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Design of a Diagnostic Immunoassay for Aflatoxin M1 Based on a Plant-Produced Antibody. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14120851. [PMID: 36548748 PMCID: PMC9781297 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14120851] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A new green competitive ELISA for aflatoxin M1 quantification in raw milk was developed. This diagnostic tool is based on an anti AFM1 mAb produced by plant molecular farming in alternative to classical systems. Our assay, showing an IC50 below 25 ng/L, fits with the requirements of EU legislation limits for AFM1 (50 ng/L). Optimal accuracy was achieved in correspondence of the decision levels (25 and 50 ng/L), and the assay enabled AFM1 quantification in the range 5-110 ng/L, with limit of detection 3 ng/L. Moreover, to evaluate a real applicability in diagnostics, raw milk-spiked samples were analysed, achieving satisfactory recovery rates of AFM1. In conclusion, an efficient and ready-to-use diagnostic assay for the quantification of aflatoxin M1 in milk, based on a plant-produced recombinant mAb, has been successfully developed.
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2
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Nakanishi K, Takase T, Ohira Y, Ida R, Mogi N, Kikuchi Y, Matsuda M, Kurohane K, Akimoto Y, Hayakawa J, Kawakami H, Niwa Y, Kobayashi H, Umemoto E, Imai Y. Prevention of Shiga toxin 1-caused colon injury by plant-derived recombinant IgA. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17999. [PMID: 36289440 PMCID: PMC9606113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22851-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is a candidate antibody for oral passive immunization against mucosal pathogens like Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). We previously established a mouse IgG monoclonal antibody (mAb) neutralizing Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1), a bacterial toxin secreted by STEC. We designed cDNA encoding an anti-Stx1 antibody, in which variable regions were from the IgG mAb and all domains of the heavy chain constant region from a mouse IgA mAb. Considering oral administration, we expressed the cDNA in a plant expression system aiming at the production of enough IgA at low cost. The recombinant-IgA expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana formed the dimeric IgA, bound to the B subunit of Stx1, and neutralized Stx1 toxicity to Vero cells. Colon injury was examined by exposing BALB/c mice to Stx1 via the intrarectal route. Epithelial cell death, loss of crypt and goblet cells from the distal colon were observed by electron microscopy. A loss of secretory granules containing MUC2 mucin and activation of caspase-3 were observed by immunohistochemical methods. Pretreatment of Stx1 with the plant-based recombinant IgA completely suppressed caspase-3 activation and loss of secretory granules. The results indicate that a plant-based recombinant IgA prevented colon damage caused by Stx1 in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhiro Nakanishi
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Taichi Takase
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Yuya Ohira
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Ryota Ida
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Noriko Mogi
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Yuki Kikuchi
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Minami Matsuda
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Kohta Kurohane
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Akimoto
- grid.411205.30000 0000 9340 2869Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8611 Japan
| | - Junri Hayakawa
- grid.411205.30000 0000 9340 2869Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8611 Japan
| | - Hayato Kawakami
- grid.411205.30000 0000 9340 2869Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8611 Japan
| | - Yasuo Niwa
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Plant Molecular Improvement, Graduate Division of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Hirokazu Kobayashi
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Plant Molecular Improvement, Graduate Division of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Eiji Umemoto
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Imai
- grid.469280.10000 0000 9209 9298Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
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3
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Frigerio R, Marusic C, Villani ME, Lico C, Capodicasa C, Andreano E, Paciello I, Rappuoli R, Salzano AM, Scaloni A, Baschieri S, Donini M. Production of two SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies with different potencies in Nicotiana benthamiana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:956741. [PMID: 36131799 PMCID: PMC9484322 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.956741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies are considered to be highly effective therapeutic tools for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients. In the present work, we describe the production of two SARS-CoV-2 human IgG1 monoclonal antibodies recognizing the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) and endowed with neutralizing activity (nAbs) in plants. The first one, mAbJ08-MUT, was previously isolated from a COVID-19 convalescent patient and Fc-engineered to prolong the half-life and reduce the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement. This nAb produced in mammalian cells, delivered in a single intramuscular administration during a Phase I clinical study, was shown to (i) be safe and effectively protect against major variants of concern, and (ii) have some neutralizing activity against the recently emerged omicron variant in a cytopathic-effect-based microneutralization assay (100% inhibitory concentration, IC100 of 15 μg/mL). The second antibody, mAb675, previously isolated from a vaccinated individual, showed an intermediate neutralization activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Different accumulation levels of mAbJ08-MUT and mAb675 were observed after transient agroinfiltration in Nicotiana benthamiana plants knocked-out for xylosil and fucosil transferases, leading to yields of ~35 and 150 mg/kg of fresh leaf mass, respectively. After purification, as a result of the proteolytic events affecting the hinge-CH2 region, a higher degradation of mAb675 was observed, compared to mAbJ08-MUT (~18% vs. ~1%, respectively). Both nAbs showed a human-like glycosylation profile, and were able to specifically bind to RBD and compete with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 binding in vitro. SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assay against the original virus isolated in Wuhan demonstrated the high neutralization potency of the plant-produced mAbJ08-MUT, with levels (IC100 < 17 ng/mL) comparable to those of the cognate antibody produced in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line; conversely, mAb675 exhibited a medium neutralization potency (IC100 ~ 200 ng/mL). All these data confirm that plant expression platforms may represent a convenient and rapid production system of potent nAbs to be used both in therapy and diagnostics in pandemic emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Frigerio
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Marusic
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Lico
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Emanuele Andreano
- Monoclonal Antibody Discovery (MAD) Lab, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, Siena, Italy
| | - Ida Paciello
- Monoclonal Antibody Discovery (MAD) Lab, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, Siena, Italy
| | - Rino Rappuoli
- Monoclonal Antibody Discovery (MAD) Lab, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, Siena, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Salzano
- Proteomics, Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Portici, Italy
| | - Andrea Scaloni
- Proteomics, Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Portici, Italy
| | - Selene Baschieri
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Donini
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
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4
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Singh AA, Pillay P, Naicker P, Alexandre K, Malatji K, Mach L, Steinkellner H, Vorster J, Chikwamba R, Tsekoa TL. Transient proteolysis reduction of Nicotiana benthamiana-produced CAP256 broadly neutralizing antibodies using CRISPR/Cas9. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:953654. [PMID: 36061808 PMCID: PMC9433777 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.953654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The hypersensitive response is elicited by Agrobacterium infiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana, including the induction and accumulation of pathogenesis-related proteins, such as proteases. This includes the induction of the expression of several cysteine proteases from the C1 (papain-like cysteine protease) and C13 (legumain-like cysteine protease) families. This study demonstrates the role of cysteine proteases: NbVPE-1a, NbVPE-1b, and NbCysP6 in the proteolytic degradation of Nicotiana benthamiana (glycosylation mutant ΔXTFT)-produced anti-human immunodeficiency virus broadly neutralizing antibody, CAP256-VRC26.25. Three putative cysteine protease cleavage sites were identified in the fragment crystallizable region. We further demonstrate the transient coexpression of CAP256-VRC26.25 with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing vectors targeting the NbVPE-1a, NbVPE-1b, and NbCysP6 genes which resulted in a decrease in CAP256-VRC26.25 degradation. No differences in structural features were observed between the human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293)-produced and ΔXTFT broadly neutralizing antibodies produced with and without the coexpression of genome-editing vectors. Furthermore, despite the presence of proteolytically degraded fragments of plant-produced CAP256-VRC26.25 without the coexpression of genome editing vectors, no influence on the in vitro functional activity was detected. Collectively, we demonstrate an innovative in planta strategy for improving the quality of the CAP256 antibodies through the transient expression of the CRISPR/Cas9 vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Advaita Acarya Singh
