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Göritzer K, Strasser R, Ma JKC. Stability Engineering of Recombinant Secretory IgA. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6856. [PMID: 38999969 PMCID: PMC11240955 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25136856] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Secretory IgA (SIgA) presents a promising avenue for mucosal immunotherapy yet faces challenges in expression, purification, and stability. IgA exists in two primary isotypes, IgA1 and IgA2, with IgA2 further subdivided into two common allotypes: IgA2m(1) and IgA2m(2). The major differences between IgA1 and IgA2 are located in the hinge region, with IgA1 featuring a 13-amino acid elongation that includes up to six O-glycosylation sites. Furthermore, the IgA2m(1) allotype lacks a covalent disulfide bond between heavy and light chains, which is present in IgA1 and IgA2m(2). While IgA1 demonstrates superior epitope binding and pathogen neutralization, IgA2 exhibits enhanced effector functions and stability against mucosal bacterial degradation. However, the noncovalent linkage in the IgA2m(1) allotype raises production and stability challenges. The introduction of distinct single mutations aims to facilitate an alternate disulfide bond formation to mitigate these challenges. We compare four different IgA2 versions with IgA1 to further develop secretory IgA antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 for topical delivery to mucosal surfaces. Our results indicate significantly improved expression levels and assembly efficacy of SIgA2 (P221R) in Nicotiana benthamiana. Moreover, engineered SIgA2 displays heightened thermal stability under physiological as well as acidic conditions and can be aerosolized using a mesh nebulizer. In summary, our study elucidates the benefits of stability-enhancing mutations in overcoming hurdles associated with SIgA expression and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria;
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK;
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Julian K.-C. Ma
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK;
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Uetz P, Göritzer K, Vergara E, Melnik S, Grünwald-Gruber C, Figl R, Deghmane AE, Groppelli E, Reljic R, Ma JKC, Stöger E, Strasser R. Implications of O-glycan modifications in the hinge region of a plant-produced SARS-CoV-2-IgA antibody on functionality. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1329018. [PMID: 38511130 PMCID: PMC10953500 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1329018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Prolyl-4-hydroxylases (P4H) catalyse the irreversible conversion of proline to hydroxyproline, constituting a common posttranslational modification of proteins found in humans, plants, and microbes. Hydroxyproline residues can be further modified in plants to yield glycoproteins containing characteristic O-glycans. It is currently unknown how these plant endogenous modifications impact protein functionality and they cause considerable concerns for the recombinant production of therapeutic proteins in plants. In this study, we carried out host engineering to generate a therapeutic glycoprotein largely devoid of plant-endogenous O-glycans for functional characterization. Methods: Genome editing was used to inactivate two genes coding for enzymes of the P4H10 subfamily in the widely used expression host Nicotiana benthamiana. Using glycoengineering in plants and expression in human HEK293 cells we generated four variants of a potent, SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, COVA2-15 IgA1. The variants that differed in the number of modified proline residues and O-glycan compositions of their hinge region were assessed regarding their physicochemical properties and functionality. Results: We found that plant endogenous O-glycan formation was strongly reduced on IgA1 when transiently expressed in the P4H10 double mutant N. benthamiana plant line. The IgA1 glycoforms displayed differences in proteolytic stability and minor differences in receptor binding thus highlighting the importance of O-glycosylation in the hinge region of human IgA1. Discussion: This work reports the successful protein O-glycan engineering of an important plant host for recombinant protein expression. While the complete removal of endogenous hydroxyproline residues from the hinge region of plant-produced IgA1 is yet to be achieved, our engineered line is suitable for structure-function studies of O-glycosylated recombinant glycoproteins produced in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Uetz
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emil Vergara
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stanislav Melnik
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Figl
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ala-Eddine Deghmane
- Invasive Bacterial Infections Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Elisabetta Groppelli
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rajko Reljic
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julian K.-C. Ma
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Stöger
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Göritzer K, Groppelli E, Grünwald-Gruber C, Figl R, Ni F, Hu H, Li Y, Liu Y, Hu Q, Puligedda RD, Jung JW, Strasser R, Dessain S, Ma JKC. Recombinant neutralizing secretory IgA antibodies for preventing mucosal acquisition and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Mol Ther 2024; 32:689-703. [PMID: 38268188 PMCID: PMC10928148 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.01.025] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Passive delivery of antibodies to mucosal sites may be a valuable adjunct to COVID-19 vaccination to prevent infection, treat viral carriage, or block transmission. Neutralizing monoclonal IgG antibodies are already approved for systemic delivery, and several clinical trials have been reported for delivery to mucosal sites where SARS-CoV-2 resides and replicates in early infection. However, secretory IgA may be preferred because the polymeric complex is adapted for the harsh, unstable external mucosal environment. Here, we investigated the feasibility of producing neutralizing monoclonal IgA antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. We engineered two class-switched mAbs that express well as monomeric and secretory IgA (SIgA) variants with high antigen-binding affinities and increased stability in mucosal secretions compared to their IgG counterparts. SIgAs had stronger virus neutralization activities than IgG mAbs and were protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection in an in vivo murine model. Furthermore, SIgA1 can be aerosolized for topical delivery using a mesh nebulizer. Our findings provide a persuasive case for developing recombinant SIgAs for mucosal application as a new tool in the fight against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK.
| | - Elisabetta Groppelli
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Figl
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fengfeng Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Huimin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yuncheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yalan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qinxue Hu
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK; State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | | | - Jae-Wan Jung
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Scott Dessain
- Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA 19096, USA
| | - Julian K-C Ma
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK.
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Pan S, Manabe N, Ohno S, Komatsu S, Fujimura T, Yamaguchi Y. Each N-glycan on human IgA and J-chain uniquely affects oligomericity and stability. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2024; 1868:130536. [PMID: 38070292 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130536] [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: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunoglobulin A (IgA) plays a pivotal role in various immune responses, especially that of mucosal immunity. IgA is usually assembled into dimers with the contribution of J-chains. There are two N-glycosylation sites in human IgA1-Fc and one in the J-chain. There is no consensus as yet on the functional role of the N-glycosylation. METHODS To gain a better understanding of their role, we designed a series of IgA1-Fc mutants, which were expressed in the absence or presence of the J-chain. RESULTS IgA1-Fc without the J-chain, was predominantly expressed as a monomer, and in its presence dimers and some polymers appeared. N263 (Fc Cα2), N459 (Fc tailpiece) and N49 (J-chain) were shown to be site-specifically modified with N-glycans by mass spectrometry analysis. Mutant IgA1-Fc N459Q failed to form a proper dimer in the presence of the J-chain, instead higher-order aggregates appeared. Fluorescence experiments suggest that the N459-glycans cover a hydrophobic surface at the Fc tailpiece that prevents other Fc molecules from approaching the dimeric IgA. A thermofluor assay revealed that the N-glycans at N263 (Fc) and N49 (J-chain) both contribute in different ways to the thermal stability of the Fc-J-chain complex. NMR analysis of 13C-labeled Fc suggests that the N459-glycan is relatively flexible while the N263-glycan is more rigid. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the N459-glycan of IgA1-Fc is essential for dimer formation and prevention of higher-order aggregates while those at N263 (Fc) and N49 (J-chain) stabilize the Fc-J-chain complex. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Site-specific role for N-glycan in molecular assembly is addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunli Pan
- Division of Structural Glycobiology, Institute of Molecular Biomembrane and Glycobiology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Manabe
- Division of Structural Glycobiology, Institute of Molecular Biomembrane and Glycobiology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Shiho Ohno
- Division of Structural Glycobiology, Institute of Molecular Biomembrane and Glycobiology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Sachiko Komatsu
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Fujimura
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Yamaguchi
- Division of Structural Glycobiology, Institute of Molecular Biomembrane and Glycobiology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Miyagi, Japan.
