Selection of Burkholderia pseudomallei protease-binding peptides by phage display

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a causative agent of melioidosis, a fatal community acquired septicemia in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. A protease has been proposed to be one of the major pathogenic factors to play a significant role in melioidosis. We have used phage display technology to identify peptides binding to B. pseudomallei protease. By screening a constrained cyclic heptapeptide library, five independent clones with affinity to this protease were isolated and the amino acid sequences were determined. The cyclic heptapeptides from two of the phage clones (Cys-Phe-Phe-Met-Pro-His-Thr-Phe-Cys) were identical and showed the strongest phage-protease interaction as detected by ELISA. Four of the five selected phages at the amount of 10¹³ phages could inhibit B. pseudomallei protease activity by approximately 50%.     

Selection of biologically active peptides by phage display of random peptide libraries

Random peptide libraries displayed on phage are used as a source of peptides for epitope mapping, for the identification of critical amino acids responsible for protein—protein interactions and as leads for the discovery of new therapeutics. Efficient and simple procedures have been devised to select peptides binding to purified proteins, to monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and to cell surfaces in vivo and in vitro.     

Identification of gliadin-binding peptides by phage display

Background  

Coeliac disease (CD) is a common and complex disorder of the small intestine caused by intolerance to wheat gluten and related edible cereals like barley and rye. Peptides originating from incomplete gliadin digestion activate the lamina propria infiltrating T cells to release proinflammatory cytokines, which in turn cause profound tissue remodelling of the small intestinal wall. There is no cure for CD except refraining from consuming gluten-containing products.     

pH-Dependent lytic peptides discovered by phage display

Lipid membranes compartmentalize eukaryotic cells and separate the cell interior from the extracellular milieu. So far, studies of peptide and protein interactions with membranes have largely been limited to naturally occurring peptides or to sequences designed on the basis of structural information and biophysical parameters. To expand on these studies, utilizing a system with minimal assumptions, we used phage-display technology to identify 12 amino acid-long peptides that bind to liposomes at pH 5.0 but not at pH 7.5. Of the nineteen peptides discovered, three were able to cause leakage of liposome contents. Multivalent presentation of these membrane-active peptides by conjugation onto poly(l-Lysine) enhanced their lytic potential. The secondary structures were analyzed by circular dichroism in aqueous 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and in buffered aqueous solutions, both in the presence and absence of liposomes. Two of the three lytic peptides show alpha helical profiles, whereas none of the nonlytic peptides formed stable secondary structures. The diverse characteristics of the peptides identified in this study demonstrate that phage-displayed peptide library screens on lipid membranes result in the discovery of nonclassical membrane-active peptides, whose study will provide novel insights into peptide-membrane interactions.     

Lipopolysaccaride-binding peptides obtained by phage display method

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. It has strong toxicity and might cause sepsis or septic shock. Thus early detection of LPS and neutralization of LPS toxicity are required. We obtained several new LPS-binding peptides using a phage display method. We synthesized 3 of these peptides and analyzed their binding affinity and capacity to LPS. One of these peptides, named Li5-001, showed high binding affinity to LPS and lipid A; the K_d values were 10 and 1 nM, respectively. Li5-001 showed a high binding capacity to LPS, and was estimated to bind 130 ng LPS/mg, which is higher than that of polymyxin B (80 ng LPS/mg); however, its LPS-neutralizing activity was low. Li5-001 coupled with beads will be useful for eliminating endotoxin contamination from pharmaceuticals. Its low LPS-neutralizing activity allows to be used in the Limulus amebocyte lysate test without eluting LPS from the Li5-001 coupled beads.     

Selection of human antibody fragments by phage display

Here, we describe a protocol for the selection of human antibody fragments using repertoires displayed on filamentous bacteriophage. Antigen-specific clones are enriched by binding to immobilized antigen, followed by elution and repropagation of phage. After multiple rounds of binding selection, specific clones are identified by ELISA. This article provides an overview of phage display and antibody technology, as well as detailed protocols for the immobilization of antigen, the selection of repertoires on purified or complex antigens and the identification of binders.     

