Effects of Co-Expressing Chaperone BiP on Functional Antibody Production in the Baculovirus System

The assembly pathway of the insect cell Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-9) was engineered to include expression of the murine chaperone immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP) using the baculovirus vector. The impact of BiP coexpression on the production and secretion of functional and soluble recombinant immunoglobulin IgG levels was evaluated. Recombinant BiP was found to associate specifically with immunoglobulins in immunoprecipitation studies. Coinfection of insect cells with a BiP-containing baculovirus and baculoviruses coding for two different murine IgG proteins increased intracellular functional antibody activity levels substantially above the levels observed in the absence of BiP. Soluble intracellular immunoglobulin levels were found to increase as well. However, secreted functional antibody levels did not increase significantly. Also, degradation of heavy chain immunoglobulin in insect cells was indicated by the accumulation of lower molecular weight immunoglobulins at 4 days postinfection. Coexpression of light chains reduced the level of these lower molecular weight immunoglobulins while BiP coexpression led to enhanced levels. These findings suggest that coexpressed BiP can increase intracellular soluble and functional antibody yields but that secretion in the baculovirus-insect cell system must be limited at some post-translational step.     

Effect of increased expression of protein disulfide isomerase and heavy chain binding protein on antibody secretion in a recombinant CHO cell line

Previous work has shown that a human-antibody-producing recombinant CHO cell line did not increase its intracellular content of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and heavy chain binding protein (BIP) according to the increasing expression of antibody. It was also found that the intracellular assembly of light and heavy chain is a major limiting factor for overall cell specific productivity, as secretion rates improve with higher light chain expression levels and heavy chain accumulates intracellularly when too little light chain is present. As these CHO cells had a significantly lower intracellular PDI content compared to that of hybridoma cells, these results have led us to try to overcome the limitation in the posttranslational assembly in the endoplasmatic reticulum. Recombinant CHO cells were transfected with PDI or BIP alone or in combination, and the effect on intracellular light and heavy chain content and specific production rate was determined. Overexpression of BIP, both alone and in combination with PDI, reduced the specific secretion rate, whereas PDI, when overexpressed alone, caused an increase of product secretion rate.     

Mutational analysis of arsonate binding by a CRIA+ antibody. VH and VL junctional diversity are essential for binding activity

To assess the impact of various heavy and light chain mutations on p-azophenylarsonate binding, murine antibodies have been produced in insect cells (SF9) utilizing a baculovirus expression system. When expressed in this system, an antibody composed of a canonical CRIA+ heavy and light chain can bind antigen and express idiotype indistinguishably from analogous hybridoma-derived antibodies. Antibodies comprised of either light chains mutant at the V-J junction or heavy chains mutant at the V-D junction were found to be incapable of binding arsonate. In addition, substitutions in the first and second complementarity determining regions of the heavy chain were shown to play a role in arsonate binding, most likely related to affinity maturation targeted at the carrier protein. These results confirm the obligatory role that junctional diversity plays in the generation of arsonate-specific antibodies, as well as extend our understanding of the role of other variable region amino acids in arsonate binding.     

Recombinant shark natural antibodies to thyroglobulin

As cartilaginous fish are the vertebrates most distal from man to produce antibodies, fundamental information regarding conservation and variation of the antigen binding site should be gained by comparing the properties of antibodies directed against the same antigen from the two species. Since monoclonal cell lines cannot be generated using shark B cells, we isolated antigen binding recombinant single chain Fv antibodies (scFv) comprising of the complete variable regions from shark light and heavy chains. Thyroglobulin was used as the selecting antigen as both sharks and humans express natural antibodies to mammalian thyroglobulin in the absence of purposeful immunization. We report that recombinant sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) scFvs that bind bovine thyroglobulin consist of heavy chain variable regions (VH) homologous to those of the human VHIII subset and light chain variable regions (VL) homologous to those of the human Vlambda6 subgroup. The homology within the frameworks is sufficient to enable the building of three-dimensional models of the shark VH/VL structure using established human structures as templates. In natural antibodies of both species, the major variability lies in the third complementarity determining region (CDR3) of both VH and VL.     

