Isolation of a high affinity scFv from a monoclonal antibody recognising the oncofoetal antigen 5T4

The oncofoetal antigen 5T4 is a 72 kDa glycoprotein expressed at the cell surface. It is defined by a monoclonal antibody, mAb5T4, that recognises a conformational extracellular epitope in the molecule. Overexpression of 5T4 antigen by tumours of several types has been linked with disease progression and poor clinical outcome. Its restricted expression in non-malignant tissue makes 5T4 antigen a suitable target for the development of antibody directed therapies. The use of murine monoclonal antibodies for targeted therapy allows the tumour specific delivery of therapeutic agents. However, their use has several drawbacks, including a strong human anti-mouse immune (HAMA) response and limited tumour penetration due to the size of the molecules. The use of antibody fragments leads to improved targeting, pharmacokinetics and a reduced HAMA. A single chain antibody (scFv) comprising the variable regions of the mAb5T4 heavy and light chains has been expressed in Escherichia coli. The addition of a eukaryotic leader sequence allowed production in mammalian cells. The two 5T4 single chain antibodies, scFv5T4WT19 and LscFv5T4, described the same pattern of 5T4 antigen expression as mAb5T4 in normal human placenta and by FACS. Construction of a 5T4 extracellular domain-IgGFc fusion protein and its expression in COS-7 cells allowed the relative affinities of the antibodies to be compared by ELISA and measured in real time using a biosensor based assay. MAb5T4 has a high affinity, K(D)=1.8x10(-11) M, as did both single chain antibodies, scFv5T4WT19 K(D)=2.3x10(-9) M and LscFv5T4 K(D)=7.9x10(-10) M. The small size of this 5T4 specific scFv should allow construction of fusion proteins with a range of biological response modifiers to be prepared whilst retaining the improved pharmacokinetic properties of scFvs.     

A monoclonal antibody recognising a surface marker on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) monocytes

The characterisation of a monoclonal antibody (mab 45) reacting with phagocytic leucocytes isolated from blood and spleen of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) is described. The surface marker labelled by this mab is expressed at relative low levels on the membrane of large, nearly nongranulated trout leucocytes, and having the typical morphology of monocytes in flow cytometry (Kfoury et al., 1999, Fish Pathology, 34, 1-6). No reaction of mab 45 with granulocytes, lymphocytes or thrombocytes was detected. In spleen and head kidney, large, polymorphonuclear leucocytes were immunostained. The mab most strongly recognised an antigen of 48 kDa prepared from trout leucocytes of different organs, but not in trout plasma. In an in vitro phagocytosis assay trout monocytes were stained with mab 45 after phagocytosis of Aeromonas salmonicida labelled with the lipophilic fluorescent cell surface linker PKH26. However, previous binding of mab 45 on trout leucocytes did not inhibit the phagocytosis of A. salmonicida particles. Using mab 45, the dynamics of monocytes in blood, spleen and peritoneal cavity could be demonstrated after intraperitoneal injection of trout with inactivated A. salmonicida. The described mab serves as a useful tool to investigate the involvement of monocytes/macrophages in immune reactions of trout to a variety of pathogens.     

A murine monoclonal antibody directed against a yeast cell wall glycoprotein antigen of the yeast genus Saccharomyces

Abstract Murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were selected against a cell wall glycoprotein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . One of the mAbs (92-276/018) specifically identified S. cerevisiae and the sibling species S. paradoxus, S. pastorianus and S. bayanus in immunofluorescence studies and immunoblot analyses, while no other yeast genera except Saccharomyces were recognized. Further analysis indicated that the mAb 92-276/018 reacts with an epitope in the carbohydrate chain of the cell wall glycoproteins.     

