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Bachran C, Schröder M, Conrad L, Cragnolini JJ, Tafesse FG, Helming L, Ploegh HL, Swee LK. The activity of myeloid cell-specific VHH immunotoxins is target-, epitope-, subset- and organ dependent. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17916. [PMID: 29263417 PMCID: PMC5738442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17948-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The central role of myeloid cells in driving autoimmune diseases and cancer has raised interest in manipulating their function or depleting them for therapeutic benefits. To achieve this, antibodies are used to antagonize differentiation, survival and polarization signals or to kill target cells, for example in the form of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC). The action of ADC in vivo can be hard to predict based on target expression pattern alone. The biology of the targeted receptor as well as its interplay with the ADC can have drastic effects on cell apoptosis versus survival. Here we investigated the efficacy of CD11b or Ly-6C/Ly-6G-specific variable fragments of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies (VHH) conjugated to Pseudomonas exotoxin A to deplete myeloid cells in vitro and in vivo. Our data highlight striking differences in cell killing in vivo, depending on the cell subset and organs targeted, but not antigen expression level or VHH affinity. We observed striking differences in depletion efficiency of monocytes versus granulocytes in mice. Despite similar binding of Ly-6C/Ly-6G-specific VHH immunotoxin to granulocytes and monocytes, granulocytes were significantly more sensitive than monocytes to immunotoxins treatment. Our results illustrate the need of early, thorough in vivo characterization of ADC candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthias Schröder
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena Conrad
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Juan J Cragnolini
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Fikadu G Tafesse
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | | | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lee Kim Swee
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
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2
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Rashidian M, Ingram JR, Dougan M, Dongre A, Whang KA, LeGall C, Cragnolini JJ, Bierie B, Gostissa M, Gorman J, Grotenbreg GM, Bhan A, Weinberg RA, Ploegh HL. Predicting the response to CTLA-4 blockade by longitudinal noninvasive monitoring of CD8 T cells. J Exp Med 2017; 214:2243-2255. [PMID: 28666979 PMCID: PMC5551571 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20161950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Rashidian et al. show that 89Zr-PEGylated single-domain antibodies that target CD8+ T cells can be used to monitor and evaluate the response to immunotherapy as a predictive tool. Immunotherapy using checkpoint-blocking antibodies against targets such as CTLA-4 and PD-1 can cure melanoma and non–small cell lung cancer in a subset of patients. The presence of CD8 T cells in the tumor correlates with improved survival. We show that immuno–positron emission tomography (immuno-PET) can visualize tumors by detecting infiltrating lymphocytes and, through longitudinal observation of individual animals, distinguish responding tumors from those that do not respond to therapy. We used 89Zr-labeled PEGylated single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs) specific for CD8 to track the presence of intratumoral CD8+ T cells in the immunotherapy-susceptible B16 melanoma model in response to checkpoint blockade. A 89Zr-labeled PEGylated anti-CD8 VHH detected thymus and secondary lymphoid structures as well as intratumoral CD8 T cells. Animals that responded to CTLA-4 therapy showed a homogeneous distribution of the anti-CD8 PET signal throughout the tumor, whereas more heterogeneous infiltration of CD8 T cells correlated with faster tumor growth and worse responses. To support the validity of these observations, we used two different transplantable breast cancer models, yielding results that conformed with predictions based on the antimelanoma response. It may thus be possible to use immuno-PET and monitor antitumor immune responses as a prognostic tool to predict patient responses to checkpoint therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Dougan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA.,Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Anushka Dongre
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA.,Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology at MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Camille LeGall
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Brian Bierie
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA
| | | | | | | | - Atul Bhan
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Robert A Weinberg
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA.,Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology at MIT, Cambridge, MA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA .,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