Single domain intracellular antibodies: a minimal fragment for direct in vivo selection of antigen-specific intrabodies

There is a major need in target validation and therapeutic applications for molecules that can interfere with protein function inside cells. Intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) can bind to specific targets in cells but isolation of intrabodies is currently difficult. Intrabodies are normally single chain Fv fragments comprising variable domains of the immunoglobulin heavy (VH) and light chains (VL). We now demonstrate that single VH domains have excellent intracellular properties of solubility, stability and expression within the cells of higher organisms and can exhibit specific antigen recognition in vivo. We have used this intracellular single variable domain (IDab) format, based on a previously characterised intrabody consensus scaffold, to generate diverse intrabody libraries for direct in vivo screening. IDabs were isolated using two distinct antigens and affinities of isolated IDabs ranged between 20 nM and 200 nM. Moreover, IDabs selected for binding to the RAS protein could inhibit RAS-dependent oncogenic transformation of NIH3T3 cells. The IDab format is therefore ideal for in vivo intrabody use. This approach to intrabodies obviates the need for phage antibody libraries, avoids the requirement for production of antigen in vitro and allows for direct selection of intrabodies in vivo.     

Antigen binding of an ovomucoid-specific antibody is affected by a carbohydrate chain located on the light chain variable region

We cloned the variable regions of heavy and light chain genes of an anti-ovomucoid monoclonal antibody (MAb-OM21) produced by the mouse hybridoma cell line OM21. DNA sequence analysis showed that the light chain of the MAb-OM21 has only one potential N-glycosylation consensus sequence in the complementarity determining region 2 of the light chain. To find whether carbohydrate chains are located on the light chain, we assayed for the size of the light chain, after treatment with N-glycosidase, by western blotting, and also detection of the carbohydrate chains on the light chain was done using the lectin blot assay. A N-linked carbohydrate chain has been shown to bind to the light chain. To clarify the role of this carbohydrate chain in the light chain, we produced carbohydrate variant antibodies by N-deglycosylation using glycosidase or by expressing the antibody from different host cells. The N-deglycosylated variant antibody has greater antigen binding, and the antibody produced from the different host cells showed a reduced antigen binding activity and acquired the ability to react to ovalbumin. These results suggest that antigen binding of the ovomucoid specific antibody MAb-OM21 can be affected by the carbohydrate chain on the light chain variable region.     

Expression of mouse immunoglobulin light and heavy chain variable regions in Escherichia coli and reconstitution of antigen-binding activity

The expression of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain variable regions in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli and formation of a functional heterodimer has been demonstrated. Variable domain sequences were taken from the heavy and light chain cDNAs of the monoclonal antibody Gloop 2 and engineered for expression in a dual origin expression vector. The engineered genes vhg2 and vlg2 were separately subcloned into the vector, creating two expression plasmids. Expression of the heavy and light chain variable region genes (encoding 116 and 109 amino acids respectively) was investigated in eight E. coli strains; the polypeptides were rapidly degraded in a host strain optimized for expression and in E. coli strains deficient in the major protease La (lon-). Accumulation was permitted in severely protease-deficient E. coli having a defective heat-shock response. A lon- mutation in this genetic background permitted even higher accumulation. Expression levels were 7 and 1% of total bacterial protein for light and heavy chain variable regions respectively. Expression of the heavy chain variable region gene was increased by including a longer Shine-Dalgarno sequence. Similar constructions in the light chain vector had no effect on expression levels. The insoluble variable region polypeptides were reconstituted into a heterodimer possessing the full antigen binding characteristics of both the parent monoclonal antibody and its Fab fragment.     

