant regions. Nevertheless, the monospecific IgG format is not optimal for many therapeutic applications, and this has led to the design of a vast number of unique multispecific antibody formats that enable targeting of multiple antigens or multiple epitopes on the same antigen. Despite the diversity of these formats, a common challenge in generating multispecific antibodies is that they display suboptimal physical and chemical properties relative to conventional IgGs and are more difficult to develop into therapeutics. Here we review advances in the design and engineering of multispecific antibodies with drug-like properties, including favorable stability, solubility, viscosity, specificity and pharmacokinetic properties. We also highlight emerging experimental and computational methods for improving the next generation of multispecific antibodies, as well as their constituent antibody fragments, with natural IgG-like properties. Finally, we identify several outstanding challenges that need to be addressed to increase the success of multispecific antibodies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manali S. Sawant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (M.S.S.); (C.N.S.)
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Craig N. Streu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (M.S.S.); (C.N.S.)
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224, USA
| | - Lina Wu
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Peter M. Tessier
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (M.S.S.); (C.N.S.)
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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25
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Kumar S, Mahendran I, Athreya A, Ranjan R, Penmatsa A. Isolation and structural characterization of a Zn 2+-bound single-domain antibody against NorC, a putative multidrug efflux transporter in bacteria. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:55-68. [PMID: 31699895 PMCID: PMC6952597 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-chain antibodies from camelids have served as powerful tools ranging from diagnostics and therapeutics to crystallization chaperones meant to study protein structure and function. In this study, we isolated a single-chain antibody from an Indian dromedary camel (ICab) immunized against a bacterial 14TM helix transporter, NorC, from Staphylococcus aureus We identified this antibody in a yeast display screen built from mononuclear cells isolated from the immunized camel and purified the antibody from Escherichia coli after refolding it from inclusion bodies. The X-ray structure of the antibody at 2.15 Å resolution revealed a unique feature within its CDR3 loop, which harbors a Zn2+-binding site that substitutes for a loop-stabilizing disulfide bond. We performed mutagenesis to compromise the Zn2+-binding site and observed that this change severely hampered antibody stability and its ability to interact with the antigen. The lack of bound Zn2+ also made the CDR3 loop highly flexible, as observed in all-atom simulations. Using confocal imaging of NorC-expressing E. coli spheroplasts, we found that the ICab interacts with the extracellular surface of NorC. This suggests that the ICab could be a valuable tool for detecting methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains that express efflux transporters such as NorC in hospital and community settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushant Kumar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Road, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Ithayaraja Mahendran
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Road, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Arunabh Athreya
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Road, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Rakesh Ranjan
- National Research Centre on Camel, Jorbeer, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334001, India
| | - Aravind Penmatsa
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Road, Bengaluru 560012, India.
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26
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Kunz P, Ortale A, Mücke N, Zinner K, Hoheisel JD. Nanobody stability engineering by employing the ΔTm shift; a comparison with apparent rate constants of heat-induced aggregation. Protein Eng Des Sel 2019; 32:241-249. [PMID: 31340035 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzz017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The antigen-binding domains of camelid heavy-chain antibodies, also called nanobodies, gained strong attention because of their unique functional and biophysical properties. They gave rise to an entire spectrum of applications in biotechnology, research and medicine. Despite several reports about reversibly refolding nanobodies, protein aggregation plays a major role in nanobody thermoresistance, asking for strategies to engineer their refolding behavior. Here, we use measurements of nanobody aggregation kinetics to validate structural features in the nanobody fold that are suppressing heat-induced nanobody aggregation. Furthermore, the kinetic measurements yielded a detailed insight into the concept of the ΔTm shift, a metric for protein aggregation propensities obtained from differential scanning fluorimetry measurements. By relating the equilibrium measurements of the ΔTm shift to the kinetic measurements of heat-induced nanobody aggregation, a distinct relationship could be identified that allows a prediction of nanobody aggregation rates from a simple equilibrium measurement of ΔTm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kunz
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Aurelio Ortale
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Norbert Mücke
- Division of Biophysics of Macromolecules, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katinka Zinner
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jörg D Hoheisel
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, Heidelberg, Germany
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27