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Kogelmann B, Melnik S, Bogner M, Kallolimath S, Stöger E, Sun L, Strasser R, D'Aoust MA, Lavoie PO, Saxena P, Gach JS, Steinkellner H. A genome-edited N. benthamiana line for industrial-scale production of recombinant glycoproteins with targeted N-glycosylation. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300323. [PMID: 37804142 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Control over glycosylation is an important quality parameter in recombinant protein production. Here, we demonstrate the generation of a marker-free genome edited Nicotiana benthamiana N-glycosylation mutant (NbXF-KO) carrying inactivated β1,2-xylosyltransferase and α1,3-fucosyltransferase genes. The knockout of seven genes and their stable inheritance was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Mass spectrometric analyses showed the synthesis of N-glycans devoid of plant-specific β1,2-xylose and core α 1,3-fucose on endogenous proteins and a series of recombinantly expressed glycoproteins with different complexities. Further transient glycan engineering towards more diverse human-type N-glycans resulted in the production of recombinant proteins decorated with β1,4-galactosylated and α2,6-sialylated structures, respectively. Notably, a monoclonal antibody expressed in the NbXF-KO displayed glycosylation-dependent activities. Collectively, the engineered plants grow normally and are well suited for upscaling, thereby meeting industrial and regulatory requirements for the production of high-quality therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kogelmann
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stanislav Melnik
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Bogner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Somanath Kallolimath
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Stöger
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Johannes S Gach
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Bharathkar SK, Miller MJ, Stadtmueller BM. Engineered Secretory Immunoglobulin A provides insights on antibody-based effector mechanisms targeting Clostridiodes difficile. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.08.566291. [PMID: 37986930 PMCID: PMC10659285 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.566291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Secretory (S) Immunoglobin (Ig) A is the predominant mucosal antibody, which mediates host interactions with commensal and pathogenic microbes, including Clostridioides difficile. SIgA adopts a polymeric IgA structure that is bound by secretory component (SC). Despite significance, how SIgA supports diverse effector mechanisms is poorly characterized and SIgA-based therapies nonexistent. We engineered chimeric (c) SIgAs, in which we replaced SC domain D2 with a single domain antibody or a monomeric fluorescent protein, allowing us to investigate and enhance SIgA effector mechanisms. cSIgAs exhibited increased neutralization potency against C. difficile toxins, promoted bacterial clumping and cell rupture, and decreased cytotoxicity. cSIgA also allowed us to visualize and/or quantify C. difficile morphological changes and clumping events. Results reveal mechanisms by which SIgA combats C. difficile infection, demonstrate that cSIgA design can modulate these mechanisms, and demonstrate cSIgA's adaptability to modifications that might target a broad range of antigens and effector mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Kumar Bharathkar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Michael J. Miller
- Carle R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology
- Department of food science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801 USA
| | - Beth M. Stadtmueller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 USA
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 USA
- Carle R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology
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7
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Woodall DW, Thomson CA, Dillon TM, McAuley A, Green LB, Foltz IN, Bondarenko PV. Native SEC and Reversed-Phase LC-MS Reveal Impact of Fab Glycosylation of Anti-SARS-COV-2 Antibodies on Binding to the Receptor Binding Domain. Anal Chem 2023; 95:15477-15485. [PMID: 37812809 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
The binding affinity of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for their intended therapeutic targets is often affected by chemical and post-translational modifications in the antigen binding (Fab) domains. A new two-dimensional analytical approach is described here utilizing native size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to separate populations of antibodies and bound antibody-antigen complexes for subsequent characterization of these modifications by reversed-phase (RP) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) at the intact antibody level. Previously, we utilized peptide mapping to measure modifications impacting binding. However, in this study, the large size of the modification (N-glycosylation) allowed assessing its impact from small amounts (∼20 ug) of intact antibody, without the need for peptide mapping. Here, we apply the native SEC-based competitive binding assay to quickly and qualitatively investigate the effects of Fab glycosylation of four antispike protein mAbs that were developed for use in the treatment of COVID-19 disease. Three of the mAbs were observed to have consensus N-glycosylation sites (N-X-T/S) in the Fab domains, a relatively rare occurrence in therapeutic mAbs. The goal of the study was to characterize the levels of Fab glycosylation present, as well as determine the impact of glycosylation on binding to the spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and the ability of the mAbs to inhibit RBD-ACE2 interaction at the intact antibody level, with minimal sample treatment and preparation. The three mAbs with Fab N-glycans were found to have glycosylation profiles ranging from full occupancy at each Fab (in one mAb) to partially glycosylated with mixed populations of two, one, or no glycan moieties. Competitive SEC analysis of mAb-RBD revealed that the glycosylated antibody populations outcompete their nonglycosylated counterparts for the available RBD molecules. This competitive SEC binding analysis was applied to investigate the three-body interaction of a glycosylated mAb blocking the interaction between endogenous binding partners RBD-ACE2, finding that both glycosylated and nonglycosylated mAb populations bound to RBD with high enough affinity to block RBD-ACE2 binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Woodall
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
| | - Christy A Thomson
- Discovery Protein Science, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Burnaby, BC V5A1 V7, Canada
| | - Thomas M Dillon
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Drug Product Technologies, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
| | - Arnold McAuley
- Drug Product Technologies, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
| | - Lydia B Green
- Biologics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Burnaby, BC V5A1 V7, Canada
| | - Ian N Foltz
- Biologics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Burnaby, BC V5A1 V7, Canada
| | - Pavel V Bondarenko
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
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8
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Strasser R. Plant glycoengineering for designing next-generation vaccines and therapeutic proteins. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108197. [PMID: 37315875 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein glycosylation has a huge impact on biological processes in all domains of life. The type of glycan present on a recombinant glycoprotein depends on protein intrinsic features and the glycosylation repertoire of the cell type used for expression. Glycoengineering approaches are used to eliminate unwanted glycan modifications and to facilitate the coordinated expression of glycosylation enzymes or whole metabolic pathways to furnish glycans with distinct modifications. The formation of tailored glycans enables structure-function studies and optimization of therapeutic proteins used in different applications. While recombinant proteins or proteins from natural sources can be in vitro glycoengineered using glycosyltransferases or chemoenzymatic synthesis, many approaches use genetic engineering involving the elimination of endogenous genes and introduction of heterologous genes to cell-based production systems. Plant glycoengineering enables the in planta production of recombinant glycoproteins with human or animal-type glycans that resemble natural glycosylation or contain novel glycan structures. This review summarizes key achievements in glycoengineering of plants and highlights current developments aiming to make plants more suitable for the production of a diverse range of recombinant glycoproteins for innovative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Strasser
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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9
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García-Alija M, van Moer B, Sastre DE, Azzam T, Du JJ, Trastoy B, Callewaert N, Sundberg EJ, Guerin ME. Modulating antibody effector functions by Fc glycoengineering. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108201. [PMID: 37336296 PMCID: PMC11027751 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibody based drugs, including IgG monoclonal antibodies, are an expanding class of therapeutics widely employed to treat cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. IgG antibodies have a conserved N-glycosylation site at Asn297 that bears complex type N-glycans which, along with other less conserved N- and O-glycosylation sites, fine-tune effector functions, complement activation, and half-life of antibodies. Fucosylation, galactosylation, sialylation, bisection and mannosylation all generate glycoforms that interact in a specific manner with different cellular antibody receptors and are linked to a distinct functional profile. Antibodies, including those employed in clinical settings, are generated with a mixture of glycoforms attached to them, which has an impact on their efficacy, stability and effector functions. It is therefore of great interest to produce antibodies containing only tailored glycoforms with specific effects associated with them. To this end, several antibody engineering strategies have been developed, including the usage of engineered mammalian cell lines, in vitro and in vivo glycoengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel García-Alija
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia 48903, Spain
| | - Berre van Moer
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Zwijnaarde, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium
| | - Diego E Sastre
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Tala Azzam
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jonathan J Du
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Beatriz Trastoy
- Structural Glycoimmunology Laboratory, Biocruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, 48903, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Nico Callewaert
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Zwijnaarde, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium.
| | - Eric J Sundberg
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Marcelo E Guerin
- Structural Glycobiology Laboratory, Biocruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia 48903, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain.
