The accessibility of protein-bound dinitrophenyl groups to univalent fragments of anti-dinitrophenyl antibody.

A series of N-(N-dinitrophenylaminoalkyl)maleimides were sythesized with alkyl-chain lengths of two, four and six carbon atoms. When these compounds reacted with the thiol group of mercaptalbumin, the tryptophan fluorescence of the protein was quenched. This change in fluorescence was used to determine the rate of reaction of the Dnp (dinitrophenyl)-maleimides with mercaptalbumin. The second-order rate constants were similar to those observed in reactions between low-molecular-weight thiol compounds and maleimides. When N-(N-Dnp-aminoalkyl)succinimidomercaptalbumins were added to univalent fragments of anti-Dnp antibody the antibody fluorescence was quenched. Florescence-quenching titrations showed that the protein-bound Dnp groups were fully available to the antibody even when the alkyl chain was short. The apparent dissociation constants were significantly greater than that of the interaction between anti-Dnp antibody and the free hapten, 6-(N-Dnp)-aminohexanoate. The antibody fluorescence was quenched efficienty by [dnp-Lys41]ribonuclease A, also with an increased dissociation constant. It could be concluded from the increase in dissociation constant that the Dnp group spent no more than 0.1% of its time in the dissociated state, available to antibody. The second-order rate constants for the association between the Dnp-mercaptablumins and the antibody were determined and were similar in magnitude to those observed in other interactions between protein and anti-protein antibody.     

By-passing immunisation. Human antibodies from synthetic repertoires of germline VH gene segments rearranged in vitro.

By display of antibody repertoires on the surface of a filamentous bacteriophage and selection of the phage by binding to antigen, we can mimic immune selection. Recently, by tapping the repertoire of rearranged V-genes from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of unimmunised donors, we succeeded in making human antibody fragments with different specificities, including both haptens and proteins, from the same library of phage. Now we have built a repertoire of human VH genes from 49 human germline VH gene segments rearranged in vitro to create a synthetic third complementarity determining region (CDR) of five or eight residues. The rearranged VH genes were cloned with a human V lambda 3 light chain as single chain Fv fragments for phage display, and the library of phage panned by binding to each of two haptens, 2-phenyl-5-oxazolone (phOx) or 3-iodo-4-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl-acetate (NIP) coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Many different antibody fragments were isolated which bound specifically to hapten, some with affinities in the micromolar range. The in vitro "immune response" to the hapten NIP was dominated by the 9-1 segment (VH3 family), and that to phOx by the VH26 segment (VH3 family) with an invariant aromatic residue (Tyr, Phe, Trp) at residue 97 of CDR3. However, the isolation of phage against protein antigens proved more elusive, with a single phage binding to human tumour necrosis factor, and none to bovine serum albumin, turkey egg-white lysozyme or human thyroglobulin. Nevertheless, the work shows that human antibody fragments with specific binding activities can be made entirely in vitro.     

Minimal requirements for in vitro activity of chemically defined synthetic antigens as immunogenic carrier molecules

A primary antibody response to 2,4-dinitrophenyl (Dnp)-oligolysines of defined chain length was induced in vitro. A molecular size of at least eight lysine residues was critical for the induction of antibody response to the hapten, but the location of the hapten on the carrier did not seem to play a significant role in this regard. Shorter peptides were nonimmunogenic, but did not paralyze the response to other, noncrossreacting antigens. The electric charge of the carrier molecule was found to have an effect on immunogenicity in vitro. A synthetic copolymer with a positive charge was immunogenic, whereas a similar molecule carrying a negative charge was inactive. On the other hand, changing the negative charge of carriers such as polyglutamic acid was not sufficient to render them immunogenic. Furthermore, neutralization of the negative charge of the surface of the spleen tissue by preincubation with positive polymers did not enhance the response to conjugates of the hapten with negatively charged carriers. These observations are interpreted on the basis of higher affinity of positively charged molecules for the negatively charged cell surface. Accordingly, the specific binding of the antigen to the cell surface is made more stable, and this ensures stimulation.     

