A universal strategy for stable intracellular antibodies

A selection and optimization strategy for single-domain antibodies targeting the PHF6 linear peptide within the tau intrinsically disordered protein

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.

An Inside Job: Applications of Intracellular Single Domain Antibodies

Sera of camelid species contain a special kind of antibody that consists only of heavy chains. The variable antigen binding domain of these heavy chain antibodies can be expressed as a separate entity, called a single domain antibody that is characterized by its small size, high solubility and oftentimes exceptional stability. Because of this, most single domain antibodies fold correctly when expressed in the reducing environment of the cytoplasm, and thereby retain their antigen binding specificity. Single domain antibodies can thus be used to target a broad range of intracellular proteins. Such intracellular single domain antibodies are also known as intrabodies, and have proven to be highly useful tools for basic research by allowing visualization, disruption and even targeted degradation of intracellular proteins. Furthermore, intrabodies can be used to uncover prospective new therapeutic targets and have the potential to be applied in therapeutic settings in the future. In this review we provide a brief overview of recent advances in the field of intracellular single domain antibodies, focusing on their use as research tools and potential therapeutic applications. Special attention is given to the available methods that allow delivery of single domain antibodies into cells.

Screening for scFv-fragments that are stable and active in the cytosol

Intrabodies are antibodies that are not secreted but bind to their antigens inside the cell producing them. Intrabodies targeting antigens in the endoplasmatic reticulum were successfully used in vitro and in vivo. However, many target antigens interesting for research or therapy are located in the reducing environment of the cytosol, where correct folding and formation of disulfide bonds cannot be ensured. The majority of different scFv fragments, when expressed in the cytosol of the cell, do not fold correctly, are not stable or cannot bind their antigen. Such scFv antibodies are therefore not suited as intrabodies.In this study, we evaluated fast and simple screening methods to identify scFv fragments that are stable and functional in the cytosol. We analyzed various phage display derived human scFv antibodies recognizing extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (Erk2) for stability and antigen binding under reducing and non-reducing conditions. Further, we developed an assay allowing to measure the interaction of the scFv intrabodies with their antigen in the cytosol of in living cells, by using a Split-Luciferase (Split-Luc) assay. ScFv fragments showing antigen binding in the cytosol could successfully be identified.

Antibody Structure and Function: The Basis for Engineering Therapeutics

Antibodies and antibody-derived macromolecules have established themselves as the mainstay in protein-based therapeutic molecules (biologics). Our knowledge of the structure–function relationships of antibodies provides a platform for protein engineering that has been exploited to generate a wide range of biologics for a host of therapeutic indications. In this review, our basic understanding of the antibody structure is described along with how that knowledge has leveraged the engineering of antibody and antibody-related therapeutics having the appropriate antigen affinity, effector function, and biophysical properties. The platforms examined include the development of antibodies, antibody fragments, bispecific antibody, and antibody fusion products, whose efficacy and manufacturability can be improved via humanization, affinity modulation, and stability enhancement. We also review the design and selection of binding arms, and avidity modulation. Different strategies of preparing bispecific and multispecific molecules for an array of therapeutic applications are included.

Production of Stabilized Antibody Fragments in the E. coli Bacterial Cytoplasm and in Transiently Transfected Mammalian Cells

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are currently the fastest growing class of therapeutic proteins. Parallel to full-length IgG format the development of recombinant technologies provided the production of smaller recombinant antibody variants. The single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody is a minimal form of functional antibody comprised of the variable domains of immunoglobulin light and heavy chains connected by a flexible linker. In most cases, scFvs are expressed in the periplasm bacterium E. coli. The production of soluble scFvs is more effective in quantity, however, under the reducing conditions of the E. coli bacterial cytoplasm it is inefficient because of the inability of the disulfide bonds to form. Hence, scFvs are either secreted to the periplasm as soluble proteins or expressed in the cytoplasm as insoluble inclusion bodies and recovered by refolding. The cytoplasmic expression of scFvs as a C-terminal fusion to maltose-binding protein (MBP) provided the high-level production of stable, soluble, and functional fusion protein. The below protocol provides the detailed description of MBP-scFv production in E. coli utilizing two expression systems: pMALc-TNN and pMALc-NHNN. Although the MBP tag does not disrupt the most of antibody activities, the MBP-TNN-scFv product can be cleaved by Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) protease in order to obtain untagged scFv.The second protocol is for efficient production of Fab antibody fragments as MBP fusion proteins secreted by transiently transfected mammalian cells. While transient transfection is a fast and effective way of obtaining several mgs of antibody for initial screening and validation of antibodies, some antibody sequences express poorly or not at all. For such antibodies, fusion to MBP provides an effective approach for solving the expression problem.