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Priyen Pillay
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Previn Naicker
- NextGen Health Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kabamba Alexandre
- NextGen Health Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kanyane Malatji
- NextGen Health Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan Vorster
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Rachel Chikwamba
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tsepo L. Tsekoa
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
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Singh AA, Pillay P, Tsekoa TL. Engineering Approaches in Plant Molecular Farming for Global Health. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9111270. [PMID: 34835201 PMCID: PMC8623924 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the demonstration of the first plant-produced proteins of medical interest, there has been significant growth and interest in the field of plant molecular farming, with plants now being considered a viable production platform for vaccines. Despite this interest and development by a few biopharmaceutical companies, plant molecular farming is yet to be embraced by ‘big pharma’. The plant system offers a faster alternative, which is a potentially more cost-effective and scalable platform for the mass production of highly complex protein vaccines, owing to the high degree of similarity between the plant and mammalian secretory pathway. Here, we identify and address bottlenecks in the use of plants for vaccine manufacturing and discuss engineering approaches that demonstrate both the utility and versatility of the plant production system as a viable biomanufacturing platform for global health. Strategies for improving the yields and quality of plant-produced vaccines, as well as the incorporation of authentic posttranslational modifications that are essential to the functionality of these highly complex protein vaccines, will also be discussed. Case-by-case examples are considered for improving the production of functional protein-based vaccines. The combination of all these strategies provides a basis for the use of cutting-edge genome editing technology to create a general plant chassis with reduced host cell proteins, which is optimised for high-level protein production of vaccines with the correct posttranslational modifications.
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6
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Karki U, Fang H, Guo W, Unnold-Cofre C, Xu J. Cellular engineering of plant cells for improved therapeutic protein production. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2021; 40:1087-1099. [PMID: 33837823 PMCID: PMC8035600 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02693-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
In vitro cultured plant cells, in particular the tobacco BY-2 cell, have demonstrated their potential to provide a promising bioproduction platform for therapeutic proteins by integrating the merits of whole-plant cultivation systems with those of microbial and mammalian cell cultures. Over the past three decades, substantial progress has been made in improving the plant cell culture system, resulting in a few commercial success cases, such as taliglucerase alfa (Elelyso®), the first FDA-approved recombinant pharmaceutical protein derived from plant cells. However, compared to the major expression hosts (bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells), plant cells are still largely underutilized, mainly due to low productivity and non-human glycosylation. Modern molecular biology tools, in particular RNAi and the latest genome editing technology CRISPR/Cas9, have been used to modulate the genome of plant cells to create new cell lines that exhibit desired "traits" for producing therapeutic proteins. This review highlights the recent advances in cellular engineering of plant cells towards improved recombinant protein production, including creating cell lines with deficient protease levels or humanized glycosylation, and considers potential development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uddhab Karki
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA
| | - Hong Fang
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA
- College of Agriculture, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA
| | - Wenzheng Guo
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA
| | - Carmela Unnold-Cofre
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA
| | - Jianfeng Xu
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA.
- College of Agriculture, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA.
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Margolin E, Verbeek M, de Moor W, Chapman R, Meyers A, Schäfer G, Williamson AL, Rybicki E. Investigating Constraints Along the Plant Secretory Pathway to Improve Production of a SARS-CoV-2 Spike Vaccine Candidate. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:798822. [PMID: 35058959 PMCID: PMC8764404 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.798822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Given the complex maturation requirements of viral glycoproteins and the challenge they often pose for expression in plants, the identification of host constraints precluding their efficient production is a priority for the molecular farming of vaccines. Building on previous work to improve viral glycoprotein production in plants, we investigated the production of a soluble SARS-CoV-2 spike comprising the ectopic portion of the glycoprotein. This was successfully transiently expressed in N. benthamiana by co-expressing the human lectin-binding chaperone calreticulin, which substantially increased the accumulation of the glycoprotein. The spike was mostly unprocessed unless the protease furin was co-expressed which resulted in highly efficient processing of the glycoprotein. Co-expression of several broad-spectrum protease inhibitors did not improve accumulation of the protein any further. The protein was successfully purified by affinity chromatography and gel filtration, although the purified product was heterogenous and the yields were low. Immunogenicity of the antigen was tested in BALB/c mice, and cellular and antibody responses were elicited after low dose inoculation with the adjuvanted protein. This work constitutes an important proof-of-concept for host plant engineering in the context of rapid vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel 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
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Emmanuel Margolin,
| | - Matthew Verbeek
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Warren de Moor
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ros Chapman
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ann Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Georgia Schäfer
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, 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
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Edward Rybicki
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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8
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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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9
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Abd-Aziz N, Tan BC, Rejab NA, Othman RY, Khalid N. A New Plant Expression System for Producing Pharmaceutical Proteins. Mol Biotechnol 2020; 62:240-251. [PMID: 32108286 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-020-00242-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In the past decade, interest in the production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins in plants has tremendously progressed because plants do not harbor mammalian viruses, are economically competitive, easily scalable, and capable of carrying out complex post-translational modifications required for recombinant pharmaceutical proteins. Mucuna bracteata is an essential perennial cover crop species widely planted as an underground cover in oil palm and rubber plantations. As a legume, they have high biomass, thrive in its habitat, and can fix nitrogen. Thus, M. bracteata is a cost-efficient crop that shows ideal characteristics as a platform for mass production of recombinant protein. In this study, we established a new platform for the transient production of a recombinant protein in M. bracteata via vacuum-assisted agro-infiltration. Five-week-old M. bracteata plants were vacuum infiltrated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring a plasmid that encodes for an anti-toxoplasma immunoglobulin (IgG) under different parameters, including trifoliate leaf positional effects, days to harvest post-infiltration, and the Agrobacterium strain used. Our results showed that vacuum infiltration of M. bracteata plant with A. tumefaciens strain GV3101 produced the highest concentration of heterologous protein in its bottom trifoliate leaf at 2 days post-infiltration. The purified anti-toxoplasma IgG was then analyzed using Western blot and ELISA. It was demonstrated that, while structural heterogeneity existed in the purified anti-toxoplasma IgG from M. bracteata, its transient expression level was two-fold higher than the model platform, Nicotiana benthamiana. This study has laid the foundation towards establishing M. bracteata as a potential platform for the production of recombinant pharmaceutical protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazrin Abd-Aziz
