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Choi J, Chen W, Liao H, Li X, Shendure J. A molecular proximity sensor based on an engineered, dual-component guide RNA. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.14.553235. [PMID: 37645782 PMCID: PMC10461971 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.553235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
One of the goals of synthetic biology is to enable the design of arbitrary molecular circuits with programmable inputs and outputs. Such circuits bridge the properties of electronic and natural circuits, processing information in a predictable manner within living cells. Genome editing is a potentially powerful component of synthetic molecular circuits, whether for modulating the expression of a target gene or for stably recording information to genomic DNA. However, programming molecular events such as protein-protein interactions or induced proximity as triggers for genome editing remains challenging. Here we demonstrate a strategy termed "P3 editing", which links protein-protein proximity to the formation of a functional CRISPRCas9 dual-component guide RNA. By engineering the crRNA:tracrRNA interaction, we demonstrate that various known protein-protein interactions, as well as the chemically-induced dimerization of protein domains, can be used to activate prime editing or base editing in human cells. Additionally, we explore how P3 editing can incorporate outputs from ADAR-based RNA sensors, potentially allowing specific RNAs to induce specific genome edits within a larger circuit. Our strategy enhances the controllability of CRISPR-based genome editing, facilitating its use in synthetic molecular circuits deployed in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhong Choi
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Hanna Liao
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Li
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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2
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Morrison MS, Wang T, Raguram A, Hemez C, Liu DR. Disulfide-compatible phage-assisted continuous evolution in the periplasmic space. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5959. [PMID: 34645844 PMCID: PMC8514426 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26279-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The directed evolution of antibodies has yielded important research tools and human therapeutics. The dependence of many antibodies on disulfide bonds for stability has limited the application of continuous evolution technologies to antibodies and other disulfide-containing proteins. Here we describe periplasmic phage-assisted continuous evolution (pPACE), a system for continuous evolution of protein-protein interactions in the disulfide-compatible environment of the E. coli periplasm. We first apply pPACE to rapidly evolve novel noncovalent and covalent interactions between subunits of homodimeric YibK protein and to correct a binding-defective mutant of the anti-GCN4 Ω-graft antibody. We develop an intein-mediated system to select for soluble periplasmic expression in pPACE, leading to an eight-fold increase in soluble expression of the Ω-graft antibody. Finally, we evolve disulfide-containing trastuzumab antibody variants with improved binding to a Her2-like peptide and improved soluble expression. Together, these results demonstrate that pPACE can rapidly optimize proteins containing disulfide bonds, broadening the applicability of continuous evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary S Morrison
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Health Care, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Tina Wang
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Health Care, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Aditya Raguram
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Health Care, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Colin Hemez
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Health Care, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Health Care, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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3
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Ferrantelli F, Chiozzini C, Leone P, Manfredi F, Federico M. Engineered Extracellular Vesicles/Exosomes as a New Tool against Neurodegenerative Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E529. [PMID: 32526949 PMCID: PMC7357062 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12060529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are commonly generated by intracellular accumulation of misfolded/aggregated mutated proteins. These abnormal protein aggregates impair the functions of mitochondria and induce oxidative stress, thereby resulting in neuronal cell death. In turn, neuronal damage induces chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration. Thus, reducing/eliminating these abnormal protein aggregates is a priority for any anti-neurodegenerative therapeutic approach. Although several antibodies against mutated neuronal proteins have been already developed, how to efficiently deliver them inside the target cells remains an unmet issue. Extracellular vesicles/exosomes incorporating intrabodies against the pathogenic products would be a tool for innovative therapeutic approaches. In this review/perspective article, we identify and describe the major molecular targets associated with neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the antibodies already developed against them. Finally, we propose a novel targeting strategy based on the endogenous engineering of extracellular vesicles/exosomes constitutively released by cells of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Ferrantelli
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità (ISS), 00161 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (P.L.); (F.M.)
| | | | | | | | - Maurizio Federico
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità (ISS), 00161 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (P.L.); (F.M.)
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4
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Optimizing intracellular antibodies (intrabodies/nanobodies) to treat neurodegenerative disorders. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 134:104619. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
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5
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Webster JM, Darling AL, Uversky VN, Blair LJ. Small Heat Shock Proteins, Big Impact on Protein Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Disease. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1047. [PMID: 31619995 PMCID: PMC6759932 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolding, aggregation, and aberrant accumulation of proteins are central components in the progression of neurodegenerative disease. Cellular molecular chaperone systems modulate proteostasis, and, therefore, are primed to influence aberrant protein-induced neurotoxicity and disease progression. Molecular chaperones have a wide range of functions from facilitating proper nascent folding and refolding to degradation or sequestration of misfolded substrates. In disease states, molecular chaperones can display protective or aberrant effects, including the promotion and stabilization of toxic protein aggregates. This seems to be dependent on the aggregating protein and discrete chaperone interaction. Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a class of molecular chaperones that typically associate early with misfolded proteins. These interactions hold proteins in a reversible state that helps facilitate refolding or degradation by other chaperones and co-factors. These sHsp interactions require dynamic oligomerization state changes in response to diverse cellular triggers and, unlike later steps in the chaperone cascade of events, are ATP-independent. Here, we review evidence for modulation of neurodegenerative disease-relevant protein aggregation by sHsps. This includes data supporting direct physical interactions and potential roles of sHsps in the stewardship of pathological protein aggregates in brain. A greater understanding of the mechanisms of sHsp chaperone activity may help in the development of novel therapeutic strategies to modulate the aggregation of pathological, amyloidogenic proteins. sHsps-targeting strategies including modulators of expression or post-translational modification of endogenous sHsps, small molecules targeted to sHsp domains, and delivery of engineered molecular chaperones, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack M Webster
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Byrd Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - April L Darling
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Byrd Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Byrd Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Laura J Blair
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Byrd Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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6
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Röth S, Fulcher LJ, Sapkota GP. Advances in targeted degradation of endogenous proteins. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:2761-2777. [PMID: 31030225 PMCID: PMC6588652 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03112-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Protein silencing is often employed as a means to aid investigations in protein function and is increasingly desired as a therapeutic approach. Several types of protein silencing methodologies have been developed, including targeting the encoding genes, transcripts, the process of translation or the protein directly. Despite these advances, most silencing systems suffer from limitations. Silencing protein expression through genetic ablation, for example by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, is irreversible, time consuming and not always feasible. Similarly, RNA interference approaches warrant prolonged treatments, can lead to incomplete protein depletion and are often associated with off-target effects. Targeted proteolysis has the potential to overcome some of these limitations. The field of targeted proteolysis has witnessed the emergence of many methodologies aimed at targeting specific proteins for degradation in a spatio-temporal manner. In this review, we provide an appraisal of the different targeted proteolytic systems and discuss their applications in understanding protein function, as well as their potential in therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Röth
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Luke J Fulcher
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Gopal P Sapkota
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK.