Expression and purification of biologically active recombinant rabbit monocyte chemoattractant protein1 in Escherichia coli

Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) with recruiting monocytes is an important factor at the beginning of inflammatory disorders such as atherosclerosis which seems its blocking preclude this process and help improvement of related diseases. To perform clinical research in this field, MCP1 protein is required but firstly, animal studies should be done. As the rabbit is a suitable model for many inflammatory disorders, and Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) (BL21) cell is a high-efficiency host for protein expression, we decided to produce recombinant rabbit MCP1 (rRMCP1) in BL21/pET28a system. After codon usage, a construct containing RMCP1 sequence was synthesized, cloned into the pET28a plasmid, and overexpressed in BL21 cells. Followed that, with changing expression condition such as cell concentration before the induction, time period, temperature, shaking rate and inducer concentration (IPTG), rRMCP1 expression was optimized, and purified by Ni-NTA. The biological activity of the expressed protein was verified using monocyte migration assay. Using this expression system, nearly 28 mg/mL rRMCP1 was produced at 26°C/180 rpm for 24 h in LB broth medium with 1 mM IPTG. Therefore, we were succeeded to express the intermediate level of rRMCP1 with this method. This amount of protein is sufficient for biological researches in the laboratory.

Engineering a growth sensor to select intracellular antibodies in the cytosol of mammalian cells

Intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) are expected to function as therapeutics as well as tools for elucidating in vivo function of proteins. In this study, we propose a novel intrabody selection method in the cytosol of mammalian cells by utilizing a growth signal, induced by the interaction of the target antigen and an scFv-c-kit growth sensor. Here, we challenge this method to select specific intrabodies against rabies virus nucleoprotein (RV-N) for the first time. As a result, we successfully select antigen-specific intrabodies from a naïve synthetic library using phage panning followed by our growth sensor-based intracellular selection method, demonstrating the feasibility of the method. Additionally, we succeed in improving the response of the growth sensor by re-engineering the linker region of its construction. Collectively, the described selection method utilizing a growth sensor may become a highly efficient platform for selection of functional intrabodies in the future.

Antibodies inside of a cell can change its outside: Can intrabodies provide a new therapeutic paradigm?

Challenges posed by complex diseases such as cancer, chronic viral infections, neurodegenerative disorders and many others have forced researchers to think beyond classic small molecule drugs, exploring new therapeutic strategies such as therapy with RNAi, CRISPR/Cas9 or antibody therapies as single or as combination therapies with existing drugs. While classic antibody therapies based on parenteral application can only reach extracellular targets, intracellular application of antibodies could provide specific advantages but is so far little recognized in translational research. Intrabodies allow high specificity and targeting of splice variants or post translational modifications. At the same time off target effects can be minimized by thorough biochemical characterization. Knockdown of cellular proteins by intrabodies has been reported for a significant number of disease-relevant targets, including ErbB-2, EGFR, VEGFR-2, Metalloproteinase MMP2 and MMP9, β-amyloid protein, α-synuclein, HIV gp120, HCV core and many others. This review outlines the recent advances in ER intrabody technology and their potential use in therapy.

Kinetic Characterisation of a Single Chain Antibody against the Hormone Abscisic Acid: Comparison with Its Parental Monoclonal

A single-chain Fv fragment antibody (scFv) specific for the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) has been expressed in the bacterium Escherichia coli as a fusion protein. The kinetics of ABA binding have been measured using surface plasmon resonance spectrometry (BIAcore 2000) using surface and solution assays. Care was taken to calculate the concentration of active protein in each sample using initial rate measurements under conditions of partial mass transport limitation. The fusion product, parental monoclonal antibody and the free scFv all have low nanomolar affinity constants, but there is a lower dissociation rate constant for the parental monoclonal resulting in a three-fold greater affinity. Analogue specificity was tested and structure-activity binding preferences measured. The biologically-active (+)-ABA enantiomer is recognised with an affinity three orders of magnitude higher than the inactive (-)-ABA. Metabolites of ABA including phaseic acid, dihydrophaseic acid and deoxy-ABA have affinities over 100-fold lower than that for (+)-ABA. These properties of the scFv make it suitable as a sensor domain in bioreporters specific for the naturally occurring form of ABA.

