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Hart TM, Sonnert ND, Tang X, Chaurasia R, Allen PE, Hunt JR, Read CB, Johnson EE, Arora G, Dai Y, Cui Y, Chuang YM, Yu Q, Rahman MS, Mendes MT, Rolandelli A, Singh P, Tripathi AK, Ben Mamoun C, Caimano MJ, Radolf JD, Lin YP, Fingerle V, Margos G, Pal U, Johnson RM, Pedra JHF, Azad AF, Salje J, Dimopoulos G, Vinetz JM, Carlyon JA, Palm NW, Fikrig E, Ring AM. An atlas of human vector-borne microbe interactions reveals pathogenicity mechanisms. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00532-4. [PMID: 38876107 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide and pose a substantial unmet medical need. Pathogens binding to host extracellular proteins (the "exoproteome") represents a crucial interface in the etiology of vector-borne disease. Here, we used bacterial selection to elucidate host-microbe interactions in high throughput (BASEHIT)-a technique enabling interrogation of microbial interactions with 3,324 human exoproteins-to profile the interactomes of 82 human-pathogen samples, including 30 strains of arthropod-borne pathogens and 8 strains of related non-vector-borne pathogens. The resulting atlas revealed 1,303 putative interactions, including hundreds of pairings with potential roles in pathogenesis, including cell invasion, tissue colonization, immune evasion, and host sensing. Subsequent functional investigations uncovered that Lyme disease spirochetes recognize epidermal growth factor as an environmental cue of transcriptional regulation and that conserved interactions between intracellular pathogens and thioredoxins facilitate cell invasion. In summary, this interactome atlas provides molecular-level insights into microbial pathogenesis and reveals potential host-directed targets for next-generation therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Hart
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Nicole D Sonnert
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Xiaotian Tang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Reetika Chaurasia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Paige E Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Jason R Hunt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Curtis B Read
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Emily E Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Gunjan Arora
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yile Dai
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yingjun Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yu-Min Chuang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Qian Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - M Sayeedur Rahman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M Tays Mendes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Agustin Rolandelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Abhai K Tripathi
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Melissa J Caimano
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Justin D Radolf
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Immunology, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Munich 85764, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Gabriele Margos
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Munich 85764, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Raymond M Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Joao H F Pedra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Abdu F Azad
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeanne Salje
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joseph M Vinetz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Laboratorio ICEMR-Amazonia, Laboratorios de Investigación Y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias Y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru
| | - Jason A Carlyon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
| | - Noah W Palm
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Aaron M Ring
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98102, USA.
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Zhou J, Le CQ, Zhang Y, Wells JA. A general approach for selection of epitope-directed binders to proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317307121. [PMID: 38683990 PMCID: PMC11087759 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317307121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Directing antibodies to a particular epitope among many possible on a target protein is a significant challenge. Here, we present a simple and general method for epitope-directed selection (EDS) using a differential phage selection strategy. This involves engineering the protein of interest (POI) with the epitope of interest (EOI) mutated using a systematic bioinformatics algorithm to guide the local design of an EOI decoy variant. Using several alternating rounds of negative selection with the EOI decoy variant followed by positive selection on the wild-type POI, we were able to identify highly specific and potent antibodies to five different EOI antigens that bind and functionally block known sites of proteolysis. Among these, we developed highly specific antibodies that target the proteolytic site on the CUB domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1) to prevent its proteolysis allowing us to study the cellular maturation of this event that triggers malignancy. We generated antibodies that recognize the junction between the pro- and catalytic domains for three different matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), MMP1, MMP3, and MMP9, that selectively block activation of each of these enzymes and impair cell migration. We targeted a proteolytic epitope on the cell surface receptor, EPH Receptor A2 (EphA2), that is known to transform it from a tumor suppressor to an oncoprotein. We believe that the EDS method greatly facilitates the generation of antibodies to specific EOIs on a wide range of proteins and enzymes for broad therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Chau Q. Le
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - James A. Wells
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94158
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA94158
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94158
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3
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Asama R, Liu CJS, Tominaga M, Cheng YR, Nakamura Y, Kondo A, Wang HY, Ishii J. Droplet-based microfluidic platform for detecting agonistic peptides that are self-secreted by yeast expressing a G-protein-coupled receptor. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:104. [PMID: 38594681 PMCID: PMC11005146 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02379-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single-cell droplet microfluidics is an important platform for high-throughput analyses and screening because it provides an independent and compartmentalized microenvironment for reaction or cultivation by coencapsulating individual cells with various molecules in monodisperse microdroplets. In combination with microbial biosensors, this technology becomes a potent tool for the screening of mutant strains. In this study, we demonstrated that a genetically engineered yeast strain that can fluorescently sense agonist ligands via the heterologous expression of a human G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and concurrently secrete candidate peptides is highly compatible with single-cell droplet microfluidic technology for the high-throughput screening of new agonistically active peptides. RESULTS The water-in-oil microdroplets were generated using a flow-focusing microfluidic chip to encapsulate engineered yeast cells coexpressing a human GPCR [i.e., angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1)] and a secretory agonistic peptide [i.e., angiotensin II (Ang II)]. The single yeast cells cultured in the droplets were then observed under a microscope and analyzed using image processing incorporating machine learning techniques. The AGTR1-mediated signal transduction elicited by the self-secreted Ang II peptide was successfully detected via the expression of a fluorescent reporter in single-cell yeast droplet cultures. The system could also distinguish Ang II analog peptides with different agonistic activities. Notably, we further demonstrated that the microenvironment of the single-cell droplet culture enabled the detection of rarely existing positive (Ang II-secreting) yeast cells in the model mixed cell library, whereas the conventional batch-culture environment using a shake flask failed to do so. Thus, our approach provided compartmentalized microculture environments, which can prevent the diffusion, dilution, and cross-contamination of peptides secreted from individual single yeast cells for the easy identification of GPCR agonists. CONCLUSIONS We established a droplet-based microfluidic platform that integrated an engineered yeast biosensor strain that concurrently expressed GPCR and self-secreted the agonistic peptides. This offers individually isolated microenvironments that allow the culture of single yeast cells secreting these peptides and gaging their signaling activities, for the high-throughput screening of agonistic peptides. Our platform base on yeast GPCR biosensors and droplet microfluidics will be widely applicable to metabolic engineering, environmental engineering, and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ririka Asama
- Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Cher J S Liu
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
| | - Masahiro Tominaga
- Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Yu-Ru Cheng
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yasuyuki Nakamura
- Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
- Bacchus Bio Innovation Co., Ltd., 6-3-7 Minatojima-Minami, Chuo, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kondo
- Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
- Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Tsurumi, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hsiang-Yu Wang
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Jun Ishii
- Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan.
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan.
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4
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Buzas D, Sun H, Toelzer C, Yadav SKN, Borucu U, Gautam G, Gupta K, Bufton JC, Capin J, Sessions RB, Garzoni F, Berger I, Schaffitzel C. Engineering the ADDobody protein scaffold for generation of high-avidity ADDomer super-binders. Structure 2024; 32:342-351.e6. [PMID: 38198950 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Adenovirus-derived nanoparticles (ADDomer) comprise 60 copies of adenovirus penton base protein (PBP). ADDomer is thermostable, rendering the storage, transport, and deployment of ADDomer-based therapeutics independent of a cold chain. To expand the scope of ADDomers for new applications, we engineered ADDobodies, representing PBP crown domain, genetically separated from PBP multimerization domain. We inserted heterologous sequences into hyper-variable loops, resulting in monomeric, thermostable ADDobodies expressed at high yields in Escherichia coli. The X-ray structure of an ADDobody prototype validated our design. ADDobodies can be used in ribosome display experiments to select a specific binder against a target, with an enrichment factor of ∼104-fold per round. ADDobodies can be re-converted into ADDomers by genetically reconnecting the selected ADDobody with the PBP multimerization domain from a different species, giving rise to a multivalent nanoparticle, called Chimera, confirmed by a 2.2 Å electron cryo-microscopy structure. Chimera comprises 60 binding sites, resulting in ultra-high, picomolar avidity to the target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Buzas
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Huan Sun
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Christine Toelzer
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Sathish K N Yadav
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Ufuk Borucu
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Gunjan Gautam
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Kapil Gupta
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Imophoron Ltd, Science Creates Old Market, Midland Road, Bristol BS2 0JZ, UK
| | - Joshua C Bufton
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Julien Capin
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Richard B Sessions
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Frederic Garzoni
- Imophoron Ltd, Science Creates Old Market, Midland Road, Bristol BS2 0JZ, UK
| | - Imre Berger
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
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5
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Martinusen SG, Denard CA. Leveraging yeast sequestration to study and engineer posttranslational modification enzymes. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:903-914. [PMID: 38079116 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes that catalyze posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of peptides and proteins (PTM-enzymes)-proteases, protein ligases, oxidoreductases, kinases, and other transferases-are foundational to our understanding of health and disease and empower applications in chemical biology, synthetic biology, and biomedicine. To fully harness the potential of PTM-enzymes, there is a critical need to decipher their enzymatic and biological mechanisms, develop molecules that can probe and modulate them, and endow them with improved and novel functions. These objectives are contingent upon implementation of high-throughput functional screens and selections that interrogate large sequence libraries to isolate desired PTM-enzyme properties. This review discusses the principles of Saccharomyces cerevisiae organelle sequestration to study and engineer PTM-enzymes. These include outer membrane sequestration, specifically methods that modify yeast surface display, and cytoplasmic sequestration based on enzyme-mediated transcription activation. Furthermore, we present a detailed discussion of yeast endoplasmic reticulum sequestration for the first time. Where appropriate, we highlight the major features and limitations of different systems, specifically how they can measure and control enzyme catalytic efficiencies. Taken together, yeast-based high-throughput sequestration approaches significantly lower the barrier to understanding how PTM-enzymes function and how to reprogram them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha G Martinusen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Carl A Denard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Ma P, Zhang S, Huang Q, Gu Y, Zhou Z, Hou W, Yi W, Xu H. Evolution of chemistry and selection technology for DNA-encoded library. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:492-516. [PMID: 38322331 PMCID: PMC10840438 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA-encoded chemical library (DEL) links the power of amplifiable genetics and the non-self-replicating chemical phenotypes, generating a diverse chemical world. In analogy with the biological world, the DEL world can evolve by using a chemical central dogma, wherein DNA replicates using the PCR reactions to amplify the genetic codes, DNA sequencing transcripts the genetic information, and DNA-compatible synthesis translates into chemical phenotypes. Importantly, DNA-compatible synthesis is the key to expanding the DEL chemical space. Besides, the evolution-driven selection system pushes the chemicals to evolve under the selective pressure, i.e., desired selection strategies. In this perspective, we summarized recent advances in expanding DEL synthetic toolbox and panning strategies, which will shed light on the drug discovery harnessing in vitro evolution of chemicals via DEL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peixiang Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shuning Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qianping Huang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yuang Gu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhi Zhou