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7
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Bélanger K, Iqbal U, Tanha J, MacKenzie R, Moreno M, Stanimirovic D. Single-Domain Antibodies as Therapeutic and Imaging Agents for the Treatment of CNS Diseases. Antibodies (Basel) 2019; 8:antib8020027. [PMID: 31544833 PMCID: PMC6640712 DOI: 10.3390/antib8020027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies have become one of the most successful therapeutics for a number of oncology and inflammatory diseases. So far, central nervous system (CNS) indications have missed out on the antibody revolution, while they remain 'hidden' behind several hard to breach barriers. Among the various antibody modalities, single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) may hold the 'key' to unlocking the access of antibody therapies to CNS diseases. The unique structural features of sdAbs make them the smallest monomeric antibody fragments suitable for molecular targeting. These features are of particular importance when developing antibodies as modular building blocks for engineering CNS-targeting therapeutics and imaging agents. In this review, we first introduce the characteristic properties of sdAbs compared to traditional antibodies. We then present recent advances in the development of sdAbs as potential therapeutics across brain barriers, including their use for the delivery of biologics across the blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barriers, treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and molecular imaging of brain targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasandra Bélanger
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada.
| | - Umar Iqbal
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada.
| | - Jamshid Tanha
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
| | - Roger MacKenzie
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada.
| | - Maria Moreno
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada.
| | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada.
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8
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Lu Z, Kamat K, Johnson BP, Yin CC, Scholler N, Abbott KL. Generation of a Fully Human scFv that binds Tumor-Specific Glycoforms. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5101. [PMID: 30911061 PMCID: PMC6433917 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41567-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-specific glycosylation changes are an attractive target for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Periostin is a glycoprotein with high expression in many tumors of epithelial origin including ovarian cancer. Strategies to target the peptide portion of periostin as a diagnostic or therapeutic biomarker for cancer are limited due to increased expression of periostin in non-cancerous inflammatory conditions. Here, we have screened for antibody fragments that recognize the tumor-specific glycosylation present on glycoforms of periostin containing bisecting N-glycans in ovarian cancer using a yeast-display library of antibody fragments, while subtracting those that bind to the periostin protein with glycoforms found in non-malignant cell types. We generated a biotinylated form of a fully human scFv antibody (scFvC9) that targets the bisecting N-glycans expressed by cancer cells. Validation studies in vitro and in vivo using scFvC9 indicate this antibody can be useful for the development of diagnostic, imaging, and therapeutic applications for cancers that express the antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongpeng Lu
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Kalika Kamat
- SRI International Biosciences Division, Center for Cancer and Metabolism, Menlo Park, CA, 94025-3493, USA
| | - Blake P Johnson
- Ouachita Baptist University, Department of Biology, Arkadelphia, AR, 71998, USA
| | - Catherin C Yin
- SRI International Biosciences Division, Center for Cancer and Metabolism, Menlo Park, CA, 94025-3493, USA
| | - Nathalie Scholler
- SRI International Biosciences Division, Center for Cancer and Metabolism, Menlo Park, CA, 94025-3493, USA
| | - Karen L Abbott
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.
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9
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Computational affinity maturation of camelid single-domain intrabodies against the nonamyloid component of alpha-synuclein. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17611. [PMID: 30514850 PMCID: PMC6279780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35464-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving the affinity of protein-protein interactions is a challenging problem that is particularly important in the development of antibodies for diagnostic and clinical use. Here, we used structure-based computational methods to optimize the binding affinity of VHNAC1, a single-domain intracellular antibody (intrabody) from the camelid family that was selected for its specific binding to the nonamyloid component (NAC) of human α-synuclein (α-syn), a natively disordered protein, implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related neurological disorders. Specifically, we performed ab initio modeling that revealed several possible modes of VHNAC1 binding to the NAC region of α-syn as well as mutations that potentially enhance the affinity between these interacting proteins. While our initial design strategy did not lead to improved affinity, it ultimately guided us towards a model that aligned more closely with experimental observations, revealing a key residue on the paratope and the participation of H4 loop residues in binding, as well as confirming the importance of electrostatic interactions. The binding activity of the best intrabody mutant, which involved just a single amino acid mutation compared to parental VHNAC1, was significantly enhanced primarily through a large increase in association rate. Our results indicate that structure-based computational design can be used to successfully improve the affinity of antibodies against natively disordered and weakly immunogenic antigens such as α-syn, even in cases such as ours where crystal structures are unavailable.
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10
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Vasilenko EA, Mokhonov VV, Gorshkova EN, Astrakhantseva IV. Bispecific Antibodies: Formats and Areas of Application. Mol Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893318020176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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11
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Manoutcharian K, Perez-Garmendia R, Gevorkian G. Recombinant Antibody Fragments for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 15:779-788. [PMID: 27697033 PMCID: PMC5771054 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x01666160930121647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recombinant antibody fragments are promising alternatives to full-length immunoglobulins and offer important advantages compared with conventional monoclonal antibodies: extreme specificity, higher affinity, superior stability and solubility, reduced immunogenicity as well as easy and inexpensive large-scale production. OBJECTIVE In this article we will review and discuss recombinant antibodies that are being evaluated for neurodegenerative diseases in pre-clinical models and in clinical studies and will summarize new strategies that are being developed to optimize their stability, specificity and potency for advancing their use. METHODS Articles describing recombinant antibody fragments used for neurological diseases were selected (PubMed) and evaluated for their significance. RESULTS Different antibody formats such as single-chain fragment variable (scFv), single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs or sdAbs), bispecific antibodies (bsAbs), intrabodies and nanobodies, are currently being studied in pre-clinical models of cancer as well as infectious and autoimmune diseases and many of them are being tested as therapeutics in clinical trials. Immunotherapy approaches have shown therapeutic efficacy in several animal models of Alzheimer´s disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Huntington disease (HD), transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and multiple sclerosis (MS). It has been demonstrated that recombinant antibody fragments may neutralize toxic extra- and intracellular misfolded proteins involved in the pathogenesis of AD, PD, DLB, FTD, HD or TSEs and may target toxic immune cells participating in the pathogenesis of MS. CONCLUSION Recombinant antibody fragments represent a promising tool for the development of antibody-based immunotherapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Manoutcharian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico DF. Mexico
| | - Roxanna Perez-Garmendia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico DF. Mexico
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, Mexico DF, CP 04510, Mexico. 0
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12
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Alfaleh MA, Jones ML, Howard CB, Mahler SM. Strategies for Selecting Membrane Protein-Specific Antibodies using Phage Display with Cell-Based Panning. Antibodies (Basel) 2017; 6:E10. [PMID: 31548525 PMCID: PMC6698842 DOI: 10.3390/antib6030010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins are attractive targets for monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovery and development. Although several approved mAbs against membrane proteins have been isolated from phage antibody libraries, the process is challenging, as it requires the presentation of a correctly folded protein to screen the antibody library. Cell-based panning could represent the optimal method for antibody discovery against membrane proteins, since it allows for presentation in their natural conformation along with the appropriate post-translational modifications. Nevertheless, screening antibodies against a desired antigen, within a selected cell line, may be difficult due to the abundance of irrelevant organic molecules, which can potentially obscure the antigen of interest. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of the different cell-based phage panning strategies, with an emphasis placed on the optimisation of four critical panning conditions: cell surface antigen presentation, non-specific binding events, incubation time, and temperature and recovery of phage binders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Alfaleh
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
- Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Martina L Jones
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Christopher B Howard
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Stephen M Mahler
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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13
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Böldicke T. Single domain antibodies for the knockdown of cytosolic and nuclear proteins. Protein Sci 2017; 26:925-945. [PMID: 28271570 PMCID: PMC5405437 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Single domain antibodies (sdAbs) from camels or sharks comprise only the variable heavy chain domain. Human sdAbs comprise the variable domain of the heavy chain (VH) or light chain (VL) and can be selected from human antibodies. SdAbs are stable, nonaggregating molecules in vitro and in vivo compared to complete antibodies and scFv fragments. They are excellent novel inhibitors of cytosolic/nuclear proteins because they are correctly folded inside the cytosol in contrast to scFv fragments. SdAbs are unique because of their excellent specificity and possibility to target posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation sites, conformers or interaction regions of proteins that cannot be targeted with genetic knockout techniques and are impossible to knockdown with RNAi. The number of inhibiting cytosolic/nuclear sdAbs is increasing and usage of synthetic single pot single domain antibody libraries will boost the generation of these fascinating molecules without the need of immunization. The most frequently selected antigenic epitopes belong to viral and oncogenic proteins, followed by toxins, proteins of the nervous system as well as plant- and drosophila proteins. It is now possible to select functional sdAbs against virtually every cytosolic/nuclear protein and desired epitope. The development of new endosomal escape protein domains and cell-penetrating peptides for efficient transfection broaden the application of inhibiting sdAbs. Last but not least, the generation of relatively new cell-specific nanoparticles such as polymersomes and polyplexes carrying cytosolic/nuclear sdAb-DNA or -protein will pave the way to apply cytosolic/nuclear sdAbs for inhibition of viral infection and cancer in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Böldicke
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Structure and Function of ProteinsInhoffenstraße 7, D‐38124BraunschweigGermany
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14
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Techniques for Single-Molecule mRNA Imaging in Living Cells. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 978:425-441. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53889-1_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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15
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Li W, Prabakaran P, Chen W, Zhu Z, Feng Y, Dimitrov DS. Antibody Aggregation: Insights from Sequence and Structure. Antibodies (Basel) 2016; 5:antib5030019. [PMID: 31558000 PMCID: PMC6698864 DOI: 10.3390/antib5030019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the fastest-growing biological therapeutics with important applications ranging from cancers, autoimmunity diseases and metabolic disorders to emerging infectious diseases. Aggregation of mAbs continues to be a major problem in their developability. Antibody aggregation could be triggered by partial unfolding of its domains, leading to monomer-monomer association followed by nucleation and growth. Although the aggregation propensities of antibodies and antibody-based proteins can be affected by the external experimental conditions, they are strongly dependent on the intrinsic antibody properties as determined by their sequences and structures. In this review, we describe how the unfolding and aggregation susceptibilities of IgG could be related to their cognate sequences and structures. The impact of antibody domain structures on thermostability and aggregation propensities, and effective strategies to reduce aggregation are discussed. Finally, the aggregation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as related to their sequence/structure, linker payload, conjugation chemistry and drug-antibody ratio (DAR) is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | | | - Weizao Chen
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Zhongyu Zhu
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Yang Feng
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Dimiter S Dimitrov
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop a novel and potent fusion inhibitor of HIV infection based on a rational strategy for synthetic antibody library construction. DESIGN The reduced molecular weight of single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) allows targeting of cryptic epitopes, the most conserved and critical ones in the context of HIV entry. Heavy-chain sdAbs from camelids are particularly suited for this type of epitope recognition because of the presence of long and flexible antigen-binding regions [complementary-determining regions (CDRs)]. METHODS We translated camelid CDR features to a rabbit light-chain variable domain (VL) and constructed a library of minimal antibody fragments with elongated CDRs. Additionally to elongation, CDRs' variability was restricted to binding favorable amino acids to potentiate the selection of high-affinity sdAbs. The synthetic library was screened against a conserved, hidden, and crucial-to-fusion sequence on the heptad-repeat 1 (HR1) region of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein. RESULTS Two anti-HR1 VLs, named F63 and D104, strongly inhibited laboratory-adapted HIV-1 infectivity. F63 also inhibited infectivity of HIV-1 and HIV-2 primary isolates similarly to the Food and Drug Administration-approved fusion inhibitor T-20 and HIV-1 strains resistant to T-20. Moreover, epitope mapping of F63 revealed a novel target sequence within the highly conserved hydrophobic pocket of HR1. F63 was also capable of interacting with viral and cell lipid membrane models, a property previously associated with T-20's inhibitory mechanism. CONCLUSION In summary, to our best knowledge, we developed the first potent and broad VL sdAb fusion inhibitor of HIV infection. Our study also gives insights into engineering strategies that could be explored to enhance the development of antiviral drugs.
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Arndt JR, Chaibva M, Legleiter J. The emerging role of the first 17 amino acids of huntingtin in Huntington's disease. Biomol Concepts 2016; 6:33-46. [PMID: 25741791 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2015-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) domain that is expanded beyond a critical threshold near the N-terminus of the huntingtin (htt) protein, directly leading to htt aggregation. While full-length htt is a large (on the order of ∼350 kDa) protein, it is proteolyzed into a variety of N-terminal fragments that accumulate in oligomers, fibrils, and larger aggregates. It is clear that polyQ length is a key determinant of htt aggregation and toxicity. However, the flanking sequences around the polyQ domain, such as the first 17 amino acids on the N terminus (Nt17), influence aggregation, aggregate stability, influence other important biochemical properties of the protein and ultimately its role in pathogenesis. Here, we review the impact of Nt17 on htt aggregation mechanisms and kinetics, structural properties of Nt17 in both monomeric and aggregate forms, the potential role of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) that occur in Nt17 in HD, and the function of Nt17 as a membrane targeting domain.
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18
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Marelli C, Maschat F. The P42 peptide and Peptide-based therapies for Huntington's disease. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2016; 11:24. [PMID: 26984770 PMCID: PMC4794846 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-016-0405-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative hereditary disease clinically characterised by the presence of involuntary movements, behavioural problems and cognitive decline. The disease-onset is usually between 30 and 50 years of age. HD is a rare disorder affecting approximately 1.3 in 10,000 people in the European Union. It is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the first exon of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, leading to an abnormal form of the Huntingtin protein (Htt) (polyQHtt), containing N-terminus, enlarged polyglutamine strands of variable length that stick together to form aggregates and nuclear inclusions in the damaged brain cells. Treatments currently used for Huntington's disease are symptomatic and aimed at temporally relieving the symptoms of the disease; although some promising therapies are on study, there is no drug capable of stopping disease progression either in the form of delaying onset or slowing disability progression. The utilization of peptides interacting with polyQ stretches or with Htt protein to prevent misfolding and aggregation of the expanded polyQ protein is a fascinating idea, because of low potential toxicity and ability to target very initial steps in the pathophysiological cascade of the disease, such as aggregation or cleavage process. Indeed, several therapeutic peptides have been developed and were found to significantly slow down the progression of symptoms in experimental models of Huntington's disease. This review is essentially focusing on the latest development concerning peptide strategy. In particular, we focused on a 23aa peptide P42, which is a part of the Htt protein. It is expected to work principally by preventing the abnormal Htt protein from sticking together, thereby preventing pathological consequences of aggregation and improving the symptoms of the disease. In the meantime, as P42 is part of the Htt protein, some therapeutic properties might be linked to the physiological actions of the peptide itself, considered as a functional domain of the Htt protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Marelli
- Université de Montpellier, Montpellier F-34095, France; Inserm U1198 MMDN, Montpellier F-34095, France; EPHE, Paris F-75014, France, Montpellier, France.,Department of Neurology, Gui de Chauliac University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Florence Maschat
- Université de Montpellier, Montpellier F-34095, France; Inserm U1198 MMDN, Montpellier F-34095, France; EPHE, Paris F-75014, France, Montpellier, France.