Conformational transitions of antibodies induced by hapten binding

The conformational changes of antibody structure induced by hapten molecule binding were investigated by means of thermal perturbation difference spectroscopy. The studies of the free rabit anti-dinitrophenyl antibodies show the conformational transition at temperatures between 25 and 35 degrees C. The changes occurring at the higher temperature are accompanied by the screening of the significant part of exposed tyrosine residues. Binding of the hapten molecules induces a similar transition to that which occurs between the two temperature dependent states of the free antibody. In contrast to our previous results with anti-dansyl rabbit antibodies the dinitrophenyl lysine stabilizes the "low temperature" native state of the protein. The investigation of the MOPC-315 mouse immunoglobulin A myeloma protein possessing anti-dinitrophenyl activity indicates no conformational transition at temperatures between 25 and 35 degrees C and only a small decrease of tyrosine exposure induced by the hapten binding. Our present and previous results indicate that most of the free immunoglobulins exist in two native conformational states which have a small difference in free energy. Hapten binding causes the transition in equilibrium between the two states towards the one of better binding. It is possible that this transition is necessary but not sufficient step for inducing the effector function of antibodies.     

The thermodynamics of hapten and antigen binding by rabbit anti-dinitrophenyl antibody.

Rabbit anti-dinitrophenyl antibody from a serum pool was obtained as five fractions of purified specific antibody by a limiting antigen precipitation method. Each fraction had a different binding affinity for epsilon-N-2,4-dinitrophenyl-L-lysine. The free energy changes for hapten binding to the five antibody fractions varied from -8.35 to -10.0 kcal/mol. An average deltaH of -13.9 kcal/mol was measured for the fractions with a batch calorimeter. The results indicate no significant correlation between enthalpy changes and free energy changes. However, a statistically significant correlation between the free energy changes and the entropy changes was found. The enthalpy of the anti-dinitrophenyl antibody interaction with multivalent dinitrophenyl human serum albumin was determined. These are the first enthalpy measurements of an antibody antigen reaction in which the intrinsic binding enthalpy between the antibody and the determinant group is known. The deltaH for the antigen binding reaction was -10.1 kcal/mol which is 3.8 kcal/mol less exothermic than the deltaH for the hapten binding reaction. The interactions that could lead to such a difference in enthalpy are discussed.     

Reactions of 2,6-dinitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzenesulfonate with human serum albumin

The reaction of the title compound with human serum albumin has been examined at various concentrations of the sulfonate. Kinetic data suggest that there are two highly reactive lysine amino groups on the protein, five lysine residues which are less reactive and an undetermined number of additional nucleophilic groups that react very slowly with the reagent at pH 7.5. One of the rapidly reacting lysines is tentatively identified as lysine-199 in the protein sequence. Fluorine NMR experiments indicate the presence of tight binding sites on the protein for the sulfonate which are not near reactive functional groups.     

Interaction of pyridoxal-5-phosphate with human serum albumin and pancreatic ribonuclease

Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (in a lesser degree, pyridoxal) interacts with both non-protonated and protonated exposed epsilon-amino groups of lysine residues and with alpha-amino groups in human serum albumin and pancreatic ribonuclease A. The reaction of Schiff base formation proceeds within a wide pH range--from 3.0 to 12.0. At a great pyridoxal-5-phosphate excess in ribonuclease A in neutral or slightly acidic aqueous media all the ten epsilon-amino groups of lysine residues and the alpha-amino groups of Lys-1 become modified. The formation of aldimine bonds of pyridoxal-5-phosphate with protonated amino groups in acidic media is determined by ionization of its phenol hydroxyl and phosphate residues. Acetaldehyde, propionic aldehyde and pyridine aldehyde interact only with non-protonated amino groups of the proteins. The equilibrium constants of pyridoxal-5-phosphate and other aldehydes binding to proteins and amino acids were determined. The rate constants of Schiff base formation for pyridoxal-5-phosphates with some amino acids and primary sites of proteins for direct and reverse reactions were calculated.     