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Wei Hou
- College of Pharmaceutical Science and Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Wei Yi
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Hongtao Xu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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7
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Hao Y, Yan J, Fraser C, Jiang A, Anuganti M, Zhang R, Lloyd K, Jardine J, Coppola J, Meijers R, Li J, Springer TA. Synthetic integrin antibodies discovered by yeast display reveal αV subunit pairing preferences with β subunits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.26.577394. [PMID: 38328192 PMCID: PMC10849667 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.26.577394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Eight of the 24 integrin heterodimers bind to the tripeptide Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif in their extracellular ligands, and play essential roles in cell adhesion, migration, and homeostasis. Despite similarity in recognizing the RGD motif and some redundancy, these integrins can selectively recognize RGD-containing ligands including fibronectin, vitronectin, fibrinogen, nephronectin and the prodomain of the transforming growth factors to fulfill specific functions in cellular processes. Subtype-specific antibodies against RGD-binding integrins are desirable for investigating their specific functions. In this study, we discovered 11 antibodies that exhibit high specificity and affinity towards integrins αVβ3, αVβ5, αVβ6, αVβ8, and α5β1 from a synthetic yeast-displayed Fab library. Of these, 6 are function-blocking antibodies containing an R(G/L/T) D motif in their CDR3 sequences. We report antibody binding specificity, kinetics, and binding affinity for purified integrin ectodomains as well as intact integrins on the cell surface. We further employed these antibodies to reveal binding preferences of the αV subunit for its 5 β-subunit partners: β6=β8>β3>β1=β5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Hao
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiabin Yan
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Courtney Fraser
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aiping Jiang
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Murali Anuganti
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, 4 Blackfan Circle, Room 921, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Roushu Zhang
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, 4 Blackfan Circle, Room 921, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Kenneth Lloyd
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, 4 Blackfan Circle, Room 921, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Joseph Jardine
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, 4 Blackfan Circle, Room 921, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jessica Coppola
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, 4 Blackfan Circle, Room 921, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Rob Meijers
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, 4 Blackfan Circle, Room 921, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jing Li
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Timothy A. Springer
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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8
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Mustafa MI, Alzebair AA, Mohammed A. Development of Recombinant Antibody by Yeast Surface Display Technology. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PHARMACOLOGY AND DRUG DISCOVERY 2024; 6:100174. [PMID: 38318280 PMCID: PMC10839864 DOI: 10.1016/j.crphar.2024.100174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant antibodies have emerged as powerful tools in various fields, including therapeutics, diagnostics, and research applications. The selection of high-affinity antibodies with desired specificity is a crucial step in the development of recombinant antibody-based products. In recent years, yeast surface display technology has gained significant attention as a robust and versatile platform for antibody selection. This graphical review provides an overview of the yeast surface display technology and its applications in recombinant antibody selection. We discuss the key components involved in the construction of yeast surface display libraries, including the antibody gene libraries, yeast host strains, and display vectors. Furthermore, we highlight the strategies employed for affinity maturation and optimization of recombinant antibodies using yeast surface display. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of this technology compared to other antibody selection methods. Overall, yeast surface display technology offers a powerful and efficient approach for the selection of recombinant antibodies, enabling the rapid generation of high-affinity antibodies for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mujahed I. Mustafa
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Applied and Industrial Sciences, University of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Awad A. Alzebair
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
| | - Ahmed Mohammed
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
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9
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Hao Y, Yan J, Fraser C, Jiang A, Anuganti M, Zhang R, Lloyd K, Jardine J, Coppola J, Meijers R, Li J, Springer TA. Synthetic integrin antibodies discovered by yeast display reveal αV subunit pairing preferences with β subunits. MAbs 2024; 16:2365891. [PMID: 38889315 PMCID: PMC11188837 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2024.2365891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Integrins are cell surface receptors that mediate the interactions of cells with their surroundings and play essential roles in cell adhesion, migration, and homeostasis. Eight of the 24 integrins bind to the tripeptide Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif in their extracellular ligands, comprising the RGD-binding integrin subfamily. Despite similarity in recognizing the RGD motif and some redundancy, these integrins can selectively recognize RGD-containing ligands to fulfill specific functions in cellular processes. Antibodies against individual RGD-binding integrins are desirable for investigating their specific functions, and were selected here from a synthetic yeast-displayed Fab library. We discovered 11 antibodies that exhibit high specificity and affinity toward their target integrins, i.e. αVβ3, αVβ5, αVβ6, αVβ8, and α5β1. Of these, six are function-blocking antibodies and contain a ligand-mimetic R(G/L/T)D motif in their CDR3 sequences. We report antibody-binding specificity, kinetics, and binding affinity for purified integrin ectodomains, as well as intact integrins on the cell surface. We further used these antibodies to reveal binding preferences of the αV subunit for its 5 β-subunit partners: β6 = β8 > β3 > β1 = β5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Hao
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiabin Yan
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Courtney Fraser
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aiping Jiang
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Roushu Zhang
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Rob Meijers
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Li
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Timothy A. Springer
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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Shoari A, Khalili-Tanha G, Coban MA, Radisky ES. Structure and computation-guided yeast surface display for the evolution of TIMP-based matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1321956. [PMID: 38074088 PMCID: PMC10702220 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1321956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and the engineering of protein-based inhibitors often employ two distinct strategies. One approach leverages the power of combinatorial libraries, displaying large ensembles of mutant proteins, for example, on the yeast cell surface, to select binders. Another approach harnesses computational modeling, sifting through an astronomically large number of protein sequences and attempting to predict the impact of mutations on PPI binding energy. Individually, each approach has inherent limitations, but when combined, they generate superior outcomes across diverse protein engineering endeavors. This synergistic integration of approaches aids in identifying novel binders and inhibitors, fine-tuning specificity and affinity for known binding partners, and detailed mapping of binding epitopes. It can also provide insight into the specificity profiles of varied PPIs. Here, we outline strategies for directing the evolution of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which act as natural inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). We highlight examples wherein design of combinatorial TIMP libraries using structural and computational insights and screening these libraries of variants using yeast surface display (YSD), has successfully optimized for MMP binding and selectivity, and conferred insight into the PPIs involved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Evette S. Radisky
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
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11
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Nguyen PTT, Dinh TT, Tran-Van H. Construction of L-type lectin displaying Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Vibrio parahaemolyticus agglutination. Int Microbiol 2023:10.1007/s10123-023-00440-3. [PMID: 37889383 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-023-00440-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The utilization of Aga1P anchor protein in the display system for expressing heterologous proteins on the surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been shown to be an ideal approach. This system has the ability to improve the expression of target proteins beyond the cell surface, resulting in increased activity and stability of the expression system. Recent studies have demonstrated that a new L-type lectin from Litopenaeus vannamei (LvLTLC1) has been found to possess the capability of agglutinating Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a pathogen responsible for causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in shrimp. In this study, LvLTLC1 protein was designed to be expressed on the surface of S. cerevisiae via Aga1P anchor. The expression of LvLTLC1 protein on the surface of S. cerevisiae::pYIP-LvLTLC1-Aga1P was confirmed through the use of analytical techniques including SDS-PAGE, dot blot, and fluorescent immunoassay with LvLTC1-specific antibody. Subsequently, the newly generated yeast strain was evaluated for its ability to agglutinate V. parahaemolyticus and A. hydrophila. The obtained results indicated that S. cerevisiae expressing LvLTLC1 protein on its surface had the ability to agglutinate both AHPND-causing V. parahaemolyticus and A. hydrophila. This newly generated yeast strain could be served as a feed supplement for controlling bacteria in general and AHPND in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong-Thao Thi Nguyen
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology; Laboratory of Biosensors, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology, Tien Giang University, My Tho, Vietnam
| | - Thuan-Thien Dinh
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology; Laboratory of Biosensors, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Hieu Tran-Van
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology; Laboratory of Biosensors, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
- Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
- Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
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12
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Sun Y, Zhang Y, Yu H, Saint Fleur A, Yu D, Yang Z, Feng H. A fine-tuned yeast surface-display/secretion platform enables the rapid discovery of neutralizing antibodies against Clostridioides difficile toxins. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:194. [PMID: 37749574 PMCID: PMC10519002 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02200-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neutralizing antibody plays a key role in protecting hosts from invasive pathogens and their virulent components. Current high-throughput assays for antibody screening are based on binding activities. However, those antibodies with high affinity may not have neutralizing activities. Subsequent functionality assays are necessary to identify neutralizing antibodies from binders with high affinity to their target antigens, which is laborious and time-consuming. Therefore, a versatile platform that can rapidly identify antibodies with both high binding affinity and neutralizing activity is desired to curb future pandemics like COVID-19. RESULTS In this proof-of-concept study, we adapted Saccharomyces cerevisiae to either display human antibodies on the yeast surface or secrete soluble antibodies into the cultivation supernatant under a controllable 'switch' through different carbon source induced promoters. Initially, an engineered chimeric-bispecific Fab antibody, derived from humanized nanobodies against both Clostridioides difficile toxin A and B (TcdA and TcdB), was successfully expressed either on the yeast cell surface or in the culture medium with intact bioactivity, suggesting the applicability of our system in antibody display and secretion. Next, a combinatorial Fab library was constructed from B cells isolated from a convalescent patient with a high serological neutralizing titer against TcdB. Following three rounds of magnetic bead enrichment and one round of flow cytometry sorting, antibodies against TcdB were enriched efficiently. We then sorted out single binders with high binding affinity and induced them to express soluble antibodies in culture medium. The neutralizing activity of culture supernatant was analyzed using cell-based assay immediately. This way, we rapidly identified two unique neutralizers (out of seven binders) that can neutralize the cytotoxicity of TcdB. CONCLUSION The antibody screening platform described here simplifies the neutralizing antibody discovery procedure and will be an attractive alternative for screening functional antibodies against infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Sun
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
| | - Yongrong Zhang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Hua Yu
- Fzata, Inc, Halethorpe, MD, 21227, USA
| | - Ashley Saint Fleur
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Di Yu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | | | - Hanping Feng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Fzata, Inc, Halethorpe, MD, 21227, USA.