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Boon Chin Tan
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nur Ardiyana Rejab
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rofina Yasmin Othman
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Norzulaani Khalid
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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10
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Catellani M, Lico C, Cerasi M, Massa S, Bromuro C, Torosantucci A, Benvenuto E, Capodicasa C. Optimised production of an anti-fungal antibody in Solanaceae hairy roots to develop new formulations against Candida albicans. BMC Biotechnol 2020; 20:15. [PMID: 32164664 PMCID: PMC7069033 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-020-00607-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infections caused by fungi are often refractory to conventional therapies and urgently require the development of novel options, such as immunotherapy. To produce therapeutic antibodies, a plant-based expression platform is an attractive biotechnological strategy compared to mammalian cell cultures. In addition to whole plants, hairy roots (HR) cultures can be used, representing an expression system easy to build up, with indefinite growth while handled under containment conditions. RESULTS In this study the production in HR of a recombinant antibody, proved to be a good candidate for human immunotherapy against fungal infections, is reported. Expression and secretion of this antibody, in an engineered single chain (scFvFc) format, by HR from Nicotiana benthamiana and Solanum lycopersicum have been evaluated with the aim of directly using the deriving extract or culture medium against pathogenic fungi. Although both Solanaceae HR showed good expression levels (up to 68 mg/kg), an optimization of rhizosecretion was only obtained for N. benthamiana HR. A preliminary assessment to explain this result highlighted the fact that not only the presence of proteases, but also the chemical characteristics of the growth medium, can influence antibody yield, with implications on recombinant protein production in HR. Finally, the antifungal activity of scFvFc 2G8 antibody produced in N. benthamiana HR was evaluated in Candida albicans growth inhibition assays, evidencing encouraging results. CONCLUSIONS Production of this anti-fungal antibody in HR of N. benthamiana and S. lycopersicum elucidated factors affecting pharming in this system and allowed to obtain promising ready-to-use immunotherapeutics against C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Catellani
- Department of Sustainability, Laboratory Biotechnologies, ENEA, Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Lico
- Department of Sustainability, Laboratory Biotechnologies, ENEA, Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Cerasi
- Department of Sustainability, Laboratory Biotechnologies, ENEA, Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Massa
- Department of Sustainability, Laboratory Biotechnologies, ENEA, Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Bromuro
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Torosantucci
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Benvenuto
- Department of Sustainability, Laboratory Biotechnologies, ENEA, Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Capodicasa
- Department of Sustainability, Laboratory Biotechnologies, ENEA, Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
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11
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Puchol Tarazona AA, Lobner E, Taubenschmid Y, Paireder M, Torres Acosta JA, Göritzer K, Steinkellner H, Mach L. Steric Accessibility of the Cleavage Sites Dictates the Proteolytic Vulnerability of the Anti-HIV-1 Antibodies 2F5, 2G12, and PG9 in Plants. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e1900308. [PMID: 31657528 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201900308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) hold great promise for immunoprophylaxis and the suppression of viremia in HIV-positive individuals. Several studies have demonstrated that plants as Nicotiana benthamiana are suitable hosts for the generation of protective anti-HIV-1 antibodies. However, the production of the anti-HIV-1 bNAbs 2F5 and PG9 in N. benthamiana is associated with their processing by apoplastic proteases in the complementarity-determining-region (CDR) H3 loops of the heavy chains. Here, it is shown that apoplastic proteases can also cleave the CDR H3 loop of the bNAb 2G12 when the unusual domain exchange between its heavy chains is prevented by the replacement of Ile19 with Arg. It is demonstrated that CDR H3 proteolysis leads to a strong reduction of the antigen-binding potencies of 2F5, PG9, and 2G12-I19R. Inhibitor profiling experiments indicate that different subtilisin-like serine proteases account for bNAb fragmentation in the apoplast. Differential scanning calorimetry experiments corroborate that the antigen-binding domains of wild-type 2G12 and 4E10 are more compact than those of proteolysis-sensitive antibodies, thus shielding their CDR H3 regions from proteolytic attack. This suggests that the extent of proteolytic inactivation of bNAbs in plants is primarily dictated by the steric accessibility of their CDR H3 loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro A Puchol Tarazona
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Lobner
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 11, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yvonne Taubenschmid
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Melanie Paireder
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan A Torres Acosta
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190, Vienna, Austria
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12
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Temporini C, Colombo R, Calleri E, Tengattini S, Rinaldi F, Massolini G. Chromatographic tools for plant-derived recombinant antibodies purification and characterization. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2020; 179:112920. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2019.112920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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13
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Rage E, Drissi Touzani C, Marusic C, Lico C, Göbel T, Bortolami A, Bonfante F, Salzano AM, Scaloni A, Fellahi S, El Houadfi M, Donini M, Baschieri S. Functional characterization of a plant-produced infectious bursal disease virus antigen fused to the constant region of avian IgY immunoglobulins. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:7491-7504. [PMID: 31332484 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09992-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is the cause of an economically important highly contagious disease of poultry, and vaccines are regarded as the most beneficial interventions for its prevention. In this study, plants were used to produce a recombinant chimeric IBDV antigen for the formulation of an innovative subunit vaccine. The fusion protein (PD-FcY) was designed to combine the immunodominant projection domain (PD) of the viral structural protein VP2 with the constant region of avian IgY (FcY), which was selected to enhance antigen uptake by avian immune cells. The gene construct encoding the fusion protein was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants and an extraction/purification protocol was set up, allowing to reduce the contamination by undesired plant compounds/proteins. Mass spectrometry analysis of the purified protein revealed that the glycosylation pattern of the FcY portion was similar to that observed in native IgY, while in vitro assays demonstrated the ability of PD-FcY to bind to the avian immunoglobulin receptor CHIR-AB1. Preliminary immunization studies proved that PD-FcY was able to induce the production of protective anti-IBDV-VP2 antibodies in chickens. In conclusion, the proposed fusion strategy holds promises for the development of innovative low-cost subunit vaccines for the prevention of avian viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emile Rage
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Charifa Drissi Touzani
- Unité de Pathologie Aviaire, Département de Pathologie et Santé Publique Vétérinaire, IAV Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Carla Marusic
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Lico
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Thomas Göbel
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, München, Germany
| | - Alessio Bortolami
- Division of Comparative Biomedical Science, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonfante
- Division of Comparative Biomedical Science, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Salzano
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Scaloni
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Siham Fellahi
- Unité de Pathologie Aviaire, Département de Pathologie et Santé Publique Vétérinaire, IAV Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Mohammed El Houadfi
- Unité de Pathologie Aviaire, Département de Pathologie et Santé Publique Vétérinaire, IAV Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Marcello Donini
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy.
