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Shin JH, Oh S, Jang MH, Lee SY, Min C, Eu YJ, Begum H, Kim JC, Lee GR, Oh HB, Paul MJ, Ma JKC, Gwak HS, Youn H, Kim SR. Enhanced efficacy of glycoengineered rice cell-produced trastuzumab. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 39016470 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
For several decades, a plant-based expression system has been proposed as an alternative platform for the production of biopharmaceuticals including therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), but the immunogenicity concerns associated with plant-specific N-glycans attached in plant-based biopharmaceuticals has not been completely solved. To eliminate all plant-specific N-glycan structure, eight genes involved in plant-specific N-glycosylation were mutated in rice (Oryza sativa) using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The glycoengineered cell lines, PhytoRice®, contained a predominant GnGn (G0) glycoform. The gene for codon-optimized trastuzumab (TMab) was then introduced into PhytoRice® through Agrobacterium co-cultivation. Selected cell lines were suspension cultured, and TMab secreted from cells was purified from the cultured media. The amino acid sequence of the TMab produced by PhytoRice® (P-TMab) was identical to that of TMab. The inhibitory effect of P-TMab on the proliferation of the BT-474 cancer cell line was significantly enhanced at concentrations above 1 μg/mL (****P < 0.0001). P-TMab bound to a FcγRIIIa variant, FcγRIIIa-F158, more than 2.7 times more effectively than TMab. The ADCC efficacy of P-TMab against Jurkat cells was 2.6 times higher than that of TMab in an in vitro ADCC assay. Furthermore, P-TMab demonstrated efficient tumour uptake with less liver uptake compared to TMab in a xenograft assay using the BT-474 mouse model. These results suggest that the glycoengineered PhytoRice® could be an alternative platform for mAb production compared to current CHO cells, and P-TMab has a novel and enhanced efficacy compared to TMab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Hye Shin
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
- PhytoMab Co. Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sera Oh
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Imaging Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Seok-Yong Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Imaging Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chanhong Min
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Hilal Begum
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jong-Chan Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Gap Ryol Lee
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Han-Bin Oh
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Matthew J Paul
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Julian K-C Ma
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Ho-Shin Gwak
- National Cancer Center Korea, Goyang-si, Kyunggi-do, South Korea
| | - Hyewon Youn
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Imaging Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seong-Ryong Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
- PhytoMab Co. Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
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2
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Kao MR, Karmarkar Saldivar R, Hsieh YSY. Production of therapeutic glycoproteins in glycoengineered plant: old farm for new crops. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103145. [PMID: 38781701 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Plant-based expression systems have emerged as promising avenues for the production of recombinant N-linked glycoproteins. This review offers insights into the evolution and progress of plant glycoengineering. It delves into the distinctive features of plant-derived N-glycans, the diverse range of plant hosts employed for glycoprotein synthesis, and the advancements in glycoengineering strategies aimed at generating glycoproteins with N-glycan structures akin to those produced in mammalian cell lines. Furthermore, alternative strategies for augmenting glycoengineering efforts and the current spectrum of applications for plant-produced N-glycan recombinant proteins are examined, underscoring their potential significance in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu-Rong Kao
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rebecka Karmarkar Saldivar
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yves S Y Hsieh
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, Sweden.
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3
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Izadi S, Gumpelmair S, Coelho P, Duarte HO, Gomes J, Leitner J, Kunnummel V, Mach L, Reis CA, Steinberger P, Castilho A. Plant-derived Durvalumab variants show efficient PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and therapeutically favourable FcR binding. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:1224-1237. [PMID: 38050338 PMCID: PMC11022803 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blocking therapy targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory signalling pathway has produced encouraging results in the treatment of a variety of cancers. Durvalumab (Imfinzi®) targeting PD-L1 is currently used for immunotherapy of several tumour malignancies. The Fc region of this IgG1 antibody has been engineered to reduce FcγR interactions with the aim of enhancing blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 interactions without the depletion of PD-L1-expressing immune cells. Here, we used Nicotiana benthamiana to produce four variants of Durvalumab (DL): wild-type IgG1 and its 'Fc-effector-silent' variant (LALAPG) carrying further modifications to increase antibody half-life (YTE); IgG4S228P and its variant (PVA) with Fc mutations to decrease binding to FcγRI. In addition, DL variants were produced with two distinct glycosylation profiles: afucosylated and decorated with α1,6-core fucose. Plant-derived DL variants were compared to the therapeutic antibody regarding their ability to (i) bind to PD-L1, (ii) block PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory signalling and (iii) engage with the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) and various Fcγ receptors. It was found that plant-derived DL variants bind to recombinant PD-L1 and to PD-L1 expressed in gastrointestinal cancer cells and are able to effectively block its interaction with PD-1 on T cells, thereby enhancing their activation. Furthermore, we show a positive impact of Fc amino acid mutations and core fucosylation on DL's therapeutic potential. Compared to Imfinzi®, DL-IgG1 (LALAPG) and DL-IgG4 (PVA)S228P show lower affinity to CD32B inhibitory receptor which can be therapeutically favourable. Importantly, DL-IgG1 (LALAPG) also shows enhanced binding to FcRn, a key determinant of serum half-life of IgGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Izadi
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Simon Gumpelmair
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell ActivationInstitute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Pedro Coelho
- i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP)PortoPortugal
| | - Henrique O. Duarte
- i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP)PortoPortugal
| | - Joana Gomes
- i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP)PortoPortugal
| | - Judith Leitner
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell ActivationInstitute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Vinny Kunnummel
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Celso A. Reis
- i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP)PortoPortugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- Faculty of Medicine (FMUP)University of PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Peter Steinberger
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell ActivationInstitute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Alexandra Castilho
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyInstitute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
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Keshvari T, Melnik S, Sun L, Niazi A, Aram F, Moghadam A, Kogelmann B, Wozniak-Knopp G, Kallolimath S, Ramezani A, Steinkellner H. Efficient Expression of Functionally Active Aflibercept with Designed N-glycans. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:29. [PMID: 38651409 PMCID: PMC11036266 DOI: 10.3390/antib13020029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Aflibercept is a therapeutic recombinant fusion protein comprising extracellular domains of human vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) and IgG1-Fc. It is a highly glycosylated protein with five N-glycosylation sites that might impact it structurally and/or functionally. Aflibercept is produced in mammalian cells and exhibits large glycan heterogeneity, which hampers glycan-associated investigations. Here, we report the expression of aflibercept in a plant-based system with targeted N-glycosylation profiles. Nicotiana benthamiana-based glycoengineering resulted in the production of aflibercept variants carrying designed carbohydrates, namely, N-glycans with terminal GlcNAc and sialic acid residues, herein referred to as AFLIGnGn and AFLISia, respectively. Both variants were transiently expressed in unusually high amounts (2 g/kg fresh leaf material) in leaves and properly assembled to dimers. Mass spectrometric site-specific glycosylation analyses of purified aflibercept showed the presence of two to four glycoforms in a consistent manner. We also demonstrate incomplete occupancy of some glycosites. Both AFLIGnGn and AFLISia displayed similar binding potency to VEGF165, with a tendency of lower binding to variants with increased sialylation. Collectively, we show the expression of functionally active aflibercept in significant amounts with controlled glycosylation. The results provide the basis for further studies in order to generate optimized products in the best-case scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahereh Keshvari
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria; (T.K.); (L.S.); (B.K.); (S.K.)
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441-65186, Iran; (A.N.); (F.A.); (A.M.)
| | - Stanislav Melnik
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria; (T.K.); (L.S.); (B.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Lin Sun
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria; (T.K.); (L.S.); (B.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441-65186, Iran; (A.N.); (F.A.); (A.M.)
| | - Farzaneh Aram
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441-65186, Iran; (A.N.); (F.A.); (A.M.)
| | - Ali Moghadam
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441-65186, Iran; (A.N.); (F.A.); (A.M.)
| | - Benjamin Kogelmann
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria; (T.K.); (L.S.); (B.K.); (S.K.)
- ACIB—Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gordana Wozniak-Knopp
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Somanath Kallolimath
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria; (T.K.); (L.S.); (B.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Amin Ramezani
- Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-14336, Iran
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria; (T.K.); (L.S.); (B.K.); (S.K.)