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13
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Martinić Cezar T, Lozančić M, Novačić A, Matičević A, Matijević D, Vallée B, Mrša V, Teparić R, Žunar B. Streamlining N-terminally anchored yeast surface display via structural insights into S. cerevisiae Pir proteins. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:174. [PMID: 37679759 PMCID: PMC10483737 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02183-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface display co-opts yeast's innate ability to embellish its cell wall with mannoproteins, thus converting the yeast's outer surface into a growing and self-sustaining catalyst. However, the efficient toolbox for converting the enzyme of interest into its surface-displayed isoform is currently lacking, especially if the isoform needs to be anchored to the cell wall near the isoform's N-terminus, e.g., through a short GPI-independent protein anchor. Aiming to advance such N-terminally anchored surface display, we employed in silico and machine-learning strategies to study the 3D structure, function, genomic organisation, and evolution of the Pir protein family, whose members evolved to covalently attach themselves near their N-terminus to the β-1,3-glucan of the cell wall. Through the newly-gained insights, we rationally engineered 14 S. cerevisiae Hsp150 (Pir2)-based fusion proteins. We quantified their performance, uncovering guidelines for efficient yeast surface display while developing a construct that promoted a 2.5-fold more efficient display of a reporter protein than the full-length Hsp150. Moreover, we developed a Pir-tag, i.e., a peptide spanning only 4.5 kDa but promoting as efficient surface display of a reporter protein as the full-length Hsp150. These constructs fortify the existing surface display toolbox, allowing for a prompt and routine refitting of intracellular proteins into their N-terminally anchored isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Martinić Cezar
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Mateja Lozančić
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Ana Novačić
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Ana Matičević
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Dominik Matijević
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Béatrice Vallée
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), CNRS, University of Orléans and INSERM, Orléans Cedex 2, UPR, 4301, 45071, France
| | - Vladimir Mrša
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Renata Teparić
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Bojan Žunar
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia.
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14
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Tomazini A, Shifman JM. Targeting Ras with protein engineering. Oncotarget 2023; 14:672-687. [PMID: 37395750 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras proteins are small GTPases that regulate cell growth and division. Mutations in Ras genes are associated with many types of cancer, making them attractive targets for cancer therapy. Despite extensive efforts, targeting Ras proteins with small molecules has been extremely challenging due to Ras's mostly flat surface and lack of small molecule-binding cavities. These challenges were recently overcome by the development of the first covalent small-molecule anti-Ras drug, sotorasib, highlighting the efficacy of Ras inhibition as a therapeutic strategy. However, this drug exclusively inhibits the Ras G12C mutant, which is not a prevalent mutation in most cancer types. Unlike the G12C variant, other Ras oncogenic mutants lack reactive cysteines, rendering them unsuitable for targeting via the same strategy. Protein engineering has emerged as a promising method to target Ras, as engineered proteins have the ability to recognize various surfaces with high affinity and specificity. Over the past few years, scientists have engineered antibodies, natural Ras effectors, and novel binding domains to bind to Ras and counteract its carcinogenic activities via a variety of strategies. These include inhibiting Ras-effector interactions, disrupting Ras dimerization, interrupting Ras nucleotide exchange, stimulating Ras interaction with tumor suppressor genes, and promoting Ras degradation. In parallel, significant advancements have been made in intracellular protein delivery, enabling the delivery of the engineered anti-Ras agents into the cellular cytoplasm. These advances offer a promising path for targeting Ras proteins and other challenging drug targets, opening up new opportunities for drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atilio Tomazini
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Julia M Shifman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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15
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Konakbayeva D, Karlsson AJ. Strategies and opportunities for engineering antifungal peptides for therapeutic applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 81:102926. [PMID: 37028003 PMCID: PMC10229436 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Antifungal peptides (AFPs) are widely described as promising prospects to treat and prevent fungal infections, though they are far less studied than their antibacterial counterparts. Although promising, AFPs have practical limitations that have hindered their use as therapeutics. Rational design and combinatorial engineering are powerful protein engineering strategies with much potential to address the limitations of AFPs by designing peptides with improved physiochemical and biological characteristics. We examine how rational design and combinatorial engineering approaches have already been used to improve the properties of AFPs and propose key opportunities for applying these strategies to push the design and application of AFPs forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinara Konakbayeva
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), 4418 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Amy J Karlsson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 2113 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building (#090), 4418 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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16
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Moulana A, Dupic T, Phillips AM, Desai MM. Genotype-phenotype landscapes for immune-pathogen coevolution. Trends Immunol 2023; 44:384-396. [PMID: 37024340 PMCID: PMC10147585 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Our immune systems constantly coevolve with the pathogens that challenge them, as pathogens adapt to evade our defense responses, with our immune repertoires shifting in turn. These coevolutionary dynamics take place across a vast and high-dimensional landscape of potential pathogen and immune receptor sequence variants. Mapping the relationship between these genotypes and the phenotypes that determine immune-pathogen interactions is crucial for understanding, predicting, and controlling disease. Here, we review recent developments applying high-throughput methods to create large libraries of immune receptor and pathogen protein sequence variants and measure relevant phenotypes. We describe several approaches that probe different regions of the high-dimensional sequence space and comment on how combinations of these methods may offer novel insight into immune-pathogen coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alief Moulana
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Thomas Dupic
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Angela M Phillips
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michael M Desai
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; NSF-Simons Center for Mathematical and Statistical Analysis of Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Quantitative Biology Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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17
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Goudy OJ, Peng A, Tripathy A, Kuhlman B. Design of a protease-activated PD-L1 inhibitor. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4578. [PMID: 36705186 PMCID: PMC9926466 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors that bind to the cell surface receptor PD-L1 are effective anti-cancer agents but suffer from immune-related adverse events as PD-L1 is expressed on both healthy and cancer cells. To mitigate toxicity, researchers are testing prodrugs that have low affinity for checkpoint targets until activated with proteases enriched in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we engineer a prodrug form of a PD-L1 inhibitor. The inhibitor is a soluble PD-1 mimetic that was previously engineered to have high affinity for PD-L1. In the basal state, the binding surface of the PD-1 mimetic is masked by fusing it to a soluble variant of its natural ligand, PD-L1. Proteolytic cleavage of the linker that connects the mask to the inhibitor activates the molecule. To optimize the mask so that it effectively blocks binding to PD-L1 but releases upon cleavage, we tested a set of mutants with varied affinity for the inhibitor. The top-performing mask reduces the affinity of the prodrug for PD-L1 120-fold, and binding is nearly fully recovered upon cleavage. In a cell-based assay measuring inhibition of the PD-1:PD-L1 interaction on the surface of cells, the IC50s of the masked inhibitors were up to 40-fold higher than their protease-treated counterparts. The changes in activity we observe upon protease treatment are comparable to systems currently tested in the clinic and provide evidence that natural binding partners are an excellent starting point for creating a prodrug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odessa J. Goudy
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of North Carolina School of MedicineChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Alice Peng
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of North Carolina School of MedicineChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Ashutosh Tripathy
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of North Carolina School of MedicineChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Brian Kuhlman
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of North Carolina School of MedicineChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
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18