Selection of HBV preSl-binding penta-peptides by phage display

Chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapies have a very limited efficacy in virus clearance. New anti- viral targets and agents are urgently needed. The envelope of HBV virion contains three surface glycoproteins, namely the large （LHBs）, middle （MHBs）, and small （SHBs） pro- teins. LHBs has an amino terminal preS which is composed of the preS1 and preS2 domains. The amino half of preS1 which is myristoylated plays a pivotal role in HBV entry, which can be exploited as an antiviral target. A common motif of five amino acids had been previously discovered to bind preSll_~s and HBV particles. In this study, we used preSl 1-65 to screen a phage display library of random penta-peptides to select the penta-peptides possessing a high preSl-binding affinity. After nine rounds of panning, we obtained one peptide designated as A5 which could bind preS1 with a high affinity. By systematically substitut- ing each residue of A5 with the other 19 amino acids, we identified a novel peptide with an increased preSl-binding affinity. Both peptides could inhibit HBV attachment to HepG2 cells, making them be potential candidates for HBV entry inhibitors.     

噬菌体展示技术筛选bFGF模拟短肽

目的：通过噬菌体展示技术筛选得到与FGFR结合的bFGF模拟短肽,为bFGF肽类抑制剂的研发提供实验基础。方法：以Balb/c 3T3细胞为靶标,以COS-7细胞作消减,对噬菌体随机七肽库进行4轮生物淘洗,再采用ELISA检测单克隆噬菌体对Balb/c 3T3亲和性和特异性,选取阳性克隆进行DNA测序分析。结果：从富集的噬菌体中获得12个阳性克隆,获得一组疏水性七肽及共同基序PR。结论：利用肽类新药开发的重要工具--噬菌体展示技术,得到2段bFGF的受体结合模拟肽,可望作为bFGF抑制剂的先导肽。     

Selection of a buried salt bridge by phage display

The α-helical coiled coil is a valuable folding motif for protein design and engineering. By means of phage display technology, we selected a capable binding partner for one strand of a coiled coil bearing a charged amino acid in a central hydrophobic core position. This procedure resulted in a novel coiled coil pair featuring an opposed Glu-Lys pair arranged staggered within the hydrophobic core of a coiled coil structure. Structural investigation of the selected coiled coil dimer by CD spectroscopy and MD simulations suggest that a buried salt bridge within the hydrophobic core enables the specific dimerization of two peptides.     

Selection for improved protein stability by phage display.

A library of mutants of a single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) was generated by a combination of directed and random mutagenesis, using oligonucleotides randomized at defined positions and two rounds of DNA shuffling. The library was based on the already well folding and stable scFv fragment 4D5Flu. In order to further improve this framework and test the efficiency of various selection strategies, phage display selection was carried out under different selective pressures for higher thermodynamic stability. Incubation of the display phages at elevated temperatures was compared to exposure of the phages to high concentrations of guanidinium chloride. Temperature stress-guided selection yielded the most stable scFv mutant after two rounds of mutagenesis and selection, due to the irreversibility of the unfolding process. It possessed only two mutations (His(L27d)Asn and Phe(L55)Val) and showed a thermodynamic stability improved by roughly 4 kcal/mol, threefold better expression yields in Escherichia coli as well as a 20-fold better binding constant than the 4D5Flu wild-type. The selection results obtained in this study delineate the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of different stability stress selection methods in phage display.     

Characterization of prostate-specific antigen binding peptides selected by phage display technology

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is an important marker for the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. Free PSA has been shown to be more extensively cleaved in sera from benign prostatic hyperplasia patients than in sera from prostate cancer patients. Moreover, the presence of enzymatically activatable PSA was characterized previously in sera from patients with prostate cancer by the use of the specific anti-free PSA monoclonal antibody (mAb) 5D3D11. As an attempt to obtain ligands for the specific recognition of different PSA forms including active PSA, phage-displayed linear and cyclic peptide libraries were screened with PSA coated directly into microplate wells or presented by two different anti-total PSA mAbs. Four different phage clones were selected for their ability to recognize PSA and the inserted peptides were produced as synthetic peptides. These peptides were found to capture and to detect specifically free PSA, even in complex biological media such as sera or tumour cell culture supernatants. Alanine scanning of peptide sequences showed the involvement of aromatic and hydrophobic residues in the interaction of the peptides with PSA whereas Spotscan analysis of overlapping peptides covering the PSA sequence identified a peptide binding to the kallikrein loop at residues 82-87, suggesting that the peptides could recognize a non-clipped form of PSA. Moreover, the PSA-specific peptides enhance the enzymatic activity of PSA immobilized into microplate wells whereas the capture of PSA by the peptides inhibited totally its enzymatic activity while the peptide binding to PSA had no effect in solution. These PSA-specific peptides could be potential tools for the recognition of PSA forms more specifically associated to prostate cancer.     