Characterization of a CD3-like rat T cell surface antigen recognized by a monoclonal antibody

A mouse mAb, which recognized a rat T cell surface Ag responsible for the T cell activation, was produced by a regular hybridoma method using F344 rat T cells stimulated with PMA and a calcium ionophore, as the Ag. The mAb termed 1F4 (kappa-IgM) was reactive with rat T cells but not with B cells and immunohistochemically it stained rat thymus tissues strongly at medulla and weakly rat cortex. Addition of 1F4 mAb to a culture of T cells resulted in the proliferation of T cells by a help of PMA or a solid support. 1F4 mAb also caused the modulation of the corresponding Ag but not other T cell markers such as CD5, CD2, and OX-52-defined Ag. The 1F4 mAb immunoprecipitated a cell surface component having an apparent m.w. of 25,000 from rat T cells which could be associated with a disulfide-linked heterodimer (m.w. 92,000) consists of subunits having m.w. of about 52,000 and 43,000. These results strongly suggest that the 1F4 mAb recognizes a rat T cell Ag homologous to the human and mouse CD3.     

Altered cell surface antigen expression in bladder carcinoma detected by a new hemagglutinating monoclonal antibody

A hemagglutinating monoclonal IgM antibody (MoAb145) was produced against a high incidence red blood cell membrane antigen. By the specific red cell adherence test, the antibody also reacted with human bladder epithelium; in addition, expression of the MoAb145 antigen was lost in some cases of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, in a manner similar to the ABH blood group. Hemagglutination studies with a panel of erythrocytes lacking specific high incidence red blood cell membrane antigens indicated that MoAb145 did not recognize ABH specificity but rather a determinant absent from rare MN variant erythrocytes, including En(a-) erythrocytes, which lack glycophorin-alpha. Failure of MoAb145 to stain, by indirect immunofluorescence, the erythroleukemia cell line K562, which expresses glycophorin-alpha and the MN blood group, and failure to inhibit MoAb145 hemagglutination with an erythrocyte sialoglycoprotein fraction that contained MN blood group activity suggests that MoAb145 does not recognize either glycophorin-alpha or the MN blood group, but rather another membrane determinant, which is altered in En(a-) erythrocytes. This study demonstrates a new epitope detected by MoAb145 that is shared between human erythrocyte membranes and bladder epithelia, and is affected by neoplastic transformation in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.     

Construction and characterisation of a hybrid-hybrid monoclonal antibody recognising both carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and vinca alkaloids

Summary Recent developments of hybridoma technology have allowed us to prepare a bispecific monoclonal antibody recognising both the tumour-associated antigen carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the cytostatic vinca alkaloids. The yields of the hybrid-hybrid 28.19.8 monclonal after affinity chromatography purification are close to 50% of the total Ig produced.The hybrid-hybrid has a molecular weight ca. 150000 daltons. The heavy chains of the hybrid-hybrid are a 1 heavy chain from the parental anti-CEA monoclonal and a 2a heavy chain from the anti-vinca alkaloid donor lymphocytes.     

Production of monoclonal antibodies against a cell surface concanavalin a binding glycoprotein

Concanavalin A-binding (Con A)-binding cell surface glycoproteins were isolated, via Con A-affinity chromatography, from Triton X-100-solubilized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell plasma membranes. The Con A binding glycoproteins isolated in this manner displayed a significantly different profile on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels than did the Tritonsoluble surface components, which were not retarded by the Con A-Sepharose column. [¹²⁵I]-Con A overlays of the pooled column fractions displayed on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electro-phoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated that there were virtually no Con A receptors associated with the unretarded peak released by the Con A-Sepharose column, whereas the material which was bound and specifically eluted from the Con A-Sepharose column with the sugar hapten α-methyl-D-mannopyranoside contained at least 15 prominent bands which bound [¹²⁵I]-Con A. In order to produce monoclonal antibodies against various cell surface Con A receptors, Balb/c mice were immunized with the pooled Con A receptor fraction. Following immunization spleens were excised from the animals and single spleen cell suspensions were fused with mouse myeloma P3/X63-Ag8 cells. Numerous hybridoma clones were subsequently picked on the basis of their ability to secrete antibody which could bind to both live and glutaraldehyde-fixed CHO cells as well as to the Triton-soluble fraction isolated from the CHO plasma membrane fraction. Antibody from two of these clones was able to precipitate a single [¹²⁵I]-labeled CHO surface component of ～265,000 daltons.     

