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Bonarek P, Mularczyk D, Loch JI, Kurpiewska K, Dziedzicka-Wasylewska M. β-Lactoglobulin variants as potential carriers of pramoxine: Comprehensive structural and biophysical studies. J Mol Recognit 2023; 36:e3052. [PMID: 37610054 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.3052] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
β-Lactoglobulin (BLG) is a member of the lipocalin family. As other proteins from this group, BLG can be modified to bind specifically compounds of medical interests. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of two mutations, L39Y and L58F, in the binding of topical anesthetic pramoxine (PRM) to β-lactoglobulin. Circular dichroism spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and X-ray crystallography were used to understand the mechanisms of BLG-PRM interactions. Studies were performed for three new BLG mutants: L39Y, L58F, and L39Y/L58F. ITC measurements indicated a significant increase in the affinity to the PRM of variants L58F and L39Y. Measurements taken for the double mutant L39Y/L58F showed the additivity of two mutations leading to about 80-fold increase in the affinity to PRM in comparison to natural protein BLG from bovine milk. The determined crystal structures revealed that pramoxine is accommodated in the β-barrel interior of BLG mutants and stabilized by hydrophobic interactions. The observed additive effect of two mutations on drug binding opens the possibility for further designing of new BLG variants with high affinity to selected drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Bonarek
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Department of Physical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Dorota Mularczyk
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Department of Physical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna I Loch
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Crystal Chemistry and Crystal Physics, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kurpiewska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Crystal Chemistry and Crystal Physics, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marta Dziedzicka-Wasylewska
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Department of Physical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Morath V, Brandt C, Deuschle FC, Mendler CT, Blechert B, Summer D, Barinka C, Decristoforo C, Weber WA, Schwaiger M, Skerra A. Molecular Design of 68Ga- and 89Zr-Labeled Anticalin Radioligands for PET-Imaging of PSMA-Positive Tumors. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:2490-2501. [PMID: 37068305 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c01066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Anticalin proteins directed against the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), optionally having tailored plasma half-life using PASylation technology, show promise as radioligands for PET-imaging of xenograft tumors in mice. To investigate their suitability, the short-circulating unmodified Anticalin was labeled with 68Ga (τ1/2 = 68 min), using the NODAGA chelator, whereas the half-life extended PASylated Anticalin was labeled with 89Zr (τ1/2 = 78 h), using either the linear chelator deferoxamine (Dfo) or a cyclic derivative, fusarinine C (FsC). Different PSMA targeting Anticalin versions (optionally carrying the PASylation sequence) were produced carrying a single exposed N- or C-terminal Cys residue and site-specifically conjugated with the different radiochelators via maleimide chemistry. These protein conjugates were labeled with radioisotopes having distinct physical half-lives and, subsequently, applied for PET-imaging of subcutaneous LNCaP xenograft tumors in CB17 SCID mice. Uptake of the protein tracers into tumor versus healthy tissues was assessed by segmentation of PET data as well as biodistribution analyses. PET-imaging with both the 68Ga-labeled plain Anticalin and the 89Zr-labeled PASylated Anticalin allowed clear delineation of the xenograft tumor. The radioligand A3A5.1-PAS(200)-FsC·89Zr, having an extended plasma half-life, led to a higher tumor uptake 24 h p.i. compared to the 68Ga·NODAGA-Anticalin imaged 60 min p.i. (2.5% ID/g vs 1.2% ID/g). Pronounced demetallation was observed for the 89Zr·Dfo-labeled PASylated Anticalin, which was ∼50% lower in the case of the cyclic radiochelator FsC (p < 0.0001). Adjusting the plasma half-life of Anticalin radioligands using PASylation technology is a viable approach to increase radioisotope accumulation within the tumor. Furthermore, 89Zr-ImmunoPET-imaging using the FsC radiochelator is superior to that using Dfo. Our strategy for the half-life adjustment of a tumor-targeting Anticalin to match the physical half-life of the applied radioisotope illustrates the potential of small binding proteins as an alternative to antibodies for PET-imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Morath
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich 81675, Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Corinna Brandt
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Friedrich-Christian Deuschle
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Claudia T Mendler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Birgit Blechert
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Dominik Summer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Cyril Barinka
