单域抗体的研究和应用进展

传统IgG抗体分子一般由轻链和重链组成,轻链包含1个可变区(VL)和1个恒定区(CL),重链包含1个可变区(VH)和3个恒定区(CH1,CH2,CH3)。单域抗体(Single domain antibody,sdAb),是指缺失抗体轻链而只有重链可变区的一类抗体,因其分子量小,也被称为纳米抗体(Nanobody)。20世纪90年代,单域抗体最早在骆驼科动物中被发现,之后在护士鲨、大星鲨和鳐鱼等软骨鱼纲动物中也发现了类似的抗体。单域抗体虽然结构简单,但仍然可以达到与传统抗体相当甚至更高的与特异抗原结合的亲和力。相比于传统抗体,单域抗体具有分子量小、稳定性强、易于重组表达等优点。近年来在生物学基础研究和医学临床应用方面均备受关注并被广泛应用。文中将从单域抗体的结构特征、理化性质、筛选方法及其在生物医学领域的重要应用进展进行综述。     

结核分枝杆菌融合抗原Rv3914-6His的原核表达、纯化与抗原性检测

血清学诊断是目前临床诊断中应用最为广泛的方法之一,用原核表达并鉴定了系列结核分枝杆菌抗原融合蛋白Rv1908c-6His、Rv0733-6His、Rv0899-6His、Rv1411c-6His和Rv3914-6His,并以此包被酶标板,以Rv2031c-6His为阳性对照,采用间接ELISA方法比较了34例活动性结核病患者与35例健康体检者血清中抗结核分枝杆菌抗原的IgG水平。结果显示,活动性结核病患者中针对Rv1411c-6His、Rv3914-6His和Rv2031c-6His的IgG水平明显高于健康体检者,其中Rv3914-6His的AUC值(0.786 7)略高于目前临床应用的类似于16 ku的抗原Rv2031c-6His(AUCRv2031c=0.754),提示Rv3914抗原可能是结核病血清诊断的新的候选标志物。     

单域重链抗体的分子特征

源于软骨鱼或骆驼科动物的同型重链二聚体无轻链,用基因工程方法获得其单一重链可变区可保留完整的抗原结合活性,称为单域重链抗体。单域重链抗体具有分子小、稳定性高、体内组织渗透性好、可溶性好、易表达、抗原识别表位独特的结构特征,近年来在生物技术研究与诊断治疗应用领域得到广泛关注,取得了快速发展。     

抗脂多糖纳米抗体的筛选及其五聚体的制备

目的：筛选抗脂多糖（LPS）纳米单域抗体,并制备抗LPS纳米抗体五聚体。方法：以LPS为抗原,从驼源天然单域重链抗体库中筛选抗LPS纳米抗体,利用分子克隆技术将抗LPS单域抗体基因组装入志贺杆菌样毒素B亚基蛋白结构域（VTB）的五聚体特异性表达载体中进行可溶性表达,并用ELISA法鉴定所获抗体的抗原结合活性和特异性。结果：获得抗LPS纳米单域抗体及LPS纳米抗体五聚体;经鉴定,LPS纳米抗体五聚体的抗原结合活性优于抗LPS单域抗体。结论：利用驼源天然单域重链抗体库制备了抗LPS纳米单域抗体及抗LPS纳米抗体五聚体,为脓毒血症的分子诊断、预后判断及寻找生物治疗新靶点奠定了基础。     

基于细胞的抗单增李斯特菌单域重链抗体的筛选及鉴定

【目的】获得针对单增李斯特菌的特异性单域重链抗体,并对筛选过程中特异性克隆的富集规律进行分析,为筛选具有种属特异性的噬菌体展示抗体提供参考。【方法】采用固相筛选技术,以热灭活的单增李斯特菌菌体为抗原,通过四轮常规筛选和一轮消减筛选,从驼源天然噬菌体展示文库中筛选针对单增李斯特菌的单域重链抗体。采用Phage-ELISA法,对后四轮筛选洗脱物中随机挑选的噬菌体进行鉴定,阳性克隆进行基因测序及结合特异性分析。通过多序列比对分析将获得的基因序列进行分组和统计。【结果】成功筛选到2株单增李斯特菌特异性的单域重链抗体。【结论】在优化的筛选条件下,基于全细胞的筛选方法能够获得特异性识别单增李斯特菌的单域重链抗体,消减筛选对于去除非特异性克隆是有效的和必要的。     