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Gristick HB, Hartweger H, Loewe M, van Schooten J, Ramos V, Oliviera TY, Nishimura Y, Koranda NS, Wall A, Yao KH, Poston D, Gazumyan A, Wiatr M, Horning M, Keeffe JR, Hoffmann MA, Yang Z, Abernathy ME, Dam KMA, Gao H, Gnanapragasam PN, Kakutani LM, Pavlovitch-Bedzyk AJ, Seaman MS, Howarth M, McGuire AT, Stamatatos L, Martin MA, West AP, Nussenzweig MC, Bjorkman PJ. CD4 binding site immunogens elicit heterologous anti-HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies in transgenic and wild-type animals. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eade6364. [PMID: 36763635 PMCID: PMC10202037 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.ade6364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Passive transfer of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies (bNAbs) protects against infection, and therefore, eliciting bNAbs by vaccination is a major goal of HIV-1 vaccine efforts. bNAbs that target the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) on HIV-1 Env are among the most broadly active, but to date, responses elicited against this epitope in vaccinated animals have lacked potency and breadth. We hypothesized that CD4bs bNAbs resembling the antibody IOMA might be easier to elicit than other CD4bs antibodies that exhibit higher somatic mutation rates, a difficult-to-achieve mechanism to accommodate Env's N276gp120 N-glycan, and rare five-residue light chain complementarity-determining region 3. As an initial test of this idea, we developed IOMA germline-targeting Env immunogens and evaluated a sequential immunization regimen in transgenic mice expressing germline-reverted IOMA. These mice developed CD4bs epitope-specific responses with heterologous neutralization, and cloned antibodies overcame neutralization roadblocks, including accommodating the N276gp120 glycan, with some neutralizing selected HIV-1 strains more potently than IOMA. The immunization regimen also elicited CD4bs-specific responses in mice containing polyclonal antibody repertoires as well as rabbits and rhesus macaques. Thus, germline targeting of IOMA-class antibody precursors represents a potential vaccine strategy to induce CD4bs bNAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry B. Gristick
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Harald Hartweger
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Maximilian Loewe
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jelle van Schooten
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Victor Ramos
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Thiago Y. Oliviera
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yoshiaki Nishimura
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nicholas S. Koranda
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Abigail Wall
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Kai-Hui Yao
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel Poston
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna Gazumyan
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Marie Wiatr
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Marcel Horning
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Keeffe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Magnus A.G. Hoffmann
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Zhi Yang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Morgan E. Abernathy
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kim-Marie A. Dam
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Han Gao
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - Leesa M. Kakutani
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - Michael S. Seaman
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mark Howarth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Andrew T. McGuire
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Leonidas Stamatatos
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Malcolm A. Martin
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anthony P. West
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michel C. Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pamela J. Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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19
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Wallon L, Khan I, Teng KW, Koide A, Zuberi M, Li J, Ketavarapu G, Traaseth NJ, O’Bryan JP, Koide S. Inhibition of RAS-driven signaling and tumorigenesis with a pan-RAS monobody targeting the Switch I/II pocket. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204481119. [PMID: 36252024 PMCID: PMC9618066 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204481119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RAS mutants are major therapeutic targets in oncology with few efficacious direct inhibitors available. The identification of a shallow pocket near the Switch II region on RAS has led to the development of small-molecule drugs that target this site and inhibit KRAS(G12C) and KRAS(G12D). To discover other regions on RAS that may be targeted for inhibition, we have employed small synthetic binding proteins termed monobodies that have a strong propensity to bind to functional sites on a target protein. Here, we report a pan-RAS monobody, termed JAM20, that bound to all RAS isoforms with nanomolar affinity and demonstrated limited nucleotide-state specificity. Upon intracellular expression, JAM20 potently inhibited signaling mediated by all RAS isoforms and reduced oncogenic RAS-mediated tumorigenesis in vivo. NMR and mutation analysis determined that JAM20 bound to a pocket between Switch I and II, which is similarly targeted by low-affinity, small-molecule inhibitors, such as BI-2852, whose in vivo efficacy has not been demonstrated. Furthermore, JAM20 directly competed with both the RAF(RBD) and BI-2852. These results provide direct validation of targeting the Switch I/II pocket for inhibiting RAS-driven tumorigenesis. More generally, these results demonstrate the utility of tool biologics as probes for discovering and validating druggable sites on challenging targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Wallon
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | - Imran Khan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401
| | - Kai Wen Teng
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | - Akiko Koide
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Mariyam Zuberi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401
| | - Jianping Li
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Gayatri Ketavarapu
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
| | | | - John P. O’Bryan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401
| | - Shohei Koide
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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20
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Seo H, Lubis ADM, Lee S. A Novel Specific Single-Chain Variable Fragment Diagnostic System for Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 24:979-990. [PMID: 36071349 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-022-10161-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), one of the most important viral marine pathogens worldwide, has a broad range of hosts, such as members of the families Salmonidae and Paralichthyidae. In addition to being highly contagious, VHSV causes high lethality. The transmission of VHSV can be both vertical and horizontal. In fish, the resolution of VHSV infection is challenging. Thus, early diagnosis of VHSV infections is critical, especially in fish farms that have a high population of juvenile fish. Serological methods are commonly used to detect viral antigens. However, limited serological methods are available for marine viruses. In this study, a VHSV-specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv), E5, was selected using the yeast surface display and phage display systems. scFv, a type of recombinant antibody, comprises a variable heavy chain ([Formula: see text]) and a variable light chain ([Formula: see text]) connected by a polypeptide linker. An scFv clone was selected from the VHSV glycoprotein-expressing yeast cells using the bio-panning method. The scFv-encoding gene was subcloned and expressed in the Escherichia coli expression system. The binding affinity of the expressed and purified scFv protein was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting. Thus, this study reported a method to identify VHSV-specific scFv using bio-panning that can be utilized to develop a diagnostic system for other viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneul Seo
- Celtech Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Andre Ditya Maulana Lubis
- Celtech Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sukchan Lee
- Celtech Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
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21
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Weidenbacher PAB, Waltari E, de Los Rios Kobara I, Bell BN, Morris MK, Cheng YC, Hanson C, Pak JE, Kim PS. Converting non-neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies into broad-spectrum inhibitors. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:1270-1276. [PMID: 36076082 PMCID: PMC9596371 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01140-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Omicron and its subvariants have rendered most authorized monoclonal antibody-based treatments for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ineffective, highlighting the need for biologics capable of overcoming SARS-CoV-2 evolution. These mostly ineffective antibodies target variable epitopes. Here we describe broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors developed by tethering the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), to known non-neutralizing antibodies that target highly conserved epitopes in the viral spike protein. These inhibitors, called receptor-blocking conserved non-neutralizing antibodies (ReconnAbs), potently neutralize all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including Omicron. Neutralization potency is lost when the linker joining the binding and inhibitory ReconnAb components is severed. In addition, a bi-functional ReconnAb, made by linking ACE2 to a bi-specific antibody targeting two non-overlapping conserved epitopes, defined here, shows sub-nanomolar neutralizing activity against all VOCs, including Omicron and BA.2. Given their conserved targets and modular nature, ReconnAbs have the potential to act as broad-spectrum therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pandemic diseases. ![]()
SARS-CoV-2 spike-directed, non-neutralizing antibodies were converted into broad-spectrum inhibitors by conjugation to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2, resulting in fusion proteins that target all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payton A-B Weidenbacher
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Benjamin N Bell
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Ya-Chen Cheng
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Carl Hanson
- California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USA
| | - John E Pak
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Peter S Kim
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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22
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Dhakal S, Macreadie I. The Use of Yeast in Biosensing. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10091772. [PMID: 36144374 PMCID: PMC9505958 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10091772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Yeast has been used as a model for several diseases as it is the simplest unicellular eukaryote, safe and easy to culture and harbors most of the fundamental processes that are present in almost all higher eukaryotes, including humans. From understanding the pathogenesis of disease to drug discovery studies, yeast has served as an important biosensor. It is not only due to the conservation of genetics, amenable modification of its genome and easily accessible analytical methods, but also some characteristic features such as its ability to survive with defective mitochondria, making it a highly flexible microbe for designing whole-cell biosensing systems. The aim of this review is to report on how yeasts have been utilized as biosensors, reporting on responses to various stimuli.