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3
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Duarte JN, Cragnolini JJ, Swee LK, Bilate AM, Bader J, Ingram JR, Rashidfarrokhi A, Fang T, Schiepers A, Hanke L, Ploegh HL. Generation of Immunity against Pathogens via Single-Domain Antibody-Antigen Constructs. J Immunol 2016; 197:4838-4847. [PMID: 27821668 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
mAbs specific for surface proteins on APCs can serve as Ag-delivery vehicles that enhance immunogenicity. The practical use of such constructs is limited by the challenge of expressing and modifying full-sized mAbs. We generated single-domain Ab fragments (VHHs) specific for class II MHC (MHCII), CD11b, and CD36. VHH sequences were modified by inclusion of a C-terminal sortase motif to allow site-specific conjugation with various Ag payloads. We tested T cell activation using VHHs that target distinct APC populations; anti-MHCII adducts elicited strong activation of CD4+ T cells, whereas anti-CD11b showed CD8+ T cell activation superior to targeting via MHCII and CD36. Differences in Ag presentation among constructs were unrelated to dendritic cell subtype or routing to acidic compartments. When coupled to antigenic payloads, anti-MHCII VHH primed Ab responses against GFP, ubiquitin, an OVA peptide, and the α-helix of influenza hemagglutinin's stem; the last afforded protection against influenza infection. The versatility of the VHH scaffold and sortase-mediated covalent attachment of Ags suggests their broader application to generate desirable immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao N Duarte
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Juan J Cragnolini
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Lee Kim Swee
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Angelina M Bilate
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Justin Bader
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Jessica R Ingram
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Ali Rashidfarrokhi
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Tao Fang
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Ariën Schiepers
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Leo Hanke
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Whitehead Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
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Alvarez-Navarro C, Cragnolini JJ, Dos Santos HG, Barnea E, Admon A, Morreale A, López de Castro JA. Novel HLA-B27-restricted epitopes from Chlamydia trachomatis generated upon endogenous processing of bacterial proteins suggest a role of molecular mimicry in reactive arthritis. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:25810-25825. [PMID: 23867464 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.493247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactive arthritis (ReA) is an HLA-B27-associated spondyloarthropathy that is triggered by diverse bacteria, including Chlamydia trachomatis, a frequent intracellular parasite. HLA-B27-restricted T-cell responses are elicited against this bacterium in ReA patients, but their pathogenetic significance, autoimmune potential, and relevant epitopes are unknown. High resolution and sensitivity mass spectrometry was used to identify HLA-B27 ligands endogenously processed and presented by HLA-B27 from three chlamydial proteins for which T-cell epitopes were predicted. Fusion protein constructs of ClpC, Na(+)-translocating NADH-quinone reductase subunit A, and DNA primase were expressed in HLA-B27(+) cells, and their HLA-B27-bound peptidomes were searched for endogenous bacterial ligands. A non-predicted peptide, distinct from the predicted T-cell epitope, was identified from ClpC. A peptide recognized by T-cells in vitro, NQRA(330-338), was detected from the reductase subunit. This is the second HLA-B27-restricted T-cell epitope from C. trachomatis with relevance in ReA demonstrated to be processed and presented in live cells. A novel peptide from the DNA primase, DNAP(211-223), was also found. This was a larger variant of a known epitope and was highly homologous to a self-derived natural ligand of HLA-B27. All three bacterial peptides showed high homology with human sequences containing the binding motif of HLA-B27. Molecular dynamics simulations further showed a striking conformational similarity between DNAP(211-223) and its homologous and much more flexible human-derived HLA-B27 ligand. The results suggest that molecular mimicry between HLA-B27-restricted bacterial and self-derived epitopes is frequent and may play a role in ReA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alvarez-Navarro
- From the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain and
| | - Juan J Cragnolini
- From the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain and
| | - Helena G Dos Santos
- From the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain and
| | - Eilon Barnea
- the Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Arie Admon
- the Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Antonio Morreale
- From the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain and
| | - José A López de Castro
- From the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain and.