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19
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Marschall ALJ, Dübel S, Böldicke T. Specific in vivo knockdown of protein function by intrabodies. MAbs 2015; 7:1010-35. [PMID: 26252565 PMCID: PMC4966517 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2015.1076601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea LJ Marschall
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics; Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics; Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas Böldicke
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Recombinant Protein Expression/Intrabody Unit, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research; Braunschweig, Germany
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20
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Butler DC, Snyder-Keller A, De Genst E, Messer A. Differential nuclear localization of complexes may underlie in vivo intrabody efficacy in Huntington's disease. Protein Eng Des Sel 2015; 27:359-63. [PMID: 25301961 PMCID: PMC4191446 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzu041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrabodies offer attractive options for manipulating the protein misfolding that triggers neurodegenerative diseases. In Huntington's disease, where the expanded polyglutamine tract in the extreme N-terminal region of huntingtin exon1 misfolds, two lead intrabodies have been selected against an adjacent peptide, using slightly different approaches. Both are effective at preventing aggregation of a reporter fragment in transient co-transfection assays. However, after intracranial delivery to mutant mouse brains, VL12.3, which is mainly localized to the nucleus, appears to accelerate the mutant phenotype, while C4 scFv, which is largely cytoplasmic, shows partial phenotypic correction. This comparison highlights parameters that could inform intrabody therapeutics for multiple proteostatic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Butler
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - A Snyder-Keller
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - E De Genst
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - A Messer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12208, USA Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
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21
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Kim DY, Hussack G, Kandalaft H, Tanha J. Mutational approaches to improve the biophysical properties of human single-domain antibodies. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2014; 1844:1983-2001. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Revised: 07/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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22
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Kim DY, To R, Kandalaft H, Ding W, van Faassen H, Luo Y, Schrag JD, St-Amant N, Hefford M, Hirama T, Kelly JF, MacKenzie R, Tanha J. Antibody light chain variable domains and their biophysically improved versions for human immunotherapy. MAbs 2014; 6:219-35. [PMID: 24423624 PMCID: PMC3929445 DOI: 10.4161/mabs.26844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We set out to gain deeper insight into the potential of antibody light chain variable domains (VLs) as immunotherapeutics. To this end, we generated a naïve human VL phage display library and, by using a method previously shown to select for non-aggregating antibody heavy chain variable domains (VHs), we isolated a diversity of VL domains by panning the library against B cell super-antigen protein L. Eight domains representing different germline origins were shown to be non-aggregating at concentrations as high as 450 µM, indicating VL repertoires are a rich source of non-aggregating domains. In addition, the VLs demonstrated high expression yields in E. coli, protein L binding and high reversibility of thermal unfolding. A side-by-side comparison with a set of non-aggregating human VHs revealed that the VLs had similar overall profiles with respect to melting temperature (Tm), reversibility of thermal unfolding and resistance to gastrointestinal proteases. Successful engineering of a non-canonical disulfide linkage in the core of VLs did not compromise the non-aggregation state or protein L binding properties. Furthermore, the introduced disulfide bond significantly increased their Tms, by 5.5–17.5 °C, and pepsin resistance, although it somewhat reduced expression yields and subtly changed the structure of VLs. Human VLs and engineered versions may make suitable therapeutics due to their desirable biophysical features. The disulfide linkage-engineered VLs may be the preferred therapeutic format because of their higher stability, especially for oral therapy applications that necessitate high resistance to the stomach’s acidic pH and pepsin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Young Kim
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Rebecca To
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Hiba Kandalaft
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Wen Ding
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Henk van Faassen
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Yan Luo
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Joseph D Schrag
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Montréal, QC Canada
| | - Nadereh St-Amant
- Centre for Vaccine Evaluation; Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate;, Health Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Mary Hefford
- Centre for Vaccine Evaluation; Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate;, Health Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Tomoko Hirama
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - John F Kelly
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Roger MacKenzie
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada; School of Environmental Sciences; Ontario Agricultural College; University of Guelph; Guelph, ON Canada
| | - Jamshid Tanha
- Human Health Therapeutics; National Research Council Canada; Ottawa, ON Canada; School of Environmental Sciences; Ontario Agricultural College; University of Guelph; Guelph, ON Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology; University of Ottawa; Ottawa, ON Canada
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23
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Tanenbaum ME, Gilbert LA, Qi LS, Weissman JS, Vale RD. A protein-tagging system for signal amplification in gene expression and fluorescence imaging. Cell 2014; 159:635-46. [PMID: 25307933 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1023] [Impact Index Per Article: 102.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2014] [Revised: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Signals in many biological processes can be amplified by recruiting multiple copies of regulatory proteins to a site of action. Harnessing this principle, we have developed a protein scaffold, a repeating peptide array termed SunTag, which can recruit multiple copies of an antibody-fusion protein. We show that the SunTag can recruit up to 24 copies of GFP, thereby enabling long-term imaging of single protein molecules in living cells. We also use the SunTag to create a potent synthetic transcription factor by recruiting multiple copies of a transcriptional activation domain to a nuclease-deficient CRISPR/Cas9 protein and demonstrate strong activation of endogenous gene expression and re-engineered cell behavior with this system. Thus, the SunTag provides a versatile platform for multimerizing proteins on a target protein scaffold and is likely to have many applications in imaging and controlling biological outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin E Tanenbaum
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Luke A Gilbert
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Center for RNA Systems Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3), San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lei S Qi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Center for RNA Systems Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3), San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Center for RNA Systems Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3), San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ronald D Vale
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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24
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Abstract
Immunoconjugates are specific, highly effective, minimally toxic anticancer therapies that are beginning to show promise in the clinic. Immunoconjugates consist of three separate components: an antibody that binds to a cancer cell antigen with high specificity, an effector molecule that has a high capacity to kill the cancer cell, and a linker that will ensure the effector does not separate from the antibody during transit and will reliably release the effector to the cancer cell or tumour stroma. The high affinity antibody-antigen interaction allows specific and selective delivery of a range of effectors, including pharmacologic agents, radioisotopes, and toxins, to cancer cells. Some anticancer molecules are not well tolerated when administered systemically owing to unacceptable toxicity to the host. However, this limitation can be overcome through the linking of such cytotoxins to specific antibodies, which mask the toxic effects of the drug until it reaches its target. Conversely, many unconjugated antibodies are highly specific for a cancer target, but have low therapeutic potential and can be repurposed as delivery vehicles for highly potent effectors. In this Review, we summarize the successes and shortcomings of immunoconjugates, and discuss the future potential for the development of these therapies.