Distribution of pyridoxal-5-phosphate between proteins and low molecular weight components of plasma: effect of acetaldehyde

It is found that approximately 65-70% of pyridoxal-P at physiological concentrations is bound to plasma proteins; 15% of its amount is bound to amino acids and peptides as a result of the Schiff base formation. Over 85% of pyridoxal-P associated with plasma proteins is bound to serum albumin. Inorganic phosphate and NaCl decrease the affinity of pyridoxal-P for albumin or other proteins. Acetaldehyde interacts with the alpha-amino group of the aspartic acid residue of the N-end of the polypeptide chain of the albumin molecule and with two epsilon-amino groups of the lysine residues having anomalously low value of pKa and deprotonated at physiological values of pH of the medium. Acetaldehyde competes with pyridoxal-P for the first (of the highest affinity) binding site of the coenzyme on serum albumin. Acetaldehyde is not bound at the second site of high affinity for pyridoxal-P on serum albumin.     

Binding of bromophenol blue to bovine serum albumin and its succinylated forms

Interaction of bromophenol blue with bovine serum albumin and its five succinylated forms was studied spectrophotometrically at three different ionic strengths, i.e. 0.04, 0.15 and 1.0 and at two different pH values, namely pH 7.0 and pH 5.0 respectively. Results showed a decrease in bromophenol blue binding on increasing succinylation at low ionic strengths. This decrease was more marked at pH 7.0 than pH 5.0. However, at both the pH values binding returned to a significant degree on increasing the ionic strength to 1.0. Succinylation also caused marked conformational changes at pH 7.0 and ionic strength 0.15 as evidenced by changes in hydrodynamic properties and reduction in antigen-antibody precipitin reaction. However, an increase in ionic strength to 1.0 or decrease in pH to 5.0 caused significant reversal in hydrodynamic parameters. These studies show that lysine residues of bovine serum albumin are not important in bromophenol blue binding.     

Lipopeptide derivatives of bacterial lipoprotein constitute potent immune adjuvants combined with or covalently coupled to antigen or hapten

Lipopeptide analogues of the N-terminus of bacterial lipoprotein consisting of N-palmitoyl-S-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)-(2RS)-propyl]-(R)-cysteine (Pam3Cys) attached to one to five further amino acids [Pam3Cys-Ser-Ser-Asn-Ala, Pam3Cys-Ser-(Lys)4, Pam3Cys-Ala-Gly, and Pam3Cys-Ser] were investigated for biological activity. In vitro, the compounds proved to be potent activators for Balb/c splenocytes as determined by proliferation assays. When given in vivo in combination with SRBC, Pam3Cys-Ser and Pam3Cys-Ala-Gly acted as immunoadjuvants enhancing the antigen specific IgM response after 7, and the IgG response after 14 days. In combination with dinitrophenylated bovine serum albumin (BSA(Dnp)), especially the amphiphilic and water-soluble lipohexapeptide Pam3Cys-Ser-(Lys)4 constituted a potent immune adjuvant. The lipopeptide was able to fully replace Freund's complete adjuvant (FCS) enhancing both anti-Dnp IgM and IgG in Balb/c mice. The hapten Dnp was also coupled directly--or via the spacer molecule 1,6-diaminohexane (HMD)--to the synthetic lipopeptides. The chemically defined low-molecular-mass conjugates obtained were capable of inducing anti-hapten-specific IgM and IgG without further adjuvants or carriers. The anti-hapten responses induced by these chemically uniform lipopeptide-hapten conjugates were, however, less pronounced than the response to the conventional heterogeneous hapten-protein conjugate BSA(Dnp), and only a weak boost effect was observed. Our results show that defined lipopeptides are novel immunoadjuvants either combined with or covalently linked to antigens or haptens.     

