Generation of recombinant antibodies and means for increasing their affinity

Highly specific interaction with foreign molecules is a unique feature of antibodies. Since 1975, when Keller and Milstein proposed the method of hybridoma technology and prepared mouse monoclonal antibodies, many antibodies specific to various antigens have been obtained. Recent development of methods for preparation of recombinant DNA libraries and in silico bioinformatics approaches for protein structure analysis makes possible antibody preparation using gene engineering approaches. The development of gene engineering methods allowed creating recombinant antibodies and improving characteristics of existing antibodies; this significantly extends the applicability of antibodies. By modifying biochemical and immunochemical properties of antibodies by changing their amino acid sequences it is possible to create antibodies with properties optimal for certain tasks. For example, application of recombinant technologies resulted in antibody preparation of high affinity significantly exceeding the initial affinity of natural antibodies. In this review we summarize information about the structure, modes of preparation, and application of recombinant antibodies and their fragments and also consider the main approaches used to increase antibody affinity.     

Generation of monoclonal antibodies to human acylphosphatase (muscular isoenzyme) and application in solid-phase immunoassay

Monoclonal antibodies to human acylphosphatase (muscle isoenzyme) were generated by an improved hybridoma technique. Immunization consisted of four antigen administrations in an overall period of 15 weeks. After cell fusion and repeated subcloning of positive lines, seven monoclonal antibodies with good affinity and specificity were selected. These antibodies were characterized for their affinity constant and immunoreactivity. The latter was determined using peptides generated by CNBr cleavage of the antigen. One of the selected antibodies had an affinity constant such that it could be used to develop a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In our test, the antigen that was coated on the matrix, and the free one, competed for the antibody-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. No cross-reactivity with the erythrocyte iso-enzyme was found, and the test showed a limit in sensitivity of 0.32 ng/ml of antigen. We expect that the enzyme immunoassay could be useful for clinical application.     

A simple hybridoma screening method for high-affinity monoclonal antibodies using the signal ratio obtained from time-resolved fluorescence assay

In hybridoma screening, quantitative kinetic evaluation is difficult since the concentration of each antibody in the hybridoma supernatant is unknown. From modeling calculations, we hypothesized that the ratio of two different antigen-antibody concentrations might allow discrimination of high-affinity monoclonal antibodies irrespective of the antibody concentration. Using anti-alpha-fetoprotein monoclonal antibodies of known affinity, we set the signal ratio of a time-resolved assay at >0.1, in which the antigen concentrations were 10 and 100 ng/mL. From anti-alpha-fetoprotein hybridoma screening with this assay, it was possible to effectively select high-affinity monoclonal antibodies with KD values below 1x10(-8) M. High-sensitivity sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which detects domain III of alpha-fetoprotein has been established using selected high-affinity monoclonal antibodies. This screening method is useful for selection of high-affinity monoclonal antibodies of potential diagnostic value.     

Application of recombinant antibody fragments for troponin I measurements

The cardiac isoform of troponin I is a reliable biomarker of damaged cardiomyocytes that accompanies such severe cardiovascular diseases as myocardial infarction. Monoclonal antibody 19C7 recognizes troponin I in the blood-stream with high affinity and specificity. Recombinant antibodies can be used to improve detection systems based on monoclonal antibodies produced with hybridoma technology. In the present study, we compare the properties of monoclonal anti-body 19C7 and its recombinant fragments. It is shown that the recombinant antibody fragments demonstrate similar affinity values as monoclonal antibodies and can be applied for troponin I detection.     