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Nanobodies as novel therapeutic agents in envenomation. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1862:2955-2965. [PMID: 30309831 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An effective therapy against envenoming should be a priority in view of the high number scorpion stings and snakebites. Serum therapy is still widely applied to treat the envenomation victims; however this approach suffers from several shortcomings. The employment of monoclonal antibodies might be an outcome as these molecules are at the core of a variety of applications from protein structure determination to cancer treatment. The progress of activities in the twilight zone between genetic and antibody engineering have led to the development of a unique class of antibody fragments. These molecules possess several benefits and lack many possible disadvantages over classical antibodies. Within recombinant antibody formats, nanobodies or single domain antigen binding fragments derived from heavy chain only antibodies in camelids occupy a privileged position. SCOPE OF REVIEW In this paper we will briefly review the common methods of envenomation treatment and focus on details of various in vivo research activities that investigate the performance of recombinant, monoclonal nanobodies in venom neutralization. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Nanobodies bind to their cognate target with high specificity and affinity, they can be produced in large quantities from microbial expression systems and are very robust even when challenged with harsh environmental conditions. Upon administering, they rapidly distribute throughout the body and seem to be well tolerated in humans posing low immunogenicity. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Scorpion and snake envenomation is a major issue in developing countries and nanobodies as a venom-neutralizing agent can be considered as a valuable and promising candidate in envenomation therapy.
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28
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The structural basis of nanobody unfolding reversibility and thermoresistance. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7934. [PMID: 29784954 PMCID: PMC5962586 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26338-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies represent the variable binding domain of camelid heavy-chain antibodies and are employed in a rapidly growing range of applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. Their success is based on unique properties including their reported ability to reversibly refold after heat-induced denaturation. This view, however, is contrasted by studies which involve irreversibly aggregating nanobodies, asking for a quantitative analysis that clearly defines nanobody thermoresistance and reveals the determinants of unfolding reversibility and aggregation propensity. By characterizing nearly 70 nanobodies, we show that irreversible aggregation does occur upon heat denaturation for the large majority of binders, potentially affecting application-relevant parameters like stability and immunogenicity. However, by deriving aggregation propensities from apparent melting temperatures, we show that an optional disulfide bond suppresses nanobody aggregation. This effect is further enhanced by increasing the length of a complementarity determining loop which, although expected to destabilize, contributes to nanobody stability. The effect of such variations depends on environmental conditions, however. Nanobodies with two disulfide bonds, for example, are prone to lose their functionality in the cytosol. Our study suggests strategies to engineer nanobodies that exhibit optimal performance parameters and gives insights into general mechanisms which evolved to prevent protein aggregation.
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29
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Liu JL, Shriver-Lake LC, Anderson GP, Zabetakis D, Goldman ER. Selection, characterization, and thermal stabilization of llama single domain antibodies towards Ebola virus glycoprotein. Microb Cell Fact 2017; 16:223. [PMID: 29233140 PMCID: PMC5726015 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-017-0837-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A key advantage of recombinant antibody technology is the ability to optimize and tailor reagents. Single domain antibodies (sdAbs), the recombinantly produced variable domains derived from camelid and shark heavy chain antibodies, provide advantages of stability and solubility and can be further engineered to enhance their properties. In this study, we generated sdAbs specific for Ebola virus envelope glycoprotein (GP) and increased their stability to expand their utility for use in austere locals. Ebola virus is extremely virulent and causes fatal hemorrhagic fever in ~ 50 percent of the cases. The viral GP binds to host cell receptors to facilitate viral entry and thus plays a critical role in pathogenicity. Results An immune phage display library containing more than 107 unique clones was developed from a llama immunized with a combination of killed Ebola virus and recombinantly produced GP. We panned the library to obtain GP binding sdAbs and isolated sdAbs from 5 distinct sequence families. Three GP binders with dissociation constants ranging from ~ 2 to 20 nM, and melting temperatures from ~ 57 to 72 °C were selected for protein engineering in order to increase their stability through a combination of consensus sequence mutagenesis and the addition of a non-canonical disulfide bond. These changes served to increase the melting temperatures of the sdAbs by 15–17 °C. In addition, fusion of a short positively charged tail to the C-terminus which provided ideal sites for the chemical modification of these sdAbs resulted in improved limits of detection of GP and Ebola virus like particles while serving as tracer antibodies. Conclusions SdAbs specific for Ebola GP were selected and their stability and functionality were improved utilizing protein engineering. Thermal stability of antibody reagents may be of particular importance when operating in austere locations that lack reliable refrigeration. Future efforts can evaluate the potential of these isolated sdAbs as candidates for diagnostic or therapeutic applications for Ebola. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-017-0837-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinny L Liu
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC, 20375, USA
| | - Lisa C Shriver-Lake
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC, 20375, USA
| | - George P Anderson
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC, 20375, USA
| | - Dan Zabetakis
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC, 20375, USA
| | - Ellen R Goldman
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC, 20375, USA.
