猪流行性腹泻病毒S蛋白胞内区线性B细胞表位最小基序鉴定

[背景] S蛋白是猪流行性腹泻病毒（Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus,PEDV）的主要结构蛋白和免疫原性蛋白,在前期的研究中,本课题组在S蛋白的胞内区鉴定到2个包含线性B细胞表位的短肽。[目的] 鉴定PEDV S蛋白胞内区线性B细胞表位的最小基序。[方法] 原核表达2个短肽的每次后移1个氨基酸的系列8肽,以兔抗S蛋白血清为一抗,通过Western Blot筛选阳性反应8肽,鉴定S蛋白胞内区线性B细胞表位的最小基序。[结果] S蛋白胞内区的2个包含线性B细胞表位的短肽共享一个表位,该表位的最小基序为¹³⁷¹QPYE¹³⁷⁴。同源性分析显示该B细胞表位基序为保守性表位。[结论] 确定了S蛋白胞内区线性B细胞表位的最小基序为¹³⁷¹QPYE¹³⁷⁴;S蛋白抗原表位的鉴定有助于提高对其结构和功能的理解。     

新型冠状病毒相关TMPRSS2蛋白结构特征和抗原表位分析

采用生物信息学方法分析预测新型冠状病毒(Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2)跨膜蛋白酶丝氨酸2(transmembrane protease serine 2, TMPRSS2)的理化特性、结构特征和抗原表位,为抗SARS-CoV-2药物研发提供参考。利用ProtParam、ProtScale分析预测TMPRSS2蛋白酶的理化特性;利用COILS Server、SignalP、TMPred、TargetP Server、NetPhos Server、NetNGlyc Server服务器对TMPRSS2蛋白酶结构进行功能结构的分析预测;利用SOPMA、Pfam、SWISS-MODEL分析预测TMPRSS2蛋白酶高级结构;利用IEBD分析预测TMPRSS2蛋白酶B细胞、T细胞表位。TMPRSS2蛋白酶氨基酸组成数为492个,其中丝氨酸占比最高;亲水性较高,含10个跨膜螺旋区;具有4个磷酸化位点,3个糖基化修饰点;二级结构中无规则卷曲占据主导地位,三级结构能与已知的5ce.1.1.A(SMTL ID)模型同源建模;存在13个潜在的B细胞表位,12个得分较高的T细胞表位。     

Molecular mechanisms of antigen retrieval: antigen retrieval reverses steric interference caused by formalin-induced cross-links

Abstract

The overwhelming majority of antibodies useful for formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues require antigen retrieval to reverse the effect of formalin fixation and re-establish immunoreactivity. How this reversal happens is poorly understood. We developed a new experimental model for studying the mechanism of formalin fixation and antigen retrieval. Epitope mapping studies on nine antibodies useful for FFPE tissues revealed that each consisted of a contiguous stretch of amino acids in the native protein (linear epitope). Small peptides representing the epitopes of antibodies to human epidermal growth factor receptor type (HER2), estrogen, and progesterone receptors were attached covalently to glass microscope slides in a peptide array. Most peptides retained immunoreactivity after formalin fixation. Immunoreactivity was completely abrogated for all peptides, however, if an irrelevant large protein was present during formalin-induced cross-linking. We hypothesize that cross-linking the irrelevant protein to the peptide epitopes sterically blocked antibodies from binding. Antigen retrieval dissociates irrelevant proteins and restores immunoreactivity. Because the epitopes for clinical antibodies require only primary protein structure, the fact that antigen retrieval probably denatures the secondary and tertiary structure of the protein is irrelevant. The same mechanism may occur in tissue samples subjected to formalin fixation and antigen retrieval.     