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10
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Beihammer G, König-Beihammer J, Kogelmann B, Ruocco V, Grünwald-Gruber C, D’Aoust MA, Lavoie PO, Saxena P, Gach JS, Steinkellner H, Strasser R. An oligosaccharyltransferase from Leishmania donovani increases the N-glycan occupancy on plant-produced IgG1. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1233666. [PMID: 37615026 PMCID: PMC10442823 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1233666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
N-Glycosylation of immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) at the heavy chain Fc domain (Asn297) plays an important role for antibody structure and effector functions. While numerous recombinant IgG1 antibodies have been successfully expressed in plants, they frequently display a considerable amount (up to 50%) of unglycosylated Fc domain. To overcome this limitation, we tested a single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase from the protozoan Leishmania donovani (LdOST) for its ability to improve IgG1 Fc glycosylation. LdOST fused to a fluorescent protein was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana and confocal microscopy confirmed the subcellular location at the endoplasmic reticulum. Transient co-expression of LdOST with two different IgG1 antibodies resulted in a significant increase (up to 97%) of Fc glycosylation while leaving the overall N-glycan composition unmodified, as determined by different mass spectrometry approaches. While biochemical and functional features of "glycosylation improved" antibodies remained unchanged, a slight increase in FcγRIIIa binding and thermal stability was observed. Collectively, our results reveal that LdOST expression is suitable to reduce the heterogeneity of plant-produced antibodies and can contribute to improving their stability and effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gernot Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia König-Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Kogelmann
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Valentina Ruocco
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Johannes S. Gach
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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11
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Stip MC, Evers M, Nederend M, Chan C, Reiding KR, Damen MJ, Heck AJR, Koustoulidou S, Ramakers R, Krijger GC, de Roos R, Souteyrand E, Cornel AM, Dierselhuis MP, Jansen M, de Boer M, Valerius T, van Tetering G, Leusen JHW, Meyer-Wentrup F. IgA antibody immunotherapy targeting GD2 is effective in preclinical neuroblastoma models. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006948. [PMID: 37479484 PMCID: PMC10364159 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy targeting GD2 is very effective against high-risk neuroblastoma, though administration of anti-GD2 antibodies induces severe and dose-limiting neuropathic pain by binding GD2-expressing sensory neurons. Previously, the IgG1 ch14.18 (dinutuximab) antibody was reformatted into the IgA1 isotype, which abolishes neuropathic pain and induces efficient neutrophil-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) via activation of the Fc alpha receptor (FcαRI/CD89). METHODS To generate an antibody suitable for clinical application, we engineered an IgA molecule (named IgA3.0 ch14.18) with increased stability, mutated glycosylation sites and substituted free (reactive) cysteines. The following mutations were introduced: N45.2G and P124R (CH1 domain), C92S, N120T, I121L and T122S (CH2 domain) and a deletion of the tail piece P131-Y148 (CH3 domain). IgA3.0 ch14.18 was evaluated in binding assays and in ADCC and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) assays with human, neuroblastoma patient and non-human primate effector cells. We performed mass spectrometry analysis of N-glycans and evaluated the impact of altered glycosylation in IgA3.0 ch14.18 on antibody half-life by performing pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in mice injected intravenously with 5 mg/kg antibody solution. A dose escalation study was performed to determine in vivo efficacy of IgA3.0 ch14.18 in an intraperitoneal mouse model using 9464D-GD2 neuroblastoma cells as well as in a subcutaneous human xenograft model using IMR32 neuroblastoma cells. Binding assays and PK studies were compared with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), ADCC and ADCP assays and in vivo tumor outgrowth with two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post-hoc test. RESULTS ADCC and ADCP assays showed that particularly neutrophils and macrophages from healthy donors, non-human primates and patients with neuroblastoma are able to kill neuroblastoma tumor cells efficiently with IgA3.0 ch14.18. IgA3.0 ch14.18 contains a more favorable glycosylation pattern, corresponding to an increased antibody half-life in mice compared with IgA1 and IgA2. Furthermore, IgA3.0 ch14.18 penetrates neuroblastoma tumors in vivo and halts tumor outgrowth in both 9464D-GD2 and IMR32 long-term tumor models. CONCLUSIONS IgA3.0 ch14.18 is a promising new therapy for neuroblastoma, showing (1) increased half-life compared to natural IgA antibodies, (2) increased protein stability enabling effortless production and purification, (3) potent CD89-mediated tumor killing in vitro by healthy subjects and patients with neuroblastoma and (4) antitumor efficacy in long-term mouse neuroblastoma models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein C Stip
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mitchell Evers
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike Nederend
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Chilam Chan
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Karli R Reiding
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam J Damen
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert J R Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Remmert de Roos
- Radionuclide Pharmacy, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edouard Souteyrand
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marco Jansen
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark de Boer
- De Boer Biotech Consultancy B.V, Blaricum, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Valerius
- Section for Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Geert van Tetering
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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12
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Chincinska IA, Miklaszewska M, Sołtys-Kalina D. Recent advances and challenges in potato improvement using CRISPR/Cas genome editing. PLANTA 2022; 257:25. [PMID: 36562862 PMCID: PMC9789015 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-04054-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas technology improves the quality of potato as a food crop and enables its use as both a model plant in fundamental research and as a potential biofactory for producing valuable compounds for industrial applications. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plays a significant role in ensuring global food and nutritional security. Tuber yield is negatively affected by biotic and abiotic stresses, and enzymatic browning and cold-induced sweetening significantly contribute to post-harvest quality losses. With the dual challenges of a growing population and a changing climate, potato enhancement is essential for its sustainable production. However, due to several characteristics of potato, including high levels of heterozygosity, tetrasomic inheritance, inbreeding depression, and self-incompatibility of diploid potato, conventional breeding practices are insufficient to achieve substantial trait improvement in tetraploid potato cultivars within a relatively short time. CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing has opened new possibilities to develop novel potato varieties with high commercialization potential. In this review, we summarize recent developments in optimizing CRISPR/Cas-based methods for potato genome editing, focusing on approaches addressing the challenging biology of this species. We also discuss the feasibility of obtaining transgene-free genome-edited potato varieties and explore different strategies to improve potato stress resistance, nutritional value, starch composition, and storage and processing characteristics. Altogether, this review provides insight into recent advances, possible bottlenecks, and future research directions in potato genome editing using CRISPR/Cas technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Anna Chincinska
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Miklaszewska
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of Molecular Systems Biology (MOSYS), Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dorota Sołtys-Kalina
- Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, Platanowa 19, 05-831, Młochów, Poland
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13
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Göritzer K, Grandits M, Grünwald-Gruber C, Figl R, Mercx S, Navarre C, Ma JKC, Teh AYH. Engineering the N-glycosylation pathway of Nicotiana tabacum for molecular pharming using CRISPR/Cas9. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1003065. [PMID: 36161010 PMCID: PMC9493077 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1003065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Molecular pharming in plants offers exciting possibilities to address global access to modern biologics. However, differences in the N-glycosylation pathway including the presence of β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose can affect activity, potency and immunogenicity of plant-derived proteins. Successful glycoengineering approaches toward human-like structures with no changes in plant phenotype, growth, or recombinant protein expression levels have been reported for Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. Such engineering of N-glycosylation would also be desirable for Nicotiana tabacum, which remains the crop of choice for recombinant protein pharmaceuticals required at massive scale and for manufacturing technology transfer to less developed countries. Here, we generated N. tabacum cv. SR-1 β(1,2)-xylosyltransferase (XylT) and α(1,3)-fucosyltransferase (FucT) knockout lines using CRISPR/Cas9 multiplex genome editing, targeting three conserved regions of the four FucT and two XylT genes. These two enzymes are responsible for generating non-human N-glycan structures. We confirmed full functional knockout of transformants by immunoblotting of total soluble protein by antibodies recognizing β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose, mass spectrometry analysis of recombinantly produced VRC01, a broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 hIgG1 antibody, and Sanger sequencing of targeted regions of the putative transformants. These data represent an important step toward establishing Nicotiana tabacum as a biologics platform for Global Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie Grandits
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Figl
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sébastien Mercx
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Catherine Navarre
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Julian K-C. Ma
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Audrey Y-H. Teh
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
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14
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Investigation of the N-Glycosylation of the SARS-CoV-2 S Protein Contained in VLPs Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27165119. [PMID: 36014368 PMCID: PMC9412417 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic in China in late 2019 led to the fast development of efficient therapeutics. Of the major structural proteins encoded by the SARS-CoV-2 genome, the SPIKE (S) protein has attracted considerable research interest because of the central role it plays in virus entry into host cells. Therefore, to date, most immunization strategies aim at inducing neutralizing antibodies against the surface viral S protein. The SARS-CoV-2 S protein is heavily glycosylated with 22 predicted N-glycosylation consensus sites as well as numerous mucin-type O-glycosylation sites. As a consequence, O- and N-glycosylations of this viral protein have received particular attention. Glycans N-linked to the S protein are mainly exposed at the surface and form a shield-masking specific epitope to escape the virus antigenic recognition. In this work, the N-glycosylation status of the S protein within virus-like particles (VLPs) produced in Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana) was investigated using a glycoproteomic approach. We show that 20 among the 22 predicted N-glycosylation sites are dominated by complex plant N-glycans and one carries oligomannoses. This suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein produced in N. benthamiana adopts an overall 3D structure similar to that of recombinant homologues produced in mammalian cells.