Selection and target-site mapping of peptides inhibiting HCV NS5B polymerase using phage display

A series of peptides binding to the HCV NS5B polymerase was selected from phage display peptide libraries. A conserved motif of Ser-Arg-X-Arg/Leu was identified among the selected peptides, and Pep2 (Trp-Ser-Arg-Pro-Arg- Ser-Leu) was chosen for further characterization. The binding of Pep2 to HCV NS5B in vivo was shown by a yeast twohybrid assay and by subcellular colocalization analysis using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. The in vitro interaction was also confirmed by GST pulldown assay. The replication of the HCV 1b subgenomic replicon was efficiently inhibited by the presence of the peptide. By using a subtractive biopanning against Pep2, the binding site of the peptide was mapped at the pocket of Pro388 to Pro391 in the thumb subdomain of the polymerase. A yeast two-hybrid analysis using Pro388Ala and Pro391Ala mutants of NS5B confirmed the binding.     

Aluminum- and mild steel-binding peptides from phage display

Using a phage library displaying random peptides of 12 amino acids on its surface, several peptides were found that bind to aluminum and mild steel. Like other metal-binding peptides, no obvious consensus motif has been found for these peptides. However, most of them are rich in hydroxyl-containing amino acids, serine or threonine, or contain histidine. For the aluminum-binding peptides, peptides with a higher number of hydroxyl-containing amino acids bind to the aluminum surface more tightly. For example, Val-Pro-Ser-Ser-Gly-Pro-Gln-Asp-Thr-Arg-Thr-Thr, which contains five hydroxyl-containing amino acid residues, was selected four-fold more frequently than a peptide containing only one serine, suggesting an important role for the hydroxyl-containing amino acids in the metal–peptide interaction.     

Amyloid-forming peptides selected proteolytically from phage display library

We demonstrated that amyloid-forming peptides could be selected from phage-displayed library via proteolysis-based selection protocol. The library of 28-residue peptides based on a sequence of the second zinc finger domain of Zif268, and computationally designed betabetaalpha peptide, FSD-1, was presented monovalently on the surface of M13 phage. The library coupled the infectivity of phage particles to proteolytic stability of a peptide introduced into the coat protein III linker. It was designed to include variants with a strong potential to fold into betabetaalpha motif of zinc finger domains, as expected from secondary structure propensities, but with no structure stabilization via zinc ion coordination. As our primary goal was to find novel monomeric betabetaalpha peptides, the library was selected for stable domains with the assumption that folded proteins are resistant to proteolysis. After less than four rounds of proteolytic selection with trypsin, chymotrypsin, or proteinase K, we obtained a number of proteolysis-resistant phage clones containing several potential sites for proteolytic attack with the proteinases. Eight peptides showing the highest proteolysis resistance were expressed and purified in a phage-free form. When characterized, the peptides possessed proteolytic resistance largely exceeding that of the second zinc finger domain of Zif268 and FSD-1. Six of the characterized peptides formed fibrils when solubilized at high concentrations. Three of them assembled into amyloids as determined through CD measurements, Congo red and thioflavin T binding, and transmission electron microscopy.     

Fibrin specific peptides derived by phage display: characterization of peptides and conjugates for imaging

Peptides that bind to fibrin but not to fibrinogen or serum albumin were selected from phage display libraries as targeting moieties for thrombus molecular imaging probes. Three classes of cyclic peptides (cyclized via disulfide bond between two Cys) were identified with consensus sequences XArXCPY(G/D)LCArIX (Ar = aromatic, Tn6), X(2)CXYYGTCLX (Tn7), and NHGCYNSYGVPYCDYS (Tn10). These peptides bound to fibrin at ～2 sites with K(d) = 4.1 μM, 4.0 μM, and 8.7 μM, respectively, whereas binding to fibrinogen was at least 100-fold weaker. The peptides also bind to the fibrin degradation product DD(E) with similar affinity to that measured for fibrin. The Tn7 and Tn10 peptides bind to the same site on fibrin, while the Tn6 peptides bind to a unique site. Alanine scanning identified the N- and C-terminal ends of the Tn6 and Tn7 peptides as most tolerant to modification. Peptide conjugates with either fluorescein or diethylenetriaminepentaaceto gadolinium(III) (GdDTPA) at the N-terminus were prepared for potential imaging applications, and these retained fibrin binding affinity and specificity in plasma. Relaxivity and binding studies on the GdDTPA derivatives revealed that an N-terminal glycyl linker had a modest effect on fibrin affinity but resulted in lower fibrin-bound relaxivity.     