Specific in vivo knockdown of protein function by intrabodies

Intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) are recombinant antibody fragments that bind to target proteins expressed inside of the same living cell producing the antibodies. The molecules are commonly used to study the function of the target proteins (i.e., their antigens). The intrabody technology is an attractive alternative to the generation of gene-targeted knockout animals, and complements knockdown techniques such as RNAi, miRNA and small molecule inhibitors, by-passing various limitations and disadvantages of these methods. The advantages of intrabodies include very high specificity for the target, the possibility to knock down several protein isoforms by one intrabody and targeting of specific splice variants or even post-translational modifications. Different types of intrabodies must be designed to target proteins at different locations, typically either in the cytoplasm, in the nucleus or in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Most straightforward is the use of intrabodies retained in the ER (ER intrabodies) to knock down the function of proteins passing the ER, which disturbs the function of members of the membrane or plasma proteomes. More effort is needed to functionally knock down cytoplasmic or nuclear proteins because in this case antibodies need to provide an inhibitory effect and must be able to fold in the reducing milieu of the cytoplasm. In this review, we present a broad overview of intrabody technology, as well as applications both of ER and cytoplasmic intrabodies, which have yielded valuable insights in the biology of many targets relevant for drug development, including α-synuclein, TAU, BCR-ABL, ErbB-2, EGFR, HIV gp120, CCR5, IL-2, IL-6, β-amyloid protein and p75NTR. Strategies for the generation of intrabodies and various designs of their applications are also reviewed.

Phenotypic directed antibody selection

In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Xie and colleagues describe a "phenotype directed" approach to identify antibodies that protect cells from death caused by rhinovirus infection. The cellular antibody library of 10(8) clones yielded two antibodies that prevented cell death via the same viral target: rhinovirus 3C protease.

The Use of Antibodies in Small-Molecule Drug Discovery

Antibodies are powerful research tools that can be used in many areas of biology to probe, measure, and perturb various biological structures. Successful drug discovery is dependent on the correct identification of a target implicated in disease, coupled with the successful selection, optimization, and development of a candidate drug. Because of their specific binding characteristics, with regard to specificity, affinity, and avidity, coupled with their amenability to protein engineering, antibodies have become a key tool in drug discovery, enabling the quantification, localization, and modulation of proteins of interest. This review summarizes the application of antibodies and other protein affinity reagents as specific research tools within the drug discovery process.

Prevention of cell death by antibodies selected from intracellular combinatorial libraries

One of the most important phenotypes in biology is cell death. One way to probe the mechanism(s) of cell death is to select molecules that prevent it and learn how this was accomplished. Here, intracellular combinatorial antibody libraries were used to select antibodies that protected cells from killing by rhinovirus infection. These rare antibodies functioned by inhibiting the virus-encoded protease that is necessary for viral maturation. Snapshots of the selection process after each round could be obtained by deep sequencing the ever-enriching populations. This detailed analysis of the enrichment process allowed an interesting look at a "test tube" selection process that pitted two replicating systems against each other. Thus, initially a minority of cells containing protective antibodies must compete against a majority of unprotected cells that continue to produce large amounts of virus.

A bispecific transmembrane antibody simultaneously targeting intra- and extracellular epitopes of the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibits receptor activation and tumor cell growth

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in essential cellular processes such as proliferation, survival and migration. Aberrant activation of EGFR is frequently found in human cancers of various origins and has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis. The therapeutic antibody cetuximab (Erbitux) inhibits tumor growth by binding to the extracellular domain of EGFR, thereby preventing ligand binding and receptor activation. This activity is shared by the single chain antibody fragment scFv(225) that contains the same antigen binding domain. The unrelated EGFR-specific antibody fragment scFv(30) binds to the intracellular domain of the receptor and retains antigen binding upon expression as an intrabody in the reducing environment of the cytosol. Here, we used scFv(225) and scFv(30) domains to generate a novel type of bispecific transmembrane antibody termed 225.TM.30, that simultaneously targets intra- and extracellular EGFR epitopes. Bispecific 225.TM.30 and related membrane-anchored monospecific 225.TM and TM.30 proteins carrying extracellular scFv(225) or intracellular scFv(30) antibody fragments linked to a transmembrane domain were expressed in EGFR-overexpressing tumor cells using a doxycycline-inducible retroviral system. Induced expression of 225.TM.30 and 225.TM, but not TM.30 reduced EGFR surface levels and ligand-induced EGFR activation, while all three molecules markedly inhibited tumor cell growth. Co-localization of 225.TM with EGFR was predominantly found on the cell surface, while interaction with 225.TM.30 and TM.30 proteins resulted in the redistribution of EGFR to perinuclear compartments. Our data demonstrate functionality of this novel type of membrane-anchored intrabodies in tumor cells and suggest distinct modes of action of mono- and bispecific variants.