The specificity properties that distinguish members of a set of homologous anti-digoxin antibodies are controlled by H chain mutations

Five murine A/J strain anti-digoxin mAb (35-20, 40-40, 40-120, 40-140, and 40-160) have highly homologous H and L chain V regions, only differing by somatic mutation, yet differ in affinity and specificity. The availability of the VH and VL genomic clones from one hybridoma, 40-140, has now allowed studies involving in vitro mutagenesis and chain recombination among these five hybridomas. To determine the relative contributions of the mutations found in either VH or VL to the overall binding properties of these antibodies, we recombined the 40-140VH with the VL of each hybridoma. The 40-140VH gene was transfected into hybridoma variants that produce only VL. The recombinant antibodies show that the mutations present in VH, rather than in VL, affect the fine specificity properties of these antibodies, whereas, the mutations among both VH and VL chains are important in determining antigen affinity. From mutations present in VH that affect fine specificity properties, the comparison of the antibody sequences, and from the previously measured binding properties, we predicted and tested selected VH mutations for their ability to alter specificity or affinity by doing site-directed in vitro mutagenesis. The results for the somatic mutations found in this group of antibodies show: 1) VH mutations control the fine specificity properties that distinguish different members of this group; 2) in particular, VH residues 54 and 55 in CDR2 control the distinguishing characteristics of specificities between these antibodies; and 3) by mutagenesis, we had the unusual result of being able to alter Ag specificity without affecting affinity. A computer model of the 40-140 antibody binding site was generated which indicates that VH residues 54 and 55 are highly accessible.     

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced immunoglobulin hypermutation reduces the affinity and neutralizing activities of antibodies against HCV envelope protein

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) often causes persistent infection despite the presence of neutralizing antibodies against the virus in the sera of hepatitis C patients. HCV infects both hepatocytes and B cells through the binding of its envelope glycoprotein E2 to CD81, the putative viral receptor. Previously, we have shown that E2-CD81 interaction induces hypermutation of heavy-chain immunoglobulin (V(H)) in B cells. We hypothesize that if HCV infects antibody-producing B cells, the resultant hypermutation of V(H) may lower the affinity and specificity of the HCV-specific antibodies, enabling HCV to escape from immune surveillance. To test this hypothesis, we infected human hybridoma clones producing either neutralizing or non-neutralizing anti-E2 or anti-E1 antibodies with a lymphotropic HCV (SB strain). All of the hybridoma clones, except for a neutralizing antibody-producing hybridoma, could be infected with HCV and support virus replication for at least 8 weeks after infection. The V(H) sequences in the infected hybridomas had a significantly higher mutation frequency than those in the uninfected hybridomas, with mutations concentrating in complementarity-determining region 3. These mutations lowered the antibody affinity against the targeting protein and also lowered the virus-neutralizing activity of anti-E2 antibodies. Furthermore, antibody-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity with the antibodies secreted from the HCV-infected hybridomas was impaired. These results suggest that HCV infection could cause some anti-HCV-antibody-producing hybridoma B cells to make less-protective antibodies.     

Emerging trends in the synthesis and improvement of hapten-specific recombinant antibodies

A key requirement for successful immunotherapeutic and immunodiagnostic applications is the availability of antibodies with high affinity and specificity. In the past, polyclonal antibodies from hyperimmunized animals or monoclonal antibodies from hybridoma cell lines were used extensively and profitably in medicine and immunotechnology. Antibody-based diagnostics, such as immunoassays, are also widely accepted because of their high sensitivity and ease of use as compared to conventional chromatographic techniques. While immunoassays have been used to monitor organic chemical contaminants such as pesticides, food preservatives, antibiotics in agricultural and food industries, hapten-specific antibodies with the desired affinity and specificity are generally difficult to obtain. With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, antibody genes can be amplified and selected through phage display, cell surface display, or cell-free display systems. A particularly useful feature common to all these display systems is the linking of the phenotype and genotype of antibodies during selection. This allows easy co-selection of the desired antibodies and their encoding genes based on the binding characteristics of the displayed antibodies. The selected antibody DNA can be further manipulated for high-level expression, post-translation modification, and/or affinity and specificity improvement to suit their particular applications. Several hapten-specific antibodies, which were successfully selected and engineered to high specificity and affinity using display technologies, have been found to be amenable to conventional immunoassay development. In this review, we will examine different formats of immunoassays designed for hapten identification and various display technologies available for antibody selection and improvement.     