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15
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Uetz P, Melnik S, Grünwald-Gruber C, Strasser R, Stoger E. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of a prolyl-4-hydroxylase subfamily in Nicotiana benthamiana using DsRed2 for plant selection. Biotechnol J 2022; 17:e2100698. [PMID: 35427441 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The properties of host plants used for molecular farming can be modified by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to improve the quality and yield of recombinant proteins. However, it is often necessary to target multiple genes simultaneously, particularly when using host plants with large and complex genomes. This is the case for Nicotiana benthamiana, an allotetraploid relative of tobacco frequently used for transient protein expression. A multiplex genome editing system incorporating the DsRed2 fluorescent marker for the identification and selection of transgenic plants was established. As proof of principle, NbP4H4 was targeted encoding a prolyl-4-hydroxylase involved in protein O-linked glycosylation. Using preselected gRNAs with efficiencies confirmed by transient expression, transgenic plant lines with knockout mutations in all four NbP4H4 genes were obtained. Leaf fluorescence was then used to screen for the absence of the SpCas9 transgene in T1 plants, and transgene-free lines with homozygous or biallelic mutations were identified. The analysis of plant-produced recombinant IgA1 as a reporter protein revealed changes in the number of peptides containing hydroxyproline residues and pentoses in the knockout plants. The selection of efficient gRNAs combined with the DsRed2 marker reduces the effort needed to generate N. benthamiana mutants and simplifies the screening processes to obtain transgene-free progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Uetz
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stanislav Melnik
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Stoger
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Ruocco V, Strasser R. Transient Expression of Glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 Antigens in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:1093. [PMID: 35448821 PMCID: PMC9033091 DOI: 10.3390/plants11081093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic very dramatically shows that the world lacks preparedness for novel viral diseases. In addition to newly emerging viruses, many known pathogenic viruses such as influenza are constantly evolving, leading to frequent outbreaks with severe diseases and deaths. Hence, infectious viruses are a recurrent burden to our daily life, and powerful strategies to stop the spread of human pathogens and disease progression are of utmost importance. Transient plant-based protein expression is a technology that allows fast and highly flexible manufacturing of recombinant viral proteins and, thus, can contribute to infectious disease detection and prevention. This review highlights recent progress in the transient production of viral glycoproteins in N. benthamiana with a focus on SARS-CoV-2-derived viral antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria;
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17
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Correlative N-Glycan and Charge Variant Analysis of Cetuximab Expressed in Murine, Chinese Hamster and Human Expression Systems. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2022; 1194:123186. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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18
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Increased in vitro neutralizing activity of SARS-CoV-2 IgA1 dimers compared to monomers and IgG. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2107148118. [PMID: 34702738 PMCID: PMC8612245 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107148118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we expressed two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (Abs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; H4 and B38) in three formats: IgG1, IgA1 monomers (m), and IgA1 dimers (d) in glycoengineered Nicotiana benthamiana plants. All six Ab variants assembled properly and exhibited a largely homogeneous glycosylation profile. Despite modest variation in antigen binding between Ab formats, SARS-CoV-2 neutralization (NT) potency significantly increased in the following manner: IgG1 < IgA1-m < IgA1-d, with an up to 240-fold NT increase of dimers compared to corresponding monomers. Our results underscore that both IgA's structural features and multivalency positively impact NT potency. In addition, they emphasize the versatile use of plants for the rapid expression of complex human proteins.
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19
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Shin YJ, Vavra U, Strasser R. Proper protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum is required for attachment of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor in plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 186:1878-1892. [PMID: 33930152 PMCID: PMC8331152 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control processes recognize and eliminate misfolded proteins to maintain cellular protein homeostasis and prevent the accumulation of defective proteins in the secretory pathway. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins carry a glycolipid modification, which provides an efficient ER export signal and potentially prevents the entry into ER-associated degradation (ERAD), which is one of the major pathways for clearance of terminally misfolded proteins from the ER. Here, we analyzed the degradation routes of different misfolded glycoproteins carrying a C-terminal GPI-attachment signal peptide in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that a fusion protein consisting of the misfolded extracellular domain from Arabidopsis STRUBBELIG and the GPI-anchor attachment sequence of COBRA1 was efficiently targeted to hydroxymethylglutaryl reductase degradation protein 1 complex-mediated ERAD without the detectable attachment of a GPI anchor. Non-native variants of the GPI-anchored lipid transfer protein 1 (LTPG1) that lack a severely misfolded domain, on the other hand, are modified with a GPI anchor and targeted to the vacuole for degradation. Impaired processing of the GPI-anchoring signal peptide by mutation of the cleavage site or in a GPI-transamidase-compromised mutant caused ER retention and routed the non-native LTPG1 to ERAD. Collectively, these results indicate that for severely misfolded proteins, ER quality control processes are dominant over ER export. For less severely misfolded proteins, the GPI anchor provides an efficient ER export signal resulting in transport to the vacuole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ji Shin
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
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20
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Chincinska IA. Leaf infiltration in plant science: old method, new possibilities. PLANT METHODS 2021; 17:83. [PMID: 34321022 PMCID: PMC8316707 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-021-00782-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The penetration of substances from the surface to deep inside plant tissues is called infiltration. Although various plant tissues may be effectively saturated with externally applied fluid, most described infiltration strategies have been developed for leaves. The infiltration process can be spontaneous (under normal atmospheric pressure) or forced by a pressure difference generated between the lamina surface and the inside of the leaf. Spontaneous infiltration of leaf laminae is possible with the use of liquids with sufficiently low surface tension. Forced infiltration is most commonly performed using needle-less syringes or vacuum pumps.Leaf infiltration is widely used in plant sciences for both research and application purposes, usually as a starting technique to obtain plant material for advanced experimental procedures. Leaf infiltration followed by gentle centrifugation allows to obtain the apoplastic fluid for further analyses including various omics. In studies of plant-microorganism interactions, infiltration is used for the controlled introduction of bacterial suspensions into leaf tissues or for the isolation of microorganisms inhabiting apoplastic spaces of leaves. The methods based on infiltration of target tissues allow the penetration of dyes, fixatives and other substances improving the quality of microscopic imaging. Infiltration has found a special application in plant biotechnology as a method of transient transformation with the use of Agrobacterium suspension (agroinfiltration) enabling genetic modifications of mature plant leaves, including the local induction of mutations using genome editing tools. In plant nanobiotechnology, the leaves of the target plants can be infiltrated with suitably prepared nanoparticles, which can act as light sensors or increase the plant resistance to environmental stress. In addition the infiltration has been also intensively studied due to the undesirable effects of this phenomenon in some food technology sectors, such as accidental contamination of leafy greens with pathogenic bacteria during the vacuum cooling process.This review, inspired by the growing interest of the scientists from various fields of plant science in the phenomenon of infiltration, provides the description of different infiltration methods and summarizes the recent applications of this technique in plant physiology, phytopathology and plant (nano-)biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Anna Chincinska
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
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21
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Moore CM, Grandits M, Grünwald-Gruber C, Altmann F, Kotouckova M, Teh AYH, Ma JKC. Characterisation of a highly potent and near pan-neutralising anti-HIV monoclonal antibody expressed in tobacco plants. Retrovirology 2021; 18:17. [PMID: 34183026 PMCID: PMC8240387 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-021-00560-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV remains one of the most important health issues worldwide, with almost 40 million people living with HIV. Although patients develop antibodies against the virus, its high mutation rate allows evasion of immune responses. Some patients, however, produce antibodies that are able to bind to, and neutralise different strains of HIV. One such 'broadly neutralising' antibody is 'N6'. Identified in 2016, N6 can neutralise 98% of HIV-1 isolates with a median IC50 of 0.066 µg/mL. This neutralisation breadth makes N6 a very promising therapeutic candidate. RESULTS N6 was expressed in a glycoengineered line of N. benthamiana plants (pN6) and compared to the mammalian cell-expressed equivalent (mN6). Expression at 49 mg/kg (fresh leaf tissue) was achieved in plants, although extraction and purification are more challenging than for most plant-expressed antibodies. N-glycoanalysis demonstrated the absence of xylosylation and a reduction in α(1,3)-fucosylation that are typically found in plant glycoproteins. The N6 light chain contains a potential N-glycosylation site, which was modified and displayed more α(1,3)-fucose than the heavy chain. The binding kinetics of pN6 and mN6, measured by surface plasmon resonance, were similar for HIV gp120. pN6 had a tenfold higher affinity for FcγRIIIa, which was reflected in an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity assay, where pN6 induced a more potent response from effector cells than that of mN6. pN6 demonstrated the same potency and breadth of neutralisation as mN6, against a panel of HIV strains. CONCLUSIONS The successful expression of N6 in tobacco supports the prospect of developing a low-cost, low-tech production platform for a monoclonal antibody cocktail to control HIV in low-to middle income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M. Moore