Identification and characterization of a novel antigen complex on mouse mammary tumor cells using a monoclonal antibody against platelet glycoprotein Ic

The rat monoclonal antibody GoH3 identifies a complex of glycoproteins Ic and IIa on human and mouse platelets. The GoH3 epitope is located on glycoprotein Ic. A novel glycoprotein complex is identified by GoH3 on the surface membranes of mouse mammary epithelial tumor cells. This antigen complex is composed of glycoprotein Ic noncovalently associated with a monomor or a disulfide-linked multimer of a high molecular weight glycoprotein (Ic-binding protein (IcBP]. Glycoprotein Ic is synthesized as a large precursor with asparagine N-linked high mannose oligosaccharides. Processing of this precursor involves a proteolytic cleavage of the large polypeptides into two smaller disulfide-linked polypeptide chains, Ic alpha (heavy) and Ic beta (light), and conversion of the majority of the high mannose oligosaccharides into complex-type glycans. Likewise, glycoprotein IcBP is initially glycosylated with high mannose asparagine N-linked oligosaccharides which are processed to complex units in the mature form. Association of glycoprotein Ic with IcBP occurs within the cell soon after their synthesis. The kinetics of labeling show non-coordinate processing consistent with the idea that the concentration of glycoprotein Ic limits complex formation and the subsequent processing of glycoprotein IcBP.     

Expression of a 33-kDa antigen Tm 1 on lymphocyte surface after modulation of cell surface antigens by IgM monoclonal antibody

The mAb Tm 1 was obtained from a fusion of SP2/O tumor cells with spleen cells from CF1 mouse immunized with T cells modulated by an IgM anti-CD3 mAb.mAb Tm 1 reacted with IgM anti-CD3 modulated T cells (66.6%) but not with unmodulated T cells (4.4%). Tm 1 was not expressed on T cells modulated with either IgG2a or IgG1 anti-CD3 mAb. Immunoprecipitation from 125I-labeled CD3-modulated T cells showed that Tm 1 Ag is a single polypeptide of 33 kDa under reducing and nonreducing conditions. Kinetic studies revealed that Tm 1 was detectable on T cells 10 min after incubation and maximally expressed after 4 h of incubation with IgM anti-CD3 mAb. CD3 expression was markedly modulated by this anti-CD3 mAb after the same period of incubation. Studies with cycloheximide revealed that Tm 1 expression on T cells does not require new protein synthesis. Tm 1 expression persisted long after CD3-reexpression 24 h later. Tm 1 was present on a small fraction of circulating T cells, B cells, and monocytes and absent from granulocytes, platelets, E, and thymocytes. Tm 1 was not expressed on T cells after various activation stimuli but was expressed on B cells upon activation. Additional studies indicate that IgM mAb against other T cell differentiation Ag and IgM mAb against B cell Ag also lead to the expression of Tm 1 on these cells. Thus, modulation of surface Ag by IgM mAb externalizes this cytoplasmic Ag. However, one exception has been noted. Purified mAb Tm 1 was not mitogenic and was unable to block either the T cell proliferation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate plus anti-CD3 mAb and other T cell stimuli, or the B cell proliferation induced by B cell mitogens. The role of Tm 1 on lymphocyte function remains to be determined.     

Cell type specificity of a neural cell surface antigen recognized by the monoclonal antibody A2B5

Summary The monoclonal antibody A2B5 reacts with the surface membrane of most neurons in monolayer cultures of cerebellum, retina, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglion of embryonic and early postnatal C57BL/6J mice maintained in vitro for culture periods of 2 to 10 days. A small percentage of astroglial cells also expresses A2B5 antigen in murine, chicken and rabbit cerebellum, in chicken retina, and in murine spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion. Less mature astroglial cells are stained for A2B5 antigen to a greater extent than the more mature astrocytes. Astrocytes from rat cerebellum and mouse retina were not found to express A2B5 antigen under the present culture conditions. Some of the less mature oligodendrocytes recognized by 04 antibodies express A2B5 antigen, while the more mature 01 antigen and galactocerebroside-positive oligodendrocytes were not found to be A2B5 antigen-positive. Fibroblasts or fibroblast-like cells do not express detectable levels of A2B5 antigen. After fixation of the cells with paraformaldehyde and ethanol, all cell types present in culture are labeled by the A2B5 antibody intracellularly.     