Structural characterization of idiotopes by using antibody variants generated by site-directed mutagenesis

Four anti-idiotopic mAB, 107, MB, AI, and AD8, react with mouse hybridoma protein 36-65 specific for the hapten p-azophenylarsonate. The four antiidiotypic antibodies do not react with hybridoma protein 36-71, a somatically mutated variant of 36-65 whose H and L chain V region sequence differs at 19 amino acid positions. To determine which regions of 36-65 are important for the interaction with each of the four anti-idiotypic antibodies, variants of 36-65 containing one or more of the 36-71 substitutions were generated by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of the rearranged 36-65 H chain V region gene, followed by expression of mutant proteins containing either the 36-65 or the 36-71 L chain in transfected hybridoma cells. Idiotypic characterization of the mutant proteins showed that reactivity correlates with the 36-65 H chain, but some contributions from the 36-65 L chain come into play. In the 36-65 H chain V region, idiotopes were mapped to the first and third complementarity-determining regions for anti-idiotypic antibodies 107, MB, and AI, and to all three complementarity-determining regions for anti-idiotypic antibody AD8. The binding of all four anti-idiotypic antibodies to hybridoma protein 36-65 was hapten inhibitable. However, a comparison between the effect of individual 36-71 substitutions on idiotope expression and their effect on Ag-binding affinity suggests that none of the four anti-idiotypic antibodies bodies mimics the structure of Ag.     

Purification of Monoclonal Antibodies Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Recent increases in the ability to detect low levels of immunofluorescence have shown the need for highly purified primary immunoreagents. There are now reports of purification of monoclonal antibodies using HPLC with reverse phase columns. In this study we have utilized standard size exclusion HPLC to purify both biotinylated and non-biotinylated monoclonal antibodies from hybridoma culture supernatants. Results indicated that both biotinylated and non-biotinylated monoclonal antibodies retained their antigen binding capacity after purification, and were not different in this capacity from commercially available, affinity purified reagents. These findings indicate that size exclusion HPLC may be used in the purification of biologically active monoclonal antibodies, and suggest that this technique may be used in the large scale production of antibodies and their fragments, in antibody purification from ascites fluid, and in antisera quality control.     

Natural antibodies as contaminants of hybridoma products

This report cites an example of natural antibodies in mouse serum and ascites fluid which may contaminate hybridoma products and cause difficulties in interpreting their reactions. These natural antibodies react with determinants expressed on human foetal glycoproteins (extracted from meconium) and on other blood group precursor-like substances which express a number of tumour associated- and differentiation antigens. Variable amounts of these antibodies may be present in the ascites fluid of mice obtained by intraperitoneal injection of cloned hydridomas. Although in most cases the hybridoma antibodies will be used at dilutions beyond the endpoint of these contaminating antibodies, it is important to be aware of possible reactions due to natural and acquired antibodies with diverse specificities in evaluating the reactions of hybridoma products harvested from any type of serum containing medium.     

Preparation and immunochemical properties of monoclonal antibodies to potato ring rot pathogen Corynebacterium sepedonicum

Five stable hybridoma lines producing monoclonal antibodies to Corynebacterium sepedonicum were obtained. The specificity of monoclonal antibodies obtained was characterized. Interactions of the antibodies with native cells and antigenic preparations from bacterial cell extracts were studied. The epitope specificity of these antibodies to their recognized antigens and the use of the antibodies in advanced immunodiagnostic assays are discussed.     

Functional and biochemical analysis of CD16 antigen on natural killer cells and granulocytes

CD16 Ag is associated with the low affinity FcR for IgG expressed on human NK cells and granulocytes. In this study, we demonstrate that NK cells specifically lyse murine anti-CD16 hybridoma cell lines, but do not lyse hybridomas against other cell surface differentiation Ag expressed on NK cells. Moreover, the CD18 structure is involved in the CD16-specific xenogeneic interaction between human effector cells and murine hybridoma target cells. Although interaction with anti-CD16 hybridomas or antibodies triggers the cytolytic mechanism of NK cells, this interaction does not induce cellular proliferation. In contrast to NK cells, CD16+ granulocytes do not lyse anti-CD16 hybridoma cell targets and do not mediate ADCC against antibody-coated human tumor cell targets. These findings indicate a fundamental difference in the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity mechanisms of NK cells and granulocytes. Comparative biochemical analysis of CD16 on NK cells and granulocytes revealed significant differences in the size of the polypeptides obtained after removal of N-linked carbohydrate residues with endo-F and N-glycanase digestion.     