Cu/Zn incorporation during purification of soluble human EC-SOD from E. coli stabilizes proper disulfide bond formation

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is the only enzyme that removes superoxide radical in the extracellular space. The reduction of EC-SOD is linked to many diseases, suggesting that the protein may have therapeutic value. EC-SOD is reported to be insoluble and to make inclusion bodies when overexpressed in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. The refolding process has the advantage of high yield, but has the disadvantage of frequent aggregation or misfolding during purification. For the first time, this study shows that fusion with maltose-binding protein (MBP), N-utilization substance protein A, and protein disulfide isomerase enabled the soluble overexpression of EC-SOD in the cytoplasm of E. coli. MBP-tagged human EC-SOD (hEC-SOD) was purified by MBP affinity and anion exchange chromatography, and its identity was confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The purified protein showed good enzyme activity in vitro; however, there was a difference in metal binding. When copper and zinc were incorporated into hEC-SOD before MBP tag cleavage, the enzymatic activity was higher than when the metal ions were bound to the purified protein after MBP tag cleavage. Therefore, the enzymatic activity of hEC-SOD is associated with metal incorporation and protein folding via disulfide bond.

The ability to enhance the solubility of its fusion partners is an intrinsic property of maltose-binding protein but their folding is either spontaneous or chaperone-mediated

Escherichia coli maltose binding protein (MBP) is commonly used to promote the solubility of its fusion partners. To investigate the mechanism of solubility enhancement by MBP, we compared the properties of MBP fusion proteins refolded in vitro with those of the corresponding fusion proteins purified under native conditions. We fused five aggregation-prone passenger proteins to 3 different N-terminal tags: His₆-MBP, His₆-GST and His₆. After purifying the 15 fusion proteins under denaturing conditions and refolding them by rapid dilution, we recovered far more of the soluble MBP fusion proteins than their GST- or His-tagged counterparts. Hence, we can reproduce the solubilizing activity of MBP in a simple in vitro system, indicating that no additional factors are required to mediate this effect. We assayed both the soluble fusion proteins and their TEV protease digestion products (i.e., with the N-terminal tag removed) for biological activity. Little or no activity was detected for some fusion proteins whereas others were quite active. When the MBP fusions proteins were purified from E. coli under native conditions they were all substantially active. These results indicate that the ability of MBP to promote the solubility of its fusion partners in vitro sometimes, but not always, results in their proper folding. We show that the folding of some passenger proteins is mediated by endogenous chaperones in vivo. Hence, MBP serves as a passive participant in the folding process; passenger proteins either fold spontaneously or with the assistance of chaperones.

Functional inhibition of transitory proteins by intrabody-mediated retention in the endoplasmatic reticulum

Intrabodies are recombinantly expressed intracellular antibody fragments that can be used to specifically bind and inhibit the function of cellular proteins of interest. Intrabodies can be targeted to various cell compartments by attaching an appropriate localization peptide sequence to them. An efficient strategy with a high success rate is to anchor intrabodies in the endoplasmatic reticulum where they can inhibit transitory target proteins by binding and preventing them to reach their site of action. Intrabodies can be assembled from antibody gene fragments from various sources into dedicated expression vectors. Conventionally, antibody cDNA sequences are derived from selected hybridoma cell clones that express antibodies with the desired specificity. Alternatively, appropriate clones can be isolated by affinity selection from an antibody in vitro display library. Here an evaluation of endoplasmatic reticulum targeted intrabodies with respect to other knockdown approaches is given and the characteristics of various intrabody expression vectors are discussed. A step by step protocol is provided that was repeatedly used to construct intrabodies derived from diverse antibody isotypes producing hybridoma cell clones. The inactivation of the cell surface receptor neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) by a highly efficacious novel endoplasmatic reticulum-anchored intrabody is demonstrated.

Engineered toxins "zymoxins" are activated by the HCV NS3 protease by removal of an inhibitory protein domain

The synthesis of inactive enzyme precursors, also known as "zymogens," serves as a mechanism for regulating the execution of selected catalytic activities in a desirable time and/or site. Zymogens are usually activated by proteolytic cleavage. Many viruses encode proteases that execute key proteolytic steps of the viral life cycle. Here, we describe a proof of concept for a therapeutic approach to fighting viral infections through eradication of virally infected cells exclusively, thus limiting virus production and spread. Using the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a model, we designed two HCV NS3 protease-activated "zymogenized" chimeric toxins (which we denote "zymoxins"). In these recombinant constructs, the bacterial and plant toxins diphtheria toxin A (DTA) and Ricin A chain (RTA), respectively, were fused to rationally designed inhibitor peptides/domains via an HCV NS3 protease-cleavable linker. The above toxins were then fused to the binding and translocation domains of Pseudomonas exotoxin A in order to enable translocation into the mammalian cells cytoplasm. We show that these toxins exhibit NS3 cleavage dependent increase in enzymatic activity upon NS3 protease cleavage in vitro. Moreover, a higher level of cytotoxicity was observed when zymoxins were applied to NS3 expressing cells or to HCV infected cells, demonstrating a potential therapeutic window. The increase in toxin activity correlated with NS3 protease activity in the treated cells, thus the therapeutic window was larger in cells expressing recombinant NS3 than in HCV infected cells. This suggests that the "zymoxin" approach may be most appropriate for application to life-threatening acute infections where much higher levels of the activating protease would be expected.