Combined effects of formalin fixation and tissue processing on immunorecognition

Abstract

It is accepted that aldehyde-based fixation of cells can affect immunodetection of antigens; however, the effects of tissue processing on immunodetection have not been analyzed systematically. We investigated the effects of aldehyde-based fixation and the various cumulative steps of tissue processing on immunohistochemical detection of specific antigens. DU145 (prostate) and SKOV3 (ovarian) cancer cell lines were cultured as monolayers on microscope slides. Immunohistochemical detection of Ki67/MIB-1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was evaluated after various fixation times in 10% neutral buffered formalin and after each of the several cumulative steps of tissue processing. The effect of antigen retrieval (AR) was evaluated concomitantly as an additional variable. Our results indicate that in addition to fixation, each of the tissue processing steps has effects on immunorecognition of the epitopes recognized by these antibodies. Extensive dehydration through ethanols to absolute ethanol had only modest effects, except for the detection of Ki67/MIB-1 in SKOV-3 cells where the effect was stronger. In general, however, establishment of a hydrophobic environment by xylene resulted in the greatest decrease in immunorecognition. AR compensated for most, but not all, of the losses in staining following fixation and exposure to xylene; however, AR gave consistent results for most steps of tissue processing, which suggests that AR also should be used for staining PCNA. The cellular variations that were observed indicate that the effects of fixation and other steps of tissue processing may depend on how antigens are packaged by specific cells.     

The PPARα agonist fenofibrate suppresses B-cell lymphoma in mice by modulating lipid metabolism

Obesity is associated with an increased risk for malignant lymphoma development. We used Bcr/Abl transformed B cells to determine the impact of aggressive lymphoma formation on systemic lipid mobilization and turnover. In wild-type mice, tumor size significantly correlated with depletion of white adipose tissues (WAT), resulting in increased serum free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations which promote B-cell proliferation in vitro. Moreover, B-cell tumor development induced hepatic lipid accumulation due to enhanced hepatic fatty acid (FA) uptake and impaired FA oxidation. Serum triglyceride, FFA, phospholipid and cholesterol levels were significantly elevated. Consistently, serum VLDL/LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels were drastically increased. These findings suggest that B-cell tumors trigger systemic lipid mobilization from WAT to the liver and increase VLDL/LDL release from the liver to promote tumor growth. Further support for this concept stems from experiments where we used the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonist and lipid-lowering drug fenofibrate that significantly suppressed tumor growth independent of angiogenesis and inflammation. In addition to WAT depletion, fenofibrate further stimulated FFA uptake by the liver and restored hepatic FA oxidation capacity, thereby accelerating the clearance of lipids released from WAT. Furthermore, fenofibrate blocked hepatic lipid release induced by the tumors. In contrast, lipid utilization in the tumor tissue itself was not increased by fenofibrate which correlates with extremely low expression levels of PPARα in B-cells. Our data show that fenofibrate associated effects on hepatic lipid metabolism and deprivation of serum lipids are capable to suppress B-cell lymphoma growth which may direct novel treatment strategies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Lipid Metabolism in Cancer.     

Mammalian Prion protein expression in yeast; a model for transmembrane insertion

The prion protein (PrP), a GPI-anchored glycoprotein, is inefficiently secreted by mammalian microsomes, 50% being found as transmembrane (TM) proteins with the central TM1 segment spanning the membrane. TM1 hydrophobicity is marginal for lateral membrane insertion, which is primarily driven by hydrophobic interaction between the ER translocon and substrates in transit. Most inserted TM1 has its N-terminus in the ER lumen (Ntm orientation), as expected for arrest of normal secretion. However, 20% is found in inverted Ctm orientation. These are minor species in vivo, presumably a consequence of efficient quality control. PrP mutations that increase TM1 hydrophobicity result in increased Ctm insertion, both in vitro and in mouse brain, and a strong correlation is found between CtmPrP insertion and neuropathology in transgenic mice; a copper-dependent pathogenicity mechanism is suggested. PrP fusions with a C-terminal epitope tag, when expressed in yeast cells at moderate levels, appear to interact efficiently with the translocon, providing a useful model for testing the effects of PrP mutations on TM insertion and orientation. However, secretion of PrP by the mammalian translocon requires the TRAP complex, absent in yeast, where essentially all PrP ends up as TM species, 85–90% Ntm and 10–15% Ctm. Although yeast is, therefore, an incomplete mimic of mammalian PrP trafficking, effects on Ctm insertion of mutations increasing TM1 hydrophobicity closely reflect those seen in vitro. Electrostatic substrate-translocon interactions are a major determinant of TM protein insertion orientation and the yeast model was used to investigate the role of the large negative charge difference across TM1, a likely cause of translocation delay that would favor TM insertion and Ctm orientation. An increase in ΔCh from −5 to −7 caused a marked increase in Ctm insertion, while a decrease to −3 or −1 allowed 35 and about 65% secretion, respectively. Utility of the yeast model and the role of this charge difference in driving PrP membrane insertion are confirmed.     