Purification of monoclonal antibodies using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

Recent increases in the ability to detect low levels of immunofluorescence have shown the need for highly purified primary immunoreagents. There are now reports of purification of monoclonal antibodies using HPLC with reverse phase columns. In this study we have utilized standard size exclusion HPLC to purify both biotinylated and non-biotinylated monoclonal antibodies from hybridoma culture supernatants. Results indicated that both biotinylated and non-biotinylated monoclonal antibodies retained their antigen binding capacity after purification, and were not different in this capacity from commercially available, affinity purified reagents. These findings indicate that size exclusion HPLC may be used in the purification of biologically active monoclonal antibodies, and suggest that this technique may be used in the large scale production of antibodies and their fragments, in antibody purification from ascites fluid, and in antisera quality control.     

Affinity purification and refined structural characterization of terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase.

A total of 56 stable murine hybridoma monoclones that produce homogeneous antibodies against human or calf terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase have been established. All of the antibodies exhibited specific binding to various Mr forms of terminal transferase and eight possessed neutralizing activity. Results are presented that permitted characterization of ten of these antibodies with respect to their immunoglobulin class, their recognition of calf or human terminal-transferase Mr species by immunoblotting techniques and their recognition of distinct antigenic sites. Terminal transferase was purified in a single step by using an immunoaffinity column constructed with a monoclonal antibody exhibiting a high binding affinity for the enzyme. Single monoclonal antibodies were also used to bind selectively to terminal-transferase antigen in tissue slices and individual cells.     

Construction of a single-chain variable-fragment antibody against the superantigen Staphylococcal enterotoxin B

Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) is one of the most prevalent causes of food-borne illness throughout the world. SFP is caused by 21 different types of staphylococcal enterotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Among these, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is the most potent toxin and is a listed biological warfare (BW) agent. Therefore, development of immunological reagents for detection of SEB is of the utmost importance. High-affinity and specific monoclonal antibodies are being used for detection of SEB, but hybridoma clones tend to lose their antibody-secreting ability over time. This problem can be overcome by the use of recombinant antibodies produced in a bacterial system. In the present investigation, genes from a hybridoma clone encoding monoclonal antibody against SEB were immortalized using antibody phage display technology. A murine phage display library containing single-chain variable-fragment (ScFv) antibody genes was constructed in a pCANTAB 5E phagemid vector. Phage particles displaying ScFv were rescued by reinfection of helper phage followed by four rounds of biopanning for selection of SEB binding ScFv antibody fragments by using phage enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Soluble SEB-ScFv antibodies were characterized from one of the clones showing high affinity for SEB. The anti-SEB ScFv antibody was highly specific, and its affinity constant was 3.16 nM as determined by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). These results demonstrate that the recombinant antibody constructed by immortalizing the antibody genes from a hybridoma clone is useful for immunodetection of SEB.     

Immunoglobulin G specifically binding plant N-glycans with high affinity could be generated in rabbits but not in mice

Xylosylated and core alpha1,3-fucosylated N-glycans from plants are immunogenic, and they play a still obscure role in allergy and in the field of plant-made protein pharmaceuticals. We immunized mice to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) binding plant N-glycans specifically via the epitope containing either the xylose or the core alpha1,3-fucose residue. Splenocytes expressing N-glycan-specific antibodies derived from C57BL/6 mice previously immunized with plant glycoproteins were preselected by cell sorting to generate hybridoma lines producing specific antibodies. However, we obtained only mAbs unable to distinguish fucosylated from xylosylated N-glycans and reactive even with the pentasaccharide core Man3GlcNAc2. In contrast, immunization of rabbits yielded polyclonal sera selectively reactive with either fucosylated or xylosylated N-glycans. Purification of these sera using glyco-modified neoglycoproteins coupled to a chromatography matrix provided polyclonal sera suitable for affinity determination. Surface plasmon resonance measurements using sensor chips with immobilized glyco-modified transferrins revealed dissociation constants of around 10(-9) M. This unexpectedly high affinity of IgG antibodies toward carbohydrate epitopes has repercussions on our conception of the binding strength and significance of antiglycan IgE antibodies in allergy.     