| | - Selene Baschieri
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
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14
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Kerr RA, Keire DA, Ye H. The impact of standard accelerated stability conditions on antibody higher order structure as assessed by mass spectrometry. MAbs 2019; 11:930-941. [PMID: 30913973 PMCID: PMC6601562 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2019.1599632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein therapeutic higher order structure (HOS) is a quality attribute that can be assessed to help predict shelf life. To model product shelf-life values, possible sample-dependent pathways of degradation that may affect drug efficacy or safety need to be evaluated. As changes in drug thermal stability over time can be correlated with an increased risk of HOS perturbations, the effect of long-term storage on the product should be measured as a function of temperature. Here, complementary high-resolution mass spectrometry methods for HOS analysis were used to identify storage-dependent changes of biotherapeutics (bevacizumab (Avastin), trastuzumab (Herceptin), rituximab (Rituxan), and the NIST reference material 8671 (NISTmAb)) under accelerated or manufacturer-recommended storage conditions. Collision-induced unfolding ion mobility-mass spectrometry data showed changes in monoclonal antibody folded stability profiles that were consistent with the appearance of a characteristic unfolded population. Orthogonal hydrogen-deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry data revealed that the observed changes in unfolding occurred in parallel to changes in HOS localized to the periphery of the hinge region. Using intact reverse-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we identified several mass species indicative of peptide backbone hydrolysis, located between the variable and constant domains of the heavy chain of bevacizumab. Taken together, our data highlighted the capability of these approaches to identify age- or temperature-dependent changes in biotherapeutic HOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Kerr
- Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Office of Testing and Research, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, St. Louis, USA
| | - David A. Keire
- Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Office of Testing and Research, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, St. Louis, USA
| | - Hongping Ye
- Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Office of Testing and Research, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, St. Louis, USA
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15
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Lonoce C, Marusic C, Morrocchi E, Salzano AM, Scaloni A, Novelli F, Pioli C, Feeney M, Frigerio L, Donini M. Enhancing the Secretion of a Glyco-Engineered Anti-CD20 scFv-Fc Antibody in Hairy Root Cultures. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1800081. [PMID: 29975457 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Hairy root (HR) cultures represent an attractive platform for the production of heterologous proteins, due to the possibility of secreting the molecule of interest in the culture medium. The main limitation is the low accumulation yields of heterologous proteins. The aim of this study is to enhance the accumulation of a tumor-targeting antibody with a human-compatible glycosylation profile in HR culture medium. To this aim, the authors produce Nicotiana benthamiana HR cultures expressing the red fluorescent protein (RFP) to easily screen for different auxins able to induce heterologous protein secretion in the medium. The hormone 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is found to induce high accumulation levels (334 mg L-1 ) of RFP in the culture medium. The same protocol is used to improve the secretion of the tumor-targeting, CD20-specific 2B8-FcΔXF recombinant antibody from glyco-engineered ΔXTFT N. benthamiana HR cultures. The addition of 2,4-D determine a 28-fold increase of the accumulation of fully functional 2B8-FcΔXF in the culture medium, at levels of ≈16 mg L-1 . Antibody N-glycosylation profiling reveal the prominent occurrence of GnGn structures and low levels of xylose- and fucose-containing counterparts. This result is the first example of the expression of an engineered anti-CD20 antibody with a scFv-Fc format at high levels in HR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lonoce
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Marusic
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Morrocchi
- Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Salzano
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, 80147 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Scaloni
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, 80147 Napoli, Italy
| | - Flavia Novelli
- Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Pioli
- Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Mistianne Feeney
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Lorenzo Frigerio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Marcello Donini
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, 00123 Rome, Italy
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16
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Jansing J, Buyel JF. The Correlation Between DsRed mRNA Levels and Transient DsRed Protein Expression in Plants Depends on Leaf Age and the 5' Untranslated Region. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1800075. [PMID: 29701331 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The yield of recombinant proteins in plants determines their economic competitiveness as a production platform compared to microbes and mammalian cells. The promoter, untranslated regions (UTRs) and codon usage can all contribute to the yield, but potential interactions among these components have not been examined in detail. Here the effect of two promoters (35SS and nos) and four 5'UTRs on the spatiotemporal expression of DsRed mRNA and the accumulation of DsRed protein during transient expression in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens is investigated. The authors found that the mRNA levels peaked 2-3 days post-infiltration (dpi), and rapidly declined thereafter, whereas DsRed protein was first detected after ≈3 days and concentrations continued to increase until at least 5 dpi. This temporal decoupling of mRNA and protein expression was strongest in the older leaves, which also produced the lowest DsRed yields. The accumulation of DsRed linearly correlated with mRNA levels in all but the youngest leaves, where more DsRed was synthesized per mRNA molecule. This was the case for both promoters, although the nos promoter had a higher protein/mRNA ratio than the 35SS promoter. Furthermore, the type of 5'UTR affected DsRed protein accumulation by 50% starting from similar levels of mRNA. The authors concluded that DsRed mRNA levels are not the limiting factor for DsRed protein expression in plants, but that translation-associated processes such as initiation, elongation, and release are bottlenecks that should be addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Jansing
- Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1,Aachen, 52074, Germany
| | - Johannes F Buyel
- Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1,Aachen, 52074, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6,Aachen, 52074, Germany
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17
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Grosse‐Holz F, Madeira L, Zahid MA, Songer M, Kourelis J, Fesenko M, Ninck S, Kaschani F, Kaiser M, van der Hoorn RA. Three unrelated protease inhibitors enhance accumulation of pharmaceutical recombinant proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2018; 16:1797-1810. [PMID: 29509983 PMCID: PMC6131417 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana is a flexible and scalable platform for recombinant protein (RP) production, but its great potential is hampered by plant proteases that degrade RPs. Here, we tested 29 candidate protease inhibitors (PIs) in agroinfiltrated N. benthamiana leaves for enhancing accumulation of three unrelated RPs: glycoenzyme α-Galactosidase; glycohormone erythropoietin (EPO); and IgG antibody VRC01. Of the previously described PIs enhancing RP accumulation, we found only cystatin SlCYS8 to be effective. We identified three additional new, unrelated PIs that enhance RP accumulation: N. benthamiana NbPR4, NbPot1 and human HsTIMP, which have been reported to inhibit cysteine, serine and metalloproteases, respectively. Remarkably, accumulation of all three RPs is enhanced by each PI similarly, suggesting that the mechanism of degradation of unrelated RPs follows a common pathway. Inhibitory functions HsTIMP and SlCYS8 are required to enhance RP accumulation, suggesting that their target proteases may degrade RPs. Different PIs additively enhance RP accumulation, but the effect of each PI is dose-dependent. Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) revealed that the activities of papain-like Cys proteases (PLCPs), Ser hydrolases (SHs) or vacuolar processing enzymes (VPEs) in leaves are unaffected upon expression of the new PIs, whereas SlCYS8 expression specifically suppresses PLCP activity only. Quantitative proteomics indicates that the three new PIs affect agroinfiltrated tissues similarly and that they all increase immune responses. NbPR4, NbPot1 and HsTIMP can be used to study plant proteases and improve RP accumulation in molecular farming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luisa Madeira
- Plant Chemetics LaboratoryDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Muhammad Awais Zahid
- Plant Chemetics LaboratoryDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Molly Songer
- Plant Chemetics LaboratoryDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Jiorgos Kourelis
- Plant Chemetics LaboratoryDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Mary Fesenko
- Plant Chemetics LaboratoryDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Sabrina Ninck
- Chemische BiologieZentrum für Medizinische BiotechnologieFakultät für BiologieUniversität Duisburg‐EssenUniversitätsstrEssenGermany
| | - Farnusch Kaschani
- Chemische BiologieZentrum für Medizinische BiotechnologieFakultät für BiologieUniversität Duisburg‐EssenUniversitätsstrEssenGermany
| | - Markus Kaiser
- Chemische BiologieZentrum für Medizinische BiotechnologieFakultät für BiologieUniversität Duisburg‐EssenUniversitätsstrEssenGermany
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18