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5
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Sun L, Kallolimath S, Palt R, Eminger F, Strasser R, Steinkellner H. Codon optimization regulates IgG3 and IgM expression and glycosylation in N. benthamiana. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1320586. [PMID: 38125307 PMCID: PMC10731585 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1320586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are being increasingly recognized for the production of complex human proteins, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Various methods have been applied to boost recombinant expression, with DNA codon usage being an important approach. Here, we transiently expressed three complex human mAbs in Nicotiana benthamiana, namely one IgG3 and two IgM directed against SARS-CoV-2 as codon optimized(CO) and non-codon optimized (NCO) variants. qRT-PCR exhibited significantly increased mRNA levels of all CO variants compared to the non-codon optimized orthologues, in line with increased protein expression. Purified CO and NCO mAbs did not exhibit obvious biochemical differences, as determined by SDS-PAGE and antigen binding activities. By contrast, enhanced production selectively impacts on glycosite occupancy and N-glycan processing, with increased mannosidic structures. The results point to a careful monitoring of recombinant proteins upon enhancing expression. Especially if it comes to therapeutic application even subtle modifications might alter product efficacy or increase immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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6
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Ruocco V, Vavra U, König-Beihammer J, Bolaños−Martínez OC, Kallolimath S, Maresch D, Grünwald-Gruber C, Strasser R. Impact of mutations on the plant-based production of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RBDs. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1275228. [PMID: 37868317 PMCID: PMC10588190 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1275228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Subunit vaccines based on recombinant viral antigens are valuable interventions to fight existing and evolving viruses and can be produced at large-scale in plant-based expression systems. The recombinant viral antigens are often derived from glycosylated envelope proteins of the virus and glycosylation plays an important role for the immunogenicity by shielding protein epitopes. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike is a principal target for vaccine development and has been produced in plants, but the yields of recombinant RBD variants were low and the role of the N-glycosylation in RBD from different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern is less studied. Here, we investigated the expression and glycosylation of six different RBD variants transiently expressed in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. All of the purified RBD variants were functional in terms of receptor binding and displayed almost full N-glycan occupancy at both glycosylation sites with predominately complex N-glycans. Despite the high structural sequence conservation of the RBD variants, we detected a variation in yield which can be attributed to lower expression and differences in unintentional proteolytic processing of the C-terminal polyhistidine tag used for purification. Glycoengineering towards a human-type complex N-glycan profile with core α1,6-fucose, showed that the reactivity of the neutralizing antibody S309 differs depending on the N-glycan profile and the RBD variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Ruocco
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia König-Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Omayra C. Bolaños−Martínez
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Somanath Kallolimath
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Strasser R. Plant glycoengineering for designing next-generation vaccines and therapeutic proteins. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108197. [PMID: 37315875 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein glycosylation has a huge impact on biological processes in all domains of life. The type of glycan present on a recombinant glycoprotein depends on protein intrinsic features and the glycosylation repertoire of the cell type used for expression. Glycoengineering approaches are used to eliminate unwanted glycan modifications and to facilitate the coordinated expression of glycosylation enzymes or whole metabolic pathways to furnish glycans with distinct modifications. The formation of tailored glycans enables structure-function studies and optimization of therapeutic proteins used in different applications. While recombinant proteins or proteins from natural sources can be in vitro glycoengineered using glycosyltransferases or chemoenzymatic synthesis, many approaches use genetic engineering involving the elimination of endogenous genes and introduction of heterologous genes to cell-based production systems. Plant glycoengineering enables the in planta production of recombinant glycoproteins with human or animal-type glycans that resemble natural glycosylation or contain novel glycan structures. This review summarizes key achievements in glycoengineering of plants and highlights current developments aiming to make plants more suitable for the production of a diverse range of recombinant glycoproteins for innovative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Strasser
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Beihammer G, König-Beihammer J, Kogelmann B, Ruocco V, Grünwald-Gruber C, D’Aoust MA, Lavoie PO, Saxena P, Gach JS, Steinkellner H, Strasser R. An oligosaccharyltransferase from Leishmania donovani increases the N-glycan occupancy on plant-produced IgG1. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1233666. [PMID: 37615026 PMCID: PMC10442823 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1233666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
N-Glycosylation of immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) at the heavy chain Fc domain (Asn297) plays an important role for antibody structure and effector functions. While numerous recombinant IgG1 antibodies have been successfully expressed in plants, they frequently display a considerable amount (up to 50%) of unglycosylated Fc domain. To overcome this limitation, we tested a single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase from the protozoan Leishmania donovani (LdOST) for its ability to improve IgG1 Fc glycosylation. LdOST fused to a fluorescent protein was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana and confocal microscopy confirmed the subcellular location at the endoplasmic reticulum. Transient co-expression of LdOST with two different IgG1 antibodies resulted in a significant increase (up to 97%) of Fc glycosylation while leaving the overall N-glycan composition unmodified, as determined by different mass spectrometry approaches. While biochemical and functional features of "glycosylation improved" antibodies remained unchanged, a slight increase in FcγRIIIa binding and thermal stability was observed. Collectively, our results reveal that LdOST expression is suitable to reduce the heterogeneity of plant-produced antibodies and can contribute to improving their stability and effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gernot Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia König-Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Kogelmann
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- acib - Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Valentina Ruocco
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Johannes S. Gach
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Kim S, Min H, Nah J, Jeong J, Park K, Kim W, Lee Y, Kim J, An J, Seong RH. Defective N-glycosylation in tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells impairs IFN-γ-mediated effector function. Immunol Cell Biol 2023; 101:610-624. [PMID: 37114567 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
T cell-mediated antitumor immunity is modulated, in part, by N-glycosylation. However, the interplay between N-glycosylation and the loss of effector function in exhausted T cells has not yet been fully investigated. Here, we delineated the impact of N-glycosylation on the exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in a murine colon adenocarcinoma model, focusing on the IFN-γ-mediated immune response. We found that exhausted CD8+ T cells downregulated the oligosaccharyltransferase complex, which is indispensable for N-glycan transfer. Concordant N-glycosylation deficiency in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes leads to loss of antitumor immunity. Complementing the oligosaccharyltransferase complex restored IFN-γ production and alleviated CD8+ T cell exhaustion, resulting in reduced tumor growth. Thus, aberrant glycosylation induced in the tumor microenvironment incapacitates effector CD8+ T cells. Our findings provide insights into CD8+ T cell exhaustion by incorporating N-glycosylation to understand the characteristic loss of IFN-γ, opening new opportunities to amend the glycosylation status in cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyeon Kim
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyungyu Min
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinwoo Nah
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinguk Jeong
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungsoo Park
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Wooseob Kim
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngjin Lee
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jieun Kim
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungeun An
- Department of Life Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Rho Hyun Seong
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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10
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Kaewbandit N, Malla A, Boonyayothin W, Rattanapisit K, Phetphoung T, Pisuttinusart N, Strasser R, Saetung R, Tawinwung S, Phoolcharoen W. Effect of plant produced Anti-hIL-6 receptor antibody blockade on pSTAT3 expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11927. [PMID: 37488213 PMCID: PMC10366097 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39106-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
As a response to invasion by pathogens, the secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6) which is a cytokine, activates IL-6/JAKs/STAT3 intracellular signaling via., phosphorylation. Over expression of pSTAT3 induces IL-6 positive feedback loop causing cytokine release syndrome or cytokine storm. Plants have gained momentum as an alternative expression system. Hence, this study aims to produce mAb targeting human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R) in Nicotiana benthamiana for down regulating its cellular signaling thus, decreasing the expression of pSTAT3. The variable regions of heavy and light chains of anti-hIL-6R mAb were constructed in pBYK2e geminiviral plant expression vector and transiently co-expressed in N. benthamiana. The results demonstrate the proper protein assembly of anti-hIL-6R mAb with highest expression level of 2.24 mg/g FW at 5 dpi, with a yield of 21.4 µg/g FW after purification. The purity and N-glycosylation of plant produced antibody was analyzed, including its specificity to human IL-6 receptor by ELISA. Additionally, we investigated the effect to pSTAT3 expression in human PBMC's by flow cytometry wherein, the results confirmed lower expression of pSTAT3 with increasing concentrations of plant produced anti-hIL-6R mAb. Although, further in vivo studies are key to unveil the absolute functionality of anti-hIL-6R, we hereby show the potential of the plant platform and its suitability for the production of this therapeutic antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namthip Kaewbandit
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Graduate Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Wanuttha Boonyayothin
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Graduate Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Thareeya Phetphoung
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Graduate Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nuttapat Pisuttinusart
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Graduate Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rattana Saetung
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Supannikar Tawinwung
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
- Cellular Immunotherapy Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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11
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Cui T, Ma Q, Zhang F, Chen S, Zhang C, Hao J, Liu X. Characterization of PcSTT3B as a Key Oligosaccharyltransferase Subunit Involved in N-glycosylation and Its Role in Development and Pathogenicity of Phytophthora capsici. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087500. [PMID: 37108663 PMCID: PMC10141488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Asparagine (Asn, N)-linked glycosylation is a conserved process and an essential post-translational modification that occurs on the NXT/S motif of the nascent polypeptides in endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The mechanism of N-glycosylation and biological functions of key catalytic enzymes involved in this process are rarely documented for oomycetes. In this study, an N-glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin (TM) hampered the mycelial growth, sporangial release, and zoospore production of Phytophthora capsici, indicating that N-glycosylation was crucial for oomycete growth development. Among the key catalytic enzymes involved in N-glycosylation, the PcSTT3B gene was characterized by its functions in P. capsici. As a core subunit of the oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) complex, the staurosporine and temperature sensive 3B (STT3B) subunit were critical for the catalytic activity of OST. The PcSTT3B gene has catalytic activity and is highly conservative in P. capsici. By using a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene replacement system to delete the PcSTT3B gene, the transformants impaired mycelial growth, sporangial release, zoospore production, and virulence. The PcSTT3B-deleted transformants were more sensitive to an ER stress inducer TM and display low glycoprotein content in the mycelia, suggesting that PcSTT3B was associated with ER stress responses and N-glycosylation. Therefore, PcSTT3B was involved in the development, pathogenicity, and N-glycosylation of P. capsici.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongshan Cui
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Quanhe Ma
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Can Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jianjun Hao
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Xili Liu
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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12
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Assessment of transient expression strategies to sialylate recombinant proteins in N. benthamiana. J Biotechnol 2023; 365:48-53. [PMID: 36805356 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
There is a demand for increasing the current manufacturing capacities for recombinant protein-based drugs. Novel expression systems such as plants are being explored as faster, more flexible, and possibly cheaper platforms. Many of these therapeutic proteins are glycosylated and require terminal sialylation to attain full biological activity. In planta protein sialylation has been achieved by the introduction of an entire mammalian biosynthetic pathway in Nicotiana benthamiana, comprising the coordinated expression of the genes for (i) biosynthesis, (ii) activation, (iii) transport, and (iv) transfer of Neu5Ac to terminal galactose. Here we address technical issues that can compromise the efficacy of protein sialylation and how they can be overcome. We used the same reporter protein to compared three strategies to transiently deliver the sialylation pathway-genes evaluating efficacy, heterogeneity and batch-to-batch consistency. In addition, we assess the ability of the single-step method to sialylated additional recombinant proteins with different complexity and number of glycosylation sites. Finally, we show that efficient protein sialylation can be up-scaled for large-scale production of sialylated proteins in plants.