Unique single‐domain antigen binding fragments derived from naturally occurring camel heavy‐chain antibodies

The humoral immune response of camels, dromedaries and llamas includes functional antibodies formed by two heavy chains and no light chains. The amino acid sequence of the variable domain of the naturally occurring heavy‐chain antibodies reveals the necessary adaptations to compensate for the absence of the light chain. In contrast to the conventional antibodies, a large proportion of the heavy‐chain antibodies acts as competitive enzyme inhibitors. Studies on the dromedary immunoglobulin genes start to shed light on the ontogeny of these heavy‐chain antibodies. The presence of the heavy‐chain antibodies and the possibility of immunizing a dromedary allows for the production of antigen binders consisting of a single domain only. These minimal antigen‐binding fragments are well expressed in bacteria, bind the antigen with affinity in the nM range and are very stable. We expect that such camelid single domain antibodies will find their way into a number of biotechnological or medical applications. The structure of the camelid single domain is homologous to the human VH, however, the antigen‐binding loop structures deviate fundamentally from the canonical structures described for human or mouse VHs. This has two additional advantages: (1) the camel or llama derived single domain antibodies might be an ideal scaffold for anti‐idiotypic vaccinations; and (2) the development of smaller peptides or peptide mimetic drugs derived from of the antigen binding loops might be facilitated due to their less complex antigen binding site. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

抗体重链可变区框架Ⅰ区对抗体分泌的影响

抗体重链可变区框架Ⅰ区(FR-Ⅰ)对抗体在原核细胞中的分泌表达具有显著的影响,单个氨基酸的改变即可导致抗体分子分泌能力的丧失.为了探索抗体在哺乳动物细胞中的高效表达,我们对一株不能有效分泌的人源抗狂犬病病毒抗体pCMV-RV/VH的FR-Ⅰ区氨基酸编码基因进行定点突变研究.实验显示,抗体重链可变区FR-Ⅰ区H6位的氨基酸由Glu突变为Gin之后,抗体的分泌表达水平得到了显著的提高,并且与抗原特异性结合的能力也明显增强.通过免疫荧光法对抗体在细胞内的转运过程进行了初步的探讨,发现能够有效分泌的抗体与无分泌表达的抗体都能够在细胞内进行正常的转录和翻译,进入内质网并转运至高尔基体,而且胞内表达水平基本一致.我们认为分泌能力的不同可能是FR-Ⅰ区影响抗体分子的折叠与装配所致,其中该区H6位氨基酸的性质能够显著影响抗体在哺乳动物细胞中的分泌.本研究以抗体重链可变区FR-Ⅰ区氨基酸为焦点,对基因工程抗体在真核细胞中高效表达的影响因素进行了探索,为改进抗体规模化生产提供了依据.     

Cysteines in CH1 underlie retention of unassembled Ig heavy chains

Conformation, structure, and oligomeric state of immunoglobulins not only control quality and functional properties of antibodies but are also critical for immunoglobulins secretion. Unassembled immunoglobulin heavy chains are retained intracellularly by delayed folding of the C(H)1 domain and irreversible interaction of BiP with this domain. Here we show that the three C(H)1 cysteines play a central role in immunoglobulin folding, assembly, and secretion. Remarkably, ablating all three C(H)1 cysteines negates retention and enables BiP cycling and non-canonical folding and assembly. This phenomenon is explained by interdependent formation of intradomain and interchain disulfides, although both bonds are dispensable for secretion. Substituting Cys-195 prevents formation not only of the intradomain disulfide, but also of the interchain disulfide bond with light chain, BiP displacement, and secretion. Mutating the light chain-interacting Cys-128 hinders disulfide bonding of intradomain cysteines, allowing their opportunistic bonding with light chain, without hampering secretion. We propose that the role of C(H)1 cysteines in immunoglobulin assembly and secretion is not simply to engage in disulfide bridges, but to direct proper folding and interact with the retention machinery.     