利用抗原结合多肽嫁接抗体技术制备抗hCG单域抗体

本研究旨在人绒毛膜促性腺激素(hCG)的结合多肽的基础上应用嫁接抗体技术制备抗hCG单域抗体,简化单域抗体制备过程,提高多肽生化稳定性。利用单域抗体通用骨架(cAbBCII10),以hCG结合多肽取代互补决定区CDR1或CDR3,合成cAb BCII10嫁接抗体全基因序列并与sfGFP基因序列融合后,插入到带有His标签的原核表达载体pET30a(+)中,成功构建了pET30a-(His6)-cAbBCII10-CDR1/hCGBP1-sfGFP与pET30a-(His6)-cAbBCII10-CDR3/hCGBP3-sfGFP融合蛋白表达质粒。将重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),用IPTG诱导表达融合蛋白,得到高表达量的可溶性融合蛋白。利用Ni-NTA亲和柱纯化得到纯蛋白,应用SDS-PAGE鉴定纯化的蛋白为正确表达的目标蛋白。通过抗原抗体结合实验,发现hCG结合多肽嫁接到单域抗体通用骨架的互补决定区CDR1或CDR3后都有抗原结合活性,具有相似的抗体滴度,且嫁接到CDR3后的抗原结合活性比CDR1要高(2–3倍)。嫁接抗体基本保留了所用单域抗体框架较为稳定的生化特性,具有一定的热稳定性和较好的碱耐受性,同时,所接入的hCG结合片段对hCG具有较特异的结合活性,为进一步优化抗原结合多肽嫁接抗体技术制备抗hCG单域抗体提供了可靠的实验基础     

驼源天然单域重链抗体库的构建与鉴定

从未经主动免疫的健康羊驼(Lama pacos)外周血淋巴细胞中提取总RNA,反转录后作为第一轮PCR的模板。根据重链抗体保守区域设计引物,经巢式PCR法扩增获得了全套重链抗体可变区基因,将其克隆至噬菌粒pHEN1,电转化大肠杆菌TG1得到初级抗体库NAL,含有2×10⁷个独立克隆,菌落PCR和Hinf I酶切分析结果显示,克隆效率大于97%,文库的多样性良好。辅助噬菌体救援后,得到噬菌体展示文库命名为NA-PDL,滴度达10¹³CFU/ml。以真菌毒素人工抗原DON-MBSA为目标抗原,对NA-PDL进行了淘选,第二轮洗脱物中,阳性克隆率达36.4%,提示针对目标抗原的噬菌体颗粒得到了有效富集,文库NA-PDL多样性较好,为后续淘选针对特定抗原的单域重链抗体奠定了基础。     

单域抗体研究进展

近年来用基因工程方法从软骨鱼和骆驼科动物中克隆到的单域抗体（single—domain antibody,sdAb）具有无轻链、单一重链可变区保留了完整的抗原结合活性的特征。这类单域抗体具有分子小、稳定性高、体内组织渗透性好、可溶性好、易表达、抗原识别表位独特的特性,已引起生物技术研究与诊断治疗应用领域的广泛关注,取得了快速发展。综述了这类单域抗体发展历史、分子类别、结构特征、理化特征、分子演化及应用前景。     

纳米抗体及其在诊断检测中的研究进展

骆驼血液中存在天然缺失轻链的重链抗体,克隆该重链抗体的可变区得到最小的抗原结合片段,即纳米抗体(Nanobody,Nb)。Nb的单域性质使其较普通抗体具有一些独特性能,比如高度水溶性和构象稳定性,较强的抗原亲合力和优良的组织穿透能力,容易体外表达和人源化改造修饰等,Nb的以上持性使其在诊断检测领域展现出广阔的应用前景。尽管Nb的应用开发已经取得前所未有的成功,技术上仍然有待进一步优化,其中包括噬菌体纳米抗体库构建以及Nb的胶体金标记分析等技术。文中简单介绍Nb的研究进展,并从Nb制备、在疾病的体外检测以及体内肿瘤无创伤影像诊断领域的应用3个方面,讨论进一步提高Nb亲合力和人源化改造等优化Nb分子特征的策略,分析Nb在疾病检测诊断应用中存在的问题,并提出一些积极的应对方案。     

基于重链抗体构建的单域抗体研究进展

在骆驼血清中存在天然的缺失轻链的重链抗体(heavy chainantibody ,HCAb) ,克隆重链抗体的可变区构建的只由一个重链可变区组成的单域抗体称为VHH抗体(variabledomainofheavychainofheavy chainantibody ,VHH)。研究发现,VHH抗体具有易表达、可溶性好、稳定性强等优点。另外,骆驼的重链抗体与人VH3家族抗体同源,对人VH3家族抗体的重链可变区进行类似VHH的特征性改造,可以使这些抗体在保持亲和力、特异性不变或者变化很小的情况下,优化抗体的其它性质。已有的研究表明VHH抗体作为一种小型化的基因工程抗体在基础研究、药物开发等领域有广阔的应用前景。     