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13
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Margolin E, Schäfer G, Allen JD, Gers S, Woodward J, Sutherland AD, Blumenthal M, Meyers A, Shaw ML, Preiser W, Strasser R, Crispin M, Williamson AL, Rybicki EP, Chapman R. A plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 spike protein elicits heterologous immunity in hamsters. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1146234. [PMID: 36959936 PMCID: PMC10028082 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1146234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Molecular farming of vaccines has been heralded as a cheap, safe and scalable production platform. In reality, however, differences in the plant biosynthetic machinery, compared to mammalian cells, can complicate the production of viral glycoproteins. Remodelling the secretory pathway presents an opportunity to support key post-translational modifications, and to tailor aspects of glycosylation and glycosylation-directed folding. In this study, we applied an integrated host and glyco-engineering approach, NXS/T Generation™, to produce a SARS-CoV-2 prefusion spike trimer in Nicotiana benthamiana as a model antigen from an emerging virus. The size exclusion-purified protein exhibited a characteristic prefusion structure when viewed by transmission electron microscopy, and this was indistinguishable from the equivalent mammalian cell-produced antigen. The plant-produced protein was decorated with under-processed oligomannose N-glycans and exhibited a site occupancy that was comparable to the equivalent protein produced in mammalian cell culture. Complex-type glycans were almost entirely absent from the plant-derived material, which contrasted against the predominantly mature, complex glycans that were observed on the mammalian cell culture-derived protein. The plant-derived antigen elicited neutralizing antibodies against both the matched Wuhan and heterologous Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants in immunized hamsters, although titres were lower than those induced by the comparator mammalian antigen. Animals vaccinated with the plant-derived antigen exhibited reduced viral loads following challenge, as well as significant protection from SARS-CoV-2 disease as evidenced by reduced lung pathology, lower viral loads and protection from weight loss. Nonetheless, animals immunized with the mammalian cell-culture-derived protein were better protected in this challenge model suggesting that more faithfully reproducing the native glycoprotein structure and associated glycosylation of the antigen may be desirable.
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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
- 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
| | - Georgia Schäfer
- 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
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joel D Allen
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jeremy Woodward
- Electron Microscope Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Andrew D Sutherland
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Melissa Blumenthal
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ann Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Megan L Shaw
- Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Anna-Lise Williamson
- 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
| | - Edward P Rybicki
- 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
| | - 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
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14
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Eidenberger L, Eminger F, Castilho A, Steinkellner H. Comparative analysis of plant transient expression vectors for targeted N-glycosylation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1073455. [PMID: 36619384 PMCID: PMC9812561 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1073455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While plant-based transient expression systems have demonstrated their potency to rapidly express economically feasible quantities of complex human proteins, less is known about their compatibility with posttranslational modification control. Here we investigated three commonly used transient expression vectors, pEAQ, magnICON and pTra for their capability to express a multi-component protein with controlled and modified N-glycosylation. Cetuximab (Cx), a therapeutic IgG1 monoclonal antibody, which carries next to the conserved Fc an additional N-glycosylation site (GS) in the Fab-domain, was used as model. While pEAQ and pTra produce fully assembled Cx at similar levels in N. benthamiana, the yield of magnICON-Cx was twice as high. When expressed in wild type plants, both Cx-GSs exhibited typical plant N-glycans decorated with plant-specific xylose and fucose. Likewise, Cx generated in the glycoengineered ΔXTFT line carried mainly complex N-glycans lacking plant specific residues. Exposure to different engineering settings (encompassing stable lines and transient approaches) towards human galactosylation and sialylation resulted in Cx carrying targeted N-glycans at similar quantities using all three expression vectors. Collectively, our results exhibit the universal application of plant-based glycoengineering, thereby increasing the attractivity of the ambitious expression platform.
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15
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Margolin E, Allen JD, Verbeek M, Chapman R, Meyers A, van Diepen M, Ximba P, Motlou T, Moore PL, Woodward J, Strasser R, Crispin M, Williamson AL, Rybicki EP. Augmenting glycosylation-directed folding pathways enhances the fidelity of HIV Env immunogen production in plants. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:2919-2937. [PMID: 35781691 PMCID: PMC9544252 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Heterologous glycoprotein production relies on host glycosylation-dependent folding. When the biosynthetic machinery differs from the usual expression host, there is scope to remodel the assembly pathway to enhance glycoprotein production. Here we explore the integration of chaperone coexpression with glyco-engineering to improve the production of a model HIV-1 envelope antigen. Calreticulin was coexpressed to support protein folding together with Leishmania major STT3D oligosaccharyltransferase, to improve glycan occupancy, RNA interference to suppress the formation of truncated glycans, and Nicotiana benthamiana plants lacking α1,3-fucosyltransferase and β1,2-xylosyltransferase was used as an expression host to prevent plant-specific complex N-glycans forming. This approach reduced the formation of undesired aggregates, which predominated in the absence of glyco-engineering. The resulting antigen also exhibited increased glycan occupancy, albeit to a slightly lower level than the equivalent mammalian cell-produced protein. The antigen was decorated almost exclusively with oligomannose glycans, which were less processed compared with the mammalian protein. Immunized rabbits developed comparable immune responses to the plant-produced and mammalian cell-derived antigens, including the induction of autologous neutralizing antibodies when the proteins were used to boost DNA and modified vaccinia Ankara virus-vectored vaccines. This study demonstrates that engineering glycosylation-directed folding offers a promising route to enhance the production of complex viral glycoproteins in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Margolin
- Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, 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
| | - Joel D Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Matthew Verbeek
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ros Chapman
- Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, 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
| | - Ann Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michiel van Diepen
- Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, 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
| | - Phindile Ximba
- Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, 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
| | - Thopisang Motlou
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Centre for HIV and STIs, Johannesburg, South Africa
- MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Penny L Moore
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Centre for HIV and STIs, Johannesburg, South Africa
- MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Congella, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jeremy Woodward
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, 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
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Anna-Lise Williamson
- Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology, 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
- 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
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16
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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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17
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Ruocco V, Strasser R. Transient Expression of Glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 Antigens in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:1093. [PMID: 35448821 PMCID: PMC9033091 DOI: 10.3390/plants11081093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic very dramatically shows that the world lacks preparedness for novel viral diseases. In addition to newly emerging viruses, many known pathogenic viruses such as influenza are constantly evolving, leading to frequent outbreaks with severe diseases and deaths. Hence, infectious viruses are a recurrent burden to our daily life, and powerful strategies to stop the spread of human pathogens and disease progression are of utmost importance. Transient plant-based protein expression is a technology that allows fast and highly flexible manufacturing of recombinant viral proteins and, thus, can contribute to infectious disease detection and prevention. This review highlights recent progress in the transient production of viral glycoproteins in N. benthamiana with a focus on SARS-CoV-2-derived viral antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria;
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18
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Improving Protein Quantity and Quality—The Next Level of Plant Molecular Farming. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031326. [PMID: 35163249 PMCID: PMC8836236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants offer several unique advantages in the production of recombinant pharmaceuticals for humans and animals. Although numerous recombinant proteins have been expressed in plants, only a small fraction have been successfully put into use. The hugely distinct expression systems between plant and animal cells frequently cause insufficient yield of the recombinant proteins with poor or undesired activity. To overcome the issues that greatly constrain the development of plant-produced pharmaceuticals, great efforts have been made to improve expression systems and develop alternative strategies to increase both the quantity and quality of the recombinant proteins. Recent technological revolutions, such as targeted genome editing, deconstructed vectors, virus-like particles, and humanized glycosylation, have led to great advances in plant molecular farming to meet the industrial manufacturing and clinical application standards. In this review, we discuss the technological advances made in various plant expression platforms, with special focus on the upstream designs and milestone achievements in improving the yield and glycosylation of the plant-produced pharmaceutical proteins.