Resonance Raman-spectroscopic studies of the hapten features involved in the binding of 2,4-dinitrophenyl haptens by the mouse myeloma proteins MOPC 315 and MOPC 460.

The binding of four dinitrophenyl haptens to the mouse myeloma proteins MOPC 315 IgA (immunoglobulin A) and MOPC 460IgA was studied by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Isotopic substitution with 15N and 2H was used to assign features in the resonance Raman spectra of the free haptens. Changes in each of these features on binding to the proteins could then be attributed to interactions of the proteins' binding sites with either the p-NO2 or the o-NO2/amine regions of the haptens. The interactions between a given hapten and MOPC 315 IgA are often quite distinct from those between the same hapten and MOPC 460 IgA. Moreover, for both antibodies the nature of the R side chain in a Dnp-NHR (Dnp, 2,4-dinitrophenyl) compound appears to modify the interactions between the Dnp chromophore and the protein. Thus, with the haptens studied, there is no unique set of contacts between the Dnp group and the binding site. The contacts expected between epsilon-2,4-dinitrophenyl-L-lysine and the site on MOPC 315 IgA, on the basis of a recent model for this site [Dwek, Wain-Hobson, Dower, Gettins, Sutton, Perkins & Givol (1977) Nature (London) 266, 31--37] were not detected. However, the contacts between this hapten and the site on MOPC 460 IgA were closer to those predicted by the model for MOPC 315 IgA.     

Effects of charged groups in haptens on adsorption equilibrium of hapten antibody

Antisera against charged (p-azobenzoate and p-azoben zenesulfonate) and uncharged (dinitrophenyl) haptenic groups were produced in rabbits, and the equilibrium characteristics of hapten-antibody were measured by use of immunoadsorbents. The antibody to the uncharged hapten formed a stable binding with the hapten to the changes in ionic strength and pH. On the other hand, the antibodies to the charged haptens showed affinities sensitive to the changes in pH and ionic strength. Therefore, the effect of the pK(a) of ionizable haptens on the pH dependence of the hapten-antibody binding was studied by comparing the interactions between a series of para-substituted benzoic acids and the anti-p-azobenzoate antibody. The pH dependence of the interactions was strongly affected by the pK(a) of ionizable groups in haptens. Furthermore, the equilibrium characteristics of anti-p-aminobenzoyl dipeptides were compared. The characteristics of interactions were affected by the features of amino acid residues.     

Novel trifunctional carrier molecule for the fluorescent labeling of haptens

We developed a novel trifunctional carrier molecule for the synthesis of hapten-fluorophore conjugates as reporter molecules in immunoassays. This carrier eliminates some of the disadvantages associated with currently used fluorophore-labeling procedures including high nonspecific binding. The backbone of the carrier consists of the 21 amino acid residues of the insulin A-chain molecule. This polypeptide provides a single site (terminal amino group) for covalent coupling of the hapten, three carboxyl groups for the attachment of fluorophores, and four sulfhydryl groups for derivatization with hydrophilic residues to compensate for the hydrophobic effect of the attached fluorophores. The sites for fluorophore attachment are 4, 17, and 21 amino acids away from the hapten attachment site. This spatial separation minimizes quenching of the fluorescence signal due to interaction of the fluorophores with each other and with the attached hapten. In this study, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) was selected as model hapten, fluorescein as label, and S-sulfonate groups as hydrophilic residues. The properties of the DNP-insulin A-chain-fluorescein conjugate (DNP-Ins-Fl) were compared to those of a DNP derivative labeled with a single fluorescein moiety via a small lysine spacer (DNP-Lys-Fl). The DNP-Ins-Fl conjugate exhibited a 3-fold lower nonspecific adsorption to immobilized non-immune IgG contributing to an approximately 3-fold more efficient displacement from the binding sites of an immobilized monoclonal anti-DNP antibody by the antigen DNP-lysine. Furthermore, at equimolar concentrations the DNP-Ins-Fl generated a 2.6-fold higher fluorescent signal than DNP-Lys-Fl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Chemical properties of the functional groups of insulin.