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25
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De Genst E, Messer A, Dobson CM. Antibodies and protein misfolding: From structural research tools to therapeutic strategies. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2014; 1844:1907-1919. [PMID: 25194824 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding disorders, including the neurodegenerative conditions Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) represent one of the major medical challenges or our time. The underlying molecular mechanisms that govern protein misfolding and its links with disease are very complex processes, involving the formation of transiently populated but highly toxic molecular species within the crowded environment of the cell and tissue. Nevertheless, much progress has been made in understanding these events in recent years through innovative experiments and therapeutic strategies, and in this review we present an overview of the key roles of antibodies and antibody fragments in these endeavors. We discuss in particular how these species are being used in combination with a variety of powerful biochemical and biophysical methodologies, including a range of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques applied not just in vitro but also in situ and in vivo, both to gain a better understanding of the mechanistic nature of protein misfolding and aggregation and also to design novel therapeutic strategies to combat the family of diseases with which they are associated. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Recent advances in molecular engineering of antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin De Genst
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Anne Messer
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Regenerative Research Foundation, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
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26
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Kaiser PD, Maier J, Traenkle B, Emele F, Rothbauer U. Recent progress in generating intracellular functional antibody fragments to target and trace cellular components in living cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2014; 1844:1933-1942. [PMID: 24792387 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In biomedical research there is an ongoing demand for new technologies, which help to elucidate disease mechanisms and provide the basis to develop novel therapeutics. In this context a comprehensive understanding of cellular processes and their pathophysiology based on reliable information on abundance, localization, posttranslational modifications and dynamic interactions of cellular components is indispensable. Besides their significant impact as therapeutic molecules, antibodies are arguably the most powerful research tools to study endogenous proteins and other cellular components. However, for cellular diagnostics their use is restricted to endpoint assays using fixed and permeabilized cells. Alternatively, live cell imaging using fluorescent protein-tagged reporters is widely used to study protein localization and dynamics in living cells. However, only artificially introduced chimeric proteins are visualized, whereas the endogenous proteins, their posttranslational modifications as well as non-protein components of the cell remain invisible and cannot be analyzed. To overcome these limitations, traceable intracellular binding molecules provide new opportunities to perform cellular diagnostics in real time. In this review we summarize recent progress in the generation of intracellular and cell penetrating antibodies and their application to target and trace cellular components in living cells. We highlight recent advances in the structural formulation of recombinant antibody formats, reliable screening protocols and sophisticated cellular targeting technologies and propose that such intrabodies will become versatile research tools for real time cell-based diagnostics including target validation and live cell imaging. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Recent advances in molecular engineering of antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp D Kaiser
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Julia Maier
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Bjoern Traenkle
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Felix Emele
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Rothbauer
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
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27
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Lee CV, Koenig P, Fuh G. A two-in-one antibody engineered from a humanized interleukin 4 antibody through mutation in heavy chain complementarity-determining regions. MAbs 2014; 6:622-7. [PMID: 24618680 DOI: 10.4161/mabs.28483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A mono-specific antibody may recruit a second antigen binding specificity, thus converting to a dual-specific Two-in-One antibody through mutation at the light chain complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). It is, however, unknown whether mutation at the heavy chain CDRs may evolve such dual specificity. Herein, we examined the CDRs of a humanized interleukin 4 (IL4) antibody using alanine scanning and structural modeling, designed libraries of mutants in regions that tolerate mutation, and isolated dual specific antibodies harboring mutation at the heavy chain CDRs only. We then affinity improved an IL4/IL5 dual specific antibody to variants with dissociation constants in the low nanomolar range for both antigens. The results demonstrate the full capacity of antibodies to evolve dual binding specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chingwei V Lee
- Department of Antibody Engineering; Genentech Inc.; South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Patrick Koenig
- Department of Antibody Engineering; Genentech Inc.; South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Germaine Fuh
- Department of Antibody Engineering; Genentech Inc.; South San Francisco, CA USA
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28
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Yates BP, Peck MA, Berget PB. Directed evolution of a fluorogen-activating single chain antibody for function and enhanced brightness in the cytoplasm. Mol Biotechnol 2013; 54:829-41. [PMID: 23242633 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-012-9631-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Directed evolution is an exceptionally powerful tool that uses random mutant library generation and screening techniques to engineer or optimize functions of proteins. One class of proteins for which this process is particularly effective is antibodies, where properties such as antigen specificity and affinity can be selected to yield molecules with improved efficacy as molecular labels or in potential therapeutics. Typical antibody structure includes disulfide bonds that are required for stability and proper folding of the domains. However, these bonds are unable to form in the reducing environment of the cytoplasm, stymieing the effectiveness of optimized antibodies in many research applications. We have removed disulfide-forming cysteine residues in a single chain antibody fluorogen-activating protein (FAP), HL4, and employed directed evolution to select a derivative that is capable of activity in the cytoplasm. A subsequent round of directed evolution was targeted at increasing the overall brightness of the fluoromodule (FAP-fluorogen complex). Ultimately, this approach produced a novel FAP that exhibits strong activation of its cognate fluorogen in the reducing environment of the cytoplasm, significantly expanding the range of applications for which fluoromodule technology can be utilized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley P Yates
- Department of Biological Sciences & Molecular Biosensor and Imaging Center, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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29
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Abstract
The process of misfolding of proteins that can trigger a pathogenic cascade leading to neurodegenerative diseases largely originates intracellularly. It is possible to harness the specificity and affinity of antibodies to counteract either protein misfolding itself, or the aberrant interactions and excess stressors immediately downstream of the primary insult. This review covers the emerging field of engineering intracellular antibody fragments, intrabodies and nanobodies, in neurodegeneration. Huntington's disease has provided the clearest proof of concept for this approach. The model systems and readouts for this disorder power the studies, and the potential to intervene therapeutically at early stages in known carriers with projected ages of onset increases the chances of meaningful clinical trials. Both single-chain Fv and single-domain nanobodies have been identified against specific targets; data have allowed feedback for rational design of bifunctional constructs, as well as target validation. Intrabodies that can modulate the primary accumulating protein in Parkinson's disease, alpha-synuclein, are also reviewed, covering a range of domains and conformers. Recombinant antibody technology has become a major player in the therapeutic pipeline for cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmunity. There is also tremendous potential for applying this powerful biotechnology to neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Messer
- New York State Dept of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY 12208, USA.