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE UK
| | - Melanie Grandits
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE UK
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Kotouckova
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE UK
| | - Audrey Y.-H. Teh
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE UK
| | - Julian K.-C. Ma
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE UK
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22
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Castilho A, Schwestka J, Kienzl NF, Vavra U, Grünwald‐Gruber C, Izadi S, Hiremath C, Niederhöfer J, Laurent E, Monteil V, Mirazimi A, Wirnsberger G, Stadlmann J, Stöger E, Mach L, Strasser R. Generation of enzymatically competent SARS-CoV-2 decoy receptor ACE2-Fc in glycoengineered Nicotiana benthamiana. Biotechnol J 2021; 16:e2000566. [PMID: 33481336 PMCID: PMC7995010 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the primary host cell receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binding and cell entry. Administration of high concentrations of soluble ACE2 can be utilized as a decoy to block the interaction of the virus with cellular ACE2 receptors and potentially be used as a strategy for treatment or prevention of coronavirus disease 2019. Human ACE2 is heavily glycosylated and its glycans impact on binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and virus infectivity. Here, we describe the production of a recombinant soluble ACE2-fragment crystallizable (Fc) variant in glycoengineered Nicotiana benthamiana. Our data reveal that the produced dimeric ACE2-Fc variant is glycosylated with mainly complex human-type N-glycans and functional with regard to enzyme activity, affinity to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, and wild-type virus neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Castilho
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Jennifer Schwestka
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Nikolaus F. Kienzl
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Clemens Grünwald‐Gruber
- Department of ChemistryInstitute of BiochemistryUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Shiva Izadi
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
- Department of BiotechnologyFaculty of AgricultureTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | - Chaitra Hiremath
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Elisabeth Laurent
- Department of Biotechnology and Core Facility Biomolecular & Cellular AnalysisUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Vanessa Monteil
- Department of Laboratory MedicineUnit of Clinical MicrobiologyKarolinska Institute and Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Ali Mirazimi
- Department of Laboratory MedicineUnit of Clinical MicrobiologyKarolinska Institute and Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | | | - Johannes Stadlmann
- Department of ChemistryInstitute of BiochemistryUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Eva Stöger
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences ViennaViennaAustria
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23
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Mócsai R, Göritzer K, Stenitzer D, Maresch D, Strasser R, Altmann F. Prolyl Hydroxylase Paralogs in Nicotiana benthamiana Show High Similarity With Regard to Substrate Specificity. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:636597. [PMID: 33737944 PMCID: PMC7960765 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.636597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Plant glycoproteins display a characteristic type of O-glycosylation where short arabinans or larger arabinogalactans are linked to hydroxyproline. The conversion of proline to 4-hydroxyproline is accomplished by prolyl-hydroxylases (P4Hs). Eleven putative Nicotiana benthamiana P4Hs, which fall in four homology groups, have been identified by homology searches using known Arabidopsis thaliana P4H sequences. One member of each of these groups has been expressed in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system and applied to synthetic peptides representing the O-glycosylated region of erythropoietin (EPO), IgA1, Art v 1 and the Arabidopsis thaliana glycoprotein STRUBBELIG. Unlike the situation in the moss Physcomitrella patens, where one particular P4H was mainly responsible for the oxidation of erythropoietin, the tobacco P4Hs exhibited rather similar activities, albeit with biased substrate preferences and preferred sites of oxidation. From a biotechnological viewpoint, this result means that silencing/knockout of a single P4H in N. benthamiana cannot be expected to result in the abolishment of the plant-specific oxidation of prolyl residues in a recombinant protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Réka Mócsai
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Stenitzer
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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24
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Puchol Tarazona AA, Maresch D, Grill A, Bakalarz J, Torres Acosta JA, Castilho A, Steinkellner H, Mach L. Identification of two subtilisin-like serine proteases engaged in the degradation of recombinant proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:379-388. [PMID: 33263189 PMCID: PMC8221030 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The tobacco variant Nicotiana benthamiana has recently emerged as a versatile host for the manufacturing of protein therapeutics, but the fidelity of many recombinant proteins generated in this system is compromised by inadvertent proteolysis. Previous studies have revealed that the anti-HIV-1 antibodies 2F5 and PG9 as well as the protease inhibitor α1 -antitrypsin (A1AT) are particularly susceptible to N. benthamiana proteases. Here, we identify two subtilisin-like serine proteases (NbSBT1 and NbSBT2) whose combined action is sufficient to account for all major cleavage events observed upon expression of 2F5, PG9 and A1AT in N. benthamiana. We propose that downregulation of NbSBT1 and NbSBT2 activities could constitute a powerful means to optimize the performance of this promising platform for the production of biopharmaceuticals. DATABASES: NbSBT sequence data are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under the accession numbers MN534996 to MN535005.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Annette Grill
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Janet Bakalarz
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Juan A. Torres Acosta
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Alexandra Castilho
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
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25
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Hansen AL, Reily C, Novak J, Renfrow MB. Immunoglobulin A Glycosylation and Its Role in Disease. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2021; 112:433-477. [PMID: 34687019 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76912-3_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Human IgA is comprised of two subclasses, IgA1 and IgA2. Monomeric IgA (mIgA), polymeric IgA (pIgA), and secretory IgA (SIgA) are the main molecular forms of IgA. The production of IgA rivals all other immunoglobulin isotypes. The large quantities of IgA reflect the fundamental roles it plays in immune defense, protecting vulnerable mucosal surfaces against invading pathogens. SIgA dominates mucosal surfaces, whereas IgA in circulation is predominately monomeric. All forms of IgA are glycosylated, and the glycans significantly influence its various roles, including antigen binding and the antibody effector functions, mediated by the Fab and Fc portions, respectively. In contrast to its protective role, the aberrant glycosylation of IgA1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, such as IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and IgA vasculitis with nephritis (IgAVN). Furthermore, detailed characterization of IgA glycosylation, including its diverse range of heterogeneity, is of emerging interest. We provide an overview of the glycosylation observed for each subclass and molecular form of IgA as well as the range of heterogeneity for each site of glycosylation. In many ways, the role of IgA glycosylation is in its early stages of being elucidated. This chapter provides an overview of the current knowledge and research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L Hansen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Colin Reily
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jan Novak
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Matthew B Renfrow
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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26
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Göritzer K, Strasser R. Glycosylation of Plant-Produced Immunoglobulins. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2021; 112:519-543. [PMID: 34687021 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76912-3_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Many economically important protein-based therapeutics like monoclonal antibodies are glycosylated. Due to the recognized importance of this type of posttranslational modification, glycoengineering of expression systems to obtain highly active and homogenous therapeutics is an emerging field. Although most of the monoclonal antibodies on the market are still produced in mammalian expression platforms, plants are emerging as an alternative cost-effective and scalable production platform that allows precise engineering of glycosylation to produce targeted human glycoforms at large homogeneity. Apart from producing more effective antibodies, pure glycoforms are required in efforts to link biological functions to specific glycan structures. Much is already known about the role of IgG1 glycosylation and this antibody class is the dominant recombinant format that has been expressed in plants. By contrast, little attention has been paid to the glycoengineering of recombinant IgG subtypes and the other four classes of human immunoglobulins (IgA, IgD, IgE, and IgM). Except for IgD, all these antibody classes have been expressed in plants and the glycosylation has been analyzed in a site-specific manner. Here, we summarize the current data on glycosylation of plant-produced monoclonal antibodies and discuss the findings in the light of known functions for these glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Strasser
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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27
