The antibody–antigen interaction at an aqueous–solid interface: A study by means of polarized infrared ATR spectroscopy

The determination of structural changes in antibodies due to their specific interaction with antigenic proteins is an important problem in understanding immunological responses. The method of polarized ATR infrared spectroscopy applied to protein films adsorbed on an appropriate solid surface can give information about the conformation of the polypeptide chains, as well as their orientation with respect to the surface. The adsorption of anti-rabbit serum albumin onto monomolecular films of rabbit serum albumin, bovine serum albumin, and ovalbumin, and of anti-ovalbumin onto films of rabbit serum albumin and ovalbumin at a Ge-aqueous interface have been studied by this technique. The intensity of the amide I absorption indicates that the strengths of binding of these three albumin proteins with anti-rabbit serum albumin is, under appropriate conditions, in the order rabbit > bovine ? ovalbumin; with anti-ovalbumin, it is ovalbumin ? rabbit. Since the frequencies of the amide I band appear near 1655 cm^?1 for all the proteins and protein complexes studied, the major contributions to their conformation comes from α-helix and random-coil structures. The average orientation of the transition moments of the amide I and A bands has been shown to be about 75° with respect to the surface normal. This indicates that the polypeptides chains are on the average approximately parallel to the surface for all the systems studied. Consequently, the effect of the specific antibody-antigen interaction on the conformation and orientation of the former seems negligible in these films.     

Practical applications of high-affinity, albumin-binding proteins from a group G streptococcal isolate

Binding proteins that have high affinities for mammalian plasma proteins that are expressed on the surface of bacteria have proven valuable for the purification and detection of several biologically important molecules from human and animal plasma or serum. In this study, we have isolated a high affinity albumin-binding molecule from a group G streptococcal isolate of bovine origin and have demonstrated that the isolated protein can be biotinylated without loss of binding activity and can be used as a tracer for quantification of human serum albumin (HSA). The binding protein can be immobilized and used as a selective capture reagent in a competitive ELISA format using a biotinylated HSA tracer. In this assay format, the sensitivity of detection for 50% inhibition of binding of HSA was less than 1 μg/ml. When attached to the bacterial surface, this binding protein can be used to deplete albumin from human plasma, as analyzed by surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry.     

Characterization of the solution structure of human serum albumin loaded with a metal porphyrin and fatty acids

The structure of human serum albumin loaded with a metal porphyrin and fatty acids in solution is characterized by orientation-selective double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy. Human serum albumin, spin-labeled fatty acids, and Cu(II) protoporphyrin IX—a hemin analog—form a fully self-assembled system that allows obtaining distances and mutual orientations between the paramagnetic guest molecules. We report a simplified analysis for the orientation-selective DEER data which can be applied when the orientation selection of one spin in the spin pair dominates the orientation selection of the other spin. The dipolar spectra reveal a dominant distance of 3.85 nm and a dominant orientation of the spin-spin vectors between Cu(II) protoporphyrin IX and 16-doxyl stearic acid, the electron paramagnetic resonance reporter group of the latter being located near the entry points to the fatty acid binding sites. This observation is in contrast to crystallographic data that suggest an asymmetric distribution of the entry points in the protein and hence the occurrence of various distances. In conjunction with the findings of a recent DEER study, the obtained data are indicative of a symmetric distribution of the binding site entries on the protein's surface. The overall anisotropic shape of the protein is reflected by one spin-spin vector orientation dominating the DEER data.     

Human serum albumin adsorption onto a-SiC:H and a-C:H thin films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

In the present paper, we report the study of the adsorption behavior of a model protein such as human serum albumin (HSA) onto surfaces of a-SiC:H and a-C:H thin films deposited by using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique. The surface composition and surface energy of the various substrates as well as the evaluation of the adsorbed amount of protein has been carried out by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurements. It has been found that HSA tends to preferentially adsorb on Si-rich surfaces, as far as the relative amount of adsorbed HSA decreases with increasing S-C concentration. Preliminary elements of mechanistic models are proposed for the correlation between chemical factors and the observed protein adsorption behavior.     

Pulsed radiolysis of aqueous solutions of serum albumin containing naphthoquinones

As was shown by the pulse radiolysis method the simultaneous presence of naphthoquinone and human serum albumin molecules in an aqueous solution leads to the adsorption of the former on the surface of the latter. It is suggested that in these conditions the protein tertiary structure changes. New conformation reduces the reactivity of albumin toward the hydrated electron.     

The effect of bovine and human serum albumins on the mechanical properties of human erythrocyte membranes

Crystalline bovine serum albumin increased the mechanical resistance of fresh human erythrocytes to lysis by hydrodynamic shear forces. A saturation effect suggests that the bovine alubmin molecules are adsorbed on to a finite number of “attachment sites” on the erythrocyte surface, possibly by displacing human proteins already occupying these sites. A heterogeneous fraction of human serum albumins does not exhibit the same marked protection effect, nor displace adsorbed bovine albumin molecules from the erythrocyte surface. The precise nature and extent of the interaction between any given concentration of either human or bovine serum albumin and the intact erythrocyte membrane depends upon the chronological age of the cell concerned.     

