A simple and rapid pipeline for identification of receptor-binding sites on the surface proteins of pathogens

Neisserial adhesin A (NadA) binds human Siglec-5 and Siglec-14 with high affinity and promotes bacterial adhesion/invasion

Neisserial adhesin A (NadA) is a meningococcal surface protein included as recombinant antigen in 4CMenB, a protein-based vaccine able to induce protective immune responses against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB). Although NadA is involved in the adhesion/invasion of epithelial cells and human myeloid cells, its function in meningococcal physiology is still poorly understood. To clarify the role played by NadA in the host-pathogen interaction, we sought to identify its cellular receptors. We screened a protein microarray encompassing 2,846 human and 297 mouse surface/secreted recombinant proteins using recombinant NadA as probe. Efficient NadA binding was revealed on the paired sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type lectins receptors 5 and 14 (Siglec-5 and Siglec-14), but not on Siglec-9 therein used as control. The interaction was confirmed by biochemical tools with the determination of the KD value in the order of nanomolar and the identification of the NadA binding site by hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry. The N-terminal domain of the Siglec-5 that recognizes the sialic acid was identified as the NadA binding domain. Intriguingly, exogenously added recombinant soluble Siglecs, including Siglec-9, were found to decorate N. meningitidis surface in a NadA-dependent manner. However, Siglec-5 and Siglec-14 transiently expressed in CHO-K1 cells endorsed NadA binding and increased N. meningitidis adhesion/invasion while Siglec-9 did not. Taken together, Siglec-5 and Siglec-14 satisfy all features of NadA receptors suggesting a possible role of NadA in the acute meningococcal infection.IMPORTANCEBacteria have developed several strategies for cell colonization and immune evasion. Knowledge of the host and pathogen factors involved in these mechanisms is crucial to build efficacious countermoves. Neisserial adhesin A (NadA) is a meningococcal surface protein included in the anti-meningococcus B vaccine 4CMenB, which mediates adhesion to and invasion of epithelial cells. Although NadA has been shown to bind to other cell types, like myeloid and endothelial cells, it still remains orphan of a defined host receptor. We have identified two strong NadA interactors, Siglec-5 and Siglec-14, which are mainly expressed on myeloid cells. This showcases that NadA is an additional and key player among the Neisseria meningitidis factors targeting immune cells. We thus provide novel insights on the strategies exploited by N. meningitidis during the infection process, which can progress to a severe illness and death.

Engineering the Single Domain Antibodies Targeting Receptor Binding Motifs Within the Domain III of West Nile Virus Envelope Glycoprotein

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne neurotrophic flavivirus causing mild febrile illness to severe encephalitis and acute flaccid paralysis with long-term or permanent neurological disorders. Due to the absence of targeted therapy or vaccines, there is a growing need to develop effective anti-WNV therapy. In this study, single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) were developed against the domain III (DIII) of WNV’s envelope glycoprotein to interrupt the interaction between DIII and the human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMEC). The peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the llama immunized with recombinant DIIIL297–S403 (rDIII) were used to generate a variable heavy chain only (VHH)-Escherichia coli library, and phage display was performed using the M13K07ΔpIII Hyperphages system. Phages displaying sdAbs against rDIII were panned with the synthetic analogs of the DIII receptor binding motifs, DIII-1G299–K307 and DIII-2V371–R388, and the VHH gene from the eluted phages was subcloned into E. coli SHuffle. Soluble sdAbs purified from 96 E. coli SHuffle clones were screened to identify 20 candidates strongly binding to the synthetic analogs of DIII-1G299–K307 and DIII-2V371–R388 on a dot blot assay. Among them, sdAbA1, sdAbA6, sdAbA9, and sdAbA10 blocked the interaction between rDIII and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) on Western blot and cell ELISA. However, optimum stability during the overexpression was noticed only for sdAbA10 and it also neutralized the WNV–like particles (WNV-VLP) in the Luciferase assay with an half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 1.48 nm. Furthermore, the hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity of sdAbA10 were assessed by a hemolytic assay and XTT-based hBMEC proliferation assay resulting in 0.1% of hemolytic activity and 82% hBMEC viability, respectively. Therefore, the sdAbA10 targeting DIII-2V371–R388 of the WNV envelope glycoprotein is observed to be suitable for in vivo trials as a specific therapy for WNV–induced neuropathogenesis.