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Grosse‐Holz F, Kelly S, Blaskowski S, Kaschani F, Kaiser M, van der Hoorn RA. The transcriptome, extracellular proteome and active secretome of agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana uncover a large, diverse protease repertoire. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2018; 16:1068-1084. [PMID: 29055088 PMCID: PMC5902771 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Infiltration of disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens into leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana (agroinfiltration) facilitates quick and safe production of antibodies, vaccines, enzymes and metabolites for industrial use (molecular farming). However, yield and purity of proteins produced by agroinfiltration are hampered by unintended proteolysis, restricting industrial viability of the agroinfiltration platform. Proteolysis may be linked to an immune response to agroinfiltration, but understanding of the response to agroinfiltration is limited. To identify the proteases, we studied the transcriptome, extracellular proteome and active secretome of agroinfiltrated leaves over a time course, with and without the P19 silencing inhibitor. Remarkably, the P19 expression had little effect on the leaf transcriptome and no effect on the extracellular proteome. 25% of the detected transcripts changed in abundance upon agroinfiltration, associated with a gradual up-regulation of immunity at the expense of photosynthesis. By contrast, 70% of the extracellular proteins increased in abundance, in many cases associated with increased efficiency of extracellular delivery. We detect a dynamic reprogramming of the proteolytic machinery upon agroinfiltration by detecting transcripts encoding for 975 different proteases and protease homologs. The extracellular proteome contains peptides derived from 196 proteases and protease homologs, and activity-based proteomics displayed 17 active extracellular Ser and Cys proteases in agroinfiltrated leaves. We discuss unique features of the N. benthamiana protease repertoire and highlight abundant extracellular proteases in agroinfiltrated leaves, being targets for reverse genetics. This data set increases our understanding of the plant response to agroinfiltration and indicates ways to improve a key expression platform for both plant science and molecular farming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Svenja Blaskowski
- Chemische BiologieZentrum für Medizinische BiotechnologieFakultät für BiologieUniversität Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
| | - Farnusch Kaschani
- Chemische BiologieZentrum für Medizinische BiotechnologieFakultät für BiologieUniversität Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
| | - Markus Kaiser
- Chemische BiologieZentrum für Medizinische BiotechnologieFakultät für BiologieUniversität Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
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Lee JW, Heo W, Lee J, Jin N, Yoon SM, Park KY, Kim EY, Kim WT, Kim JY. The B cell death function of obinutuzumab-HDEL produced in plant (Nicotiana benthamiana L.) is equivalent to obinutuzumab produced in CHO cells. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191075. [PMID: 29324849 PMCID: PMC5764350 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants have attracted attention as bio-drug production platforms because of their economical and safety benefits. The preliminary efficacy of ZMapp, a cocktail of antibodies produced in N. benthamiana (Nicotiana benthamiana L.), suggested plants may serve as a platform for antibody production. However, because the amino acid sequences of the Fab fragment are diverse and differences in post-transcriptional processes between animals and plants remain to be elucidated, it is necessary to confirm functional equivalence of plant-produced antibodies to the original antibody. In this study, Obinutuzumab, a third generation anti-CD20 antibody, was produced in N. benthamiana leaves (plant-obinutuzumab) and compared to the original antibody produced in glyco-engineered Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (CHO-obinutuzumab). Two forms (with or without an HDEL tag) were generated and antibody yields were compared. The HDEL-tagged form was more highly expressed than the non-HDEL-tagged form which was cleaved in the N-terminus. To determine the equivalence in functions of the Fab region between the two forms, we compared the CD20 binding affinities and direct binding induced cell death of a CD20-positive B cells. Both forms showed similar CD20 binding affinities and direct cell death of B cell. The results suggested that plant-obinutuzumab was equivalent to CHO-obinutuzumab in CD20 binding, cell aggregation, and direct cell death via binding. Therefore, our findings suggest that Obinutuzumab is a promising biosimilar candidate that can be produced efficiently in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Won Lee
- Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woon Heo
- Department of Pharmacology and Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinu Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Narae Jin
- Department of Pharmacology and Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sei Mee Yoon
- College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Integrated OMICS for Biomedical Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Youl Park
- Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Yu Kim
- Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Taek Kim
- Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Young Kim
- Department of Pharmacology and Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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20
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Melnik S, Neumann AC, Karongo R, Dirndorfer S, Stübler M, Ibl V, Niessner R, Knopp D, Stoger E. Cloning and plant-based production of antibody MC10E7 for a lateral flow immunoassay to detect [4-arginine]microcystin in freshwater. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2018; 16:27-38. [PMID: 28421663 PMCID: PMC5785354 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibody MC10E7 is one of a small number of monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to [Arg4]-microcystins, and it can be used to survey natural water sources and food samples for algal toxin contamination. However, the development of sensitive immunoassays in different test formats, particularly user-friendly tests for on-site analysis, requires a sensitive but also cost-effective antibody. The original version of MC10E7 was derived from a murine hybridoma, but we determined the sequence of the variable regions using the peptide mass-assisted cloning strategy and expressed a scFv (single-chain variable fragment) format of this antibody in yeast and a chimeric full-size version in leaves of Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana benthamiana to facilitate inexpensive and scalable production. The specific antigen-binding activity of the purified antibody was verified by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and ELISA, confirming the same binding specificity as its hybridoma-derived counterpart. The plant-derived antibody was used to design a lateral flow immunoassay (dipstick) for the sensitive detection of [Arg4]-microcystins at concentrations of 100-300 ng/L in freshwater samples collected at different sites. Plant-based production will likely reduce the cost of the antibody, currently the most expensive component of the dipstick immunoassay, and will allow the development of further antibody-based analytical devices and water purification adsorbents for the efficient removal of toxic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Melnik
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna-Cathrine Neumann
- Institute of Hydrochemistry and Chair for Analytical Chemistry, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ryan Karongo
- Institute of Hydrochemistry and Chair for Analytical Chemistry, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Dirndorfer
- Institute of Hydrochemistry and Chair for Analytical Chemistry, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Stübler
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Ibl
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Reinhard Niessner
- Institute of Hydrochemistry and Chair for Analytical Chemistry, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dietmar Knopp
- Institute of Hydrochemistry and Chair for Analytical Chemistry, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Eva Stoger
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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21
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Nakanishi K, Morikane S, Ichikawa S, Kurohane K, Niwa Y, Akimoto Y, Matsubara S, Kawakami H, Kobayashi H, Imai Y. Protection of Human Colon Cells from Shiga Toxin by Plant-based Recombinant Secretory IgA. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45843. [PMID: 28368034 PMCID: PMC5377459 DOI: 10.1038/srep45843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin is a major virulence factor of food-poisoning caused by Escherichia coli such as O157:H7. Secretory immunoglobulin (Ig) A (SIgA) is supposed to prevent infection of the mucosal surface and is a candidate agent for oral immunotherapy. We previously established a recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) consisting of variable regions from a mouse IgG mAb specific for the binding subunit of Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) and the Fc region of mouse IgA. Here we produced a secretory form of the recombinant IgA (S-hyIgA) with transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plant. All the S-hyIgA cDNAs (heavy, light, J chain and secretory component) were expressed under the control of a bidirectional promoter of a chlorophyll a/b-binding protein of A. thaliana without using a viral promoter. The plant-based S-hyIgA exhibited antigen binding, and was modified with plant-specific N-linked sugar chains. The Ig heavy chain and secretory components were observed in an intracellular protein body-like structure of the transgenic leaves on immuno-electron microscopy. An extract of the transgenic leaves neutralized the cytotoxicity of Stx1 toward butyrate-treated Caco-2 cells, a human colon carcinoma cell line. These results will contribute to the development of edible therapeutic antibodies such as those for the treatment of mucosal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhiro Nakanishi
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Shota Morikane
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Shiori Ichikawa
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Kohta Kurohane
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Yasuo Niwa
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Improvement, Graduate Division of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Akimoto
- Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8612, Japan
| | - Sachie Matsubara
- Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8612, Japan
| | - Hayato Kawakami
- Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8612, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Improvement, Graduate Division of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Imai
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
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22
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Paireder M, Tholen S, Porodko A, Biniossek ML, Mayer B, Novinec M, Schilling O, Mach L. The papain-like cysteine proteinases NbCysP6 and NbCysP7 are highly processive enzymes with substrate specificities complementary to Nicotiana benthamiana cathepsin B. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1865:444-452. [PMID: 28188928 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The tobacco-related plant Nicotiana benthamiana is gaining interest as a versatile host for the production of monoclonal antibodies and other protein therapeutics. However, the susceptibility of plant-derived recombinant proteins to endogenous proteolytic enzymes limits their use as biopharmaceuticals. We have now identified two previously uncharacterized N. benthamiana proteases with high antibody-degrading activity, the papain-like cysteine proteinases NbCysP6 and NbCysP7. Both enzymes are capable of hydrolysing a wide range of synthetic substrates, although only NbCysP6 tolerates basic amino acids in its specificity-determining S2 subsite. The overlapping substrate specificities of NbCysP6 and NbCysP7 are also documented by the closely related properties of their other subsites as deduced from the action of the enzymes on proteome-derived peptide libraries. Notable differences were observed to the substrate preferences of N. benthamiana cathepsin B, another antibody-degrading papain-like cysteine proteinase. The complementary activities of NbCysP6, NbCysP7 and N. benthamiana cathepsin B indicate synergistic roles of these proteases in the turnover of recombinant and endogenous proteins in planta, thus representing a paradigm for the shaping of plant proteomes by the combined action of papain-like cysteine proteinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Paireder
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Tholen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Porodko
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin L Biniossek
- Institute for Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bettina Mayer
- Institute for Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marko Novinec
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Oliver Schilling
- Institute for Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS Centre for Biological Signaling Studies, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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23
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Edgue G, Twyman RM, Beiss V, Fischer R, Sack M. Antibodies from plants for bionanomaterials. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 9. [DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gueven Edgue
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology; RWTH Aachen University; Aachen Germany
| | | | - Veronique Beiss
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology; RWTH Aachen University; Aachen Germany
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology; RWTH Aachen University; Aachen Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME; Aachen Germany
| | - Markus Sack
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology; RWTH Aachen University; Aachen Germany
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24
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Jutras PV, Marusic C, Lonoce C, Deflers C, Goulet MC, Benvenuto E, Michaud D, Donini M. An Accessory Protease Inhibitor to Increase the Yield and Quality of a Tumour-Targeting mAb in Nicotiana benthamiana Leaves. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167086. [PMID: 27893815 PMCID: PMC5125672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The overall quality of recombinant IgG antibodies in plants is dramatically compromised by host endogenous proteases. Different approaches have been developed to reduce the impact of endogenous proteolysis on IgGs, notably involving site-directed mutagenesis to eliminate protease-susceptible sites or the in situ mitigation of host protease activities to minimize antibody processing in the cell secretory pathway. We here characterized the degradation profile of H10, a human tumour-targeting monoclonal IgG, in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana also expressing the human serine protease inhibitor α1-antichymotrypsin or the cysteine protease inhibitor tomato cystatin SlCYS8. Leaf extracts revealed consistent fragmentation patterns for the recombinant antibody regardless of leaf age and a strong protective effect of SlCYS8 in specific regions of the heavy chain domains. As shown using an antigen-binding ELISA and LC-MS/MS analysis of antibody fragments, SlCYS8 had positive effects on both the amount of fully-assembled antibody purified from leaf tissue and the stability of biologically active antibody fragments containing the heavy chain Fc domain. Our data confirm the potential of Cys protease inhibitors as convenient antibody-stabilizing expression partners to increase the quality of therapeutic antibodies in plant protein biofactories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carla Marusic
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Lonoce
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Carole Deflers
- Département de phytologie, Université Laval, Québec Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Eugenio Benvenuto
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marcello Donini
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Casaccia, Rome, Italy
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25
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Juarez P, Virdi V, Depicker A, Orzaez D. Biomanufacturing of protective antibodies and other therapeutics in edible plant tissues for oral applications. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 14:1791-1799. [PMID: 26873071 PMCID: PMC5067594 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although plant expression systems used for production of therapeutic proteins have the advantage of being scalable at a low price, the downstream processing necessary to obtain pure therapeutic molecules is as expensive as for the traditional Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) platforms. However, when edible plant tissues (EPTs) are used, there is no need for exhaustive purification, because they can be delivered orally as partially purified formulations that are safe for consumption. This economic benefit is especially interesting when high doses of recombinant proteins are required throughout the treatment/prophylaxis period, as is the case for antibodies used for oral passive immunization (OPI). The secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies, which are highly abundant in the digestive tract and mucosal secretions, and thus the first choice for OPI, have only been successfully produced in plant expression systems. Here, we cover most of the up-to-date examples of EPT-produced pharmaceuticals, including two examples of SIgA aimed at oral delivery. We describe the benefits and drawbacks of delivering partially purified formulations and discuss a number of practical considerations and criteria to take into account when using plant expression systems, such as subcellular targeting, protein degradation, glycosylation patterns and downstream strategies, all crucial for improved yield, high quality and low cost of the final product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Juarez
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vikram Virdi
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Ann Depicker
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Diego Orzaez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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26
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Lonoce C, Salem R, Marusic C, Jutras PV, Scaloni A, Salzano AM, Lucretti S, Steinkellner H, Benvenuto E, Donini M. Production of a tumour-targeting antibody with a human-compatible glycosylation profile in N. benthamiana hairy root cultures. Biotechnol J 2016; 11:1209-20. [PMID: 27313150 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hairy root (HR) cultures derived from Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformation of plant tissues are an advantageous biotechnological manufacturing platform due to the accumulation of recombinant proteins in an otherwise largely protein free culture medium. In this context, HRs descending from transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants were successfully used for the production of several functional mAbs with plant-type glycans. Here, we expressed the tumor-targeting monoclonal antibody mAb H10 in HRs obtained either by infecting a transgenic N. tabacum line expressing H10 with A. rhizogenes or a glyco-engineered N. benthamiana line (ΔXTFT) with recombinant A. rhizogenes carrying mAb H10 heavy and light chain cDNAs. Selected HR clones derived from both plants accumulated mAb H10 in the culture medium with similar yields (2-3 mg/L). N-glycosylation profiles of antibodies purified from HR supernatant revealed the presence of plant-typical complex structures for N. tabacum-derived mAb H10 and of GnGn structures lacking xylose and fucose for the ΔXTFT-derived counterpart. Both antibody glyco-formats exhibited comparable antigen binding activities. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the co-infection of ΔXTFT Nicotiana benthamiana with recombinant A. rhizogenes is an efficient procedure for the generation of stable HR cultures expressing the tumor-targeting mAb H10 with a human-compatible glycosylation profile, thus representing an important step towards the exploitation of root cultures for the production of 'next generation' human therapeutic antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lonoce
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Reda Salem
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Marusic
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Philippe V Jutras
- Département de phytologie, Centre de recherche et innovation des végétaux, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Andrea Scaloni
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Salzano
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Sergio Lucretti
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marcello Donini
- Laboratory of Biotechnology ENEA Research Center, Rome, Italy.