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30
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Single Domain Antibody Fragments as Drug Surrogates Targeting Protein–Protein Interactions inside Cells. Antibodies (Basel) 2013. [DOI: 10.3390/antib2020306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
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31
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Burke KA, Kauffman KJ, Umbaugh CS, Frey SL, Legleiter J. The interaction of polyglutamine peptides with lipid membranes is regulated by flanking sequences associated with huntingtin. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:14993-5005. [PMID: 23572526 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.446237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is caused by an expanded polyglutamine (poly(Q)) repeat near the N terminus of the huntingtin (htt) protein. Expanded poly(Q) facilitates formation of htt aggregates, eventually leading to deposition of cytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusion bodies containing htt. Flanking sequences directly adjacent to the poly(Q) domain, such as the first 17 amino acids on the N terminus (Nt17) and the polyproline (poly(P)) domain on the C-terminal side of the poly(Q) domain, heavily influence aggregation. Additionally, htt interacts with a variety of membraneous structures within the cell, and Nt17 is implicated in lipid binding. To investigate the interaction between htt exon1 and lipid membranes, a combination of in situ atomic force microscopy, Langmuir trough techniques, and vesicle permeability assays were used to directly monitor the interaction of a variety of synthetic poly(Q) peptides with different combinations of flanking sequences (KK-Q35-KK, KK-Q35-P10-KK, Nt17-Q35-KK, and Nt17-Q35-P10-KK) on model membranes and surfaces. Each peptide aggregated on mica, predominately forming extended, fibrillar aggregates. In contrast, poly(Q) peptides that lacked the Nt17 domain did not appreciably aggregate on or insert into lipid membranes. Nt17 facilitated the interaction of peptides with lipid surfaces, whereas the poly(P) region enhanced this interaction. The aggregation of Nt17-Q35-P10-KK on the lipid bilayer closely resembled that of a htt exon1 construct containing 35 repeat glutamines. Collectively, this data suggests that the Nt17 domain plays a critical role in htt binding and aggregation on lipid membranes, and this lipid/htt interaction can be further modulated by the presence of the poly(P) domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A Burke
- C Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA
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Bodelón G, Palomino C, Fernández LÁ. Immunoglobulin domains inEscherichia coliand other enterobacteria: from pathogenesis to applications in antibody technologies. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2013; 37:204-50. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.00347.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2012] [Revised: 06/07/2012] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Abstract
The deposition of peptides and proteins as amyloid fibrils is a common feature of nearly 50 medical -disorders affecting the brain or a variety of other organs and tissues. These disorders, which include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, the prion diseases, and type II diabetes, have an enormous impact on the public health and economy of the modern world. Extensive research is therefore taking place to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms and determinants of the pathological conversion of amyloidogenic proteins from their soluble forms into fibrillar structures. The use of molecular probes and biophysical techniques, such as X-ray crystallography and particularly NMR spectroscopy, are allowing detailed analysis of the mechanism of fibril formation and of the underlying structural and chemical features of the associated pathogenicity. Nanobodies, the antigen-binding domains derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies, are excellent tools to probe protein aggregation as a result of their exquisite specificity and high affinity and stability, along with their ease of expression and small size; the latter in particular allows them to be used very efficiently in combination with NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. In this chapter we present an overview of how nanobodies are being used to obtain detailed information on the mechanisms of amyloid formation and on the nature and origin of their links with human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin De Genst
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Butler DC, McLear JA, Messer A. Engineered antibody therapies to counteract mutant huntingtin and related toxic intracellular proteins. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 97:190-204. [PMID: 22120646 PMCID: PMC3908675 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/08/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The engineered antibody approach to Huntington's disease (HD) therapeutics is based on the premise that significantly lowering the levels of the primary misfolded mutant protein will reduce abnormal protein interactions and direct toxic effects of the misfolded huntingtin (HTT). This will in turn reduce the pathologic stress on cells, and normalize intrinsic proteostasis. Intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) are single-chain (scFv) and single-domain (dAb; nanobody) variable fragments that can retain the affinity and specificity of full-length antibodies, but can be selected and engineered as genes. Functionally, they represent a protein-based approach to the problem of aberrant mutant protein folding, post-translational modifications, protein-protein interactions, and aggregation. Several intrabodies that bind on either side of the expanded polyglutamine tract of mutant HTT have been reported to improve the mutant phenotype in cell and organotypic cultures, fruit flies, and mice. Further refinements to the difficult challenges of intraneuronal delivery, cytoplasmic folding, and long-term efficacy are in progress. This review covers published studies and emerging approaches on the choice of targets, selection and engineering methods, gene and protein delivery options, and testing of candidates in cell and animal models. The resultant antibody fragments can be used as direct therapeutics and as target validation/drug discovery tools for HD, while the technology is also applicable to a wide range of neurodegenerative and other diseases that are triggered by toxic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Butler
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY, United States, 12208
| | | | - Anne Messer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY, United States, 12208
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, NY 12201
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Jayaraman M, Mishra R, Kodali R, Thakur AK, Koharudin LMI, Gronenborn AM, Wetzel R. Kinetically competing huntingtin aggregation pathways control amyloid polymorphism and properties. Biochemistry 2012; 51:2706-16. [PMID: 22432740 PMCID: PMC3394396 DOI: 10.1021/bi3000929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In polyglutamine (polyQ) containing fragments of the Huntington's disease protein huntingtin (htt), the N-terminal 17 amino acid htt(NT) segment serves as the core of α-helical oligomers whose reversible assembly locally concentrates the polyQ segments, thereby facilitating polyQ amyloid nucleation. A variety of aggregation inhibitors have been described that achieve their effects by neutralizing this concentrating function of the htt(NT) segment. In this paper we characterize the nature and limits of this inhibition for three means of suppressing htt(NT)-mediated aggregation. We show that the previously described action of htt(NT) peptide-based inhibitors is solely due to their ability to suppress the htt(NT)-mediated aggregation pathway. That is, under htt(NT) inhibition, nucleation of polyQ amyloid formation by a previously described alternative nucleation mechanism proceeds unabated and transiently dominates the aggregation process. Removal of the bulk of the htt(NT) segment by proteolysis or mutagenesis also blocks the htt(NT)-mediated pathway, allowing the alternative nucleation pathway to dominate. In contrast, the previously described immunoglobulin-based inhibitor, the antihtt(NT) V(L) 12.3 protein, effectively blocks both amyloid pathways, leading to stable accumulation of nonamyloid oligomers. These data show that the htt(NT)-dependent and -independent pathways of amyloid nucleation in polyQ-containing htt fragments are in direct kinetic competition. The results illustrate how amyloid polymorphism depends on assembly mechanism and kinetics and have implications for how the intracellular environment can influence aggregation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murali Jayaraman
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Rakesh Mishra
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Ravindra Kodali
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Ashwani K. Thakur
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | | | - Angela M. Gronenborn
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Ronald Wetzel
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
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Butler DC, Messer A. Bifunctional anti-huntingtin proteasome-directed intrabodies mediate efficient degradation of mutant huntingtin exon 1 protein fragments. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29199. [PMID: 22216210 PMCID: PMC3245261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a trinucleotide (CAG)(n) repeat expansion in the coding sequence of the huntingtin gene, and an expanded polyglutamine (>37Q) tract in the protein. This results in misfolding and accumulation of huntingtin protein (htt), formation of neuronal intranuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions, and neuronal dysfunction/degeneration. Single-chain Fv antibodies (scFvs), expressed as intrabodies that bind htt and prevent aggregation, show promise as immunotherapeutics for HD. Intrastriatal delivery of anti-N-terminal htt scFv-C4 using an adeno-associated virus vector (AAV2/1) significantly reduces the size and number of aggregates in HDR6/1 transgenic mice; however, this protective effect diminishes with age and time after injection. We therefore explored enhancing intrabody efficacy via fusions to heterologous functional domains. Proteins containing a PEST motif are often targeted for proteasomal degradation and generally have a short half life. In ST14A cells, fusion of the C-terminal PEST region of mouse ornithine decarboxylase (mODC) to scFv-C4 reduces htt exon 1 protein fragments with 72 glutamine repeats (httex1-72Q) by ~80-90% when compared to scFv-C4 alone. Proteasomal targeting was verified by either scrambling the mODC-PEST motif, or via proteasomal inhibition with epoxomicin. For these constructs, the proteasomal degradation of the scFv intrabody proteins themselves was reduced<25% by the addition of the mODC-PEST motif, with or without antigens. The remaining intrabody levels were amply sufficient to target N-terminal httex1-72Q protein fragment turnover. Critically, scFv-C4-PEST prevents aggregation and toxicity of httex1-72Q fragments at significantly lower doses than scFv-C4. Fusion of the mODC-PEST motif to intrabodies is a valuable general approach to specifically target toxic antigens to the proteasome for degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Butler