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Teh AYH, Cavacini L, Hu Y, Kumru OS, Xiong J, Bolick DT, Joshi SB, Grünwald-Gruber C, Altmann F, Klempner M, Guerrant RL, Volkin DB, Wang Y, Ma JKC. Investigation of a monoclonal antibody against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, expressed as secretory IgA1 and IgA2 in plants. Gut Microbes 2021; 13:1-14. [PMID: 33439092 PMCID: PMC7833773 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1859813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Passive immunization with antibodies is a promising approach against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli diarrhea, a prevalent disease in LMICs. The objective of this study was to investigate expression of a monoclonal anti-ETEC CfaE secretory IgA antibody in N. benthamiana plants, with a view to facilitating access to ETEC passive immunotherapy. SIgA1 and SIgA2 forms of mAb 68-81 were produced by co-expressing the light and engineered heavy chains with J chain and secretory component in N. benthamiana. Antibody expression and assembly were compared with CHO-derived antibodies by SDS-PAGE, western blotting, size-exclusion chromatography and LC-MS peptide mapping. N-linked glycosylation was assessed by rapid fluorescence/mass spectrometry and LC-ESI-MS. Susceptibility to gastric digestion was assessed in an in vitro model. Antibody function was compared for antigen binding, a Caco-2 cell-based ETEC adhesion assay, an ETEC hemagglutination inhibition assay and a murine in vivo challenge study. SIgA1 assembly appeared superior to SIgA2 in plants. Both sub-classes exhibited resistance to degradation by simulated gastric fluid, comparable to CHO-produced 68-61 SIgA1. The plant expressed SIgAs had more homogeneous N-glycosylation than CHO-derived SIgAs, but no alteration of in vitro functional activity was observed, including antibodies expressed in a plant line engineered for mammalian-like N glycosylation. The plant-derived SIgA2 mAb demonstrated protection against diarrhea in a murine infection model. Although antibody yield and purification need to be optimized, anti-ETEC SIgA antibodies produced in a low-cost plant platform are functionally equivalent to CHO antibodies, and provide promise for passive immunotherapy in LMICs.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial/genetics
- Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology
- Antibodies, Bacterial/metabolism
- Antibodies, Bacterial/therapeutic use
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/genetics
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/metabolism
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use
- Antibody Affinity
- Bacterial Adhesion/drug effects
- Caco-2 Cells
- Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli/immunology
- Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology
- Escherichia coli Infections/therapy
- Gastric Acid/metabolism
- Glycosylation
- Humans
- Immunoglobulin A, Secretory/genetics
- Immunoglobulin A, Secretory/immunology
- Immunoglobulin A, Secretory/metabolism
- Immunoglobulin A, Secretory/therapeutic use
- Immunotherapy
- Mice
- Plants, Genetically Modified
- Nicotiana/genetics
- Nicotiana/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Y-H Teh
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, UK
| | - Lisa Cavacini
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yue Hu
- Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Ozan S. Kumru
- Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Jian Xiong
- Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - David T. Bolick
- Division of Infectious Disease and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Sangeeta B. Joshi
- Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Department for Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, Universität Für Bodenkultur Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department for Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, Universität Für Bodenkultur Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mark Klempner
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard L. Guerrant
- Division of Infectious Disease and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - David B. Volkin
- Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julian K-C. Ma
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, UK
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28
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Fc Engineering Strategies to Advance IgA Antibodies as Therapeutic Agents. Antibodies (Basel) 2020; 9:antib9040070. [PMID: 33333967 PMCID: PMC7768499 DOI: 10.3390/antib9040070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past three decades, a great interest has arisen in the use of immunoglobulins as therapeutic agents. In particular, since the approval of the first monoclonal antibody Rituximab for B cell malignancies, the progress in the antibody-related therapeutic agents has been incremental. Therapeutic antibodies can be applied in a variety of diseases, ranging from cancer to autoimmunity and allergy. All current therapeutic monoclonal antibodies used in the clinic are of the IgG isotype. IgG antibodies can induce the killing of cancer cells by growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, complement activation (CDC) or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by NK cells, antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) by monocytes/macrophages, or trogoptosis by granulocytes. To enhance these effector mechanisms of IgG, protein and glyco-engineering has been successfully applied. As an alternative to IgG, antibodies of the IgA isotype have been shown to be very effective in tumor eradication. Using the IgA-specific receptor FcαRI expressed on myeloid cells, IgA antibodies show superior tumor-killing compared to IgG when granulocytes are employed. However, reasons why IgA has not been introduced in the clinic yet can be found in the intrinsic properties of IgA posing several technical limitations: (1) IgA is challenging to produce and purify, (2) IgA shows a very heterogeneous glycosylation profile, and (3) IgA has a relatively short serum half-life. Next to the technical challenges, pre-clinical evaluation of IgA efficacy in vivo is not straightforward as mice do not naturally express the FcαR. Here, we provide a concise overview of the latest insights in these engineering strategies overcoming technical limitations of IgA as a therapeutic antibody: developability, heterogeneity, and short half-life. In addition, alternative approaches using IgA/IgG hybrid and FcαR-engagers and the impact of engineering on the clinical application of IgA will be discussed.
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29
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Margolin EA, Strasser R, Chapman R, Williamson AL, Rybicki EP, Meyers AE. Engineering the Plant Secretory Pathway for the Production of Next-Generation Pharmaceuticals. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 38:1034-1044. [PMID: 32818443 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Production of biologics in plants, or plant molecular pharming, is a promising protein expression technology that is receiving increasing attention from the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, low expression yields of recombinant proteins and the realization that certain post-translational modifications (PTMs) may not occur optimally limited the widespread acceptance of the technology. However, molecular engineering of the plant secretory pathway is now enabling the production of increasingly complex biomolecules using tailored protein-specific approaches to ensure their maturation. These involve the elimination of undesired processing events, and the introduction of heterologous biosynthetic machinery to support the production of specific target proteins. Here, we discuss recent advances in the production of pharmaceutical proteins in plants, which leverage the unique advantages of the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel A Margolin
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ros Chapman
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Anna-Lise Williamson
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Edward P Rybicki
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ann E Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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30
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Göritzer K, Goet I, Duric S, Maresch D, Altmann F, Obinger C, Strasser R. Efficient N-Glycosylation of the Heavy Chain Tailpiece Promotes the Formation of Plant-Produced Dimeric IgA. Front Chem 2020; 8:346. [PMID: 32426328 PMCID: PMC7212365 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of monomeric IgA in mammalian cells and plant expression systems such as Nicotiana benthamiana is well-established and can be achieved by co-expression of the corresponding light and heavy chains. In contrast, the assembly of dimeric IgA requires the additional expression of the joining chain and remains challenging especially in plant-based systems. Here, we examined factors affecting the assembly and expression of HER2 binding dimeric IgA1 and IgA2m(2) variants transiently produced in N. benthamiana. While co-expression of the joining chain resulted in efficient formation of dimeric IgAs in HEK293F cells, a mixture of monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric variants was detected in plants. Mass-spectrometric analysis of site-specific glycosylation revealed that the N-glycan profile differed between monomeric and dimeric IgAs in the plant expression system. Co-expression of a single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase from the protozoan Leishmania major in N. benthamiana increased the N-glycosylation occupancy at the C-terminal heavy chain tailpiece and changed the ratio of monomeric to dimeric IgAs. Our data demonstrate that N-glycosylation engineering is a suitable strategy to promote the formation of dimeric IgA variants in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Iris Goet
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stella Duric
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Obinger
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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31
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Advances in molecular mechanisms of drugs affecting abnormal glycosylation and metastasis of breast cancer. Pharmacol Res 2020; 155:104738. [PMID: 32151681 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide, and its incidence is also increasing. High recurrence rate and metastasis rate are the key causes of poor prognosis and death. It is suggested that abnormal glycosylation plays an important role in the growth, invasion, metastasis and resistance to therapy of breast cancer cells. Meanwhile, it can be used as the biomarkers for the early detection and prognosis of breast cancer and the potential attractive targets for drug treatment. However, only a few attentions have been paid to the molecular mechanism of abnormal glycosylation in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of breast cancer cells and the related intervention of drugs. This manuscript thus investigated the relationship between abnormal glycosylation, the EMT, and breast cancer metastasis. Then, the process of abnormal glycosylation, the classification and their molecular regulatory mechanisms of breast cancer were analyzed in detail. Last, potential drugs are introduced in different categories, which are expected to reverse or intervene the abnormal glycosylation of breast cancer. This review is conducive to an in-depth understanding of the metastasis and drug resistance of breast cancer cells, which will provide new ideas for the clinical regulation of glycosylation and related drug treatments in breast cancer.