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19
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Singh AA, Pillay P, Kwezi L, Tsekoa TL. A plant-biotechnology approach for producing highly potent anti-HIV antibodies for antiretroviral therapy consideration. JOURNAL OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 19:180. [PMID: 34878628 PMCID: PMC8655037 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-021-00279-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Despite a reduction in global HIV prevalence the development of a pipeline of new therapeutics or pre-exposure prophylaxis to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic are of high priority. Antibody-based therapies offer several advantages and have been shown to prevent HIV-infection. Plant-based production is efficient for several biologics, including antibodies. We provide a short review on the work by Singh et al., 2020 who demonstrated the transient production of potent CAP256-VRC26 broadly neutralizing antibodies. These antibodies have engineered posttranslational modifications, namely N-glycosylation in the fragment crystallizable region and O-sulfation of tyrosine residues in the complementary-determining region H3 loop. The glycoengineered Nicotiana benthamiana mutant (ΔXTFT) was used, with glycosylating structures lacking β1,2-xylose and/or α1,3-fucose residues, which is critical for enhanced effector activity. The CAP256-VRC26 antibody lineage targets the first and second variable region of the HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein. The high potency of this lineage is mediated by a protruding O-sulfated tyrosine in the CDR H3 loop. Nicotiana benthamiana lacks human tyrosyl protein sulfotransferase 1, the enzyme responsible for tyrosine O-sulfation. The transient coexpression of the CAP256-VRC26 antibodies with tyrosyl protein sulfotransferase 1 in planta had restored the efficacy of these antibodies through the incorporation of the O-sulfation modification. This approach demonstrates the strategic incorporation of posttranslational modifications in production systems, which may have not been previously considered. These plant-produced CAP256-VRC26 antibodies have therapeutic as well as topical and systemic pre-exposure prophylaxis potential in enabling the empowerment of young girls and women given that gender inequalities remain a major driver of the epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Advaita Acarya Singh
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Priyen Pillay
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Lusisizwe Kwezi
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Tsepo Lebiletsa Tsekoa
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
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20
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Izadi S, Jalali Javaran M, Rashidi Monfared S, Castilho A. Reteplase Fc-fusions produced in N. benthamiana are able to dissolve blood clots ex vivo. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260796. [PMID: 34847186 PMCID: PMC8631678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Thrombolytic and fibrinolytic therapies are effective treatments to dissolve blood clots in stroke therapy. Thrombolytic drugs activate plasminogen to its cleaved form plasmin, a proteolytic enzyme that breaks the crosslinks between fibrin molecules. The FDA-approved human tissue plasminogen activator Reteplase (rPA) is a non-glycosylated protein produced in E. coli. rPA is a deletion mutant of the wild-type Alteplase that benefits from an extended plasma half-life, reduced fibrin specificity and the ability to better penetrate into blood clots. Different methods have been proposed to improve the production of rPA. Here we show for the first time the transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana of rPA fused to the immunoglobulin fragment crystallizable (Fc) domain on an IgG1, a strategy commonly used to improve the stability of therapeutic proteins. Despite our success on the expression and purification of dimeric rPA-Fc fusions, protein instability results in high amounts of Fc-derived degradation products. We hypothesize that the "Y"- shape of dimeric Fc fusions cause steric hindrance between protein domains and leads to physical instability. Indeed, mutations of critical residues in the Fc dimerization interface allowed the expression of fully stable rPA monomeric Fc-fusions. The ability of rPA-Fc to convert plasminogen into plasmin was demonstrated by plasminogen zymography and clot lysis assay shows that rPA-Fc is able to dissolve blood clots ex vivo. Finally, we addressed concerns with the plant-specific glycosylation by modulating rPA-Fc glycosylation towards serum-like structures including α2,6-sialylated and α1,6-core fucosylated N-glycans completely devoid of plant core fucose and xylose residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Izadi
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mokhtar Jalali Javaran
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sajad Rashidi Monfared
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alexandra Castilho
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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21
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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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22
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Zhao J, Esque J, André I, O'Donohue MJ, Fauré R. Synthesis of α-l-Araf and β-d-Galf series furanobiosides using mutants of a GH51 α-l-arabinofuranosidase. Bioorg Chem 2021; 116:105245. [PMID: 34482168 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The GH-51 α-l-arabinofuranosidase from Thermobacillus xylanilyticus (TxAbf) possesses versatile catalytic properties, displaying not only the ability to hydrolyze glycosidic linkages but also to synthesize furanobiosides in α-l-Araf and β-d-Galf series. Herein, mutants are investigated to evaluate their ability to perform self-condensation, assessing both yield improvements and changes in regioselectivity. Overall yields of oligo-α-l-arabino- and oligo-β-d-galactofuranosides were increased up to 4.8-fold compared to the wild-type enzyme. In depth characterization revealed that the mutants exhibit increased transfer rates and thus a hydrolysis/self-condensation ratio in favor of synthesis. The consequence of the substitution N216W is the creation of an additional binding subsite that provides the basis for an alternative acceptor substrate binding mode. As a result, mutants bearing N216W synthesize not only (1,2)-linked furanobiosides, but also (1,3)- and even (1,5)-linked furanobiosides. Since the self-condensation is under kinetic control, the yield of homo-disaccharides was maximized using higher substrate concentrations. In this way, the mutant R69H-N216W produced oligo-β-d-galactofuranosides in > 70% yield. Overall, this study further demonstrates the potential usefulness of TxAbf mutants for glycosynthesis and shows how these might be used to synthesize biologically-relevant glycoconjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhao
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Jérémy Esque
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Isabelle André
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Régis Fauré
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France.
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23
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Anand SP, Ding S, Tolbert WD, Prévost J, Richard J, Gil HM, Gendron-Lepage G, Cheung WF, Wang H, Pastora R, Saxena H, Wakarchuk W, Medjahed H, Wines BD, Hogarth M, Shaw GM, Martin MA, Burton DR, Hangartner L, Evans DT, Pazgier M, Cossar D, McLean MD, Finzi A. Enhanced Ability of Plant-Derived PGT121 Glycovariants To Eliminate HIV-1-Infected Cells. J Virol 2021; 95:e0079621. [PMID: 34232070 PMCID: PMC8387047 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00796-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) targeting HIV-1 depends on pleiotropic functions, including viral neutralization and the elimination of HIV-1-infected cells. Several in vivo studies have suggested that passive administration of bNAbs represents a valuable strategy for the prevention or treatment of HIV-1. In addition, different strategies are currently being tested to scale up the production of bNAbs to obtain the large quantities of antibodies required for clinical trials. Production of antibodies in plants permits low-cost and large-scale production of valuable therapeutics; furthermore, pertinent to this work, it also includes an advanced glycoengineering platform. In this study, we used Nicotiana benthamiana to produce different Fc-glycovariants of a potent bNAb, PGT121, with near-homogeneous profiles and evaluated their antiviral activities. Structural analyses identified a close similarity in overall structure and glycosylation patterns of Fc regions for these plant-derived Abs and mammalian cell-derived Abs. When tested for Fc-effector activities, afucosylated PGT121 showed significantly enhanced FcγRIIIa interaction and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against primary HIV-1-infected cells, both in vitro and ex vivo. However, the overall galactosylation profiles of plant PGT121 did not affect ADCC activities against infected primary CD4+ T cells. Our results suggest that the abrogation of the Fc N-linked glycan fucosylation of PGT121 is a worthwhile strategy to boost its Fc-effector functionality. IMPORTANCE PGT121 is a highly potent bNAb and its antiviral activities for HIV-1 prevention and therapy are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. The importance of its Fc-effector functions in clearing HIV-1-infected cells is also under investigation. Our results highlight enhanced Fc-effector activities of afucosylated PGT121 MAbs that could be important in a therapeutic context to accelerate infected cell clearance and slow disease progression. Future studies to evaluate the potential of plant-produced afucosylated PGT121 in controlling HIV-1 replication in vivo are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Priya Anand
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Shilei Ding
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - William D. Tolbert
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jérémie Prévost
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie, et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan Richard
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie, et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hwi Min Gil
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Hirak Saxena
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Warren Wakarchuk
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Bruce D. Wines
- Immune Therapies Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Pathology Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mark Hogarth
- Immune Therapies Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Pathology Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - George M. Shaw
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Malcom A. Martin
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dennis R. Burton
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lars Hangartner
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - David T. Evans
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Marzena Pazgier
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Doug Cossar
- PlantForm Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Andrés Finzi
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie, et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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24
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Shin YJ, König-Beihammer J, Vavra U, Schwestka J, Kienzl NF, Klausberger M, Laurent E, Grünwald-Gruber C, Vierlinger K, Hofner M, Margolin E, Weinhäusel A, Stöger E, Mach L, Strasser R. N-Glycosylation of the SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain Is Important for Functional Expression in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:689104. [PMID: 34211491 PMCID: PMC8239413 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.689104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Nicotiana benthamiana is used worldwide as production host for recombinant proteins. Many recombinant proteins such as monoclonal antibodies, growth factors or viral antigens require posttranslational modifications like glycosylation for their function. Here, we transiently expressed different variants of the glycosylated receptor binding domain (RBD) from the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in N. benthamiana. We characterized the impact of variations in RBD-length and posttranslational modifications on protein expression, yield and functionality. We found that a truncated RBD variant (RBD-215) consisting of amino acids Arg319-Leu533 can be efficiently expressed as a secreted soluble protein. Purified RBD-215 was mainly present as a monomer and showed binding to the conformation-dependent antibody CR3022, the cellular receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and to antibodies present in convalescent sera. Expression of RBD-215 in glycoengineered ΔXT/FT plants resulted in the generation of complex N-glycans on both N-glycosylation sites. While site-directed mutagenesis showed that the N-glycans are important for proper RBD folding, differences in N-glycan processing had no effect on protein expression and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ji Shin
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia König-Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jennifer Schwestka
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus F. Kienzl
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Klausberger