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23
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Fryer T, Rogers JD, Mellor C, Kohler TN, Minter R, Hollfelder F. Gigavalent Display of Proteins on Monodisperse Polyacrylamide Hydrogels as a Versatile Modular Platform for Functional Assays and Protein Engineering. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2022; 8:1182-1195. [PMID: 36032770 PMCID: PMC9413441 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c00576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The assembly of robust, modular biological components into complex functional systems is central to synthetic biology. Here, we apply modular "plug and play" design principles to a solid-phase protein display system that facilitates protein purification and functional assays. Specifically, we capture proteins on polyacrylamide hydrogel display beads (PHD beads) made in microfluidic droplet generators. These monodisperse PHD beads are decorated with predefined amounts of anchors, methacrylate-PEG-benzylguanine (BG) and methacrylate-PEG-chloroalkane (CA), that react covalently with SNAP-/Halo-tag fusion proteins, respectively, in a specific, orthogonal, and stable fashion. Anchors, and thus proteins, are distributed throughout the entire bead volume, allowing attachment of ∼109 protein molecules per bead (⌀ 20 μm) -a higher density than achievable with commercial surface-modified beads. We showcase a diverse array of protein modules that enable the secondary capture of proteins, either noncovalently (IgG and SUMO-tag) or covalently (SpyCatcher, SpyTag, SnpCatcher, and SnpTag), in mono- and multivalent display formats. Solid-phase protein binding and enzymatic assays are carried out, and incorporating the photocleavable protein PhoCl enables the controlled release of modules via visible-light irradiation for functional assays in solution. We utilize photocleavage for valency engineering of an anti-TRAIL-R1 scFv, enhancing its apoptosis-inducing potency ∼50-fold through pentamerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Fryer
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
- Antibody
Discovery and Protein Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Milstein
Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Joel David Rogers
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
- Antibody
Discovery and Protein Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Milstein
Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Mellor
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Timo N. Kohler
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Ralph Minter
- Antibody
Discovery and Protein Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Milstein
Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
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24
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Gätjen D, Tomszak F, Dettmann JC, Droste M, Nölle V, Wieczorek M. Design of a novel switchable antibody display system in Pichia pastoris. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:6209-6224. [PMID: 35953606 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12108-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Yeast surface display (YSD) has been shown to represent a powerful tool in the field of antibody discovery and engineering as well as for selection of high producer clones. However, YSD is predominantly applied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas expression of heterologous proteins is generally favored in the non-canonical yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii). Establishment of surface display in P. pastoris would therefore enable antibody selection and expression in a single host. Here we describe the generation of a Pichia surface display (PSD) system based on antibody expression from episomal plasmids. By screening a diverse set of expression vectors using Design of Experiments (DoE), the effect of different genetic elements on the surface expression of antibody fragments was analyzed. Among the tested genetic elements, we found that the combination of P. pastoris formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FLD1) promoter, S. cerevisiae invertase 2 signal peptide (SUC2), and α-agglutinin cell wall protein (SAG1) including an autonomously replicating sequence of Kluyveromyces lactis (panARS) were contributing most strongly to higher display levels of three tested antibody fragments. Employing this combination resulted in the display of antibody fragments for up to 25% of cells. Despite significantly reduced expression levels in PSD compared to well-established YSD in S. cerevisiae, similar fractions of antigen binding single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) were observed (80% vs. 84%). In addition, plasmid stability assays and flow cytometric analysis demonstrated the efficient plasmid clearance of cells and associated loss of antibody fragment display after removal of selective pressure. KEY POINTS: • First report of antibody display in P. pastoris using episomal plasmids. • Identification of genetic elements conferring highest levels of antibody display. • Comparable antigen binding capacity of displayed scFvs for PSD compared to YSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Gätjen
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429, Bergisch, Gladbach, Germany
| | - Florian Tomszak
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429, Bergisch, Gladbach, Germany
| | | | - Miriam Droste
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429, Bergisch, Gladbach, Germany
| | - Volker Nölle
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429, Bergisch, Gladbach, Germany
| | - Marek Wieczorek
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 68, 51429, Bergisch, Gladbach, Germany.
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25
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Understanding and Modulating Antibody Fine Specificity: Lessons from Combinatorial Biology. Antibodies (Basel) 2022; 11:antib11030048. [PMID: 35892708 PMCID: PMC9326607 DOI: 10.3390/antib11030048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Combinatorial biology methods such as phage and yeast display, suitable for the generation and screening of huge numbers of protein fragments and mutated variants, have been useful when dissecting the molecular details of the interactions between antibodies and their target antigens (mainly those of protein nature). The relevance of these studies goes far beyond the mere description of binding interfaces, as the information obtained has implications for the understanding of the chemistry of antibody–antigen binding reactions and the biological effects of antibodies. Further modification of the interactions through combinatorial methods to manipulate the key properties of antibodies (affinity and fine specificity) can result in the emergence of novel research tools and optimized therapeutics.
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26
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Holec PV, Camacho KV, Breuckman KC, Mou J, Birnbaum ME. Proteome-Scale Screening to Identify High-Expression Signal Peptides with Minimal N-Terminus Biases via Yeast Display. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2405-2416. [PMID: 35687717 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Signal peptides are critical for the efficient expression and routing of extracellular and secreted proteins. Most protein production and screening technologies rely upon a relatively small set of signal peptides. Despite their central role in biotechnology, there are limited studies comprehensively examining the interplay between signal peptides and expressed protein sequences. Here, we describe a high-throughput method to screen novel signal peptides that maintain a high degree of surface expression across a range of protein scaffolds with highly variable N-termini. We find that the canonical signal peptide used in yeast surface display, derived from Aga2p, fails to achieve high surface expression for 42.5% of constructs containing diverse N-termini. To circumvent this, we have identified two novel signal peptides derived from endogenous yeast proteins, SRL1 and KISH, which are highly tolerant to diverse N-terminal sequences. This pipeline can be used to expand our understanding of signal peptide function, identify improved signal peptides for protein expression, and refine the computational tools used for signal peptide prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick V Holec
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Karen V Camacho
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kathryn C Breuckman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jody Mou
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Michael E Birnbaum
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.,Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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27
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Tissopi T, Kumar S, Sadhu A, Mutturi S. Surface display of novel transglycosylating α-glucosidase from Aspergillus neoniger on Pichia pastoris for synthesis of isomaltooligosaccharides. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2022.108400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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28
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Wang EY, Dai Y, Rosen CE, Schmitt MM, Dong MX, Ferré EM, Liu F, Yang Y, González-Hernández JA, Meffre E, Hinchcliff M, Koumpouras F, Lionakis MS, Ring AM. High-throughput identification of autoantibodies that target the human exoproteome. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100172. [PMID: 35360706 PMCID: PMC8967185 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autoantibodies that recognize extracellular proteins (the exoproteome) exert potent biological effects but are challenging to detect. Here, we developed rapid extracellular antigen profiling (REAP), a high-throughput technique for the comprehensive discovery of exoproteome-targeting autoantibodies. Patient samples are applied to a genetically barcoded yeast surface display library containing 2,688 human extracellular proteins. Antibody-coated yeast are isolated, and sequencing of barcodes is used to identify displayed antigens. To benchmark REAP's performance, we screened 77 patients with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1). REAP sensitively and specifically detected both known and previously unidentified autoantibodies in APS-1. We further screened 106 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and identified numerous autoantibodies, several of which were associated with disease severity or specific clinical manifestations and exerted functional effects on cell signaling ex vivo. These findings demonstrate the utility of REAP to atlas the expansive landscape of exoproteome-targeting autoantibodies and their impacts on patient health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Y. Wang
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yile Dai
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Connor E. Rosen
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Monica M. Schmitt
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mei X. Dong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Elise M.N. Ferré
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Feimei Liu
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Eric Meffre
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Monique Hinchcliff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Fotios Koumpouras
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Michail S. Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Aaron M. Ring
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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29
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Liu B, Yang D. Easily Established and Multifunctional Synthetic Nanobody Libraries as Research Tools. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031482. [PMID: 35163405 PMCID: PMC8835997 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies, or VHHs, refer to the antigen-binding domain of heavy-chain antibodies (HCAbs) from camelids. They have been widely used as research tools for protein purification and structure determination due to their small size, high specificity, and high stability, overcoming limitations with conventional antibody fragments. However, animal immunization and subsequent retrieval of antigen-specific nanobodies are expensive and complicated. Construction of synthetic nanobody libraries using DNA oligonucleotides is a cost-effective alternative for immunization libraries and shows great potential in identifying antigen-specific or even conformation-specific nanobodies. This review summarizes and analyses synthetic nanobody libraries in the current literature, including library design and biopanning methods, and further discusses applications of antigen-specific nanobodies obtained from synthetic libraries to research.