The method of competitive binding [Kaplan, Stevenson & Hartley (1971) Biochem. J. 124, 289-299] with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as the labelling reagent [Duggleby & Kaplan (1975) Biochemistry 14, 5168-5175] was used to determine the chemical properties, namely pK and reactivity, of the amino groups, the histidine residues and the tyrosine residues of the dimeric form of pig zinc-free insulin at 20.0 degrees C. The N-terminal glycine residue of the A-chain has a pK of 7.7 and a slightly higher than normal reactivity. The N-terminal phenylalanine residue of the B-chain has a pK of 6.9 and is approximately an order of magnitude more reactive than a corresponding amino group with the same pK value. The lysine epsilon-amino group has an unusually low pK of 7.0 but has approximately the expected reactivity of such a group. In the case of the two histidine and four tyrosine residues only the average properties of each class were determined. The histidine residues have a pK value of approx. 6.6, but, however, their reactivity is at least an order of magnitude greater than that of a free imidazole group. The tyrosine residues have a pK value of approx. 10, but their average reactivities are substantially less than for a free phenolic group. At alkaline pH values above 8 the reactivity of all the functional groups show sharp discontinuities, indicating that insulin is undergoing a structural change that alters the properties of these groups.     

Interaction of antibodies with liposomes bearing fluorescent haptens

Kinetic and equilibrium aspects of the recognition of antigenic model membranes by antibodies have been studied. Monoclonal anti-fluorescein IgG and its monovalent Fab fragment were allowed to interact with a fluorescein-lipid hapten that was incorporated into phospholipid vesicles. The binding was assayed in the nanomolar hapten concentration range by monitoring the quenching of hapten fluorescence by antibody. The rate and strength of the binding depended on the lipid composition of the vesicles; cholesterol enhanced both. The biphasic binding kinetics observed at high antibody concentrations for some compositions, plus additional spectroscopic evidence, led us to hypothesize that the hapten existed in a composition-dependent equilibrium between at least two conformations: (1) extended away from the membrane surface, available for binding, and (2) sequestered at or in the surface, unavailable for binding. The rate and strength of IgG binding were always greater than those of Fab, indicating bivalent binding by the IgG. This binding was intra-vesicular, since no agglutination of the vesicles was detected.     

Comparative circular dichroism studies of an anti-fluorescein monoclonal antibody (Mab 4-4-20) and its derivatives.

This study presents circular dichroism (CD) spectra of a high-affinity monoclonal anti-fluorescein antibody (Mab 4-4-20), its Fab fragments, and corresponding single-chain antibody (SCA). In the region 200-250 nm, the differences in the CD spectra between these proteins reflect the uneven distribution of chromophores (tryptophan and tyrosine) rather than a major conformational change. On the basis of near-UV CD spectra, binding of the hapten fluorescein to these protein antibodies elicits an increased asymmetry in the microenvironment of the chromophoric residues in contact with the hapten and also perturbs the interface between VL and VH domains. The hapten-binding site provides a chiral microenvironment for fluorescein that elicits a pronounced induced fluorescein CD spectrum in both the visible and UV regions. In contrast to the parent molecules, SCA is thermolabile. Our results demonstrate that (1) UV CD spectra are useful for assessing the chromophoric microenvironment in the binding portion of antibodies and (2) the extrinsic fluorescein hapten CD spectra provide information about the interaction of hapten with the binding pocket.     

The variability of nitro group--protein interaction in the 2,4-dinitrophenyl-binding antibodies M315, M460 and X25 investigated by resonance Raman spectroscopy.