Targeting antibodies to the cytoplasm

A growing number of research consortia are now focused on generating antibodies and recombinant antibody fragments that target the human proteome. A particularly valuable application for these binding molecules would be their use inside a living cell, e.g., for imaging or functional intervention. Animal-derived antibodies must be brought into the cell through the membrane, whereas the availability of the antibody genes from phage display systems allows intracellular expression. Here, the various technologies to target intracellular proteins with antibodies are reviewed.

Maltose-binding protein enhances secretion of recombinant human granzyme B accompanied by in vivo processing of a precursor MBP fusion protein

BACKGROUND

The apoptosis-inducing serine protease granzyme B (GrB) is an important factor contributing to lysis of target cells by cytotoxic lymphocytes. Expression of enzymatically active GrB in recombinant form is a prerequisite for functional analysis and application of GrB for therapeutic purposes.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We investigated the influence of bacterial maltose-binding protein (MBP) fused to GrB via a synthetic furin recognition motif on the expression of the MBP fusion protein also containing an N-terminal α-factor signal peptide in the yeast Pichia pastoris. MBP markedly enhanced the amount of GrB secreted into culture supernatant, which was not the case when GrB was fused to GST. MBP-GrB fusion protein was cleaved during secretion by an endogenous furin-like proteolytic activity in vivo, liberating enzymatically active GrB without the need of subsequent in vitro processing. Similar results were obtained upon expression of a recombinant fragment of the ErbB2/HER2 receptor protein or GST as MBP fusions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that combination of MBP as a solubility enhancer with specific in vivo cleavage augments secretion of processed and functionally active proteins from yeast. This strategy may be generally applicable to improve folding and increase yields of recombinant proteins.

Inhibition of protease-inhibitor-resistant hepatitis C virus replicons and infectious virus by intracellular intrabodies

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common cause of chronic liver disease and a serious threat to human health. The HCV NS3/4A serine protease is necessary for viral replication and innate immune evasion, and represents a well-validated target for specific antiviral therapy. We previously reported the isolation of single-chain antibodies (scFvs) that inhibit NS3/4A protease activity in vitro. Expressed intracellularly (intrabodies), these scFvs blocked NS3-mediated proliferation of NS3-transfected cells. Here we show that anti-NS3 scFvs suppress HCV RNA replication when expressed intracellularly in Huh7 hepatoma cells bearing either subgenomic or genome-length HCV RNA replicons. The expression of intrabodies directed against NS3 inhibited the autonomous amplification of HCV replicons resistant to small-molecule inhibitors of the NS3/4A protease, and replicons derived from different HCV genotypes. The combination of intrabodies and interferon-α had an additive inhibitory effect on RNA replication in the replicon model. Intrabody expression also inhibited production of infectious HCV in a cell culture system. The NS3 protease activity was inhibited by the intrabodies in NS3-expressing cells. In contrast, cell-free synthesis of HCV RNA by preformed replicase complexes was not inhibited by intrabodies, suggesting that the major mode of inhibition of viral replication is inhibition of NS3/4A protease activity and subsequent suppression of viral polyprotein processing.

Physico-chemical determinants of soluble intrabody expression in mammalian cell cytoplasm

Soluble antibody fragments are desirable not only as potential therapeutic and diagnostic agents for extracellular targets but also as 'intrabodies' for functional genomics, proteomics and gene therapy inside cells. However, antibody fragments are notoriously aggregation-prone when expressed intracellularly, due in part to unfavorable redox potential and macromolecular crowding in cell cytoplasm. Only a small proportion of intrabodies are soluble in cytoplasm and little is known about the sequence determinants that confer such stability. By comparing the cytoplasmic expression of several related human single-chain variable fragments and camelid V(HH)s in mammalian cells, we report that intrabody solubility is highly influenced by CDR content and is improved by an overall negative charge at cytoplasmic pH and reduced hydrophilicity. We hypothesize that ionic repulsion and weak hydrophobic interactions compensate, to different extents, for impaired disulfide bond formation in cytoplasm, thereby decreasing the risk for intrabody aggregation. As proof of principle, we demonstrate that the soluble expression of an aggregation-prone positively charged intrabody is modestly enhanced via cis or trans acidification using highly charged peptide tags (3XFLAG tag, SV40 NLS). These findings suggest that simple sequence analysis and electrostatic manipulation may aid in predicting and engineering solubility-enhanced intrabodies from antibody libraries for intracellular use.