Improved method to raise polyclonal antibody using enhanced green fluorescent protein transgenic mice

Recombinant fusion protein is widely used as an antigen to raise antibodies against the epitope of a target protein. However, the concomitant anticarrier antibody in resulting antiserum reduces the production of the desired antibody and brings about unwanted non-specific immune reactions. It is proposed that the carrier protein transgeulc animal could be used to solve this problem. To validate this hypothesis, enhanced green fluorescent protein （EGFP） transgenic mice were produced. By immunizing the mice with fusion protein His6HAtag-EGFP, we showed that the antiserum from the transgenic mice had higher titer antibody against His6HA tag and lower titer antibody against EGFP compared with that from wild-type mice. Therefore, this report describes an improved method to raise high titer antipeptide polyclonal antibody using EGFP transgenic mice that could have application potential in antibody preparation.     

Functional intracellular antibody fragments do not require invariant intra-domain disulfide bonds

Intracellular antibody fragments that interfere with molecular interactions inside cells are valuable in investigation of interactomes and in therapeutics, but their application demands that they function in the reducing cellular milieu. We show here a 2.7-Å crystal structure of intracellular antibody folds based on scaffolds developed from intracellular antibody capture technology, and we reveal that there is no structural or functional difference with or without the intra-domain disulfide bond of the variable domain of heavy chain or the variable domain of light chain. The data indicate that, in the reducing in vivo environment, the absence of the intra-domain disulfide bond is not an impediment to correction of antibody folding or to interaction with antigen. Thus, the structural constraints for in-cell function are intrinsic to variable single-domain framework sequences, providing a generic scaffold for isolation of functional intracellular antibody single domains.     

Identifying bottlenecks in transient and stable production of recombinant monoclonal-antibody sequence variants in chinese hamster ovary cells

The increasing demand for antibody-based therapeutics has emphasized the need for technologies to improve recombinant antibody titers from mammalian cell lines. Moreover, as antibody therapeutics address an increasing spectrum of indications, interest has increased in antibody engineering to improve affinity and biological activity. However, the cellular mechanisms that dictate expression and the relationships between antibody sequence and expression level remain poorly understood. Fundamental understanding of how mammalian cells handle high levels of transgene expression and of the relationship between sequence and expression are vital to the development of new antibodies and for increasing recombinant antibody titers. In this work, we analyzed a pair of mutants that vary by a single amino acid at Kabat position 49 (heavy-chain framework), resulting in differential transient and stable titers with no apparent loss of antigen affinity. Through analysis of mRNA, gene copy number, intracellular antibody content, and secreted antibody, we found that while translational/post-translational mechanisms are limiting in transient systems, it appears that the amount of available transgenic mRNA becomes the limiting event on stable integration of the recombinant genes. We also show that amino acid substitution at residue 49 results in production of a non-secreted HC variant and postulate that stable antibody expression is maintained at a level which prevents toxic accumulation of this HC-related protein. This study highlights the need for proper sequence engineering strategies when developing therapeutic antibodies and alludes to the early analysis of transient expression systems to identify the potential for aberrant stable expression behavior.     

Isolation and optimization of camelid single-domain antibodies: Dirk Saerens' work on nanobodies

It is well established that all camelids have unique antibodies circulating in their blood. Unlike antibodies from all other species, these special antibodies are devoid of light chains, and are composed of a heavy chain homodimer. These so-called heavy-chain antibodies (HCAbs) are expressed after a V-D-J rearrangement and require dedicated constant gamma genes. An immune response is raised in these HCAbs following a classical immunization protocol. These HCAbs are easily purified from serum, and their antigen-binding fragment interacts with parts of the target that are less antigenic to conventional antibodies. The antigen binding site of the dromedary HCAb comprises one single domain, referred to as VHH or nanobody (Nb), therefore, a strategy was designed to clone the Nb repertoire of an immunized dromedary and to select the Nb with specificity for our target antigens. The monoclonal Nb is produced well in bacteria, is very stable and highly soluble, and it binds the antigen with high affinity and specificity. Currently, the recombinant Nb has been developed successfully for research purposes, as a probe in biosensors, to diagnose infections, or to treat diseases such as cancer or trypanosomiasis.     