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27
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Paireder M, Mehofer U, Tholen S, Porodko A, Schähs P, Maresch D, Biniossek ML, van der Hoorn RAL, Lenarcic B, Novinec M, Schilling O, Mach L. The death enzyme CP14 is a unique papain-like cysteine proteinase with a pronounced S2 subsite selectivity. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 603:110-7. [PMID: 27246477 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The cysteine protease CP14 has been identified as a central component of a molecular module regulating programmed cell death in plant embryos. CP14 belongs to a distinct subfamily of papain-like cysteine proteinases of which no representative has been characterized thoroughly to date. However, it has been proposed that CP14 is a cathepsin H-like protease. We have now produced recombinant Nicotiana benthamiana CP14 (NbCP14) lacking the C-terminal granulin domain. As typical for papain-like cysteine proteinases, NbCP14 undergoes rapid autocatalytic activation when incubated at low pH. The mature protease is capable of hydrolysing several synthetic endopeptidase substrates, but cathepsin H-like aminopeptidase activity could not be detected. NbCP14 displays a strong preference for aliphatic over aromatic amino acids in the specificity-determining P2 position. This subsite selectivity was also observed upon digestion of proteome-derived peptide libraries. Notably, the specificity profile of NbCP14 differs from that of aleurain-like protease, the N. benthamiana orthologue of cathepsin H. We conclude that CP14 is a papain-like cysteine proteinase with unusual enzymatic properties which may prove of central importance for the execution of programmed cell death during plant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Paireder
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Mehofer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Tholen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Porodko
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Schähs
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin L Biniossek
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Renier A L van der Hoorn
- The Plant Chemetics Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Brigita Lenarcic
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Novinec
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Oliver Schilling
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS Centre for Biological Signaling Studies, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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28
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Hehle VK, Paul MJ, Roberts VA, van Dolleweerd CJ, Ma JKC. Site-targeted mutagenesis for stabilization of recombinant monoclonal antibody expressed in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants. FASEB J 2016; 30:1590-8. [PMID: 26712217 PMCID: PMC4799508 DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-283226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the degradation pattern of a murine IgG1κ monoclonal antibody expressed in and extracted from transformedNicotiana tabacum Gel electrophoresis of leaf extracts revealed a consistent pattern of recombinant immunoglobulin bands, including intact and full-length antibody, as well as smaller antibody fragments. N-terminal sequencing revealed these smaller fragments to be proteolytic cleavage products and identified a limited number of protease-sensitive sites in the antibody light and heavy chain sequences. No strictly conserved target sequence was evident, although the peptide bonds that were susceptible to proteolysis were predominantly and consistently located within or near to the interdomain or solvent-exposed regions in the antibody structure. Amino acids surrounding identified cleavage sites were mutated in an attempt to increase resistance. Different Guy's 13 antibody heavy and light chain mutant combinations were expressed transiently inN. tabacumand demonstrated intensity shifts in the fragmentation pattern, resulting in alterations to the full-length antibody-to-fragment ratio. The work strengthens the understanding of proteolytic cleavage of antibodies expressed in plants and presents a novel approach to stabilize full-length antibody by site-directed mutagenesis.-Hehle, V. K., Paul, M. J., Roberts, V. A., van Dolleweerd, C. J., Ma, J. K.-C. Site-targeted mutagenesis for stabilization of recombinant monoclonal antibody expressed in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena K Hehle
- Molecular Immunology Unit, The Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Paul
- Molecular Immunology Unit, The Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria A Roberts
- Molecular Immunology Unit, The Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Craig J van Dolleweerd
- Molecular Immunology Unit, The Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julian K-C Ma
- Molecular Immunology Unit, The Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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29
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Mandal MK, Ahvari H, Schillberg S, Schiermeyer A. Tackling Unwanted Proteolysis in Plant Production Hosts Used for Molecular Farming. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:267. [PMID: 27014293 PMCID: PMC4782010 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Although the field of molecular farming has significantly matured over the last years, some obstacles still need to be resolved. A major limiting factor for a broader application of plant hosts for the production of valuable recombinant proteins is the low yield of intact recombinant proteins. These low yields are at least in part due to the action of endogenous plant proteases on the foreign recombinant proteins. This mini review will present the current knowledge of the proteolytic enzymes involved in the degradation of different target proteins and strategies that are applied to suppress undesirable proteolytic activities in order to safeguard recombinant proteins during the production process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andreas Schiermeyer
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied EcologyAachen, Germany
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30
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Niemer M, Mehofer U, Verdianz M, Porodko A, Schähs P, Kracher D, Lenarcic B, Novinec M, Mach L. Nicotiana benthamiana cathepsin B displays distinct enzymatic features which differ from its human relative and aleurain-like protease. Biochimie 2016; 122:119-25. [PMID: 26166069 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The tobacco-related plant species Nicotiana benthamiana has recently emerged as a versatile expression platform for the rapid generation of recombinant biopharmaceuticals, but product yield and quality frequently suffer from unintended proteolysis. Previous studies have highlighted that recombinant protein fragmentation in plants involves papain-like cysteine proteinases (PLCPs). For this reason, we have now characterized two major N. benthamiana PLCPs in detail: aleurain-like protease (NbALP) and cathepsin B (NbCathB). As typical for PLCPs, the precursor of NbCathB readily undergoes autocatalytic activation when incubated at low pH. On the contrary, maturation of NbALP requires the presence of a cathepsin L-like PLCP as processing enzyme. While the catalytic features of NbALP closely resemble those of its mammalian homologue cathepsin H, NbCathB displays remarkable differences to human cathepsin B. In particular, NbCathB appears to be a far less efficient peptidyldipeptidase (removing C-terminal dipeptides) than its human counterpart, suggesting that it functions primarily as an endopeptidase. Importantly, NbCathB was far more efficient than NbALP in processing the human anti-HIV-1 antibody 2F5 into fragments observed during its production in N. benthamiana. This suggests that targeted down-regulation of NbCathB could improve the performance of this plant-based expression platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Niemer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Mehofer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Verdianz
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Porodko
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Schähs
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Kracher
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigita Lenarcic
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Novinec
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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31