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30
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Gonzalez-Sapienza G, Rossotti MA, Tabares-da Rosa S. Single-Domain Antibodies As Versatile Affinity Reagents for Analytical and Diagnostic Applications. Front Immunol 2017; 8:977. [PMID: 28871254 PMCID: PMC5566570 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
With just three CDRs in their variable domains, the antigen-binding site of camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies (HcAbs) has a more limited structural diversity than that of conventional antibodies. Even so, this does not seem to limit their specificity and high affinity as HcAbs against a broad range of structurally diverse antigens have been reported. The recombinant form of their variable domain [nanobody (Nb)] has outstanding properties that make Nbs, not just an alternative option to conventional antibodies, but in many cases, these properties allow them to reach analytical or diagnostic performances that cannot be accomplished with conventional antibodies. These attributes include comprehensive representation of the immune specificity in display libraries, easy adaptation to high-throughput screening, exceptional stability, minimal size, and versatility as affinity building block. Here, we critically reviewed each of these properties and highlight their relevance with regard to recent developments in different fields of immunosensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martín A Rossotti
- Cátedra de Inmunología, Facultad de Química, Instituto de Higiene, UDELAR, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sofía Tabares-da Rosa
- Cátedra de Inmunología, Facultad de Química, Instituto de Higiene, UDELAR, Montevideo, Uruguay
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31
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Goldman ER, Liu JL, Zabetakis D, Anderson GP. Enhancing Stability of Camelid and Shark Single Domain Antibodies: An Overview. Front Immunol 2017; 8:865. [PMID: 28791022 PMCID: PMC5524736 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Single domain antibodies (sdAbs) are gaining a reputation as superior recognition elements as they combine the advantages of the specificity and affinity found in conventional antibodies with high stability and solubility. Melting temperatures (Tms) of sdAbs cover a wide range from below 50 to over 80°C. Many sdAbs have been engineered to increase their Tm, making them stable until exposed to extreme temperatures. SdAbs derived from the variable heavy chains of camelid and shark heavy chain-only antibodies are termed VHH and VNAR, respectively, and generally exhibit some ability to refold and bind antigen after heat denaturation. This ability to refold varies from 0 to 100% and is a property dependent on both intrinsic factors of the sdAb and extrinsic conditions such as the sample buffer ionic strength, pH, and sdAb concentration. SdAbs have also been engineered to increase their solubility and refolding ability, which enable them to function even after exposure to temperatures that exceed their melting point. In addition, efforts to improve their stability at extreme pH and in the presence of chemical denaturants or proteases have been undertaken. Multiple routes have been employed to engineer sdAbs with these enhanced stabilities. The methods utilized to achieve these goals include grafting complementarity-determining regions onto stable frameworks, introduction of non-canonical disulfide bonds, random mutagenesis combined with stringent selection, point mutations such as inclusion of negative charges, and genetic fusions. Increases of up to 20°C have been realized, pushing the Tm of some sdAbs to over 90°C. Herein, we present an overview of the work done to stabilize sdAbs derived from camelids and sharks. Utilizing these various strategies sdAbs have been stabilized without significantly compromising their affinity, thereby providing superior reagents for detection, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen R Goldman
- Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jinny L Liu
- Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Dan Zabetakis
- Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - George P Anderson
- Center for BioMolecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
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