A novel anti-aldolase C antibody specifically interacts with residues 85–102 of the protein

Aldolase C is a brain-specific glycolytic isozyme whose complete repertoire of functions are obscure. This lack of knowledge can be addressed using molecular tools that discriminate the protein from the homologous, ubiquitous paralog aldolase A. The anti-aldolase C antibodies currently available are polyclonal and not highly specific. We obtained the novel monoclonal antibody 9F against human aldolase C, characterized its isoform specificity and tested its performance. First, we investigated the specificity of 9F for aldolase C. Then, using bioinformatic tools coupled to molecular cloning and chemical synthesis approaches, we produced truncated human aldolase C fragments, and assessed 9F binding to these fragments by western blot and ELISA assays. This strategy revealed that residues 85–102 harbor the epitope-containing region recognized by 9F. The efficiency of 9F was demonstrated also for immunoprecipitation assays. Finally, surface plasmon resonance revealed that the protein has a high affinity toward the epitope-containing peptide. Taken together, our findings show that epitope recognition is sequence-driven and is independent of the three-dimensional structure. In conclusion, given its specific molecular interaction, 9F is a novel and powerful tool to investigate aldolase C’s functions in the brain.     

De novo discovery of antibody drugs – great promise demands scrutiny

ABSTRACT

We live in an era of rapidly advancing computing capacity and algorithmic sophistication. “Big data” and “artificial intelligence”find progressively wider use in all spheres of human activity, including healthcare. A diverse array of computational technologies is being applied with increasing frequency to antibody drug research and development (R&D). Their successful applications are met with great interest due to the potential for accelerating and streamlining the antibody R&D process. While this excitement is very likely justified in the long term, it is less likely that the transition from the first use to routine practice will escape challenges that other new technologies had experienced before they began to blossom. This transition typically requires many cycles of iterative learning that rely on the deconstruction of the technology to understand its pitfalls and define vectors for optimization. The study by Vasquez et al. identifies a key obstacle to such learning: the lack of transparency regarding methodology in computational antibody design reports, which has the potential to mislead the community efforts     

3D modeling and characterization of the human CD115 monoclonal antibody H27K15 epitope and design of a chimeric CD115 target

The humanized monoclonal antibody H27K15 specifically targets human CD115, a type III tyrosine kinase receptor involved in multiple cancers and inflammatory diseases. Binding of H27K15 to hCD115 expressing cells inhibits the functional effect of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), in a non-competitive manner. Both homology modeling and docking programs were used here to model the human CD115 extracellular domains, the H27K15 variable region and their interaction. The resulting predicted H27K15 epitope includes mainly the D1 domain in the N-terminal extracellular region of CD115 and some residues of the D2 domain. Sequence alignment with the non-binding murine CD115, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and affinity measurements by quartz crystal microbalance revealed critical residues of this epitope that are essential for H27K15 binding. A combination of computational simulations and biochemical experiments led to the design of a chimeric CD115 carrying the human epitope of H27K15 in a murine CD115 backbone that is able to bind both H27K15 as well as the murine ligands CSF-1 and IL-34. These results provide new possibilities to minutely study the functional effects of H27K15 in a transgenic mouse that would express this chimeric molecule.