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Zischewski J, Sack M, Fischer R. Overcoming low yields of plant-made antibodies by a protein engineering approach. Biotechnol J 2016; 11:107-16. [PMID: 26632507 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The commercial development of plant-based antibody production platforms is often limited by low and variable yields, but little is known about the factors that affect antibody accumulation during and after translation. Here, we present a strategy to identify yield-limiting regions in the transcript and protein. We exchanged variable heavy chain (VH) domain sequences between two human antibodies at structurally conserved positions, thus creating ten chimeric VH domains containing sequences from M12 (∼1000 μg/g leaf fresh weight [FW]) and 4E10 (∼100 μg/g FW). After transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, we measured mRNA and protein levels by quantitative real-time PCR and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, respectively. Transcript levels were similar for all constructs, but antibody levels ranged from ∼250 μg/g to over 2000 μg/g FW. Analysis of the expression levels showed that: i) 4E10 yields were only marginally increased by suppression of post-transcriptional gene silencing; ii) the CDR3 of 4E10 contains a protease site; and iii) a bipartite, yield-limiting region exists in the CDR2/CDR3. Our findings highlight the strong impact of cotranslational and posttranslational events on antibody yields and show that protein engineering is a powerful tool that can be used to overcome the remaining limitations affecting antibody production in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Zischewski
- Department for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Markus Sack
- Department for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Department for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Aachen, Germany
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32
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Marusic C, Novelli F, Salzano AM, Scaloni A, Benvenuto E, Pioli C, Donini M. Production of an active anti-CD20-hIL-2 immunocytokine in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 14:240-51. [PMID: 25879373 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Anti-CD20 murine or chimeric antibodies (Abs) have been used to treat non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) and other diseases characterized by overactive or dysfunctional B cells. Anti-CD20 Abs demonstrated to be effective in inducing regression of B-cell lymphomas, although in many cases patients relapse following treatment. A promising approach to improve the outcome of mAb therapy is the use of anti-CD20 antibodies to deliver cytokines to the tumour microenvironment. In particular, IL-2-based immunocytokines have shown enhanced antitumour activity in several preclinical studies. Here, we report on the engineering of an anti-CD20-human interleukin-2 (hIL-2) immunocytokine (2B8-Fc-hIL2) based on the C2B8 mAb (Rituximab) and the resulting ectopic expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. The scFv-Fc-engineered immunocytokine is fully assembled in plants with minor degradation products as assessed by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. Purification yields using protein-A affinity chromatography were in the range of 15-20 mg/kg of fresh leaf weight (FW). Glycopeptide analysis confirmed the presence of a highly homogeneous plant-type glycosylation. 2B8-Fc-hIL2 and the cognate 2B8-Fc antibody, devoid of hIL-2, were assayed by flow cytometry on Daudi cells revealing a CD20 binding activity comparable to that of Rituximab and were effective in eliciting antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity of human PBMC versus Daudi cells, demonstrating their functional integrity. In 2B8-Fc-hIL2, IL-2 accessibility and biological activity were verified by flow cytometry and cell proliferation assay. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a recombinant immunocytokine based on the therapeutic Rituximab antibody scaffold, whose expression in plants may be a valuable tool for NHLs treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Marusic
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Novelli
- Laboratory of Radiation Biology and Biomedicine, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna M Salzano
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Scaloni
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Eugenio Benvenuto
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Pioli
- Laboratory of Radiation Biology and Biomedicine, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Donini
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Research Center Casaccia, Rome, Italy
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De Meyer T, Laukens B, Nolf J, Van Lerberge E, De Rycke R, De Beuckelaer A, De Buck S, Callewaert N, Depicker A. Comparison of VHH-Fc antibody production in Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana benthamiana and Pichia pastoris. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2015; 13:938-47. [PMID: 25641071 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
VHHs or nanobodies are widely acknowledged as interesting diagnostic and therapeutic tools. However, for some applications, multivalent antibody formats, such as the dimeric VHH-Fc format, are desired to increase the functional affinity. The scope of this study was to compare transient expression of diagnostic VHH-Fc antibodies in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves with their stable expression in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds and Pichia pastoris. To this end, VHH-Fc antibodies targeting green fluorescent protein or the A. thaliana seed storage proteins (albumin and globulin) were produced in the three platforms. Differences were mainly observed in the accumulation levels and glycosylation patterns. Interestingly, although in plants oligomannosidic N-glycans were expected for KDEL-tagged VHH-Fcs, several VHH-Fcs with an intact KDEL-tag carried complex-type N-glycans, suggesting a dysfunctional retention in the endoplasmic reticulum. All VHH-Fcs were equally functional across expression platforms and several outperformed their corresponding VHH in terms of sensitivity in ELISA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas De Meyer
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Bram Laukens
- Department of Medical Protein Research, Unit for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Laboratory for Protein Biochemistry and Biomolecular Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Jonah Nolf
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Els Van Lerberge
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Riet De Rycke
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Ans De Beuckelaer
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Sylvie De Buck
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Nico Callewaert
- Department of Medical Protein Research, Unit for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Laboratory for Protein Biochemistry and Biomolecular Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Ann Depicker
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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Donini M, Lombardi R, Lonoce C, Di Carli M, Marusic C, Morea V, Di Micco P. Antibody proteolysis: a common picture emerging from plants. Bioengineered 2015; 6:299-302. [PMID: 26186119 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2015.1067740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently characterized the degradation profiles of 2 human IgG1 monoclonal antibodies, the tumor-targeting mAb H10 and the anti-HIV mAb 2G12. Both mAbs were produced in plants either as stable transgenics or using a transient expression system based on leaf agroinfiltration. The purified antibodies were separated by 1DE and protein bands were characterized by N-terminal sequencing. The proteolytic cleavage sites identified in the heavy chain (HC) of both antibodies were localized in 3 inter-domain regions, suggesting that the number of proteolytic cleavage events taking place in plants is limited. One of the cleavage sites, close to the hinge region, was common to both antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Donini
- a Laboratory of Biotechnology; ENEA Research Center Casaccia ; Rome , Italy
| | - Raffaele Lombardi
- a Laboratory of Biotechnology; ENEA Research Center Casaccia ; Rome , Italy
| | - Chiara Lonoce
- a Laboratory of Biotechnology; ENEA Research Center Casaccia ; Rome , Italy
| | - Mariasole Di Carli
- a Laboratory of Biotechnology; ENEA Research Center Casaccia ; Rome , Italy
| | - Carla Marusic
- a Laboratory of Biotechnology; ENEA Research Center Casaccia ; Rome , Italy
| | - Veronica Morea
- b National Research Council; Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology ; Rome , Italy
| | - Patrizio Di Micco
- c Department of Radiology, Oncology and Pathology ; Sapienza University of Rome ; Rome , Italy
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