Production and immunochemical characterization of monoclonal antibodies toCorynebacterium sepedonicum, the causative agent of potato ring rot

Five stable hybridoma lines producing monoclonal antibodies toCorynebacterium sepedonicum were obtained. The specificity of monoclonal antibodies obtained was characterized. Interactions of the antibodies with native cells and antigenic preparations from bacterial cell extracts were studied. The epitope specificity of these antibodies to their recognized antigens and the use of the antibodies in advanced immunodiagnostic assays are discussed.     

Idiotypic analysis of anti-GAT antibodies. VII. Common idiotype on hybridoma antibodies to poly(Glu60 Ala40)

A single DBA/2 mouse, immunized with L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine40 (GA), was used to produce hybridoma cell lines. Seven hybridoma anti-GA antibodies were obtained for idiotypic analyses. Two hybridoma anti-L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT) antibodies, preferentially reactive to GA, were studied in parallel. Anti-idiotypic antisera to purified anti-GAT and anti-GA serum antibodies and to hybridoma anti-GA antibodies were analyzed by idiotype binding and inhibition of idiotype binding assays. Five of the nine hybridoma antibodies exhibited common GA-1 idiotypic specificities previously demonstrated on the majority of anti-GA antibodies of inbred mouse strains of differing immunoglobulin heavy chain linkage groups; these hybridoma antibodies also possessed private idiotypic determinants. Two GA-1 negative hybridoma anti-GA antibodies appeared identical by immunochemical criteria, arguing that somatic hybridization does not artifactually generate private idiotypic determinants. The results demonstrate that the common GA-1 idiotype system is associated with a family of nonidentical but idiotypically related antibody molecules present in a single DBA/2 mouse, and these antibodies are part of the "GA-1 idiotypic family".     

Temperature-triggered purification of antibodies

In this article the unique capability of elastin-like protein (ELP) to reversibly precipitate was combined with the high affinity and specificity of antibody-binding domains such as Protein G, Protein L, or Protein LG as a general method for antibody purification that combines in a unique manner the simplicity and robustness of temperature-triggered precipitation with the selectivity of affinity interactions. In a single precipitation step, antibodies derived from different sources (animal sera or hybridoma cell cultures) were selectively recovered by a simple temperature trigger. Due to the versatility of the binding ligands toward different classes of antibodies, we believe that this technology will be useful as an economical, highly efficient, and universal platform for the purification of antibodies.     

人凝血因子Ⅶ单克隆抗体的制备与鉴定

目的：制备抗人凝血因子Ⅶ单克隆抗体并鉴定其特性。方法：应用杂交瘤融合技术,以重组人凝血因子Ⅶ为抗原免疫BALB／c小鼠;取免疫小鼠的脾细胞与Sp2／0骨髓瘤细胞融合,经间接ELISA法筛选、融合细胞有限稀释法克隆、克隆化杂交瘤细胞株的亚类鉴定等方法筛选出单克隆抗体杂交瘤细胞株,并对单克隆抗体的特异性进行鉴定;用杂交瘤细胞株诱生小鼠腹水,应用蛋白A亲和层析法进行单抗的纯化。结果：获得了3株可稳定分泌单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞3E8、3D2和1C5,诱生的腹水效价分别为1：1×10^7、1：1×10^6和1：1×10^6;亚类鉴定表明388为IgG2a,其余2株均为IgGl;特异性鉴定显示它们与多种血浆蛋白均无交叉反应,表明单抗是特异的;经过亲和层析,获得了纯化的单抗。结论：获得了特异性的人凝血因子Ⅶ单克隆抗体,为建立人凝血因子Ⅶ检测及纯化方法奠定了基础。