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Anne Messer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Schiefner A, Chatwell L, Körner J, Neumaier I, Colby DW, Volkmer R, Wittrup KD, Skerra A. A disulfide-free single-domain V(L) intrabody with blocking activity towards huntingtin reveals a novel mode of epitope recognition. J Mol Biol 2011; 414:337-55. [PMID: 21968397 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2011] [Revised: 09/19/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
We present the crystal structure and biophysical characterization of a human V(L) [variable domain immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain] single-domain intrabody that binds to the huntingtin (Htt) protein and has been engineered for antigen recognition in the absence of its intradomain disulfide bond, otherwise conserved in the Ig fold. Analytical ultracentrifugation demonstrated that the αHtt-V(L) 12.3 domain is a stable monomer under physiological conditions even at concentrations >20 μM. Using peptide SPOT arrays, we identified the minimal binding epitope to be EKLMKAFESLKSFQ, comprising the N-terminal residues 5-18 of Htt and including the first residue of the poly-Gln stretch. X-ray structural analysis of αHtt-V(L) both as apo protein and in the presence of the epitope peptide revealed several interesting insights: first, the role of mutations acquired during the combinatorial selection process of the αHtt-V(L) 12.3 domain-initially starting from a single-chain Fv fragment-that are responsible for its stability as an individually soluble Ig domain, also lacking the disulfide bridge, and second, a previously unknown mode of antigen recognition, revealing a novel paratope. The Htt epitope peptide adopts a purely α-helical structure in the complex with αHtt-V(L) and is bound at the base of the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) at the concave β-sheet that normally gives rise to the interface between the V(L) domain and its paired V(H) (variable domain Ig heavy chain) domain, while only few interactions with CDR-L1 and CDR-L3 are formed. Notably, this noncanonical mode of antigen binding may occur more widely in the area of in vitro selected antibody fragments, including other Ig-like scaffolds, possibly even if a V(H) domain is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Schiefner
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
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Newman RH, Fosbrink MD, Zhang J. Genetically encodable fluorescent biosensors for tracking signaling dynamics in living cells. Chem Rev 2011; 111:3614-66. [PMID: 21456512 PMCID: PMC3092831 DOI: 10.1021/cr100002u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert H. Newman
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Matthew D. Fosbrink
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
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Integrated mimicry of B cell antibody mutagenesis using yeast homologous recombination. Mol Biotechnol 2011; 47:57-69. [PMID: 20645027 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-010-9312-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Antibody affinity maturation proceeds in vivo via a combination of point mutations, insertions, deletions, and combinatorial shuffling of light chains or portions of the heavy chain, thereby reducing the probability of trapping in local affinity optima in sequence space. In vivo homologous recombination in yeast can be exploited to mimic the broad spectrum of mutational types deployed by B cells, incorporating both receptor revision and receptor editing together with polymerase-directed point mutagenesis. This method was used to effect a 10,000-fold affinity improvement in an anti-peptide single-chain antibody in three rounds of mutagenesis and screening, and a 1,000-fold affinity improvement in an anti-protein single-chain antibody in a single round. When recombinational mutagenesis (CDR or chain shuffling) was directly compared to error-prone PCR, the recombinational approach yielded greater affinity improvement with substantially reduced divergence from germline sequences, demonstrating an advantage of simultaneously testing a broad range of mutational strategies.
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40
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Perturbation with intrabodies reveals that calpain cleavage is required for degradation of huntingtin exon 1. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16676. [PMID: 21304966 PMCID: PMC3031625 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2010] [Accepted: 12/24/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Proteolytic processing of mutant huntingtin (mHtt), the protein that causes Huntington's disease (HD), is critical for mHtt toxicity and disease progression. mHtt contains several caspase and calpain cleavage sites that generate N-terminal fragments that are more toxic than full-length mHtt. Further processing is then required for the degradation of these fragments, which in turn, reduces toxicity. This unknown, secondary degradative process represents a promising therapeutic target for HD. Methodology/Principal Findings We have used intrabodies, intracellularly expressed antibody fragments, to gain insight into the mechanism of mutant huntingtin exon 1 (mHDx-1) clearance. Happ1, an intrabody recognizing the proline-rich region of mHDx-1, reduces the level of soluble mHDx-1 by increasing clearance. While proteasome and macroautophagy inhibitors reduce turnover of mHDx-1, Happ1 is still able to reduce mHDx-1 under these conditions, indicating Happ1-accelerated mHDx-1 clearance does not rely on these processes. In contrast, a calpain inhibitor or an inhibitor of lysosomal pH block Happ1-mediated acceleration of mHDx-1 clearance. These results suggest that mHDx-1 is cleaved by calpain, likely followed by lysosomal degradation and this process regulates the turnover rate of mHDx-1. Sequence analysis identifies amino acid (AA) 15 as a potential calpain cleavage site. Calpain cleavage of recombinant mHDx-1 in vitro yields fragments of sizes corresponding to this prediction. Moreover, when the site is blocked by binding of another intrabody, VL12.3, turnover of soluble mHDx-1 in living cells is blocked. Conclusions/Significance These results indicate that calpain-mediated removal of the 15 N-terminal AAs is required for the degradation of mHDx-1, a finding that may have therapeutic implications.
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Abstract
Advances in medical science have led to increased life expectancy and increased median age in the population. Because the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases generally onset in mid- to late-life, a concomitant increase in the number of persons afflicted with these devastating diseases has occurred. Developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases is of the highest priority due to the enormous cost of medical care required, as well as for the human suffering involved. Although caused by a variety of genetic and environmental insults, such diseases share commonalities. Many of these diseases are proteinopathies--diseases caused by misfolded, aggregating proteins. Antibodies that can recognize and remove misfolded proteins are ideally suited for proteinopathy therapeutics. The numerous intriguing advances in antibody-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, BC, Canada
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Möller A, Pion E, Narayan V, Ball KL. Intracellular activation of interferon regulatory factor-1 by nanobodies to the multifunctional (Mf1) domain. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:38348-61. [PMID: 20817723 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.149476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
IRF-1 is a tumor suppressor protein that activates gene expression from a range of promoters in response to stimuli spanning viral infection to DNA damage. Studies on the post-translational regulation of IRF-1 have been hampered by a lack of suitable biochemical tools capable of targeting the endogenous protein. In this study, phage display technology was used to develop a monoclonal nanobody targeting the C-terminal Mf1 domain (residues 301-325) of IRF-1. Intracellular expression of the nanobody demonstrated that the transcriptional activity of IRF-1 is constrained by the Mf1 domain as nanobody binding gave an increase in expression from IRF-1-responsive promoters of up to 8-fold. Furthermore, Mf1-directed nanobodies have revealed an unexpected function for this domain in limiting the rate at which the IRF-1 protein is degraded. Thus, the increase in IRF-1 transcriptional activity observed on nanobody binding is accompanied by a significant reduction in the half-life of the protein. In support of the data obtained using nanobodies, a single point mutation (P325A) involving the C-terminal residue of IRF-1 has been identified, which results in greater transcriptional activity and a significant increase in the rate of degradation. The results presented here support a role for the Mf1 domain in limiting both IRF-1-dependent transcription and the rate of IRF-1 turnover. In addition, the data highlight a route for activation of downstream genes in the IRF-1 tumor suppressor pathway using biologics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeli Möller
- Cell Signalling Unit, University of Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Kvam E, Sierks MR, Shoemaker CB, Messer A. Physico-chemical determinants of soluble intrabody expression in mammalian cell cytoplasm. Protein Eng Des Sel 2010; 23:489-98. [PMID: 20378699 PMCID: PMC2865363 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzq022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2009] [Revised: 03/02/2010] [Accepted: 03/12/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Kvam