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30
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Abstract
Yeast surface display is a powerful protein engineering technology that is extensively used to improve various properties of proteins, including affinity, specificity, and stability or even to add novel functions (usually ligand binding). Apart from its robustness and versatility as an engineering tool, yeast display offers a further critical advantage: Once the selection campaign is finished, usually resulting in an oligoclonal pool, these enriched protein variants can be analyzed individually on the surface of yeast without the need for any sub-cloning, soluble expression, and purification. Here, we provide detailed protocols for determining both the affinity and the thermal stability of yeast displayed proteins. In addition, we discuss the advantages, challenges, and potential pitfalls associated with affinity and stability analysis using yeast surface display.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte U Zajc
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- CD Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Teufl
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- CD Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael W Traxlmayr
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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31
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Kielczewska A, D'Angelo I, Amador MS, Wang T, Sudom A, Min X, Rathanaswami P, Pigott C, Foltz IN. Development of a potent high-affinity human therapeutic antibody via novel application of recombination signal sequence-based affinity maturation. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101533. [PMID: 34973336 PMCID: PMC8808179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic antibody development requires discovery of an antibody molecule with desired specificities and drug-like properties. For toxicological studies, a therapeutic antibody must bind the ortholog antigen with a similar affinity to the human target to enable relevant dosing regimens, and antibodies falling short of this affinity design goal may not progress as therapeutic leads. Herein, we report the novel use of mammalian recombination signal sequence (RSS)–directed recombination for complementarity-determining region–targeted protein engineering combined with mammalian display to close the species affinity gap of human interleukin (IL)-13 antibody 731. This fully human antibody has not progressed as a therapeutic in part because of a 400-fold species affinity gap. Using this nonhypothesis-driven affinity maturation method, we generated multiple antibody variants with improved IL-13 affinity, including the highest affinity antibody reported to date (34 fM). Resolution of a cocrystal structure of the optimized antibody with the cynomolgus monkey (or nonhuman primate) IL-13 protein revealed that the RSS-derived mutations introduced multiple successive amino-acid substitutions resulting in a de novo formation of a π–π stacking–based protein–protein interaction between the affinity-matured antibody heavy chain and helix C on IL-13, as well as an introduction of an interface-distant residue, which enhanced the light chain–binding affinity to target. These mutations synergized binding of heavy and light chains to the target protein, resulting in a remarkably tight interaction, and providing a proof of concept for a new method of protein engineering, based on synergizing a mammalian display platform with novel RSS-mediated library generation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Igor D'Angelo
- Amgen Inc, Therapeutic Discovery, Thousand Oaks, California, USA
| | - Maria Sheena Amador
- Amgen British Columbia, Therapeutic Discovery, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tina Wang
- Amgen British Columbia, Therapeutic Discovery, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Athena Sudom
- Amgen San Francisco, Therapeutic Discovery, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xiaoshan Min
- Amgen San Francisco, Therapeutic Discovery, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Craig Pigott
- Innovative Targeting Solutions, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ian N Foltz
- Amgen British Columbia, Therapeutic Discovery, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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32
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Zahradník J, Dey D, Marciano S, Kolářová L, Charendoff CI, Subtil A, Schreiber G. A Protein-Engineered, Enhanced Yeast Display Platform for Rapid Evolution of Challenging Targets. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:3445-3460. [PMID: 34809429 PMCID: PMC8689690 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Here, we enhanced the popular yeast display method by multiple rounds of DNA and protein engineering. We introduced surface exposure-tailored reporters, eUnaG2 and DnbALFA, creating a new platform of C and N terminal fusion vectors. The optimization of eUnaG2 resulted in five times brighter fluorescence and 10 °C increased thermostability than UnaG. The optimized DnbALFA has 10-fold the level of expression of the starting protein. Following this, different plasmids were developed to create a complex platform allowing a broad range of protein expression organizations and labeling strategies. Our platform showed up to five times better separation between nonexpressing and expressing cells compared with traditional pCTcon2 and c-myc labeling, allowing for fewer rounds of selection and achieving higher binding affinities. Testing 16 different proteins, the enhanced system showed consistently stronger expression signals over c-myc labeling. In addition to gains in simplicity, speed, and cost-effectiveness, new applications were introduced to monitor protein surface exposure and protein retention in the secretion pathway that enabled successful protein engineering of hard-to-express proteins. As an example, we show how we optimized the WD40 domain of the ATG16L1 protein for yeast surface and soluble bacterial expression, starting from a nonexpressing protein. As a second example, we show how using the here-presented enhanced yeast display method we rapidly selected high-affinity binders toward two protein targets, demonstrating the simplicity of generating new protein-protein interactions. While the methodological changes are incremental, it results in a qualitative enhancement in the applicability of yeast display for many applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Zahradník
- Weizmann
Institute of Science, Herzl St. 234, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Debabrata Dey
- Weizmann
Institute of Science, Herzl St. 234, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Shir Marciano
- Weizmann
Institute of Science, Herzl St. 234, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Lucie Kolářová
- Institute
of Biotechnology, CAS v.v.i., Prumyslova 595, Vestec 252 50 Prague region, Czech Republic
| | - Chloé I. Charendoff
- Institut
Pasteur, Unité de Biologie cellulaire de l’infection
microbienne, 25 rue du Dr Roux, Paris 75015, France
| | - Agathe Subtil
- Institut
Pasteur, Unité de Biologie cellulaire de l’infection
microbienne, 25 rue du Dr Roux, Paris 75015, France
| | - Gideon Schreiber
- Weizmann
Institute of Science, Herzl St. 234, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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Wagner TR, Rothbauer U. Nanobodies - Little helpers unravelling intracellular signaling. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 176:46-61. [PMID: 34536541 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The identification of diagnostic and therapeutic targets requires a comprehensive understanding of cellular processes, for which advanced technologies in biomedical research are needed. The emergence of nanobodies (Nbs) derived from antibody fragments of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies as intracellular research tools offers new possibilities to study and modulate target antigens in living cells. Here we summarize this rapidly changing field, beginning with a brief introduction of Nbs, followed by an overview of how target-specific Nbs can be generated, and introduce the selection of intrabodies as research tools. Intrabodies, by definition, are intracellular functional Nbs that target ectopic or endogenous intracellular antigens within living cells. Such binders can be applied in various formats, e.g. as chromobodies for live cell microscopy or as biosensors to decipher complex intracellular signaling pathways. In addition, protein knockouts can be achieved by target-specific Nbs, while modulating Nbs have the potential as future therapeutics. The development of fine-tunable and switchable Nb-based systems that simultaneously provide spatial and temporal control has recently taken the application of these binders to the next level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa R Wagner
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany; NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Rothbauer
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany; NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
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Akkapeddi P, Teng KW, Koide S. Monobodies as tool biologics for accelerating target validation and druggable site discovery. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:1839-1853. [PMID: 34820623 PMCID: PMC8597423 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00188d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite increased investment and technological advancement, new drug approvals have not proportionally increased. Low drug approval rates, particularly for new targets, are linked to insufficient target validation at early stages. Thus, there remains a strong need for effective target validation techniques. Here, we review the use of synthetic binding proteins as tools for drug target validation, with focus on the monobody platform among several advanced synthetic binding protein platforms. Monobodies with high affinity and high selectivity can be rapidly developed against challenging targets, such as KRAS mutants, using protein engineering technologies. They have strong tendency to bind to functional sites and thus serve as drug-like molecules, and they can serve as targeting ligands for constructing bio-PROTACs. Genetically encoded monobodies are effective "tool biologics" for validating intracellular targets. They promote crystallization and help reveal the atomic structures of the monobody-target interface, which can inform drug design. Using case studies, we illustrate the potential of the monobody technology in accelerating target validation and small-molecule drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padma Akkapeddi
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Kai Wen Teng
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Shohei Koide
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center New York NY USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine New York NY USA
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35
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Redesigning an antibody H3 loop by virtual screening of a small library of human germline-derived sequences. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21362. [PMID: 34725391 PMCID: PMC8560851 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00669-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The design of superior biologic therapeutics, including antibodies and engineered proteins, involves optimizing their specific ability to bind to disease-related molecular targets. Previously, we developed and applied the Assisted Design of Antibody and Protein Therapeutics (ADAPT) platform for virtual affinity maturation of antibodies (Vivcharuk et al. in PLoS One 12(7):e0181490, 10.1371/journal.pone.0181490, 2017). However, ADAPT is limited to point mutations of hot-spot residues in existing CDR loops. In this study, we explore the possibility of wholesale replacement of the entire H3 loop with no restriction to maintain the parental loop length. This complements other currently published studies that sample replacements for the CDR loops L1, L2, L3, H1 and H2. Given the immense sequence space theoretically available to H3, we focused on the virtual grafting of over 5000 human germline-derived H3 sequences from the IGMT/LIGM database increasing the diversity of the sequence space when compared to using crystalized H3 loop sequences. H3 loop conformations are generated and scored to identify optimized H3 sequences. Experimental testing of high-ranking H3 sequences grafted into the framework of the bH1 antibody against human VEGF-A led to the discovery of multiple hits, some of which had similar or better affinities relative to the parental antibody. In over 75% of the tested designs, the re-designed H3 loop contributed favorably to overall binding affinity. The hits also demonstrated good developability attributes such as high thermal stability and no aggregation. Crystal structures of select re-designed H3 variants were solved and indicated that although some deviations from predicted structures were seen in the more solvent accessible regions of the H3 loop, they did not significantly affect predicted affinity scores.