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Clemens Decristoforo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Wolfgang A Weber
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Markus Schwaiger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany
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Goncalves AG, Hartzell EJ, Sullivan MO, Chen W. Recombinant protein polymer-antibody conjugates for applications in nanotechnology and biomedicine. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 191:114570. [PMID: 36228897 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Currently, there are over 100 antibody-based therapeutics on the market for the treatment of various diseases. The increasing importance of antibody treatment is further highlighted by the recent FDA emergency use authorization of certain antibody therapies for COVID-19 treatment. Protein-based materials have gained momentum for antibody delivery due to their biocompatibility, tunable chemistry, monodispersity, and straightforward synthesis and purification. In this review, we discuss progress in engineering the molecular features of protein-based biomaterials, in particular recombinant protein polymers, for introducing novel functionalities and enhancing the delivery properties of antibodies and related binding protein domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio G Goncalves
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Emily J Hartzell
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
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Ahmadi MKB, Mohammadi SA, Makvandi M, Mamouei M, Rahmati M, Dehghani H, Wood DW. Recent Advances in the Scaffold Engineering of Protein Binders. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2021; 22:878-891. [PMID: 32838715 DOI: 10.2174/1389201021999200824101035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, extensive attention has been given to the generation of new classes of ligand- specific binding proteins to supplement monoclonal antibodies. A combination of protein engineering and display technologies has been used to manipulate non-human antibodies for humanization and stabilization purposes or even the generation of new binding proteins. Engineered protein scaffolds can now be directed against therapeutic targets to treat cancer and immunological disorders. Although very few of these scaffolds have successfully passed clinical trials, their remarkable properties such as robust folding, high solubility, and small size motivate their employment as a tool for biology and applied science studies. Here, we have focused on the generation of new non-Ig binding proteins and single domain antibody manipulation, with a glimpse of their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad K B Ahmadi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Seyed A Mohammadi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Manoochehr Makvandi
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Morteza Mamouei
- Department of Animal Science, Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resources University, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahmati
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hesam Dehghani
- Stem Cells Regenerative Research Group, Ressearch Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Azadi Square, Mashhad, Iran
| | - David W Wood
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, United States
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Binder U, Skerra A. PASylated Thymosin α1: A Long-Acting Immunostimulatory Peptide for Applications in Oncology and Virology. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010124. [PMID: 33374407 PMCID: PMC7795856 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymosin α1 (Tα1) is an immunostimulatory peptide for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and used as an immune enhancer, which also offers prospects in the context of COVID-19 infections and cancer. Manufacturing of this N-terminally acetylated 28-residue peptide is demanding, and its short plasma half-life limits in vivo efficacy and requires frequent dosing. Here, we combined the PASylation technology with enzymatic in situ N-acetylation by RimJ to produce a long-acting version of Tα1 in Escherichia coli at high yield. ESI-MS analysis of the purified fusion protein indicated the expected composition without any signs of proteolysis. SEC analysis revealed a 10-fold expanded hydrodynamic volume resulting from the fusion with a conformationally disordered Pro/Ala/Ser (PAS) polypeptide of 600 residues. This size effect led to a plasma half-life in rats extended by more than a factor 8 compared to the original synthetic peptide due to retarded kidney filtration. Our study provides the basis for therapeutic development of a next generation thymosin α1 with prolonged circulation. Generally, the strategy of producing an N-terminally protected PASylated peptide solves three major problems of peptide drugs: (i) instability in the expression host, (ii) rapid degradation by serum exopeptidases, and (iii) low bioactivity because of fast renal clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uli Binder
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Str. 30, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (A.S.)
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (A.S.)
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