Protein design of IgG/TCR chimeras for the co-expression of Fab-like moieties within bispecific antibodies

Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors (TCRs) share common sequences and structures. With the goal of creating novel bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), we generated chimeric molecules, denoted IgG_TCRs, where the Fv regions of several antibodies were fused to the constant domains of the α/β TCR. Replacing C_H1 with Cα and C_L with Cβ, respectively, was essential for achieving at least partial heavy chain/light chain assembly. Further optimization of the linker regions between the variable and constant domains, as well as replacement of the large FG loop of Cβ with a canonical β-turn, was necessary to consistently obtain full heavy chain/light chain assembly. The optimized IgG_TCR molecules were evaluated biophysically and shown to maintain the binding properties of their parental antibodies. A few BsAbs were generated by co-expressing native Fabs and IgG_TCR Fabs within the same molecular construct. We demonstrate that the IgG_TCR designs steered each of the light chains within the constructs to specifically pair with their cognate heavy chain counterparts. We did find that even with complete constant domain specificity between the C_H1/C_L and Cα/Cβ domains of the Fabs, strong variable domain interactions can dominate the pairing specificity and induce some mispairing. Overall, the IgG_TCR designs described here are a first step toward the generation of novel BsAbs that may be directed toward the treatment of multi-faceted and complex diseases.     

甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素单克隆抗体轻链和重链可变区基因的巢式PCR扩增及序列分析

目的：采用巢式PCR对甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素单克隆抗体的轻链和重链基因进行扩增,对获得的基因进行序列分析,并找出克隆鼠Igκ轻链和重链可变区基因的通用方法。方法：设计22对扩增鼠Igκ轻链可变区和重链可变区基因的引物,对6株鼠抗人甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素单克隆抗体的轻链和重链可变区基因进行克隆并测序,与NCBI公布的鼠免疫球蛋白序列比对分析。结果：巢式PCR方法可以有效避免单克隆抗体克隆过程的假基因,并且得到的单克隆抗体的氨基酸序列均符合鼠免疫球蛋白可变区特征。结论：建立了克隆鼠免疫球蛋白轻链和重链可变区基因的通用方法,为后期克隆鼠源性单克隆抗体的可变区基因提供了基础,并为研究甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素与抗体的结合位点提供了实验数据。     

Production of an anti-mouse MHC class II monoclonal antibody with biological activity in transgenic tobacco

To produce a monoclonal antibody specific to a mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II protein, we synthesized the complementary DNAs for the heavy and light chains of a monoclonal antibody by PCR amplification. These cDNAs were then introduced separately into tobacco plant cells. After performing Northern blot analysis to confirm the expression of each of the chain genes in the transformed plants, we constructed transgenic plants expressing both the heavy and light chains by sexual crossing. The expression of the heavy and light chain genes in the sexually crossed plant was confirmed by Northern and Western blot analyses, respectively. Fluorocytometric analysis showed that the plant-derived antibodies, which we purified using a protein G affinity column, bound specifically to target cells that expressed the cognate MHC class II molecules on their cell surfaces. The results of this study demonstrate that a monoclonal antibody against mouse MHC class II proteins can be expressed in transgenic plants. They also show the specific binding activity of plant-derived antibodies to cognate antigens.     

Evaluation of immunoglobulins from plant cells.

Expression of cDNA constructs encoding full-length mouse immunoglobulin chains with their native leader sequences or fusion constructs substituting the native leader with a pre-pro sequence derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yielded blocked N-termini on the gamma chain or the correct amino terminal sequence on the mature kappa chain. Lectin binding assays revealed that assembled immunoglobulin complexes contained a glycosylated heavy chain. The attached glycan was resistant to digestion by endoglycosidase H and its lectin binding pattern was distinguishable from that of the mammalian glycan. The results indicated processing of the immunoglobulin carbohydrate in the tobacco Golgi to yield a complex oligosaccharide. Secretion of antibody by protoplasts isolated from regenerated transgenic plants or from suspension callus cells was demonstrated by pulse-chase labeling experiments. When purified, the tobacco-produced antibody was found to possess the antigen binding and catalytic properties of the murine monoclonal antibody. Kinetic parameters (Km, Ki, Vmax, and kcat) of the tobacco-derived antibody were comparable to those of the mouse-derived antibody. The results in general show that the endomembrane system of tobacco cells possesses cognate mechanisms for the recognition of diverse leader sequences. These signals can be used to initiate the assembly, processing, and secretion by plant cells of complex foreign proteins.     