- New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center/ David Axelrod Institute, 120 New Scotland Ave., PO Box 22002, Albany, NY 12201-2002, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Michael R. Sierks
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Charles B. Shoemaker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Anne Messer
- New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center/ David Axelrod Institute, 120 New Scotland Ave., PO Box 22002, Albany, NY 12201-2002, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
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Legleiter J, Lotz GP, Miller J, Ko J, Ng C, Williams GL, Finkbeiner S, Patterson PH, Muchowski PJ. Monoclonal antibodies recognize distinct conformational epitopes formed by polyglutamine in a mutant huntingtin fragment. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:21647-58. [PMID: 19491400 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.016923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) domain in the N-terminal region of huntingtin (htt). PolyQ expansion above 35-40 results in disease associated with htt aggregation into inclusion bodies. It has been hypothesized that expanded polyQ domains adopt multiple potentially toxic conformations that belong to different aggregation pathways. Here, we used atomic force microscopy to analyze the effect of a panel of anti-htt antibodies (MW1-MW5, MW7, MW8, and 3B5H10) on aggregate formation and the stability of a mutant htt-exon1 fragment. Two antibodies, MW7 (polyproline-specific) and 3B5H10 (polyQ-specific), completely inhibited fibril formation and disaggregated preformed fibrils, whereas other polyQ-specific antibodies had widely varying effects on aggregation. These results suggest that expanded polyQ domains adopt multiple conformations in solution that can be readily distinguished by monoclonal antibodies, which has important implications for understanding the structural basis for polyQ toxicity and the development of intrabody-based therapeutics for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Legleiter
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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45
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Chartier A, Raz V, Sterrenburg E, Verrips CT, van der Maarel SM, Simonelig M. Prevention of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy by muscular expression of Llama single-chain intrabodies in vivo. Hum Mol Genet 2009; 18:1849-59. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddp101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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46
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Arbabi-Ghahroudi M, MacKenzie R, Tanha J. Selection of non-aggregating VH binders from synthetic VH phage-display libraries. Methods Mol Biol 2009; 525:187-216, xiii. [PMID: 19252860 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-59745-554-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The particular interest in VH antibody fragments stems from the fact that they can rival their "naturally occurring" single-domain antibody (sdAb) counterparts (camelid VHHs and shark VNARs) with regard to such desirable characteristics as stability, solubility, expression, and ability to penetrate cryptic epitopes and outperform them in terms of less immunogenicity, a much valued property in human immunotherapy applications. However, human VHs are typically prone to aggregation. Various approaches for developing non-aggregating human VHs with binding specificities have relied on a combination of recombinant DNA technology and phage-display technology. VH gene libraries are constructed synthetically by randomizing the CDRs of a single VH scaffold fused to a gene encoding a phage coat protein. Recombinant phage expressing the resulting VH libraries in fusion with the pIII protein is propagated in Escherichia coli. Monoclonal phage displaying VHs with specificities for target antigens are isolated from the libraries by a process called panning. The exertion of stability pressure in addition to binding pressure during panning ensures that the isolated VH binders are also non-aggregating. The genes encoding the desired VHs selected from the libraries are packaged within the phage particles, linking genotype and phenotype, hence making possible the identification of the selected VHs through identifying its physically linked genotype. Here, we describe the application of recombinant DNA and phage-display technologies for the construction of a phage-displayed human VH library, the panning of the library against a protein, and the expression, purification, and characterization of non-aggregating VHs isolated by panning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Arbabi-Ghahroudi
- National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Biological Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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47
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Ko K, Brodzik R, Steplewski Z. Production of Antibodies in Plants: Approaches and Perspectives. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2009; 332:55-78. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-70868-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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48
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Cytoplasmic expression and specific binding of the VH/VL single domain intrabodies in transfected NIH3T3 cells. Exp Mol Pathol 2008; 86:51-6. [PMID: 19094983 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2008.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2008] [Accepted: 11/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Intracellularly expressed antibody fragments (intrabodies) have been utilized as powerful tools not only for clinical applications but also for the functional analysis of proteins inside the cell. Among several types of intrabodies developed so far, single domain types composed of only the variable regions (V(H) or V(L)) of antibodies are the smallest and thus the easiest to design. In this study, four types of single domain intrabodies were evaluated against a cytosolic protein, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP), in gene-transfected NIH3T3 cells. These single domains were composed of the V(H) and V(L) region with or without their leader sequences. Although these single domains were expressed at similar levels in NIH3T3 cells, the binding activity to the cytosolic target was higher in the single domain constructs with leader sequences. These results suggest the usefulness of the single domain intrabody constructs to analyze the functional domains of cytosolic proteins in cells.
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49
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Müller-Schiffmann A, Petsch B, Leliveld SR, Muyrers J, Salwierz A, Mangels C, Schwarzinger S, Riesner D, Stitz L, Korth C. Complementarity determining regions of an anti-prion protein scFv fragment orchestrate conformation specificity and antiprion activity. Mol Immunol 2008; 46:532-40. [PMID: 18973947 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2008.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2008] [Revised: 07/16/2008] [Accepted: 07/17/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The prion protein, PrP, exists in several stable conformations, with the presence of one conformation, PrP(Sc), associated with transmissible neurodegenerative diseases. Targeting PrP by high-affinity ligands has been proven to be an effective way of preventing peripheral prion infections. Here, we have generated bacterially expressed single chain fragments of the variable domains (scFv) of a monoclonal antibody in Escherichia coli, originally raised against purified PrP(Sc) that recognizes both PrP(C) and PrP(Sc). This scFv fragment had a dissociation constant (K(D)) with recombinant PrP of 2 nM and cleared prions in ScN2a cells at 4 nM, as demonstrated by a mouse prion bioassay. A peptide corresponding to the complementarity determining region 3 of the heavy chain (CDR3H) selectively bound PrP(Sc) but had lost antiprion activity. However, synthesis and application of an improved peptide mimicking side chain topology of CDR3H while exhibiting increased protease resistance, a retro-inverso d-peptide of CDR3H, still bound PrP(Sc) and reinstated antiprion activity. We conclude that (1) scFvW226 is so far the smallest polypeptide with bioassay confirmed antiprion activity, and (2) differential conformation specificity and bioactivity can be regulated by orchestrating the participation of different CDRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Müller-Schiffmann
- Department Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Intrabodies binding the proline-rich domains of mutant huntingtin increase its turnover and reduce neurotoxicity. J Neurosci 2008; 28:9013-20. [PMID: 18768695 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2747-08.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Although expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats are inherently toxic, causing at least nine neurodegenerative diseases, the protein context determines which neurons are affected. The polyQ expansion that causes Huntington's disease (HD) is in the first exon (HDx-1) of huntingtin (Htt). However, other parts of the protein, including the 17 N-terminal amino acids and two proline (polyP) repeat domains, regulate the toxicity of mutant Htt. The role of the P-rich domain that is flanked by the polyP domains has not been explored. Using highly specific intracellular antibodies (intrabodies), we tested various epitopes for their roles in HDx-1 toxicity, aggregation, localization, and turnover. Three domains in the P-rich region (PRR) of HDx-1 are defined by intrabodies: MW7 binds the two polyP domains, and Happ1 and Happ3, two new intrabodies, bind the unique, P-rich epitope located between the two polyP epitopes. We find that the PRR-binding intrabodies, as well as V(L)12.3, which binds the N-terminal 17 aa, decrease the toxicity and aggregation of HDx-1, but they do so by different mechanisms. The PRR-binding intrabodies have no effect on Htt localization, but they cause a significant increase in the turnover rate of mutant Htt, which V(L)12.3 does not change. In contrast, expression of V(L)12.3 increases nuclear Htt. We propose that the PRR of mutant Htt regulates its stability, and that compromising this pathogenic epitope by intrabody binding represents a novel therapeutic strategy for treating HD. We also note that intrabody binding represents a powerful tool for determining the function of protein epitopes in living cells.
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