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32
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de Sousa-Pereira P, Woof JM. IgA: Structure, Function, and Developability. Antibodies (Basel) 2019; 8:antib8040057. [PMID: 31817406 PMCID: PMC6963396 DOI: 10.3390/antib8040057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunoglobulin A (IgA) plays a key role in defending mucosal surfaces against attack by infectious microorganisms. Such sites present a major site of susceptibility due to their vast surface area and their constant exposure to ingested and inhaled material. The importance of IgA to effective immune defence is signalled by the fact that more IgA is produced than all the other immunoglobulin classes combined. Indeed, IgA is not just the most prevalent antibody class at mucosal sites, but is also present at significant concentrations in serum. The unique structural features of the IgA heavy chain allow IgA to polymerise, resulting in mainly dimeric forms, along with some higher polymers, in secretions. Both serum IgA, which is principally monomeric, and secretory forms of IgA are capable of neutralising and removing pathogens through a range of mechanisms, including triggering the IgA Fc receptor known as FcαRI or CD89 on phagocytes. The effectiveness of these elimination processes is highlighted by the fact that various pathogens have evolved mechanisms to thwart such IgA-mediated clearance. As the structure–function relationships governing the varied capabilities of this immunoglobulin class come into increasingly clear focus, and means to circumvent any inherent limitations are developed, IgA-based monoclonal antibodies are set to emerge as new and potent options in the therapeutic arena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia de Sousa-Pereira
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- CIBIO-InBIO, Campus Agrário de Vairão, University of Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jenny M. Woof
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-1382-383389
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33
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Göritzer K, Turupcu A, Maresch D, Novak J, Altmann F, Oostenbrink C, Obinger C, Strasser R. Distinct Fcα receptor N-glycans modulate the binding affinity to immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:13995-14008. [PMID: 31362986 PMCID: PMC6755811 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the most prevalent antibody class at mucosal sites with an important role in mucosal defense. Little is known about the impact of N-glycan modifications of IgA1 and IgA2 on binding to the Fcα receptor (FcαRI), which is also heavily glycosylated at its extracellular domain. Here, we transiently expressed human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-binding monomeric IgA1, IgA2m(1), and IgA2m(2) variants in Nicotiana benthamiana ΔXT/FT plants lacking the enzymes responsible for generating nonhuman N-glycan structures. By coinfiltrating IgA with the respective glycan-modifying enzymes, we generated IgA carrying distinct homogenous N-glycans. We demonstrate that distinctly different N-glycan profiles did not influence antigen binding or the overall structure and integrity of the IgA antibodies but did affect their thermal stability. Using size-exclusion chromatography, differential scanning and isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and molecular modeling, we probed distinct IgA1 and IgA2 glycoforms for binding to four different FcαRI glycoforms and investigated the thermodynamics and kinetics of complex formation. Our results suggest that different N-glycans on the receptor significantly contribute to binding affinities for its cognate ligand. We also noted that full-length IgA and FcαRI form a mixture of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes tending toward a 1:1 stoichiometry due to different IgA tailpiece conformations that make it less likely that both binding sites are simultaneously occupied. In conclusion, N-glycans of human IgA do not affect its structure and integrity but its thermal stability, and FcαRI N-glycans significantly modulate binding affinity to IgA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Aysegül Turupcu
- Department of Material Sciences and Process Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Novak
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Chris Oostenbrink
- Department of Material Sciences and Process Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Obinger
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
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Tjondro HC, Loke I, Chatterjee S, Thaysen-Andersen M. Human protein paucimannosylation: cues from the eukaryotic kingdoms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:2068-2100. [PMID: 31410980 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Paucimannosidic proteins (PMPs) are bioactive glycoproteins carrying truncated α- or β-mannosyl-terminating asparagine (N)-linked glycans widely reported across the eukaryotic domain. Our understanding of human PMPs remains limited, despite findings documenting their existence and association with human disease glycobiology. This review comprehensively surveys the structures, biosynthetic routes and functions of PMPs across the eukaryotic kingdoms with the aim of synthesising an improved understanding on the role of protein paucimannosylation in human health and diseases. Convincing biochemical, glycoanalytical and biological data detail a vast structural heterogeneity and fascinating tissue- and subcellular-specific expression of PMPs within invertebrates and plants, often comprising multi-α1,3/6-fucosylation and β1,2-xylosylation amongst other glycan modifications and non-glycan substitutions e.g. O-methylation. Vertebrates and protists express less-heterogeneous PMPs typically only comprising variable core fucosylation of bi- and trimannosylchitobiose core glycans. In particular, the Manα1,6Manβ1,4GlcNAc(α1,6Fuc)β1,4GlcNAcβAsn glycan (M2F) decorates various human neutrophil proteins reportedly displaying bioactivity and structural integrity demonstrating that they are not degradation products. Less-truncated paucimannosidic glycans (e.g. M3F) are characteristic glycosylation features of proteins expressed by human cancer and stem cells. Concertedly, these observations suggest the involvement of human PMPs in processes related to innate immunity, tumorigenesis and cellular differentiation. The absence of human PMPs in diverse bodily fluids studied under many (patho)physiological conditions suggests extravascular residence and points to localised functions of PMPs in peripheral tissues. Absence of PMPs in Fungi indicates that paucimannosylation is common, but not universally conserved, in eukaryotes. Relative to human PMPs, the expression of PMPs in plants, invertebrates and protists is more tissue-wide and constitutive yet, similar to their human counterparts, PMP expression remains regulated by the physiology of the producing organism and PMPs evidently serve essential functions in development, cell-cell communication and host-pathogen/symbiont interactions. In most PMP-producing organisms, including humans, the N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase isoenzymes and linkage-specific α-mannosidases are glycoside hydrolases critical for generating PMPs via N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnT-I)-dependent and GnT-I-independent truncation pathways. However, the identity and structure of many species-specific PMPs in eukaryotes, their biosynthetic routes, strong tissue- and development-specific expression, and diverse functions are still elusive. Deep exploration of these PMP features involving, for example, the characterisation of endogenous PMP-recognising lectins across a variety of healthy and N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase-deficient human tissue types and identification of microbial adhesins reactive to human PMPs, are amongst the many tasks required for enhanced insight into the glycobiology of human PMPs. In conclusion, the literature supports the notion that PMPs are significant, yet still heavily under-studied biomolecules in human glycobiology that serve essential functions and create structural heterogeneity not dissimilar to other human N-glycoprotein types. Human PMPs should therefore be recognised as bioactive glycoproteins that are distinctly different from the canonical N-glycoprotein classes and which warrant a more dedicated focus in glycobiological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry C Tjondro
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Ian Loke
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Sayantani Chatterjee
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Morten Thaysen-Andersen
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
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Smargiasso N, Nader J, Rioux S, Mazzucchelli G, Boutry M, De Pauw E, Chaumont F, Navarre C. Exploring the N-Glycosylation Profile of Glycoprotein B from Human Cytomegalovirus Expressed in CHO and Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3741. [PMID: 31370181 PMCID: PMC6696289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to control the glycosylation pattern of recombinant viral glycoproteins represents a major prerequisite before their use as vaccines. The aim of this study consisted of expressing the large soluble ectodomain of glycoprotein B (gB) from Human Cytomegalovirus (HMCV) in Nicotiana tabacum Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) suspension cells and of comparing its glycosylation profile with that of gB produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. gB was secreted in the BY-2 culture medium at a concentration of 20 mg/L and directly purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and size exclusion chromatography. We then measured the relative abundance of N-glycans present on 15 (BY-2) and 17 (CHO) out of the 18 N-sites by multienzymatic proteolysis and mass spectrometry. The glycosylation profile differed at each N-site, some sites being occupied exclusively by oligomannosidic type N-glycans and others by complex N-glycans processed in some cases with additional Lewis A structures (BY-2) or with beta-1,4-galactose and sialic acid (CHO). The profiles were strikingly comparable between BY-2- and CHO-produced gB. These results suggest a similar gB conformation when glycoproteins are expressed in plant cells as site accessibility influences the glycosylation profile at each site. These data thus strengthen the BY-2 suspension cultures as an alternative expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Smargiasso
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory-MolSys, GIGA Proteomics Facility, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Joseph Nader
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | - Gabriel Mazzucchelli
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory-MolSys, GIGA Proteomics Facility, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Marc Boutry
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Edwin De Pauw
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory-MolSys, GIGA Proteomics Facility, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - François Chaumont
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Catherine Navarre
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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AllergoOncology: High innate IgE levels are decisive for the survival of cancer-bearing mice. World Allergy Organ J 2019; 12:100044. [PMID: 31388397 PMCID: PMC6669725 DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2019.100044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Atopics have a lower risk for malignancies, and IgE targeted to tumors is superior to IgG in fighting cancer. Whether IgE-mediated innate or adaptive immune surveillance can confer protection against tumors remains unclear. Objective We aimed to investigate the effects of active and passive immunotherapy to the tumor-associated antigen HER-2 in three murine models differing in Epsilon-B-cell-receptor expression affecting the levels of expressed IgE. Methods We compared the levels of several serum specific anti-HER-2 antibodies (IgE, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgA) and the survival rates in low-IgE ΔM1M2 mice lacking the transmembrane/cytoplasmic domain of Epsilon-B-cell-receptors expressing reduced IgE levels, high-IgE KN1 mice expressing chimeric Epsilon-Gamma1-B-cell receptors with 4-6-fold elevated serum IgE levels, and wild type (WT) BALB/c. Prior engrafting mice with D2F2/E2 mammary tumors overexpressing HER-2, mice were vaccinated with HER-2 or vehicle control PBS using the Th2-adjuvant Al(OH)3 (active immunotherapy), or treated with the murine anti-HER-2 IgG1 antibody 4D5 (passive immunotherapy). Results Overall, among the three strains of mice, HER-2 vaccination induced significantly higher levels of HER-2 specific IgE and IgG1 in high-IgE KN1, while low-IgE ΔM1M2 mice had higher IgG2a levels. HER-2 vaccination and passive immunotherapy prolonged the survival in tumor-grafted WT and low-IgE ΔM1M2 strains compared with treatment controls; active vaccination provided the highest benefit. Notably, untreated high-IgE KN1 mice displayed the longest survival of all strains, which could not be further extended by active or passive immunotherapy. Conclusion Active and passive immunotherapies prolong survival in wild type and low-IgE ΔM1M2 mice engrafted with mammary tumors. High-IgE KN1 mice have an innate survival benefit following tumor challenge.