Production of a human monoclonal antibody recognising a determinant on mouse IgG2b from a patient receiving mouse monoclonal antibody for diagnostic imaging

Summary The development of human antibodies recognising mouse immunoglobulins represents an obstacle to effective antibody therapy. This study shows that patients produce modest titres of antibodies (predominantly antimouse rather than anti-idiotypic) after a single low-dose injection for immunoscintigraphy, suggesting that repeated imaging with the same or a different antibody could be a problem. Fusion of the lymphocytes from a patient who had been imaged twice previously resulted in a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to an IgG2b isotypic determinant. Anti-IgG2b antibodies predominated in this patient's serum. Production of human monoclonal antibodies from patients given mouse monoclonal antibodies not only allows a finer dissection of the immune repertoire but also provides possible reagents for controlling the human anti-(mouse Ig) response, for selection of class-switch variants of mouse monoclonal antibodies and enhancing tumour imaging.     

Molecular cloning of the cell surface antigen identified by the osteoprogenitor-specific monoclonal antibody,HOP-26

Bone is a highly organized structure comprising a calcified connective tissue matrix formed by mature osteoblasts, which develop from the proliferation and differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells. The osteogenic cell lineage is thought to arise from a population of uncommitted multipotential stromal precursor cells (SPC) which reside close to all bone surfaces, in the bone marrow spaces and the surrounding connective tissue. These SPC also give rise to related cell lineages which form cartilage, smooth muscle, fat, and fibrous tissue. Due to the lack of well defined cell surface markers, little is known of the precise developmentally regulated changes in phenotype which occur during the differentiation and maturation of human osteoprogenitor cells into functional osteoblasts and ultimately, terminally differentiated osteocytes. In order to identify antibody reagents with greater specificity for osteoprogenitors we generated a series of antibodies following immunization with freshly isolated human bone marrow stromal fibroblasts. One such antibody, HOP-26, reacts with a cell surface antigen expressed by SPC and developing bone cells. We now demonstrate that this mAb identifies a member of the tetraspan family of cell surface glycoproteins, namely CD63. Western blot analysis of human bone marrow stromal cells (HBMSC) has revealed that like a well defined CD63 mAb 12F12, HOP-26 interacts with a heavily glycosylated cell surface protein with an apparent molecular weight of 50-60 kD.     

Immunolocalization of a guinea pig sperm surface antigen recognized by a monoclonal antibody E74

E74 is a mouse monoclonal antibody raised against the acrosome-reacted guinea pig spermatozoa. This study describes immunolocalization of the E74 antigen in guinea pig spermatozoa. Immunoelectron microscopy of guinea pig spermatozoa shows that the E74 antigen is localized on the equatorial segment plasma membrane following the acrosome reaction but not associated with the surface of the acrosome-intact spermatozoa. Immunoblot analysis of Triton X-100 extract of cauda epididymal guinea pig spermatozoa following one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that E74 antibody recognizes a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 45,000 dalton. Immunoblot of sperm extracts separated by two dimensional gel electrophoresis indicates a broad spot of 45,000 dalton in the 5 to 7.5 isoelectric focusing range.     