Peptibody Based on FGFR1-Binding Peptides From the FGF4 Sequence as a Cancer-Targeting Agent

Targeted therapies are a promising alternative to conventional chemotherapy, with an increasing number of therapeutics targeting specific molecular aberrancies in cancer cells. One of the emerging targets for directed cancer treatments is fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs), which are known to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of multiple cancer types, specially in lung, bladder, and breast cancers. Here, we are demonstrating the development of the FGFR1-targeting agent based on the interactome screening approach, based on the isolation of binding regions from ligands interacting with the receptor. The parallel analysis by FGFR1 pull-down of chymotryptic peptides coupled with MS analysis, and PepSpot analysis yielded equivalent peptide sequences from FGF4, one of the FGFR1 ligands. Three sequences served as a basis for peptibody (Fc-fusion) generation, to overcome clinical limitations of peptidic agents, and two of them showed favorable FGFR1-binding in vitro and FGFR1-dependent internalization into cells. To validate if developed FGFR1-targeting peptibodies can be used for drug delivery, similar to the well-established concept of antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), peptibodyF4_1 was successfully conjugated with monomethylauristatin E (MMAE), and has shown significant and specific toxicity toward FGFR1-expressing lung cancer cell lines, with nanomolar EC₅₀ values. Essentially, the development of new effective FGFR1 binders that comprise the naturally occurring FGFR-recognition peptides and Fc region ensuring high plasma stability, and long bloodstream circulation is an interesting strategy expanding targeted anticancer agents’ portfolio. Furthermore, identifying peptides effectively binding the receptor from sequences of its ligands is not limited to FGFRs and is an approach versatile enough to be a basis for a new peptide/peptibodies development strategy.

Development of peptides targeting receptor binding site of the envelope glycoprotein to contain the West Nile virus infection

West Nile virus (WNV), re-emerging neurotropic flavivirus, can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cause fatal encephalitis and meningitis. Infection of the human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs), building blocks of the BBB, represents the pivotal step in neuroinvasion. Domain III (DIII) of the envelope (E) glycoprotein is a key receptor-binding domain, thus, it is an attractive target for anti-flavivirus strategies. Here, two combinatorial phage display peptide libraries, Ph.D.-C7C and Ph.D.-12, were panned against receptor-binding site (RBS) on DIII to isolate peptides that could block DIII. From series of pannings, nine peptides (seven 7-mer cyclic and two 12-mer linear) were selected and overexpressed in E. coli SHuffle T5. Presence of disulfide bond in 7-mer peptides was confirmed with thiol-reactive maleimide labeling. Except for linear peptide 19 (HYSWSWIAYSPG), all peptides proved to be DIII binders. Among all peptides, 4 cyclic peptides (CTKTDVHFC, CIHSSTRAC, CTYENHRTC, and CLAQSHPLC) showed significant blocking of the interaction between DIII and hBMECs, and ability to neutralize infection in cultured cells. None of these peptides showed toxic or hemolytic activity. Peptides identified in this study may serve as potential candidates for the development of novel antiviral therapeutics against WNV.

Single Domain Antibodies Targeting Receptor Binding Pockets of NadA Restrain Adhesion of Neisseria meningitidis to Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Neisseria adhesin A (NadA), one of the surface adhesins of Neisseria meningitides (NM), interacts with several cell types including human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) and play important role in the pathogenesis. Receptor binding pockets of NadA are localized on the globular head domain (A³³ to K⁶⁹) and the first coiled-coil domain (L¹²¹ to K¹⁵⁸). Here, the phage display was used to develop a variable heavy chain domain (VHH) that can block receptor binding sites of recombinant NadA (rec-NadA). A phage library displaying VHH was panned against synthetic peptides (NadA-gd^A33−K69 or NadA-cc^L121−K158), gene encoding VHH was amplified from bound phages and re-cloned in the expression vector, and the soluble VHHs containing disulfide bonds were overexpressed in the SHuffle E. coli. From the repertoire of 96 clones, two VHHs (VHH_F3–binding NadA-gd^A33−K69 and VHH_G9–binding NadA-cc^L121−K158) were finally selected as they abrogated the interaction between rec-NadA and the cell receptor. Preincubation of NM with VHH_F3 and VHH_G9 significantly reduced the adhesion of NM on hBMECs in situ and hindered the traversal of NM across the in-vitro BBB model. The work presents a phage display pipeline with a single-round of panning to select receptor blocking VHHs. It also demonstrates the production of soluble and functional VHHs, which blocked the interaction between NadA and its receptor, decreased adhesion of NM on hBMECs, and reduced translocation of NM across BBB in-vitro. The selected NadA blocking VHHs could be promising molecules for therapeutic translation.