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Laurent
- Department of Biotechnology, Core Facility Biomolecular and Cellular Analysis, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Department of Chemistry, Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Vierlinger
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuela Hofner
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emmanuel Margolin
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, 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
| | - Andreas Weinhäusel
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Stöger
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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25
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McNulty MJ, Silberstein DZ, Kuhn BT, Padgett HS, Nandi S, McDonald KA, Cross CE. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and recombinant protein sources with focus on plant sources: Updates, challenges and perspectives. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 163:10-30. [PMID: 33279618 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by low plasma levels of A1AT, a serine protease inhibitor representing the most abundant circulating antiprotease normally present at plasma levels of 1-2 g/L. The dominant clinical manifestations include predispositions to early onset emphysema due to protease/antiprotease imbalance in distal lung parenchyma and liver disease largely due to unsecreted polymerized accumulations of misfolded mutant A1AT within the endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes. Since 1987, the only FDA licensed specific therapy for the emphysema component has been infusions of A1AT purified from pooled human plasma at the 2020 cost of up to US $200,000/year with the risk of intermittent shortages. In the past three decades various, potentially less expensive, recombinant forms of human A1AT have reached early stages of development, one of which is just reaching the stage of human clinical trials. The focus of this review is to update strategies for the treatment of the pulmonary component of A1ATD with some focus on perspectives for therapeutic production and regulatory approval of a recombinant product from plants. We review other competitive technologies for treating the lung disease manifestations of A1ATD, highlight strategies for the generation of data potentially helpful for securing FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) approval and present challenges in the selection of clinical trial strategies required for FDA licensing of a New Drug Approval (NDA) for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J McNulty
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David Z Silberstein
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brooks T Kuhn
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; University of California, Davis, Alpha-1 Deficiency Clinic, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | | | - Somen Nandi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Global HealthShare Initiative®, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Karen A McDonald
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Global HealthShare Initiative®, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Carroll E Cross
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; University of California, Davis, Alpha-1 Deficiency Clinic, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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26
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Hansen AL, Reily C, Novak J, Renfrow MB. Immunoglobulin A Glycosylation and Its Role in Disease. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2021; 112:433-477. [PMID: 34687019 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76912-3_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Human IgA is comprised of two subclasses, IgA1 and IgA2. Monomeric IgA (mIgA), polymeric IgA (pIgA), and secretory IgA (SIgA) are the main molecular forms of IgA. The production of IgA rivals all other immunoglobulin isotypes. The large quantities of IgA reflect the fundamental roles it plays in immune defense, protecting vulnerable mucosal surfaces against invading pathogens. SIgA dominates mucosal surfaces, whereas IgA in circulation is predominately monomeric. All forms of IgA are glycosylated, and the glycans significantly influence its various roles, including antigen binding and the antibody effector functions, mediated by the Fab and Fc portions, respectively. In contrast to its protective role, the aberrant glycosylation of IgA1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, such as IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and IgA vasculitis with nephritis (IgAVN). Furthermore, detailed characterization of IgA glycosylation, including its diverse range of heterogeneity, is of emerging interest. We provide an overview of the glycosylation observed for each subclass and molecular form of IgA as well as the range of heterogeneity for each site of glycosylation. In many ways, the role of IgA glycosylation is in its early stages of being elucidated. This chapter provides an overview of the current knowledge and research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L Hansen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Colin Reily
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jan Novak
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Matthew B Renfrow
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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27
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Göritzer K, Strasser R. Glycosylation of Plant-Produced Immunoglobulins. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2021; 112:519-543. [PMID: 34687021 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76912-3_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Many economically important protein-based therapeutics like monoclonal antibodies are glycosylated. Due to the recognized importance of this type of posttranslational modification, glycoengineering of expression systems to obtain highly active and homogenous therapeutics is an emerging field. Although most of the monoclonal antibodies on the market are still produced in mammalian expression platforms, plants are emerging as an alternative cost-effective and scalable production platform that allows precise engineering of glycosylation to produce targeted human glycoforms at large homogeneity. Apart from producing more effective antibodies, pure glycoforms are required in efforts to link biological functions to specific glycan structures. Much is already known about the role of IgG1 glycosylation and this antibody class is the dominant recombinant format that has been expressed in plants. By contrast, little attention has been paid to the glycoengineering of recombinant IgG subtypes and the other four classes of human immunoglobulins (IgA, IgD, IgE, and IgM). Except for IgD, all these antibody classes have been expressed in plants and the glycosylation has been analyzed in a site-specific manner. Here, we summarize the current data on glycosylation of plant-produced monoclonal antibodies and discuss the findings in the light of known functions for these glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Strasser
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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28
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Margolin E, Allen JD, Verbeek M, van Diepen M, Ximba P, Chapman R, Meyers A, Williamson AL, Crispin M, Rybicki E. Site-Specific Glycosylation of Recombinant Viral Glycoproteins Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:709344. [PMID: 34367227 PMCID: PMC8341435 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.709344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to establish large scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in Africa where the infrastructure for biologics production is severely limited. Molecular farming, whereby pharmaceuticals are produced in plants, offers a cheaper alternative to mainstream expression platforms, and is amenable to rapid large-scale production. However, there are several differences along the plant protein secretory pathway compared to mammalian systems, which constrain the production of complex pharmaceuticals. Viral envelope glycoproteins are important targets for immunization, yet in some cases they accumulate poorly in plants and may not be properly processed. Whilst the co-expression of human chaperones and furin proteases has shown promise, it is presently unclear how plant-specific differences in glycosylation impact the production of these proteins. In many cases it may be necessary to reproduce features of their native glycosylation to produce immunologically relevant vaccines, given that glycosylation is central to the folding and immunogenicity of these antigens. Building on previous work, we transiently expressed model glycoproteins from HIV and Marburg virus in Nicotiana benthamiana and mammalian cells. The proteins were purified and their site-specific glycosylation was determined by mass-spectrometry. Both glycoproteins yielded increased amounts of protein aggregates when produced in plants compared to the equivalent mammalian cell-derived proteins. The glycosylation profiles of the plant-produced glycoproteins were distinct from the mammalian cell produced proteins: they displayed lower levels of glycan occupancy, reduced complex glycans and large amounts of paucimannosidic structures. The elucidation of the site-specific glycosylation of viral glycoproteins produced in N. benthamiana is an important step toward producing heterologous viral glycoproteins in plants with authentic human-like glycosylation.
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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
- 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
- *Correspondence: Emmanuel Margolin,
| | - Joel D. Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Verbeek
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michiel van Diepen
- 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
| | - Phindile Ximba
- 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
| | - Rosamund 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
| | - Ann Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, 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
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Max Crispin,
| | - Edward Rybicki
- 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
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29
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Margolin E, Crispin M, Meyers A, Chapman R, Rybicki EP. A Roadmap for the Molecular Farming of Viral Glycoprotein Vaccines: Engineering Glycosylation and Glycosylation-Directed Folding. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:609207. [PMID: 33343609 PMCID: PMC7744475 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.609207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Immunization with recombinant glycoprotein-based vaccines is a promising approach to induce protective immunity against viruses. However, the complex biosynthetic maturation requirements of these glycoproteins typically necessitate their production in mammalian cells to support their folding and post-translational modification. Despite these clear advantages, the incumbent costs and infrastructure requirements with this approach can be prohibitive in developing countries, and the production scales and timelines may prove limiting when applying these production systems to the control of pandemic viral outbreaks. Plant molecular farming of viral glycoproteins has been suggested as a cheap and rapidly scalable alternative production system, with the potential to perform post-translational modifications that are comparable to mammalian cells. Consequently, plant-produced glycoprotein vaccines for seasonal and pandemic influenza have shown promise in clinical trials, and vaccine candidates against the newly emergent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 have entered into late stage preclinical and clinical testing. However, many other viral glycoproteins accumulate poorly in plants, and are not appropriately processed along the secretory pathway due to differences in the host cellular machinery. Furthermore, plant-derived glycoproteins often contain glycoforms that are antigenically distinct from those present on the native virus, and may also be under-glycosylated in some instances. Recent advances in the field have increased the complexity and yields of biologics that can be produced in plants, and have now enabled the expression of many viral glycoproteins which could not previously be produced in plant systems. In contrast to the empirical optimization that predominated during the early years of molecular farming, the next generation of plant-made products are being produced by developing rational, tailor-made approaches to support their production. This has involved the elimination of plant-specific glycoforms and the introduction into plants of elements of the biosynthetic machinery from different expression hosts. These approaches have resulted in the production of mammalian N-linked glycans and the formation of O-glycan moieties in planta. More recently, plant molecular engineering approaches have also been applied to improve the glycan occupancy of proteins which are not appropriately glycosylated, and to support the folding and processing of viral glycoproteins where the cellular machinery differs from the usual expression host of the protein. Here we highlight recent achievements and remaining challenges in glycoengineering and the engineering of glycosylation-directed folding pathways in plants, and discuss how these can be applied to produce recombinant viral glycoproteins vaccines.