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Hess GT, Cragnolini JJ, Popp MW, Allen MA, Dougan SK, Spooner E, Ploegh HL, Belcher AM, Guimaraes CP. M13 bacteriophage display framework that allows sortase-mediated modification of surface-accessible phage proteins. Bioconjug Chem 2012; 23:1478-87. [PMID: 22759232 DOI: 10.1021/bc300130z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
We exploit bacterial sortases to attach a variety of moieties to the capsid proteins of M13 bacteriophage. We show that pIII, pIX, and pVIII can be functionalized with entities ranging from small molecules (e.g., fluorophores, biotin) to correctly folded proteins (e.g., GFP, antibodies, streptavidin) in a site-specific manner, and with yields that surpass those of any reported using phage display technology. A case in point is modification of pVIII. While a phage vector limits the size of the insert into pVIII to a few amino acids, a phagemid system limits the number of copies actually displayed at the surface of M13. Using sortase-based reactions, a 100-fold increase in the efficiency of display of GFP onto pVIII is achieved. Taking advantage of orthogonal sortases, we can simultaneously target two distinct capsid proteins in the same phage particle and maintain excellent specificity of labeling. As demonstrated in this work, this is a simple and effective method for creating a variety of structures, thus expanding the use of M13 for materials science applications and as a biological tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelen T Hess
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Cragnolini JJ, García-Medel N, de Castro JAL. Endogenous processing and presentation of T-cell epitopes from Chlamydia trachomatis with relevance in HLA-B27-associated reactive arthritis. Mol Cell Proteomics 2009; 8:1850-9. [PMID: 19443418 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m900107-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis triggers reactive arthritis, a spondyloarthropathy linked to the human major histocompatibility complex molecule HLA-B27, through an unknown mechanism that might involve molecular mimicry between chlamydial and self-derived HLA-B27 ligands. Chlamydia-specific CD8(+) T-cells are found in reactive arthritis patients, but the immunogenic epitopes are unknown. A previous screening of the chlamydial genome for putative HLA-B27 ligands predicted multiple peptides that were recognized in vitro by CD8(+) T-lymphocytes from patients. Here stable transfectants expressing bacterial fusion proteins in human cells were generated to investigate the endogenous processing and presentation by HLA-B27 of two such epitopes through comparative immunoproteomics of HLA-B27-bound peptide repertoires. A predicted T-cell epitope, from the CT610 gene product, was presented by HLA-B27. This is, to our knowledge, the first endogenously processed epitope involved in HLA-B27-restricted responses against C. trachomatis in reactive arthritis. A second predicted epitope, from the CT634 gene product, was not detected. Instead a non-predicted nonamer from the same protein was identified. Both bacterial peptides showed very high homology with human sequences containing the HLA-B27 binding motif. Thus, expression and intracellular processing of chlamydial proteins into human cells allowed us to identify two bacterial HLA-B27 ligands, including the first endogenous T-cell epitope from C. trachomatis involved in spondyloarthropathy. That human proteins contain sequences mimicking chlamydial T-cell epitopes suggests a basis for an autoimmune component of Chlamydia-induced HLA-B27-associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Cragnolini
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Universidad Autónoma, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Cragnolini JJ, de Castro JAL. Identification of endogenously presented peptides from Chlamydia trachomatis with high homology to human proteins and to a natural self-ligand of HLA-B27. Mol Cell Proteomics 2007; 7:170-80. [PMID: 17934211 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m700386-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A strategy for the stable expression of proteins, or large protein fragments, from Chlamydia trachomatis into human cells was designed to identify bacterial epitopes endogenously processed and presented by HLA-B27. Fusion protein constructs in which the green fluorescent protein gene was placed at the 5'-end of the bacterial DNA primase gene or some of its fragments were transfected into B*2705-C1R cells. One of these constructs, including residues 90-450 of the bacterial protein, was stably and efficiently expressed. Mass spectrometry-based comparative analysis of HLA-B27-bound peptide pools led to identification of three HLA-B27 ligands differentially presented in the transfectant cells. Sequencing of these peptides confirmed that they were derived from the bacterial DNA primase. One of them, spanning residues 211-221, showed 55% sequence identity with a known self-ligand of HLA-B27 derived from its own molecule. The other two bacterial ligands, P-(112-121) and P-(112-122), were derived from the same region and differed in length by one residue at the C terminus. Both peptides showed >50% identity with multiple human protein sequences that possessed the optimal peptide motifs for HLA-B27 binding. Thus, expression of proteins from arthritogenic bacteria in HLA-B27-positive human cells allows identifying bacterial peptides that are endogenously processed and presented by HLA-B27 and show molecular mimicry with known self-ligands of this molecule and human proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Cragnolini
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Universidad Autónoma, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Abstract
Many of the constitutive peptide ligands of HLA-B27, a molecule strongly associated with spondyloarthritis, are proteasome-independent. Stable isotope tagging, mass spectrometry, and epoxomicin-mediated inhibition were used to determine their percentage, structural features, and parental proteins. Of 104 molecular species examined, 29.8% were proteasome-independent, paralleling the level of HLA-B27 re-expression in the presence of epoxomicin after acid stripping. Proteasome-dependent and -independent ligands differed little in peptide motifs, flanking sequences, and cellular localization of the parental proteins. In contrast, whereas the former set arose from proteins whose size and isoelectric point distribution largely reflected those in the human proteome, proteasome-independent ligands, other than a few matching signal sequences, were almost totally derived from small (about 6-16.5 kDa) and basic proteins, which account for only 6.6% of the human proteome. Thus, a non-proteasomal proteolytic pathway with strong preference for small proteins is responsible for a significant fraction of the HLA-B27-bound peptide repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Marcilla
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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