Determination of disulfide bond assignments and N-glycosylation sites of the human gastrointestinal carcinoma antigen GA733-2 (CO17-1A, EGP, KS1-4, KSA, and Ep-CAM)

The GA733-2 antigen is a cell surface glycoprotein highly expressed on most human gastrointestinal carcinoma and at a lower level on most normal epithelia. It is an unusual cell-cell adhesion protein that does not exhibit any obvious relationship to the four known classes of adhesion molecules. In this study, the disulfide-bonding pattern of the GA733-2 antigen was determined using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing of purified tryptic peptides treated with 2-[2'-nitrophenylsulfonyl]-3-methyl-3-bromoindolenine or partially reduced and alkylated. Numbering GA733-2 cysteines sequentially from the N terminus, the first three disulfide linkages are Cys1-Cys4, Cys2-Cys6, and Cys3-Cys5, which is a novel pattern for a cysteine-rich domain instead of the expected epidermal growth factor-like disulfide structure. The next three disulfide linkages are Cys7-Cys8, Cys9-Cys10, and Cys11-Cys12, consistent with the recently determined disulfide pattern of the thyroglobulin type 1A domain of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins 1 and 6. Analysis of glycosylation sites showed that GA733-2 antigen contained N-linked carbohydrate but that no O-linked carbohydrate groups were detected. Of the three potential N-linked glycosylation sites, Asn175 was not glycosylated, whereas Asn88 was completely glycosylated, and Asn51 was partially glycosylated. These data show that the extracellular domain of the GA733-2 antigen consists of three distinct domains; a novel cysteine-rich N-terminal domain (GA733 type 1 motif), a cysteine-rich thyroglobulin type 1A domain (GA733 type 2 motif), and a unique nonglycosylated domain without cysteines (GA733 type 3 motif).     

GGNBP1抗体制备及小鼠组织表达谱分析

体外实验研究表明配子生成素结合蛋白1(GGNBP1)可能与GGN1相互作用形成睾丸特异性复合物,在精子生成过程中发挥作用.从小鼠睾丸总RNA中反转录扩增Ggnbpl全长cDNA,构建表达质粒,在大肠杆菌中表达GGNBP1,经聚丙烯酰胺凝胶纯化后免疫新西兰白兔,制备兔多抗血清.镍离子金属螯合柱纯化表达的GGNBP1蛋白,与NHS活化基团交联,制备GGNBP1抗体亲和层析柱,纯化GGNBP1多抗.在293FT细胞中瞬时表达Myc-GGNBP1融合蛋白,用于Mvc单抗验证GGNBP1抗体特异性,结果证明获得了特异性的GGNBP1抗体.分别制备小鼠脑、心、肺、肝、脾、肾、肌肉、卵巢、睾丸和子宫组织匀浆,用GGNBP1抗体进行Western印迹分析,结果仅在睾丸组织匀浆中检测到GGNBP1特异性条带,证明GGNBP1是睾丸特异性表达蛋白.     

Single domain camel antibodies: current status

The antigen-binding capacity of the paired variable domains of an antibody is well established. The observation that the isolated heavy chains of anti-hapten antibodies retain some antigen-binding capacity in the absence of light chains led to attempts to obtain an even smaller antigen-binding unit in a VH format. Unfortunately, the poor solubility, the reduced affinity for the antigen and the irreproducible outcome showed that additional protein engineering would be required to successfully generate single-domain antibody fragments. By serendipity, it was discovered that this engineering is already performed continuously in nature. Part of the humoral immune response of camels and llamas is based largely on heavy-chain antibodies where the light chain is totally absent. These unique antibody isotypes interact with the antigen by virtue of only one single variable domain, referred to as VHH. Despite the absence of the VH-VL combinatorial diversity, these heavy-chain antibodies exhibit a broad antigen-binding repertoire by enlarging their hypervariable regions. Methods are described to tap the VHH repertoire of an immunised dromedary or llama. These VHH libraries contain a high titre of intact antigen-specific binders that were matured in vivo. Synthetic libraries of a 'camelised' human VH, a mouse VH or a camelid VHH scaffold with a randomised CDR3 could constitute a valid alternative to immune libraries to retrieve useful single-domain antigen binders. The recombinant VHH that are selected from such libraries are well expressed, highly soluble in aqueous environments and very robust. Some in vivo matured VHH were also shown to be potent enzyme inhibitors, and the low complexity of the antigen-binding site is an asset in the design of peptide mimetics. Because of their smaller size and the above properties, the VHH clearly offer added-value over conventional antibody fragments. They are expected to open perspectives as enzyme inhibitors and intrabodies, as modular building units for multivalent or multifunctional constructs, or as immuno-adsorbents and detection units in biosensors.     