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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, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ann Meyers
- 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
| | - Edward P. 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, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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30
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Jiang MC, Hu CC, Hsu WL, Hsu TL, Lin NS, Hsu YH. Fusion of a Novel Native Signal Peptide Enhanced the Secretion and Solubility of Bioactive Human Interferon Gamma Glycoproteins in Nicotiana benthamiana Using the Bamboo Mosaic Virus-Based Expression System. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:594758. [PMID: 33281853 PMCID: PMC7688984 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.594758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Plant viruses may serve as expression vectors for the efficient production of pharmaceutical proteins in plants. However, the downstream processing and post-translational modifications of the target proteins remain the major challenges. We have previously developed an expression system derived from Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV), designated pKB19, and demonstrated its applicability for the production of human mature interferon gamma (mIFNγ) in Nicotiana benthamiana. In this study, we aimed to enhance the yields of soluble and secreted mIFNγ through the incorporation of various plant-derived signal peptides. Furthermore, we analyzed the glycosylation patterns and the biological activity of the mIFNγ expressed by the improved pKB19 expression system in N. benthamiana. The results revealed that the fusion of a native N. benthamiana extensin secretory signal (SSExt) to the N-terminal of mIFNγ (designated SSExt mIFNγ) led to the highest accumulation level of protein in intracellular (IC) or apoplast washing fluid (AWF) fractions of N. benthamiana leaf tissues. The addition of 10 units of 'Ser-Pro' motifs of hydroxyproline-O-glycosylated peptides (HypGPs) at the C-terminal end of SSExt mIFNγ (designated SSExt mIFNγ(SP)10) increased the solubility to nearly 2.7- and 1.5-fold higher than those of mIFNγ and SSExt mIFNγ, respectively. The purified soluble SSExt mIFNγ(SP)10 protein was glycosylated with abundant complex-type N-glycan attached to residues N56 and N128, and exhibited biological activity against Sindbis virus and Influenza virus replication in human cell culture systems. In addition, suspension cell cultures were established from transgenic N. benthamiana, which produced secreted SSExt mIFNγ(SP)10 protein feasible for downstream processing. These results demonstrate the applicability of the BaMV-based vector systems as a useful alternative for the production of therapeutic proteins, through the incorporation of appropriate fusion tags.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Chao Jiang
- Ph.D. Program in Microbial Genomics, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Chi Hu
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Li Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tsui-Ling Hsu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Na-Sheng Lin
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yau-Heiu Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
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31
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Margolin E, Oh YJ, Verbeek M, Naude J, Ponndorf D, Meshcheriakova YA, Peyret H, van Diepen MT, Chapman R, Meyers AE, Lomonossoff GP, Matoba N, Williamson A, Rybicki EP. Co-expression of human calreticulin significantly improves the production of HIV gp140 and other viral glycoproteins in plants. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2020; 18:2109-2117. [PMID: 32096288 PMCID: PMC7540014 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Plant molecular farming (PMF) is rapidly gaining traction as a viable alternative to the currently accepted paradigm of producing biologics. While the platform is potentially cheaper and more scalable than conventional manufacturing systems, expression yields and appropriate post-translational modifications along the plant secretory pathway remain a challenge for certain proteins. Viral fusion glycoproteins in particular are often expressed at low yields in plants and, in some cases, may not be appropriately processed. Recently, however, transiently or stably engineering the host plant has shown promise as a strategy for producing heterologous proteins with more complex maturation requirements. In this study we investigated the co-expression of a suite of human chaperones to improve the production of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 soluble gp140 vaccine candidate in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The co-expression of calreticulin (CRT) resulted in a dramatic increase in Env expression and ameliorated the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response - as evidenced by lower transcript abundance of representative stress-responsive genes. The co-expression of CRT similarly improved accumulation of glycoproteins from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV), suggesting that the endogenous chaperone machinery may impose a bottleneck for their production. We subsequently successfully combined the co-expression of human CRT with the transient expression of human furin, to enable the production of an appropriately cleaved HIV gp140 antigen. These transient plant host engineering strategies are a promising approach for the production of high yields of appropriately processed and cleaved viral glycoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Margolin
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in AfricaUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Youngjun J. Oh
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of Louisville School of MedicineLouisvilleKYUSA
| | - Matthew Verbeek
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Jason Naude
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Daniel Ponndorf
- Department of Biological ChemistryJohn Innes CentreNorwichUK
| | | | - Hadrien Peyret
- Department of Biological ChemistryJohn Innes CentreNorwichUK
| | - Michiel T. van Diepen
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Ros Chapman
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Ann E. Meyers
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | | | - Nobuyuki Matoba
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of Louisville School of MedicineLouisvilleKYUSA
| | - Anna‐Lise Williamson
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in AfricaUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Faculty of Health SciencesInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Edward P. Rybicki
- Faculty of Health SciencesInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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32
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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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33
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Kallolimath S, Hackl T, Gahn R, Grünwald-Gruber C, Zich W, Kogelmann B, Lux A, Nimmerjahn F, Steinkellner H. Expression Profiling and Glycan Engineering of IgG Subclass 1-4 in Nicotiana benthamiana. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:825. [PMID: 32793574 PMCID: PMC7393800 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IgG, the main serum immunoglobulin isotype, exists in four subclasses which selectively appear with distinctive glycosylation profiles. However, very little is known about the biological consequences mainly due to the difficulties in the generation of distinct IgG subtypes with targeted glycosylation. Here, we show a comprehensive expression and glycan modulation profiling of IgG variants in planta that are identical in their antigen binding domain but differ in their subclass appearance. While IgG1, 2, and 4 exhibit similar expression levels and purification yields, IgG3 is generated only at low levels due to the in planta degradation of the heavy chain. All IgG subtypes are produced with four distinct N-glycosylation profiles, differing in sugar residues previously shown to impact IgG activities, i.e., galactosylation, sialylation and core fucosylation. Affinity purified IgG variants are shown to be fully assembled to heterodimers but display different biochemical/physical features. All subtypes are equally well amenable to targeted glycosylation, except sialylated IgG4 which frequently accumulates substantial fractions of unusual oligo-mannosidic structures. IgG variants show significant differences in aggregate formation and endotoxin contamination which are eliminated by additional polishing steps (size exclusion chromatography, endotoxin removal treatments). Collectively we demonstrate the generation of 16 IgG variants at high purity and large glycan homogeneity which constitute an excellent toolbox to further study the biological impact of the two main Fc features, subclass and glycosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somanath Kallolimath
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Hackl
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Raphaela Gahn
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Wilhelm Zich
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Kogelmann
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anja Lux
- Department Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Falk Nimmerjahn
- Department Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Herta Steinkellner
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria,*Correspondence: Herta Steinkellner,
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34
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Göritzer K, Goet I, Duric S, Maresch D, Altmann F, Obinger C, Strasser R. Efficient N-Glycosylation of the Heavy Chain Tailpiece Promotes the Formation of Plant-Produced Dimeric IgA. Front Chem 2020; 8:346. [PMID: 32426328 PMCID: PMC7212365 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of monomeric IgA in mammalian cells and plant expression systems such as Nicotiana benthamiana is well-established and can be achieved by co-expression of the corresponding light and heavy chains. In contrast, the assembly of dimeric IgA requires the additional expression of the joining chain and remains challenging especially in plant-based systems. Here, we examined factors affecting the assembly and expression of HER2 binding dimeric IgA1 and IgA2m(2) variants transiently produced in N. benthamiana. While co-expression of the joining chain resulted in efficient formation of dimeric IgAs in HEK293F cells, a mixture of monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric variants was detected in plants. Mass-spectrometric analysis of site-specific glycosylation revealed that the N-glycan profile differed between monomeric and dimeric IgAs in the plant expression system. Co-expression of a single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase from the protozoan Leishmania major in N. benthamiana increased the N-glycosylation occupancy at the C-terminal heavy chain tailpiece and changed the ratio of monomeric to dimeric IgAs. Our data demonstrate that N-glycosylation engineering is a suitable strategy to promote the formation of dimeric IgA variants in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Iris Goet
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stella Duric
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Obinger
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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35