The use of single chain Fv as targeting agents for immunoliposomes: an update on immunoliposomal drugs for cancer treatment

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

Targeted liposomal drugs represent the next evolution of liposomal drug delivery in cancer treatment. In various preclinical cancer models, antibody-targeted PEGylated liposomal drugs have demonstrated superior therapeutic effects over their non-targeted counterparts. Single chain Fv (scFv) has gained popularity in recent years as the targeting agent of choice over traditional targeting agents such as monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and antibody fragments (e.g., Fab').

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

This review is focused mainly on advances in scFv-targeted liposomal drug delivery for the treatment of cancers, based on a survey of the recent literature, and on experiments done in a murine model of human B-lymphoma, using anti-CD19 targeted liposomes targeted with whole mAb, Fab' fragments and scFv fragments.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

This review examines the recent advances in PEGylated immunoliposomal drug delivery, focusing on scFv fragments as targeting agents, in comparison with Fab' and mAb.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

For clinical development, scFv are potentially preferred targeting agents for PEGylated liposomes over mAb and Fab', owing to factors such as decreased immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetics/biodistribution profiles that are similar to non-targeted PEGylated (Stealth) liposomes.

Open-sandwich enzyme immunoassay for one-step noncompetitive detection of corticosteroid 11-deoxycortisol

A noncompetitive immunoassay has the potential for improved sensitivity and working range compared with corresponding competitive assays. However, monovalent antigens with less than 1000 in molecular weight are not susceptible to sandwich assays due to their small size. As a noncompetitive immunoassay that can be performed with a clone of an antibody, an open-sandwich immunoassay (OS-IA) based on the antigen-dependent stabilization of the antibody variable region (V(H) + V(L)) was applied to the quantification of 11-deoxycortisol (11-DC; M(r) 346.5), a corticosteroid serving as a diagnostic index for pituitary-adrenal function, as a model target hapten. By one step OS-IA detection of enzyme-labeled V(H) fragment bound to immobilized V(L) in the presence of sample in microplate wells, 11-DC was measured with a femtomolar detection limit and the working range was wider than that with corresponding competitive assay. In addition, the selectivity against analogues was found almost identical to that of conventional assays. The effect of the mutagenesis of a V(H) residue at the V(H)/V(L) interface to reduce background signal was also shown, implying the wider application of OS-IA in small molecule analyses.

Engineering antibody fragments to fold in the absence of disulfide bonds

Disulfide bonds play a critical role in the stabilization of the immunoglobulin beta-sandwich sandwich. Under reducing conditions, such as those that prevail in the cytoplasm, disulfide bonds do not normally form and as a result most antibodies expressed in that compartment (intrabodies) accumulate in a misfolded and inactive state. We have developed a simple method for the quantitative isolation of antibody fragments that retain full activity under reducing conditions from large mutant libraries. In E. coli, inactivation of the cysteine oxidoreductase DsbA abolishes protein oxidation in the periplasm, which leads to the accumulation of scFvs and other disulfide-containing proteins in a reduced form. Libraries of mutant scFvs were tethered onto the inner membrane of dsbA cells and mutants that could bind fluorescently labeled antigen in the reducing periplasm were screened by Anchored Periplasmic Expression (APEx; Harvey et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2004;101:9193-9198.). Using this approach, we isolated scFv antibody variants that are fully active when expressed in the cytoplasm or when the four Cys residues that normally form disulfides are substituted by Ser residues.

Porous-wall hollow glass microspheres as novel potential nanocarriers for biomedical applications

Porous-wall hollow glass microspheres (PW-HGMs) are a novel form of glass material consisting of a 10- to 100-microm-diameter hollow central cavity surrounded by a 1-microm-thick silica shell. A tortuous network of nanometer-scale channels completely penetrates the shell. We show here that these channels promote size-dependent uptake and controlled release of biological molecules in the 3- to 8-nm range, including antibodies and a modified single-chain antibody variable fragment. In addition, a 6-nm (70-kDa) dextran can be used to gate the porous walls, facilitating controlled release of an internalized short interfering RNA. PW-HGMs remained in place after mouse intratumoral injection, suggesting a possible application for the delivery of anticancer drugs. The combination of a hollow central cavity that can carry soluble therapeutic agents with mesoporous walls for controlled release is a unique characteristic that distinguishes PW-HGMs from other glass materials for biomedical applications.

FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR

Porous-wall hollow glass microspheres (PW-HGMs) are a novel form of glass microparticles with a tortuous network of nanometer-scale channels. These channels allow size-dependent uptake and controlled release of biological molecules including antibodies and single-chain antibody fragments. PW-HGMs remained in place after mouse intratumoral injection, suggesting a possible application for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs.

"Inclonals": IgGs and IgG-enzyme fusion proteins produced in an E. coli expression-refolding system

Full-length antibodies and antibodies that ferry a cargo to target cells are desired biopharmaceuticals. We describe the production of full-length IgGs and IgG-toxin fusion proteins in E. coli. In the presented examples of anti CD30 and anti EGF-receptor antibodies, the antibody heavy and light chains or toxin fusions thereof were expressed in separate bacterial cultures, where they accumulated as insoluble inclusion bodies. Following refolding and purification, high yields (up to 50 mg/L of shake flask culture) of highly purified (>90%) full-length antibodies and antibody-toxin fusions were obtained. The bacterially produced antibodies, named "Inclonals," equaled the performance of the same IgGs that were produced using conventional mammalian cell culture in binding properties as well as in cell killing potency. The rapid and cost effective IgG production process and the high quality of the resultant product may make the bacterial production of full-length IgG and IgG-drug fusion proteins an attractive option for antibody production and a significant contribution to recombinant antibody technology.

E. coli expression of a soluble, active single-chain antibody variable fragment containing a nuclear localization signal

Single-chain antibody variable fragment (scFv) proteins consist of an antibody heavy chain variable sequence joined via a flexible linker to a light chain variable sequence. Prior work has shown that ScFv 18-2 binds the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and sensitizes cancer cells to radiation following nuclear microinjection. A potential clinical delivery strategy is based on modification of the scFv so that it can be taken up into cells and imported to the nucleus. This will require development of an expression system for a nuclear localization signal (NLS)-tagged scFv derivative. We found, however, that addition of the highly basic NLS severely compromised expression in the host-vector system used for the parental scFv. After testing a variety of host strains, fusion partners, and NLS sequences and placements, successful expression was obtained with a construct containing a stabilizing N-terminal maltose binding protein tag and a single, optimized, C-terminal NLS moiety. Amylose affinity-purified ScFv 18-2 NLS protein was stable to storage at 4 degrees C in the presence of glycerol or trehalose, bound selectively to an epitope peptide, and was cleavable at an engineered Factor Xa protease site. Following lipid-mediated uptake into cultured cells, NLS-tagged ScFv 18-2, unlike the parental ScFv 18-2, localized predominantly in the cell nucleus.

Efficient isolation of soluble intracellular single-chain antibodies using the twin-arginine translocation machinery

One of the most commonly used recombinant antibody formats is the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) that consists of the antibody variable heavy chain connected to the variable light chain by a flexible linker. Since disulfide bonds are often necessary for scFv folding, it can be challenging to express scFvs in the reducing environment of the cytosol. Thus, we sought to develop a method for antigen-independent selection of scFvs that are stable in the reducing cytosol of bacteria. To this end, we applied a recently developed genetic selection for protein folding and solubility based on the quality control feature of the Escherichia coli twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway. This selection employs a tripartite sandwich fusion of a protein-of-interest with an N-terminal Tat-specific signal peptide and C-terminal TEM1 beta-lactamase, thereby coupling antibiotic resistance with Tat pathway export. Here, we adapted this assay to develop intrabody selection after Tat export (ISELATE), a high-throughput selection strategy for the identification of solubility-enhanced scFv sequences. Using ISELATE for three rounds of laboratory evolution, it was possible to evolve a soluble scFv from an insoluble parental sequence. We show also that ISELATE enables focusing of an scFv library in soluble sequence space before functional screening and thus can be used to increase the likelihood of finding functional intrabodies. Finally, the technique was used to screen a large repertoire of naïve scFvs for clones that conferred significant levels of soluble accumulation. Our results reveal that the Tat quality control mechanism can be harnessed for molecular evolution of scFvs that are soluble in the reducing cytoplasm of E. coli.

Intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) and their therapeutic potential

Combining exquisite specificity and high antigen-binding affinity, intrabodies have been used as a biotechnological tool to interrupt, modulate, or define the functions of a wide range of target antigens at the posttranslational level. An intrabody is an antibody that has been designed to be expressed intracellularly and can be directed to a specific target antigen present in various subcellular locations including the cytosol, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, peroxisomes, plasma membrane and trans-Golgi network (TGN) through in frame fusion with intracellular trafficking/localization peptide sequences. Although intrabodies can be expressed in different forms, the most commonly used format is a singlechain antibody (scFv Ab) created by joining the antigen-binding variable domains of heavy and light chain with an interchain linker (ICL), most often the 15 amino acid linker (GGGGS)(3) between the variable heavy (VH) and variable light (VL) chains. Intrabodies have been used in research of cancer, HIV, autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative disease, and transplantation. Clinical application of intrabodies has mainly been hindered by the availability of robust gene delivery system(s) including target cell directed gene delivery. This review will discuss several methods of intrabody selection, different strategies of cellular targeting, and recent successful examples of intrabody applications. Taking advantage of the high specificity and affinity of an antibody for its antigen, and of the virtually unlimited diversity of antigen-binding variable domains available for molecular targeting, intrabody techniques are emerging as promising tools to generate phenotypic knockouts, to manipulate biological processes, and to obtain a more thorough understanding of functional genomics.

Noncompetitive Detection of Low Molecular Weight Peptides by Open Sandwich Immunoassay

Small peptides with less than 1000 in molecular weight are not considered amenable to sandwich immunoassays due to their difficulty of simultaneous recognition by two antibodies. As an alternative, we attempted noncompetitive detection of small peptides by open sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (OS-ELISA) utilizing the antigen-induced enhancement of antibody VH/VL interaction. Taking fragments of human osteocalcin (BGP), a major non-collagen peptide produced in bone, as model peptides, OS immunoassay was performed using the cloned VH and VL cDNAs from two anti-BGP monoclonal antibodies either recognizing the N- or C-terminal fragment, respectively. When the clones were used for OS-ELISA with immobilized VL fragment and phage-displayed VH fragment, enhanced VH/VL interaction upon BGP addition was observed. Especially the clone for the C-terminal fragment showed a superior detection limit as well as a wider working range than those of competitive assay. The result was reproduced with purified VH-alkaline phosphatase and MBP-VL fusion proteins, where the latter was directly immobilized onto the microplate wells. The minimum detectable fragment was the hexamer including the C-terminus. This simple approach with a single monoclonal antibody with a short measurement time may prove a useful tool in immunodiagnostics as well as in proteomics research.

Enhanced cell-free protein expression by fusion with immunoglobulin Ckappa domain

While cell-free systems are increasingly used for protein expression in structural and functional studies, several proteins are difficult to express or expressed only at low levels in cell-free lysates. Here, we report that fusion of the human immunoglobulin kappa light chain constant domain (Ckappa) at the C terminus of four representative proteins dramatically improved their production in the Escherichia coli S30 system, suggesting that enhancement of cell-free protein expression by Ckappa fusion will be widely applicable.

Sensitive Detection of Estrogenic Mycotoxin Zearalenone by Open Sandwich Immunoassay

Zearalenone (ZEA) is an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium sp., and its production on corn and small grains during storage has been of considerable concern. For sensitive ZEA detection, we applied an open sandwich (OS) immunoassay that can noncompetitively detect monovalent antigens utilizing an antigen-induced enhancement of the V(H)/V(L) interaction. We cloned the V(H) and V(L) cDNAs of anti-ZEA mAb to a split-Fv phagemid pKST2, and firstly both V(H) and V(L) fragments were displayed on M13 phage p9 and p7, respectively, using an amber suppressor, TG-1, as a host. The split-Fv phage showed specific binding to immobilized ZEA, which was well inhibited by free ZEA. Then, the V(H)/V(L) interaction and its antigen-dependency were analyzed using a non-suppressor HB2151 as a host to produce V(H)-displaying phage and his/myc-tagged soluble V(L) in the culture supernatant. By capturing V(L) with an anti-myc or -his antibody and probing bound V(H)-phage, ZEA was successfully detected with a superior detection limit as well as a wider working range than those of a competitive assay. Also, essentially the same results were reproduced with purified V(H)-alkaline phosphatase and MBP-V(L) fusion proteins.

Antibody-based metabolic engineering in plants

Genetic engineering is a powerful tool for the manipulation of cellular metabolism and the development of plant varieties with enhanced biological and nutrional functions. Several strategies are available for the in vivo modulation of enzymatic activities, allowing metabolic flux to be directed towards desired biochemical products. Such strategies include the simultaneous expression and/or suppression of multiple genes encoding rate-limiting enzymes, ectopic expression of transcription factors, and the RNA-based inhibition of catabolic enzymes. As an alternative approach, recombinant antibodies expressed in plants have been used to inactivate or sequestrate specific host proteins or compounds, resulting in significant changes to metabolic pathways. The impact of this approach depends on prudent selection of the target antigen, careful antibody design, appropriate subcellular targeting and stable accumulation of the recombinant antibodies in planta. Here, we describe the current status of antibody-based metabolic engineering in plants, discuss procedures for the optimisation of this technology and consider the remaining challenges to its widespread use.