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Key Words
- ADCC, Antibody-dependent Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity
- ADCP, Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis
- AllergoOncology
- BCR, B-Cell Receptor
- Cancer vaccine
- HER-2
- HER-2, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2, ErbB-2
- IgA, Immunoglobulin A
- IgE
- IgE, Immunoglobulin E
- IgG, Immunoglobulin G
- Onco-immunology
- TAA, Tumor-Associated Antigen
- WT, wild type
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Hu Y, Kumru OS, Xiong J, Antunez LR, Hickey J, Wang Y, Cavacini L, Klempner M, Joshi SB, Volkin DB. Preformulation Characterization and Stability Assessments of Secretory IgA Monoclonal Antibodies as Potential Candidates for Passive Immunization by Oral Administration. J Pharm Sci 2019; 109:407-421. [PMID: 31369743 PMCID: PMC6941217 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of diarrheal disease among children in developing countries, and there are no licensed vaccines to protect against ETEC. Passive immunization by oral delivery of ETEC-specific secretory IgAs (sIgAs) could potentially provide an alternative approach for protection in targeted populations. In this study, a series of physiochemical techniques and an in vitro gastric digestion model were used to characterize and compare key structural attributes and stability profiles of 3 anti-heat-labile enterotoxin mAbs (sIgA1, sIgA2, and IgG1 produced in CHO cells). The mAbs were evaluated in terms of primary structure, N-linked glycan profiles, size and aggregate content, relative apparent solubility, conformational stability, and in vitro antigen binding. Compared to IgG1 mAb, sIgA1 and sIgA2 mAbs showed increased sample heterogeneity, especially in terms of N-glycan composition and the presence of higher molecular weight species. The sIgA mAbs showed overall better physical stability and were more resistant to loss of antigen binding activity during incubation at low pH, 37°C with pepsin. These results are discussed in terms of future challenges to design stable, low-cost formulations of sIgA mAbs as an oral supplement for passive immunization to protect against enteric diseases in the developing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Hu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
| | - Ozan S Kumru
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
| | - Jian Xiong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
| | - Lorena R Antunez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
| | - John Hickey
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02126
| | - Lisa Cavacini
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02126
| | - Mark Klempner
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02126
| | - Sangeeta B Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
| | - David B Volkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047.
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Chandler KB, Mehta N, Leon DR, Suscovich TJ, Alter G, Costello CE. Multi-isotype Glycoproteomic Characterization of Serum Antibody Heavy Chains Reveals Isotype- and Subclass-Specific N-Glycosylation Profiles. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:686-703. [PMID: 30659065 PMCID: PMC6442369 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra118.001185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies are critical glycoproteins that bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems to provide protection against infection. The isotype/subclass of the antibody, the co-translational N-glycosylation on the CH2 domain, and the remodeling of the N-linked glycans during passage through the ER and Golgi are the known variables within the Fc domain that program antibody effector function. Through investigations of monoclonal therapeutics, it has been observed that addition or removal of specific monosaccharide residues from antibody N-glycans can influence the potency of antibodies, highlighting the importance of thoroughly characterizing antibody N-glycosylation. Although IgGs usually have a single N-glycosylation site and are well studied, other antibody isotypes, e.g. IgA and IgM, that are the first responders in certain diseases, have two to five sites/monomer of antibody, and little is known about their N-glycosylation. Here we employ a nLC-MS/MS method using stepped-energy higher energy collisional dissociation to characterize the N-glycan repertoire and site occupancy of circulating serum antibodies. We simultaneously determined the site-specific N-linked glycan repertoire for IgG1, IgG4, IgA1, IgA2, and IgM in individual healthy donors. Compared with IgG1, IgG4 displayed a higher relative abundance of G1S1F and a lower relative abundance of G1FB. IgA1 and IgA2 displayed mostly biantennary N-glycans. IgA2 variants with the either serine (S93) or proline (P93) were detected. In digests of the sera from a subset of donors, we detected an unmodified peptide containing a proline residue at position 93; this substitution would strongly disfavor N-glycosylation at N92. IgM sites N46, N209, and N272 displayed mostly complex glycans, whereas sites N279 and N439 displayed higher relative abundances of high-mannose glycoforms. This multi-isotype approach is a crucial step toward developing a platform to define disease-specific N-glycan signatures for different isotypes to help tune antibodies to induce protection. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD010911.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Brown Chandler
- From the ‡Center for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nickita Mehta
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Deborah R Leon
- From the ‡Center for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Todd J Suscovich
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Catherine E Costello
- From the ‡Center for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts;.
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Castilho A, Beihammer G, Pfeiffer C, Göritzer K, Montero‐Morales L, Vavra U, Maresch D, Grünwald‐Gruber C, Altmann F, Steinkellner H, Strasser R. An oligosaccharyltransferase from Leishmania major increases the N-glycan occupancy on recombinant glycoproteins produced in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2018; 16:1700-1709. [PMID: 29479800 PMCID: PMC6131413 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
N-glycosylation is critical for recombinant glycoprotein production as it influences the heterogeneity of products and affects their biological function. In most eukaryotes, the oligosaccharyltransferase is the central-protein complex facilitating the N-glycosylation of proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Not all potential N-glycosylation sites are recognized in vivo and the site occupancy can vary in different expression systems, resulting in underglycosylation of recombinant glycoproteins. To overcome this limitation in plants, we expressed LmSTT3D, a single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase from the protozoan Leishmania major transiently in Nicotiana benthamiana, a well-established production platform for recombinant proteins. A fluorescent protein-tagged LmSTT3D variant was predominately found in the ER and co-located with plant oligosaccharyltransferase subunits. Co-expression of LmSTT3D with immunoglobulins and other recombinant human glycoproteins resulted in a substantially increased N-glycosylation site occupancy on all N-glycosylation sites except those that were already more than 90% occupied. Our results show that the heterologous expression of LmSTT3D is a versatile tool to increase N-glycosylation efficiency in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Castilho
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Gernot Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Christina Pfeiffer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Laura Montero‐Morales
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
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