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Spatola BN, Lerner AG, Wong C, Dela Cruz T, Welch M, Fung W, Kovalenko M, Losenkova K, Yegutkin GG, Beers C, Corbin J, Soros VB. Fully human anti-CD39 antibody potently inhibits ATPase activity in cancer cells via uncompetitive allosteric mechanism. MAbs 2021; 12:1838036. [PMID: 33146056 PMCID: PMC7646477 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2020.1838036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular ATP/adenosine axis in the tumor microenvironment (TME) has emerged as an important immune-regulatory pathway. Nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase1), otherwise known as CD39, is highly expressed in the TME, both on infiltrating immune cells and tumor cells across a broad set of cancer indications. CD39 processes pro-inflammatory extracellular ATP to ADP and AMP, which is then processed by Ecto-5ʹ-nucleotidase/CD73 to immunosuppressive adenosine. Directly inhibiting the enzymatic function of CD39 via an antibody has the potential to unleash an immune-mediated anti-tumor response via two mechanisms: 1) increasing the availability of immunostimulatory extracellular ATP released by damaged and/or dying cells, and 2) reducing the generation and accumulation of suppressive adenosine within the TME. Tizona Therapeutics has engineered a novel first-in-class fully human anti-CD39 antibody, TTX-030, that directly inhibits CD39 ATPase enzymatic function with sub-nanomolar potency. Further characterization of the mechanism of inhibition by TTX-030 using CD39+ human melanoma cell line SK-MEL-28 revealed an uncompetitive allosteric mechanism (α < 1). The uncompetitive mechanism of action enables TTX-030 to inhibit CD39 at the elevated ATP concentrations reported in the TME. Maximal inhibition of cellular CD39 ATPase velocity was 85%, which compares favorably to results reported for antibody inhibitors to other enzyme targets. The allosteric mechanism of TTX-030 was confirmed via mapping the epitope to a region of CD39 distant from its active site, which suggests possible models for how potent inhibition is achieved. In summary, TTX-030 is a potent allosteric inhibitor of CD39 ATPase activity that is currently being evaluated in clinical trials for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley N Spatola
- Antibody Development, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alana G Lerner
- Immunology, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Clifford Wong
- Antibody Development, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tracy Dela Cruz
- Immunology, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA.,Immunology, Trishula Therapeutics, South San Francisco , CA, USA
| | - Megan Welch
- Immunology, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wanchi Fung
- Antibody Development, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Courtney Beers
- Immunology, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John Corbin
- Antibody Development, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vanessa B Soros
- Antibody Development, Tizona Therapeutics , South San Francisco, CA, USA
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38
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Nessler I, Menezes B, Thurber GM. Key metrics to expanding the pipeline of successful antibody-drug conjugates. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:803-812. [PMID: 34456094 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Although the recent FDA approval of six new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) is promising, attrition of ADCs during clinical development remains high. The inherent complexity of ADCs is a double-edged sword that provides opportunities for perfecting therapeutic action while also increasing confounding factors in therapeutic failures. ADC design drives their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and requires deeper analysis than the commonly used Cmax and area under the curve (AUC) metrics to scale dosing to the clinic. Common features of current FDA-approved ADCs targeting solid tumors include humanized IgG1 antibody domains, highly expressed tumor receptors, and large antibody doses. The potential consequences of these shared features for clinical pharmacokinetics and mechanism of action are discussed, and key design aspects for successful solid tumor ADCs are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Nessler
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Bruna Menezes
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Greg M Thurber
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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39
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Li J, Wuethrich A, Edwardraja S, Lobb RJ, Puttick S, Rose S, Howard CB, Trau M. Amplification-Free SARS-CoV-2 Detection Using Nanoyeast-scFv and Ultrasensitive Plasmonic Nanobox-Integrated Nanomixing Microassay. Anal Chem 2021; 93:10251-10260. [PMID: 34264067 PMCID: PMC8290924 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c01657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The implementation of accurate and sensitive molecular detection for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is paramount to effectively control the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this regard, we herein propose the specific and highly sensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection based on nanoyeast single-chain-variable fragment (scFv) and ultrasensitive plasmonic nanobox-integrated nanomixing microassay. Importantly, this designed platform showcases the utility of nanoyeast-scFvs as specific capture reagents targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus and as monoclonal antibody alternatives suitable for cost-effective mass production and frequent testing. By capitalizing on single-particle active nanoboxes as plasmonic nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the microassay utilizes highly sensitive Raman signals to indicate virus infection. The developed microassay further integrated nanomixing for accelerating molecular collisions. Through the synergistic working of nanoyeast-scFv, plasmonic nanoboxes, and nanomixing, the highly specific and sensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection is achieved as low as 17 virus/μL without any molecular amplification. We successfully demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 detection in saliva samples of simulated patients at clinically relevant viral loads, suggesting the possibility of this platform for accurate and noninvasive patient screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junrong Li
- Centre
for Personalized Nanomedicine, Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alain Wuethrich
- Centre
for Personalized Nanomedicine, Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Selvakumar Edwardraja
- Centre
for Personalized Nanomedicine, Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Richard J. Lobb
- Centre
for Personalized Nanomedicine, Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Simon Puttick
- Probing
Biosystems Future Science Platform, Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Stephen Rose
- Probing
Biosystems Future Science Platform, Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Christopher B. Howard
- Centre
for Personalized Nanomedicine, Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Matt Trau
- Centre
for Personalized Nanomedicine, Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- School
of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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40
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Jha RK, Yankey A, Shabazz K, Naranjo L, Shin SM, Velappan N, Bradbury ARM, Strauss CEM. Engineered pH-Sensitive Protein G/IgG Interaction. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1142-1146. [PMID: 34152722 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While natural protein-protein interactions have evolved to be induced by complex stimuli, rational design of interactions that can be switched-on-demand still remain challenging in the protein design world. Here, we demonstrate that a computationally redesigned natural interface for improved binding affinity could further be mutated to adopt a pH switchable interaction. The redesigned interface of Protein G/human IgG Fc domain (referred to as PrG/hIgG), when incorporated with histidine and glutamic acid on PrG (PrG-EHHE), showed a switch in binding affinity by 50-fold when the pH was altered from mild acidic to mild basic. The wild-type (WT) interface showed a negligible switch. The overall binding affinity under mild acidic pH for PrG-EHHE outperformed the wild-type PrG (PrG-WT) interaction. The new reagent PrG-EHHE can be revolutionary in IgG purification, since the standard method of using an extreme acidic pH for elution can be circumvented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh K. Jha
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Allison Yankey
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Kalifa Shabazz
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Leslie Naranjo
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Sang-Min Shin
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Nileena Velappan
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Andrew R. M. Bradbury
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Charlie E. M. Strauss
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
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Recombinant expression and surface display of a zearalenone lactonohydrolase from Trichoderma aggressivum in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 187:105933. [PMID: 34273541 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.105933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Zearalenone (ZEN), one of the most dangerous mycotoxins, causes enormous economic losses in the food and feed industries. To solve the problem of ZEN pollution, ZEN detoxifying enzymes are in emergent need. In this study, a zearalenone lactonohydrolase from Trichoderma aggressivum, denoted as ZHD-P, was heterologously expressed and characterized. The intracellular ZHD-P from E. coli BL21(DE3) exhibited high activity for ZEN degradation (191.94 U/mg), with the optimal temperature and pH of 45 °C and 7.5-9.0, respectively. With excellent temperature stability, the intracellular ZHD-P retained 100% activity when it was incubated at 25-40 °C for 1 h. Furthermore, we firstly constructed an E. coli cell surface display system for ZHD-P. The surface-displayed ZHD-P exhibited high activity against ZEN and showed optimal activity at 40 °C and pH 9.0. With superior pH stability, the surface-displayed ZHD-P retained 80% activity when it was incubated at pH 5.0-11.0 for 12 h. Interestingly, the metal ions tolerance of the surface-displayed ZHD-P was better than the intracellular form. Additionally, the surface-displayed ZHD-P could be reused four times with the residual enzyme activity of more than 50%. The biotoxicity assessment using P. phosphoreum T3 indicated that ZEN could be degraded into hypotoxic products by the intracellular or surface-displayed ZHD-P. ZHD-P could be feasible for ZEN detoxification.
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42
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Narayanan KK, Procko E. Deep Mutational Scanning of Viral Glycoproteins and Their Host Receptors. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:636660. [PMID: 33898517 PMCID: PMC8062978 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.636660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep mutational scanning or deep mutagenesis is a powerful tool for understanding the sequence diversity available to viruses for adaptation in a laboratory setting. It generally involves tracking an in vitro selection of protein sequence variants with deep sequencing to map mutational effects based on changes in sequence abundance. Coupled with any of a number of selection strategies, deep mutagenesis can explore the mutational diversity available to viral glycoproteins, which mediate critical roles in cell entry and are exposed to the humoral arm of the host immune response. Mutational landscapes of viral glycoproteins for host cell attachment and membrane fusion reveal extensive epistasis and potential escape mutations to neutralizing antibodies or other therapeutics, as well as aiding in the design of optimized immunogens for eliciting broadly protective immunity. While less explored, deep mutational scans of host receptors further assist in understanding virus-host protein interactions. Critical residues on the host receptors for engaging with viral spikes are readily identified and may help with structural modeling. Furthermore, mutations may be found for engineering soluble decoy receptors as neutralizing agents that specifically bind viral targets with tight affinity and limited potential for viral escape. By untangling the complexities of how sequence contributes to viral glycoprotein and host receptor interactions, deep mutational scanning is impacting ideas and strategies at multiple levels for combatting circulating and emergent virus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
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43
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Bonadio A, Shifman JM. Computational design and experimental optimization of protein binders with prospects for biomedical applications. Protein Eng Des Sel 2021; 34:gzab020. [PMID: 34436606 PMCID: PMC8388154 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-based binders have become increasingly more attractive candidates for drug and imaging agent development. Such binders could be evolved from a number of different scaffolds, including antibodies, natural protein effectors and unrelated small protein domains of different geometries. While both computational and experimental approaches could be utilized for protein binder engineering, in this review we focus on various computational approaches for protein binder design and demonstrate how experimental selection could be applied to subsequently optimize computationally-designed molecules. Recent studies report a number of designed protein binders with pM affinities and high specificities for their targets. These binders usually characterized with high stability, solubility, and low production cost. Such attractive molecules are bound to become more common in various biotechnological and biomedical applications in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bonadio
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Julia M Shifman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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44