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Singh AA, Pooe O, Kwezi L, Lotter-Stark T, Stoychev SH, Alexandra K, Gerber I, Bhiman JN, Vorster J, Pauly M, Zeitlin L, Whaley K, Mach L, Steinkellner H, Morris L, Tsekoa TL, Chikwamba R. Plant-based production of highly potent anti-HIV antibodies with engineered posttranslational modifications. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6201. [PMID: 32277089 PMCID: PMC7148297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), such as CAP256-VRC26 are being developed for HIV prevention and treatment. These Abs carry a unique but crucial post-translational modification (PTM), namely O-sulfated tyrosine in the heavy chain complementarity determining region (CDR) H3 loop. Several studies have demonstrated that plants are suitable hosts for the generation of highly active anti-HIV-1 antibodies with the potential to engineer PTMs. Here we report the expression and characterisation of CAP256-VRC26 bNAbs with posttranslational modifications (PTM). Two variants, CAP256-VRC26 (08 and 09) were expressed in glycoengineered Nicotiana benthamiana plants. By in planta co-expression of tyrosyl protein sulfotransferase 1, we installed O-sulfated tyrosine in CDR H3 of both bNAbs. These exhibited similar structural folding to the mammalian cell produced bNAbs, but non-sulfated versions showed loss of neutralisation breadth and potency. In contrast, tyrosine sulfated versions displayed equivalent neutralising activity to mammalian produced antibodies retaining exceptional potency against some subtype C viruses. Together, the data demonstrate the enormous potential of plant-based systems for multiple posttranslational engineering and production of fully active bNAbs for application in passive immunisation or as an alternative for current HIV/AIDS antiretroviral therapy regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Advaita Acarya Singh
- Future Production: Chemicals, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ofentse Pooe
- Discipline of Biochemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Lusisizwe Kwezi
- Future Production: Chemicals, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Therese Lotter-Stark
- Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Stoyan H Stoychev
- Future Production: Chemicals, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kabamba Alexandra
- Future Production: Chemicals, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Isak Gerber
- Future Production: Chemicals, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jinal N Bhiman
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Juan Vorster
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michael Pauly
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Larry Zeitlin
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Kevin Whaley
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical, San Diego, California, United States
| | - 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
| | - Lynn Morris
- Centre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tsepo Lebiletsa Tsekoa
- Future Production: Chemicals, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Rachel Chikwamba
- Future Production: Chemicals, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
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36
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Park JG, Ye C, Piepenbrink MS, Nogales A, Wang H, Shuen M, Meyers AJ, Martinez-Sobrido L, Kobie JJ. A Broad and Potent H1-Specific Human Monoclonal Antibody Produced in Plants Prevents Influenza Virus Infection and Transmission in Guinea Pigs. Viruses 2020; 12:E167. [PMID: 32024281 PMCID: PMC7077299 DOI: 10.3390/v12020167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although seasonal influenza vaccines block most predominant influenza types and subtypes, humans still remain vulnerable to waves of seasonal and new potential pandemic influenza viruses for which no immunity may exist because of viral antigenic drift and/or shift. Previously, we described a human monoclonal antibody (hMAb), KPF1, which was produced in human embryonic kidney 293T cells (KPF1-HEK) with broad and potent neutralizing activity against H1N1 influenza A viruses (IAV) in vitro, and prophylactic and therapeutic activities in vivo. In this study, we produced hMAb KPF1 in tobacco plants (KPF1-Antx) and demonstrated how the plant-produced KPF1-Antx hMAb possesses similar biological activity compared with the mammalian-produced KPF1-HEK hMAb. KPF1-Antx hMAb showed broad binding to recombinant HA proteins and H1N1 IAV, including A/California/04/2009 (pH1N1) in vitro, which was comparable to that observed with KPF1-HEK hMAb. Importantly, prophylactic administration of KPF1-Antx hMAb to guinea pigs prevented pH1N1 infection and transmission in both prophylactic and therapeutic experiments, substantiating its clinical potential to prevent and treat H1N1 infections. Collectively, this study demonstrated, for the first time, a plant-produced influenza hMAb with in vitro and in vivo activity against influenza virus. Because of the many advantages of plant-produced hMAbs, such as rapid batch production, low cost, and the absence of mammalian cell products, they represent an alternative strategy for the production of immunotherapeutics for the treatment of influenza viral infections, including emerging seasonal and/or pandemic strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Gyu Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (J.-G.P.); (C.Y.); (A.N.)
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (J.-G.P.); (C.Y.); (A.N.)
| | - Michael S. Piepenbrink
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham 845 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
| | - Aitor Nogales
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (J.-G.P.); (C.Y.); (A.N.)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130 Madrid, Spain
| | - Haifeng Wang
- PlantForm Corporation, 1920 Yonge St., Suite 200, Toronto, ON M4S 3E2, Canada; (H.W.); (M.S.)
| | - Michael Shuen
- PlantForm Corporation, 1920 Yonge St., Suite 200, Toronto, ON M4S 3E2, Canada; (H.W.); (M.S.)
| | - Ashley J. Meyers
- AntoXa Corporation, 1920 Yonge St., Suite 200, Toronto, ON M4S 3E2, Canada;
| | - Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (J.-G.P.); (C.Y.); (A.N.)
| | - James J. Kobie
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham 845 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
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37
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Stelter S, Paul MJ, Teh AY, Grandits M, Altmann F, Vanier J, Bardor M, Castilho A, Allen RL, Ma JK. Engineering the interactions between a plant-produced HIV antibody and human Fc receptors. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2020; 18:402-414. [PMID: 31301102 PMCID: PMC6953194 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Plants can provide a cost-effective and scalable technology for production of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, with the potential for precise engineering of glycosylation. Glycan structures in the antibody Fc region influence binding properties to Fc receptors, which opens opportunities for modulation of antibody effector functions. To test the impact of glycosylation in detail, on binding to human Fc receptors, different glycovariants of VRC01, a broadly neutralizing HIV monoclonal antibody, were generated in Nicotiana benthamiana and characterized. These include glycovariants lacking plant characteristic α1,3-fucose and β1,2-xylose residues and glycans extended with terminal β1,4-galactose. Surface plasmon resonance-based assays were established for kinetic/affinity evaluation of antibody-FcγR interactions, and revealed that antibodies with typical plant glycosylation have a limited capacity to engage FcγRI, FcγRIIa, FcγRIIb and FcγRIIIa; however, the binding characteristics can be restored and even improved with targeted glycoengineering. All plant-made glycovariants had a slightly reduced affinity to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) compared with HEK cell-derived antibody. However, this was independent of plant glycosylation, but related to the oxidation status of two methionine residues in the Fc region. This points towards a need for process optimization to control oxidation levels and improve the quality of plant-produced antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Stelter
- Hotung Molecular Immunology UnitInstitute for Infection and ImmunitySt George's University of LondonLondonUK
- Present address:
Crescendo Biologics LtdMeditrina Building 260Babraham Research CampusCambridgeCB22 3ATUK
| | - Mathew J. Paul
- Hotung Molecular Immunology UnitInstitute for Infection and ImmunitySt George's University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Audrey Y.‐H. Teh
- Hotung Molecular Immunology UnitInstitute for Infection and ImmunitySt George's University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Melanie Grandits
- Hotung Molecular Immunology UnitInstitute for Infection and ImmunitySt George's University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Division of BiochemistryUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Jessica Vanier
- UNIROUENLaboratoire Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale EANormandie UnivRouenFrance
| | - Muriel Bardor
- UNIROUENLaboratoire Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale EANormandie UnivRouenFrance
- Institut Universitaire de France (I.U.F.)Paris Cedex 05France
| | - Alexandra Castilho
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Rachel Louise Allen
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt George's University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Julian K‐C. Ma
- Hotung Molecular Immunology UnitInstitute for Infection and ImmunitySt George's University of LondonLondonUK
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38
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Schiermeyer A. Optimizing product quality in molecular farming. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 61:15-20. [PMID: 31593785 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The production of biopharmaceuticals in plant-based systems had faced several challenges that hampered broader adoption of this technology. In recent years, various plant production hosts have been improved by genetic engineering approaches to overcome obstacles with regard to post-translational modifications and integrity of target proteins. Together with optimized extraction and purification processes, those advances have put plant molecular farming in a more competitive position compared to established production systems. Certain biopharmaceuticals can be derived from plant systems with unique desired properties, qualifying them as biobetters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schiermeyer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
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39
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Montero-Morales L, Maresch D, Crescioli S, Castilho A, Ilieva KM, Mele S, Karagiannis SN, Altmann F, Steinkellner H. In Planta Glycan Engineering and Functional Activities of IgE Antibodies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:242. [PMID: 31632959 PMCID: PMC6781838 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the most extensively glycosylated antibody isotype so glycans attached to the seven N-glycosites (NGS) in its Fab and Fc domains may modulate its functions. However, targeted modification of glycans in multiply glycosylated proteins remains a challenge. Here, we applied an in vivo approach that allows the manipulation of IgE N-glycans, using a trastuzumab equivalent IgE (HER2-IgE) as a model. Taking advantage of plant inherent features, i.e., synthesis of largely homogeneous complex N-glycans and susceptibility to glycan engineering, we generated targeted glycoforms of HER2-IgE largely resembling those found in serum IgE. Plant-derived HER2-IgE exhibited N-glycans terminating with GlcNAc, galactose or sialic acid, lacking, or carrying core fucose and xylose. We were able to not only modulate the five NGSs naturally decorated with complex N-glycans, but to also induce targeted glycosylation at the usually unoccupied NGS6, thus increasing the overall glycosylation content of HER2-IgE. Recombinant human cell-derived HER2-IgE exhibited large N-glycan heterogeneity. All HER2-IgE variants demonstrated glycosylation-independent binding to the target antigen and the high affinity receptor FcεRI, and subsequent similar capacity to trigger mast cell degranulation. In contrast, binding to the low affinity receptor CD23 (FcεRII) was modulated by the glycan profile, with increased binding to IgE variants with glycans terminating with GlcNAc residues. Here we offer an efficient in planta approach to generate defined glycoforms on multiply glycosylated IgE, allowing the precise exploration of glycosylation-dependent activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Montero-Morales