以表位模拟肽为亲和靶标的肉毒毒素受体结合抑制剂的筛选及鉴定

以设计合成的A型肉毒毒素表位模拟肽为亲和靶标,对噬菌体随机肽库进行筛选,寻找能与A型肉毒毒素表位模拟肽特异结合并能拮抗毒素毒性效应的分子,通过ELISA鉴定阳性克隆,并对鉴定的阳性克隆进行特异性分析及DNA测序。氨基酸序列同源性分析发现,针对P4、P5表位模拟肽获得了两条特异的结合序列,并通过动物保护实验在噬菌体展示肽水平对特异结合分子的毒素毒性拮抗效应进行了初步研究,初步证明结合肽对A型肉毒毒素有一定的保护作用。     

Selection of large diversities of antiidiotypic antibody fragments by phage display

Antiidiotypic antibodies (Ab2) are needed as tools for a better understanding of molecular mimicry and the immunological network, and for many potential applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical field. Antiidiotypic antibodies mimicking carbohydrate or conformational epitopes (Ab2beta) are of considerable interest as surrogate immunogens for cancer vaccination. However, it has so far been difficult and tedious to produce Ab2s to a given antigen. Here we describe a fast and reliable technique for generating large diversities of antiidiotypic single chain antibody fragments from non-immunized phagemid libraries using phage display. Key elements are a specific elution with the original antigen followed by trypsin treatment of the eluted phages in combination with the protease sensitive helperphage KM13. This novel method was compared with various conventional selection and elution methods, including, specific elution with or without trypsin treatment, elution with glycine at pH 2.2 with or without trypsin treatment, and elution by trypsin treatment only. The results clearly show that specific elution in combination with trypsin treatment of the eluted phages is by far superior to the other conventional methods, enabling for the first time the generation of a large variety of Ab2s after only two to three rounds of selection, thereby maintaining maximum diversity. We obtained 28 to 88 antiidiotypes out of 96 tested clones after two to three rounds of selection with a diversity of 55-90 %. This was achieved for two carbohydrate (di-, and tetrasaccharides) and one conformational protein epitope using two large na?ve libraries and their corresponding monoclonal Ab1. The antiidiotypic nature of the selected scFv-phages was verified by ELISA and immunocytochemistry inhibition experiments.     

Combinatorial discovery of tumor targeting peptides using phage display

Peptides possess appropriate pharmacokinetic properties to serve as cancer imaging or therapeutic targeting agents. Currently, only a small number of rationally-derived, labeled peptide analogues that target only a limited subset of antigens are available. Thus, finding new cancer targeting peptides is a central goal in the field of molecular targeting. Novel tumor-avid peptides can be efficiently identified via affinity selections using complex random peptide libraries containing millions of peptides that are displayed on bacteriophage. In vitro and in situ affinity selections may be used to identify peptides with high affinity for the target antigen in vitro. Unfortunately, it has been found that peptides selected in vitro or in situ may not effectively target tumors in vivo due to poor peptide stability and other problems. To improve in vivo targeting, methodological combinatorial chemistry innovations allow selections to be conducted in the environment of the whole animal. Thus, new targeting peptides with optimal in vivo properties can be selected in vivo in tumor-bearing animals. In vivo selections have been proven successful in identifying peptides that target the vasculature of specific organs. In addition, in vivo selections have identified peptides that bind specifically to the surface of or are internalized into tumor cells. In the future, direct selection of peptides for cancer imaging may be expedited using genetically engineered bacteriophage libraries that encode peptides with intrinsic radiometal-chelation or fluorescent sequences.     

Identification of metal ion binding peptides containing unnatural amino acids by phage display

The bidentate metal binding amino acid bipyridylalanine (BpyAla) was incorporated into a disulfide linked cyclic peptide phage displayed library to identify metal ion binding peptides. Selection against Ni²⁺–nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) enriched for sequences containing histidine and BpyAla. BpyAla predominated when selections were carried out at lower pH, consistent with the differential pK_a’s of histidine and BpyAla. Two peptides containing BpyAla were synthesized and found to bind Ni²⁺ with low micromolar dissociation constants. Incorporation of BpyAla and other metal binding amino acids into peptide and protein libraries should enable the evolution of novel binding and catalytic activities.