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Chen Z, Xiao Y, Weber G, Wei R, Wang Z. Yeast cell surface display of bacterial PET hydrolase as a sustainable biocatalyst for the degradation of polyethylene terephthalate. Methods Enzymol 2021; 648:457-477. [PMID: 33579416 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Enzymatic hydrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is considered to be an environmentally friendly method for the recycling of plastic waste. Recently, a bacterial enzyme named IsPETase was found in Ideonella sakaiensis with the ability to degrade amorphous PET at ambient temperature suggesting its possible use in recycling of PET. However, applying the purified IsPETase in large-scale PET recycling has limitations, i.e., a complicated production process, high cost of single-use, and instability of the enzyme. Yeast cell surface display has proven to be an effectual alternative for improving enzyme degradation efficiency and realizing industrial applications. This chapter deals with the construction and application of a whole-cell biocatalyst by displaying IsPETase on the surface of yeast (Pichia pastoris) cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuozhi Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yunjie Xiao
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Gert Weber
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ren Wei
- Junior Research Group Plastic Biodegradation, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Zefang Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
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45
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Johnson DK, Magoffin W, Myers SJ, Finnell JG, Hancock JC, Orton TS, Persaud SP, Christensen KA, Weber KS. CD4 Inhibits Helper T Cell Activation at Lower Affinity Threshold for Full-Length T Cell Receptors Than Single Chain Signaling Constructs. Front Immunol 2021; 11:561889. [PMID: 33542711 PMCID: PMC7851051 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.561889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cells are crucial for effective repression and elimination of cancer cells. Despite a paucity of CD4+ T cell receptor (TCR) clinical studies, CD4+ T cells are primed to become important therapeutics as they help circumvent tumor antigen escape and guide multifactorial immune responses. However, because CD8+ T cells directly kill tumor cells, most research has focused on the attributes of CD8+ TCRs. Less is known about how TCR affinity and CD4 expression affect CD4+ T cell activation in full length TCR (flTCR) and TCR single chain signaling (TCR-SCS) formats. Here, we generated an affinity panel of TCRs from CD4+ T cells and expressed them in flTCR and three TCR-SCS formats modeled after chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to understand the contributions of TCR-pMHCII affinity, TCR format, and coreceptor CD4 interactions on CD4+ T cell activation. Strikingly, the coreceptor CD4 inhibited intermediate and high affinity TCR-construct activation by Lck-dependent and -independent mechanisms. These inhibition mechanisms had unique affinity thresholds dependent on the TCR format. Intracellular construct formats affected the tetramer staining for each TCR as well as IL-2 production. IL-2 production was promoted by increased TCR-pMHCII affinity and the flTCR format. Thus, CD4+ T cell therapy development should consider TCR affinity, CD4 expression, and construct format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah K Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Wyatt Magoffin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Sheldon J Myers
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Jordan G Finnell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - John C Hancock
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Taylor S Orton
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Stephen P Persaud
- Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kenneth A Christensen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - K Scott Weber
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
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46
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Denard CA, Paresi C, Yaghi R, McGinnis N, Bennett Z, Yi L, Georgiou G, Iverson BL. YESS 2.0, a Tunable Platform for Enzyme Evolution, Yields Highly Active TEV Protease Variants. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:63-71. [PMID: 33401904 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Here we describe YESS 2.0, a highly versatile version of the yeast endoplasmic sequestration screening (YESS) system suitable for engineering and characterizing protein/peptide modifying enzymes such as proteases with desired new activities. By incorporating features that modulate gene transcription as well as substrate and enzyme spatial sequestration, YESS 2.0 achieves a significantly higher operational and dynamic range compared with the original YESS. To showcase the new advantages of YESS 2.0, we improved an already efficient TEV protease variant (TEV-EAV) to obtain a variant (eTEV) with a 2.25-fold higher catalytic efficiency, derived almost entirely from an increase in turnover rate (kcat). In our analysis, eTEV specifically digests a fusion protein in 2 h at a low 1:200 enzyme to substrate ratio. Structural modeling indicates that the increase in catalytic efficiency of eTEV is likely due to an enhanced interaction between the catalytic Cys151 with the P1 substrate residue (Gln). Furthermore, the modeling showed that the ENLYFQS peptide substrate is buried to a larger extent in the active site of eTEV compared with WT TEV. The new eTEV variant is functionally the fastest TEV variant reported to date and could potentially improve efficiency in any TEV application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl A. Denard
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Chelsea Paresi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Rasha Yaghi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Natalie McGinnis
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Zachary Bennett
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Li Yi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - George Georgiou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Brent L. Iverson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Abstract
The concept of engineering robust protein scaffolds for novel binding functions emerged 20 years ago, one decade after the advent of recombinant antibody technology. Early examples were the Affibody, Monobody (Adnectin), and Anticalin proteins, which were derived from fragments of streptococcal protein A, from the tenth type III domain of human fibronectin, and from natural lipocalin proteins, respectively. Since then, this concept has expanded considerably, including many other protein templates. In fact, engineered protein scaffolds with useful binding specificities, mostly directed against targets of biomedical relevance, constitute an area of active research today, which has yielded versatile reagents as laboratory tools. However, despite strong interest from basic science, only a handful of those protein scaffolds have undergone biopharmaceutical development up to the clinical stage. This includes the abovementioned pioneering examples as well as designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins). Here we review the current state and clinical validation of these next-generation therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany;
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48
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Marshall CB, KleinJan F, Gebregiworgis T, Lee KY, Fang Z, Eves BJ, Liu NF, Gasmi-Seabrook GMC, Enomoto M, Ikura M. NMR in integrated biophysical drug discovery for RAS: past, present, and future. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2020; 74:531-554. [PMID: 32804298 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-020-00338-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in RAS oncogenes occur in ~ 30% of human cancers, with KRAS being the most frequently altered isoform. RAS proteins comprise a conserved GTPase domain and a C-terminal lipid-modified tail that is unique to each isoform. The GTPase domain is a 'switch' that regulates multiple signaling cascades that drive cell growth and proliferation when activated by binding GTP, and the signal is terminated by GTP hydrolysis. Oncogenic RAS mutations disrupt the GTPase cycle, leading to accumulation of the activated GTP-bound state and promoting proliferation. RAS is a key target in oncology, however it lacks classic druggable pockets and has been extremely challenging to target. RAS signaling has thus been targeted indirectly, by harnessing key downstream effectors as well as upstream regulators, or disrupting the proper membrane localization required for signaling, by inhibiting either lipid modification or 'carrier' proteins. As a small (20 kDa) protein with multiple conformers in dynamic equilibrium, RAS is an excellent candidate for NMR-driven characterization and screening for direct inhibitors. Several molecules have been discovered that bind RAS and stabilize shallow pockets through conformational selection, and recent compounds have achieved substantial improvements in affinity. NMR-derived insight into targeting the RAS-membrane interface has revealed a new strategy to enhance the potency of small molecules, while another approach has been development of peptidyl inhibitors that bind through large interfaces rather than deep pockets. Remarkable progress has been made with mutation-specific covalent inhibitors that target the thiol of a G12C mutant, and these are now in clinical trials. Here we review the history of RAS inhibitor development and highlight the utility of NMR and integrated biophysical approaches in RAS drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Marshall
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada.
| | - Fenneke KleinJan
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Teklab Gebregiworgis
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ki-Young Lee
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Zhenhao Fang
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ben J Eves
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ningdi F Liu
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | | | - Masahiro Enomoto
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Mitsuhiko Ikura
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada.
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49
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Sjöström DJ, Lundgren A, Garforth SJ, Bjelic S. Tuning the binding interface between Machupo virus glycoprotein and human transferrin receptor. Proteins 2020; 89:311-321. [PMID: 33068039 PMCID: PMC7894301 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Machupo virus, known to cause hemorrhagic fevers, enters human cells via binding with its envelope glycoprotein to transferrin receptor 1 (TfR). Similarly, the receptor interactions have been explored in biotechnological applications as a molecular system to ferry therapeutics across the cellular membranes and through the impenetrable blood-brain barrier that effectively blocks any such delivery into the brain. Study of the experimental structure of Machupo virus glycoprotein 1 (MGP1) in complex with TfR and glycoprotein sequence homology has identified some residues at the interface that influence binding. There are, however, no studies that have attempted to optimize the binding potential between MGP1 and TfR. In pursuits for finding therapeutic solutions for the New World arenaviruses, and to gain a greater understanding of MGP1 interactions with TfR, it is crucial to understand the structure-sequence relationship driving the interface formation. By displaying MGP1 on yeast surface we have examined the contributions of individual residues to the binding of solubilized ectodomain of TfR. We identified MGP1 binding hot spot residues, assessed the importance of posttranslational N-glycan modifications, and used a selection with random mutagenesis for affinity maturation. We show that the optimized MGP1 variants can bind more strongly to TfR than the native MGP1, and there is an MGP1 sequence that retains binding in the absence of glycosylation, but with the addition of further amino acid substitutions. The engineered variants can be used to probe cellular internalization or the blood-brain barrier crossing to achieve greater understanding of TfR mediated internalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick J Sjöström
- Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Anneli Lundgren
- Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Scott J Garforth
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sinisa Bjelic
- Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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50
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Zajc CU, Salzer B, Taft JM, Reddy ST, Lehner M, Traxlmayr MW. Driving CARs with alternative navigation tools - the potential of engineered binding scaffolds. FEBS J 2020; 288:2103-2118. [PMID: 32794303 PMCID: PMC8048499 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
T cells that are genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells) have shown impressive clinical efficacy against B‐cell malignancies. In contrast to these highly potent CD19‐targeting CAR T cells, many of those directed against other tumor entities and antigens currently suffer from several limitations. For example, it has been demonstrated that many scFvs used as antigen‐binding domains in CARs show some degree of oligomerization, which leads to tonic signaling, T cell exhaustion, and poor performance in vivo. Therefore, in many cases alternatives to scFvs would be beneficial. Fortunately, due to the development of powerful protein engineering technologies, also non‐immunoglobulin‐based scaffolds can be engineered to specifically recognize antigens, thus eliminating the historical dependence on antibody‐based binding domains. Here, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such engineered binding scaffolds, in particular with respect to their application in CARs. We review recent studies, collectively showing that there is no functional or biochemical aspect that necessitates the use of scFvs in CARs. Instead, antigen recognition can also be mediated efficiently by engineered binding scaffolds, as well as natural ligands or receptors fused to the CAR backbone. Finally, we critically discuss the risk of immunogenicity and show that the extent of nonhuman amino acid stretches in engineered scaffolds—even in those based on nonhuman proteins—is more similar to humanized scFvs than might be anticipated. Together, we expect that engineered binding scaffolds and natural ligands and receptors will be increasingly used for the design of CAR T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte U Zajc
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Salzer
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria.,St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joseph M Taft
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sai T Reddy
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Lehner
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria.,St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Pediatrics, St. Anna Kinderspital, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael W Traxlmayr
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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