Characterization of rat T cell subset antigen by monoclonal antibody

6B2-B8 T cell hybridoma cells were used to immunize mice, and immune spleen cells were fused with NS/1 myeloma cells. One clone, designated RTH-7, reacted with 89.5% of rat thymocytes, 30.2% of rat spleen cells, and 42.3% of rat lymph node cells. The RTH-7 reacted with a subset of rat T cells but not with B cells. Double staining analysis demonstrated that RTH-7 stained a rat T cell subset distinct from R1-10B5-positive cells that were known to be equivalent to mouse Lyt-2. It was revealed that RTH-7 and W3/25 recognize different antigenic epitopes on the same molecule. The RTH-7 as well as W3/25 substantially inhibited the production of interleukin 2 by cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction and the lymphocyte proliferation induced by mixed lymphocyte reaction. The RTH-7 inhibited the lymphocyte proliferation induced by Con A whereas W3/25 failed to do so. The RTH-7 defined antigen has a molecular weight of 53,000 under reducing condition and 47,000 under nonreducing condition. The RTH-7 defined antigen showed a wide range of heterogeneity in pI (6.2-8.8). The associated molecule of approximate molecular weight of 27,000 was occasionally detected with the RTH-7 defined antigen in 6B2-B8 T cell hybridoma cells as well as peripheral T cells but not in thymocytes. Thus, RTH-7 detects a cell surface antigen of a functional T cell subset of rat origin.     

A monoclonal antibody to a unique cell surface growth regulatory glycopeptide

We have investigated the effect of changes of human erythrocyte cell shape on the degree of covalent modification by carboxyl methylation of membrane cytoskeletal proteins. The results indicate that the cell probably does not utilize carboxyl methylation to respond to cytoskeletal perturbations caused by such agents as A23187, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and chlorpromazine, all of which are known to cause large changes in cell shape. Protein carboxyl methylation also remained unchanged in the presence of cytochalasin B, which prevents such changes in cell shape. These results are not consistent with a cytoskeletal regulatory role for protein methylation reactions in the intact erythrocyte.     

Specific in vitro and in vivo drug localisation to tumour cells using a hybrid-hybrid monoclonal antibody recognising both carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and vinca alkaloids

Summary By using a bispecific monoclonal antibody recognising both carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the cytostatic vinca alkaloid drugs we have been able to show specific tumour localisation of vinca alkaloids. In vitro studies with sections of human colorectal tumours have demonstrated that the hybrid-hybrid 28.19.8 monoclonal is able to specifically localise vindesine to cells expressing CEA. Furthermore, the hybrid-hybrid 28.19.8 localises in vivo preferentially to tumour tissues in nude mice bearing the MAWI human xenograft tumour. This tumour-bound hybrid-hybrid monoclonal antibody induces profound changes in the bio-distribution of vinca alkaloid drugs, targeting them specifically to tumour tissues.     

Flow cytometric and immunoblot assays for cell surface ADP-ribosylation using a monoclonal antibody specific for ethenoadenosine

NAD-dependent ADP-ribosylation is one of the posttranslational protein modifications. On mammalian cells, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell surface ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) ADP-ribosylate other cell surface proteins and thereby affect important cellular functions. Here we describe convenient flow-cytometric and immunoblot assays for monitoring ADP-ribosylation of cell surface proteins on living cells by exploiting the capacity of ARTs to utilize etheno-NAD as substrate. Etheno-ADP-ribosylation of cell surface proteins can be detected by flow cytometry with 1G4, a monoclonal antibody specific for ethenoadenosine. Labeling of cells with 1G4 is dependent on the expression of cell surface ARTs and occurs only after incubation of ART-expressing cells with etheno-NAD and not with etheno-ADP-ribose. Dose-response analyses show efficient 1G4 staining of ART-expressing cells at micromolar etheno-NAD concentrations. Half-maximal staining is obtained with 1-2 micro M etheno-NAD, saturation is reached at 5-20 micro M etheno-NAD. Immunoblot analyses confirm that ART-expressing cells incorporate ethenoadenosine covalently (i.e., SDS resistant) into several cell surface proteins. The flow-cytometric 1G4 staining assay can be used to identify subpopulations of cells expressing cell surface ART activity and to select ART(hi) cell variants. The immunoblot 1G4 staining assay can also be used to identify etheno-ADP-ribosylated target proteins. These new assays hold promise for many interesting applications in biochemistry and cell biology.