Synthetic peptides VH(27-68) and VH(16-68) of the myeloma immunoglobulin M603 heavy chain and their association with the natural light chain to form an antigen binding site

A 53-residue peptide corresponding to the variable region 16-68 of the heavy chain of phosphocholine binding mouse myeloma M603 protein was synthesized by a solid-phase fragment strategy. The homogeneity of the VH(16-68) peptide was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, amino acid analysis, and mass spectrometry. Synthetic VH(16-68) associated with the M603 light chain, and about 27% of the recombination mixture bound to phosphocholine immobilized on Sepharose as compared to a 28% binding yield obtained for the recombined natural light and heavy chains under the same conditions. The binding yield for the recombinant of the light chain with previously prepared VH(27-68) fragment was about 11%. These semisynthetic antibodies VH(27-68) and VH(16-68) light chain recombinants are forerunners of structural variants designed to study the antigen binding pocket of the M603 immunoglobulin.     

Russell body inducing threshold depends on the variable domain sequences of individual human IgG clones and the cellular protein homeostasis

Russell bodies are intracellular aggregates of immunoglobulins. Although the mechanism of Russell body biogenesis has been extensively studied by using truncated mutant heavy chains, the importance of the variable domain sequences in this process and in immunoglobulin biosynthesis remains largely unknown. Using a panel of structurally and functionally normal human immunoglobulin Gs, we show that individual immunoglobulin G clones possess distinctive Russell body inducing propensities that can surface differently under normal and abnormal cellular conditions. Russell body inducing predisposition unique to each immunoglobulin G clone was corroborated by the intrinsic physicochemical properties encoded in the heavy chain variable domain/light chain variable domain sequence combinations that define each immunoglobulin G clone. While the sequence based intrinsic factors predispose certain immunoglobulin G clones to be more prone to induce Russell bodies, extrinsic factors such as stressful cell culture conditions also play roles in unmasking Russell body propensity from immunoglobulin G clones that are normally refractory to developing Russell bodies. By taking advantage of heterologous expression systems, we dissected the roles of individual subunit chains in Russell body formation and examined the effect of non-cognate subunit chain pair co-expression on Russell body forming propensity. The results suggest that the properties embedded in the variable domain of individual light chain clones and their compatibility with the partnering heavy chain variable domain sequences underscore the efficiency of immunoglobulin G biosynthesis, the threshold for Russell body induction, and the level of immunoglobulin G secretion. We propose that an interplay between the unique properties encoded in variable domain sequences and the state of protein homeostasis determines whether an immunoglobulin G expressing cell will develop the Russell body phenotype in a dynamic cellular setting.     

Protein design of IgG/TCR chimeras for the co-expression of Fab-like moieties within bispecific antibodies

Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors (TCRs) share common sequences and structures. With the goal of creating novel bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), we generated chimeric molecules, denoted IgG_TCRs, where the Fv regions of several antibodies were fused to the constant domains of the α/β TCR. Replacing C_H1 with Cα and C_L with Cβ, respectively, was essential for achieving at least partial heavy chain/light chain assembly. Further optimization of the linker regions between the variable and constant domains, as well as replacement of the large FG loop of Cβ with a canonical β-turn, was necessary to consistently obtain full heavy chain/light chain assembly. The optimized IgG_TCR molecules were evaluated biophysically and shown to maintain the binding properties of their parental antibodies. A few BsAbs were generated by co-expressing native Fabs and IgG_TCR Fabs within the same molecular construct. We demonstrate that the IgG_TCR designs steered each of the light chains within the constructs to specifically pair with their cognate heavy chain counterparts. We did find that even with complete constant domain specificity between the C_H1/C_L and Cα/Cβ domains of the Fabs, strong variable domain interactions can dominate the pairing specificity and induce some mispairing. Overall, the IgG_TCR designs described here are a first step toward the generation of novel BsAbs that may be directed toward the treatment of multi-faceted and complex diseases.