Pre-resonance Raman spectroscopy was used to study the interactions of the nitro groups of dinitrophenyl haptens with three dinitrophenyl-binding antibody fragments: M315 Fv, M460 Fab' and X25 Fab'. The observed changes in frequency of modes associated with the nitro moieties are compared with solvent-induced changes for the model hapten 2,4-dinitroaniline. These comparisons demonstrate a specific interaction via the H2N--C--C--2-NO2 and 4-NO2 groups with the protein. The interaction with the 4-NO2 group appears to be absent for epsilon-N-2,4-dinitrophenyl-L-lysine bound to M315 Fv fragment in contrast with either 2,4-dinitrophenylaspartate or 2,4-dinitrophenylglycine bound to M315 Fv fragment, despite the much tighter binding of the lysine derivative. The implications of this for M315 Fv fragment in terms of the antibody specificity are discussed. Comparisons of the effect of binding to M460 Fab' and X25 Fab' fragments also revealed significant differences in the shifts of the nitro group vibrations of 2,4-dinitrophenyl-lysine and 2,4-dinitroaniline.     

Structural and kinetic studies of the Fab fragment of a monoclonal anti-spin label antibody by nuclear magnetic resonance

Nuclear magnetic resonance has been used to study the structure of the anti-spin label antibody AN02 combining site and kinetic rates for the hapten-antibody reaction. The association reaction for the hapten dinitrophenyl-diglycine (DNP-diGly) is diffusion-limited. The activation enthalpy for association, 5.1 kcal/mol, is close to the activation enthalpy for diffusion in water. Several reliable resonance assignments have been made with the aid of recently reported crystal structure. Structural data deduced from the nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) spectra compare favorably with the crystal structure in terms of the combining site amino acid composition, distances of tyrosine residues from the unpaired electron of the hapten, and residues in direct contact with the hapten. Evidence is presented that a single binding site region tyrosine residue can assume two distinct conformations on binding of DNP-diGly. The AN02 antibody is an autoantibody. Dimerization of the Fab fragments is blocked by the hapten DNP-diGly. The n.m.r. spectra suggests that some of the amino acid residues involved in the binding of the DNP-hapten are also involved in the Fab dimerization.     

Biological effects of anti-idiotypic antibodies on lymphocyte function: I. Analysis of the effects on B lymphocytes of combining site and framework-directed anti-T-15 idiotypic antibodies

Anti-idiotypic antibodies against TEPC-15 myeloma protein (BALB/c origin) were raised in allogeneic animals by immunization of A/J mice with the myeloma protein. The antibody activities were fractionated into two specificities by TEPC-15 immunoadsorbent affinity columns by elution with free hapten (phosphorylcholine, PC), followed by elution with acidic buffer (glycine- HCl, pH 2.3). Idiotype binding analysis indicated that the fraction eluted with hapten could be inhibited in its binding to TEPC-15 by free hapten (i.e., binding site-directed anti-idiotypic antibody), whereas the acid-eluted fraction could not (i.e., framework-directed anti-idiotypic antibody). When analyzed for their biological activities on PC-specific B lymphocytes producing T-15 idiotype-bearing antibodies, both anti-idiotypic antibody fractions had similar suppressive effects on the in vitro production of antiphosphorylcholine antibody in culture.     

重金属汞螯合物人工抗原的合成与鉴定

以异硫氰酸苄基乙二胺四乙酸为双功能螯合剂,合成了半抗原,并将半抗原与钥孔戚血蓝素或牛血清白蛋白偶联制备抗原。用二喹啉甲酸(BCA)法测抗原浓度,对半抗原、抗原、KLH和BSA分别进行紫外分光光度计扫描, 利用SDS-PAGE电泳进行定性鉴定,用三硝基苯磺酸法间接测偶联率,用石墨炉原子分光吸收法检测抗原中Hg2+的含量。研究结果表明抗原合成成功, Hg-ITCBE-KLH、Hg-ITCBE-BSA、ITCBE-BSA中载体蛋白ε-氨基的替换程度依次为34.75±4.60％、40.61±0.99％、61.27±0.69％, Hg2+的含量依次为分：38.4±0.5μg/ml、125.5±0.9μg/ml、0μg/ml。