- 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
| | - Silvia Crescioli
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Castilho
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristina M Ilieva
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.,Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, Guy's Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Mele
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophia N Karagiannis
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.,Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, Guy's Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, 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
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40
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Göritzer K, Turupcu A, Maresch D, Novak J, Altmann F, Oostenbrink C, Obinger C, Strasser R. Distinct Fcα receptor N-glycans modulate the binding affinity to immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:13995-14008. [PMID: 31362986 PMCID: PMC6755811 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the most prevalent antibody class at mucosal sites with an important role in mucosal defense. Little is known about the impact of N-glycan modifications of IgA1 and IgA2 on binding to the Fcα receptor (FcαRI), which is also heavily glycosylated at its extracellular domain. Here, we transiently expressed human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-binding monomeric IgA1, IgA2m(1), and IgA2m(2) variants in Nicotiana benthamiana ΔXT/FT plants lacking the enzymes responsible for generating nonhuman N-glycan structures. By coinfiltrating IgA with the respective glycan-modifying enzymes, we generated IgA carrying distinct homogenous N-glycans. We demonstrate that distinctly different N-glycan profiles did not influence antigen binding or the overall structure and integrity of the IgA antibodies but did affect their thermal stability. Using size-exclusion chromatography, differential scanning and isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and molecular modeling, we probed distinct IgA1 and IgA2 glycoforms for binding to four different FcαRI glycoforms and investigated the thermodynamics and kinetics of complex formation. Our results suggest that different N-glycans on the receptor significantly contribute to binding affinities for its cognate ligand. We also noted that full-length IgA and FcαRI form a mixture of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes tending toward a 1:1 stoichiometry due to different IgA tailpiece conformations that make it less likely that both binding sites are simultaneously occupied. In conclusion, N-glycans of human IgA do not affect its structure and integrity but its thermal stability, and FcαRI N-glycans significantly modulate binding affinity to IgA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Aysegül Turupcu
- Department of Material Sciences and Process Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Novak
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Chris Oostenbrink
- Department of Material Sciences and Process Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Obinger
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
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41
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Smargiasso N, Nader J, Rioux S, Mazzucchelli G, Boutry M, De Pauw E, Chaumont F, Navarre C. Exploring the N-Glycosylation Profile of Glycoprotein B from Human Cytomegalovirus Expressed in CHO and Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3741. [PMID: 31370181 PMCID: PMC6696289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to control the glycosylation pattern of recombinant viral glycoproteins represents a major prerequisite before their use as vaccines. The aim of this study consisted of expressing the large soluble ectodomain of glycoprotein B (gB) from Human Cytomegalovirus (HMCV) in Nicotiana tabacum Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) suspension cells and of comparing its glycosylation profile with that of gB produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. gB was secreted in the BY-2 culture medium at a concentration of 20 mg/L and directly purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and size exclusion chromatography. We then measured the relative abundance of N-glycans present on 15 (BY-2) and 17 (CHO) out of the 18 N-sites by multienzymatic proteolysis and mass spectrometry. The glycosylation profile differed at each N-site, some sites being occupied exclusively by oligomannosidic type N-glycans and others by complex N-glycans processed in some cases with additional Lewis A structures (BY-2) or with beta-1,4-galactose and sialic acid (CHO). The profiles were strikingly comparable between BY-2- and CHO-produced gB. These results suggest a similar gB conformation when glycoproteins are expressed in plant cells as site accessibility influences the glycosylation profile at each site. These data thus strengthen the BY-2 suspension cultures as an alternative expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Smargiasso
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory-MolSys, GIGA Proteomics Facility, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Joseph Nader
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | - Gabriel Mazzucchelli
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory-MolSys, GIGA Proteomics Facility, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Marc Boutry
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Edwin De Pauw
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory-MolSys, GIGA Proteomics Facility, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - François Chaumont
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Catherine Navarre
- Louvain Institute for Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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42
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Goulet MC, Gaudreau L, Gagné M, Maltais AM, Laliberté AC, Éthier G, Bechtold N, Martel M, D’Aoust MA, Gosselin A, Pepin S, Michaud D. Production of Biopharmaceuticals in Nicotiana benthamiana-Axillary Stem Growth as a Key Determinant of Total Protein Yield. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:735. [PMID: 31244869 PMCID: PMC6579815 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Data are scarce about the influence of basic cultural conditions on growth patterns and overall performance of plants used as heterologous production hosts for protein pharmaceuticals. Higher plants are complex organisms with young, mature, and senescing organs that show distinct metabolic backgrounds and differ in their ability to sustain foreign protein expression and accumulation. Here, we used the transient protein expression host Nicotiana benthamiana as a model to map the accumulation profile of influenza virus hemagglutinin H1, a clinically promising vaccine antigen, at the whole plant scale. Greenhouse-grown plants submitted to different light regimes, submitted to apical bud pruning, or treated with the axillary growth-promoting cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine were vacuum-infiltrated with agrobacteria harboring a DNA sequence for H1 and allowed to express the viral antigen for 7 days in growth chamber under similar environmental conditions. Our data highlight the importance of young leaves on H1 yield per plant, unlike older leaves which account for a significant part of the plant biomass but contribute little to total antigen titer. Our data also highlight the key contribution of axillary stem leaves, which contribute more than 50% of total yield under certain conditions despite representing only one-third of the total biomass. These findings underline the relevance of both considering main stem leaves and axillary stem leaves while modeling heterologous protein production in N. benthamiana. They also demonstrate the potential of exogenously applied growth-promoting hormones to modulate host plant architecture for improvement of protein yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Claire Goulet
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Linda Gaudreau
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Marielle Gagné
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Maltais
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Ann-Catherine Laliberté
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Gilbert Éthier
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - André Gosselin
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Steeve Pepin
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Dominique Michaud
- Centre de recherche et d’innovation sur les végétaux, Faculté des Sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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43
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Khan AH, Noordin R. Strategies for humanizing glycosylation pathways and producing recombinant glycoproteins in microbial expression systems. Biotechnol Prog 2018; 35:e2752. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amjad Hayat Khan
- Inst. for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Penang Malaysia
| | - Rahmah Noordin
- Inst. for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Penang Malaysia
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44
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Margolin E, Chapman R, Williamson A, Rybicki EP, Meyers AE. Production of complex viral glycoproteins in plants as vaccine immunogens. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2018; 16:1531-1545. [PMID: 29890031 PMCID: PMC6097131 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Plant molecular farming offers a cost-effective and scalable approach to the expression of recombinant proteins which has been proposed as an alternative to conventional production platforms for developing countries. In recent years, numerous proofs of concept have established that plants can produce biologically active recombinant proteins and immunologically relevant vaccine antigens that are comparable to those made in conventional expression systems. Driving many of these advances is the remarkable plasticity of the plant proteome which enables extensive engineering of the host cell, as well as the development of improved expression vectors facilitating higher levels of protein production. To date, the only plant-derived viral glycoprotein to be tested in humans is the influenza haemagglutinin which expresses at ~50 mg/kg. However, many other viral glycoproteins that have potential as vaccine immunogens only accumulate at low levels in planta. A critical consideration for the production of many of these proteins in heterologous expression systems is the complexity of post-translational modifications, such as control of folding, glycosylation and disulphide bridging, which is required to reproduce the native glycoprotein structure. In this review, we will address potential shortcomings of plant expression systems and discuss strategies to optimally exploit the technology for the production of immunologically relevant and structurally authentic glycoproteins for use as vaccine immunogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Margolin
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Ros Chapman
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Anna‐Lise Williamson
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Edward P. Rybicki
- Division of Medical VirologyDepartment of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Ann E. Meyers
- Biopharming Research UnitDepartment of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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