抗果蝇Dxl6蛋白抗体的制备及特异性分析

为了研究果蝇中SR蛋白家族新成员Dxl6的功能,通过RT-PCR得到Dxl6的全长cDNA,并根据Dxl6基因产物的功能区,分别将Dxl6中间区域（Dxl6 middle part, Dxl6MP）、Dxl6 C末端RS结构域（Dxl6 RS domain, Dxl6RSD）序列亚克隆至pGEX-4T-1(His)6C 及pET32a 表达载体中,表达和纯化获得融合蛋白。用纯化的融合蛋白GST-Dxl6RSD-His和GST-Dxl6MP-His免疫家兔,分别得到抗Dxl6RSD和抗Dxl6MP两种抗体。WESTERN BLOT结果显示两种抗体能特异地识别在原核表达系统内表达的抗原,抗Dxl6RSD的抗体对果蝇组织中的Dxl6具有较高的特异性。Abstract: In order to study the function of Dxl6 which is a novel member of SR protein family, its cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR, and the sequences of its RS domain and its middle part were subcloned into two fusion express vectors, pGEX-4T-1His（6）C and pET32a. After expressing in E.coli BL21, the truncated proteins of Dxl6 RS domain part and Dxl6 middle part in pGEX-4T-1His（6）C were purified and used to immunize rabbits. Purified antibodies against the RS domain and Dxl6 middle part were obtained by affinity chromatography with the expressed products of Dxl6 RS domain part and Dxl6 middle part in pET32a, respectively. The result shows the antibody against Dxl6 RS domain has a good specificity to Dxl6 in Drosophila larvae by Western blot analysis.     

Construction and characterization of phage display library: recognition of mouse serologically detected male (SDM) antigen

Improvement of animal embryo sexing depends upon high-titer serologically detected male (SDM) antibody fragments. SDM sera collected from isogenic C57BL/7 female mice after inoculation with male spleen cells were characterized and used for construction of a recombinant Fab antibody library against SDM antigen, and used for analysis of the binding capacity and specificity to SDM antigen. The heavy-chain Fd and full-length light-chain kappa were amplified by RT-PCR from a mouse (#6) that'ed high-titer antiserum. The amplified product was inserted into the pComb3 vector followed by co-infections with the help phage VCSM 13 for construction of the phage library, which gave 1.5x10(7) colonies with the titer of 3.2x10(11) pfu/ml by a recombination rate of 80%. Sequence analysis of the PCR products of plasmid DNA of E5 clones showed that V(H) and V(kappa) had common characteristics shared by other known variable region of antibodies. The Fab antibody libraries against SDM antigen were enriched by three cycles of affinity enrichment with male spleen cells, and two cycles of non-specific absorption with female spleen cells. The ELISA results showed that 9 of 15 clones had binding capacity to the SDM antigen. This is the first report on a phage display library of SDM antigen. The mouse Fab antibody library could be used for identifying SDM antigen, and for the development of sex determination of early embryos in mammals.     

Characterization of a high-affinity human antibody with a disulfide bridge in the third complementarity-determining region of the heavy chain

Disulfide bridges are common in the antigen-binding site from sharks (new antigen receptor) and camels (single variable heavy-chain domain, VHH), in which they confer both structural diversity and domain stability. In human antibodies, cysteine residues in the third complementarity-determining region of the heavy chain (CDR-H3) are rare but naturally encoded in the IGHD germline genes. Here, by panning a phage display library designed based on human germline genes and synthetic CDR-H3 regions against a human cytokine, we identified an antibody (M3) containing two cysteine residues in the CDR-H3. It binds the cytokine with high affinity (0.4?nM), recognizes a unique epitope on the antigen, and has a distinct neutralization profile as compared with all other antibodies selected from the library. The two cysteine residues form a disulfide bridge as determined by mass spectrometric peptide mapping. Replacing the cysteines with alanines did not change the solubility and stability of the monoclonal antibody, but binding to the antigen was significantly impaired. Three-dimensional modeling and dynamic simulations were employed to explore how the disulfide bridge influences the conformation of CDR-H3 and binding to the antigen. On the basis of these results, we envision that designing human combinatorial antibody libraries to contain intra-CDR or inter-CDR disulfide bridges could lead to identification of human antibodies with unique binding profiles.