Molecular aspects of the interaction between albumin and tannin-treated erythrocytes in the process of hemosensitization. Report 1. Stable and unstable effects. Quantitative parameters]

A study was made of the process of interaction between the tannin-treated sheep erythrocytes and the human serum albumin. Protein binding increased, whereas the loose/stable binding ratio decreased with the rise of the initial protein concentration. The process of stable albumin binding is described by the Langmour equation, this permitting to assess the limiting binding values -- about 6-10(5) molecules per erythrocyte. Albumin molecules were bound by erythrocyte with their greatest surface. At any concentration albumin was incapable of occupying more than 85% of the erythrocyte surface; at 90% binding level it blocked only 51--52% of the tannin-treated erythrocyte. The data obtained were regarded as a methodical basis for the preparation of erythrocytic diagnostic agents with the proteins of albumin type.     

Orientation of the water molecules of hydration of human serum albumin

Through contact-angle measurements with a number of liquids, on layers of hydrated human serum albumin (HSA), built on anisotropic ultrafilter membranes, the apolar, Lifshitz-van der Waals surface tension component, as well as the polar, electron-acceptor and electron-donor parameters of the hydrated layers could be determined. From these data, it was found that the degree of orientation of the water molecules of hydration of HSA is 98% in the first layer of hydration and 30% of the second layer. The water molecules of hydration are oriented with the H atoms closest to, and the O atoms farthest from, the protein surface.     

Formation of Molecular Complexes Between a Structurally Defined M Protein and Acylated or Deacylated Lipoteichoic Acid of Streptococcus pyogenes

The orientation of lipoteichoic acid (LTA) molecules on the surface of bacterial cells undoubtedly is determined by the ability of the LTA, during its transit through the cell wall, to bind via its polyglycerophosphate backbone or its glycolipid moieties to other constituents of the cytoplasmic membrane and the cell wall. We have investigated the possibility that LTA may become anchored to the cell surface by binding through its polyanionic backbone to positively charged regions of cell wall proteins. LTA was found to prevent the precipitation of partially purified HCl extracts of several strains of streptococci as well as a structurally defined streptococcal M protein molecule (pep M24) in 83% solutions of ethanol. The formation of complexes between LTA and M protein was demonstrated further by immunoelectrophoresis of pep M24 protein with increasing concentrations of radiolabeled LTA and by using antiserum against pep M24 to develop precipitin arcs. Pep M24 electrophoresed alone produced a single precipitin arc close to the origin. In contrast, when electrophoresed as a mixture with LTA or deacylated LTA, the M protein produced a second precipitin arc toward the anode coinciding with the area of migration of the radioactive LTA. Increasing concentrations of LTA or deacylated LTA shifted increasing amounts of the pep M24 antigen to the region of the second arc. Maleylation of M protein to block the positively charged free amino groups before mixing it with LTA prevented the formation of complexes. The complexes formed by the M protein with LTA, but not with deacylated LTA, showed the capacity to bind bovine serum albumin; LTA had been shown previously to bind to the fatty acid binding sites on bovine serum albumin. These results indicate that the LTA molecule is able to bind via its polyanionic backbone to positively charged residues of surface proteins of cells of S. pyogenes. The implications of such interaction as to the orientation of LTA molecules on the surface of cells of S. pyogenes are discussed.     

Interaction of prostaglandin E2 with human serum albumin

Using equilibrium dialysis, protein fluorescence and fluorescent probing as well as chemical modification, the interaction of prostaglandin E2 with human serum albumin was studied. The serum albumin molecule has a highly specific prostaglandin E2-binding site. The binding of prostaglandin causes conformational rearrangements in the protein molecule. The amino group of serum albumin is involved in the interaction with prostaglandin E2. Prolonged exposure of prostaglandin E2 to serum albumin causes partial irreversible binding of prostaglandin molecules to the protein.     

Generic Method for Attaching Biomolecules via Avidin-Biotin Complexes Immobilized on Films of Regenerated and Nanofibrillar Cellulose

We investigated the adsorption and chemical conjugation of avidin and its deglycosylated form, neutravidin, on films of regenerated and nanofibrillar cellulose. The dynamics and extent of biomolecular attachment were monitored in situ by quartz crystal microbalance microgravimetry and ex situ via surface analyses with atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The installation of carboxyl groups on cellulose after modification with carboxymethylated cellulose (CMC) or TEMPO-oxidation significantly increases physisorption of avidins, which can be then covalently conjugated by using 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDS/NHS) coupling chemistries. The developed cellulose-avidin biointerfaces are able to scavenge biotinylated molecules from solution as demonstrated by successful surface complexation of biotinylated bovine serum albumin (Biotin-BSA) and antihuman immunoglobulin G (Biotin-anti-hIgG). Finally, we show that cellulose substrates carrying immobilized anti-hIgG are effective in detecting human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) from fluid matrices.     

Chromatographic study of magnesium and calcium binding to immobilized human serum albumin

The use of immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) as a stationary phase in affinity chromatography has been shown to be useful in resolving optical antipodes or to investigate interactions between drugs and protein. However, to our knowledge, no inorganic ion binding has been studied on this immobilized protein type. To do this, the human serum albumin stationary phase was assimilated to a weak cation-exchanger by working with a mobile phase pH equal to 6.5. A study of the eluent ionic strength effect on ion retention was carried out by varying the buffer concentrations and the column temperatures. The thermodynamic parameters for magnesium and calcium transfer from the mobile to the stationary phase were determined from linear van’t Hoff plots. An enthalpy–entropy compensation study revealed that the type of interaction was independent of the mobile phase composition. A simple model based on the Gouy–Chapman theory was considered in order to describe the retention behavior of the test cations with the mobile phase ionic strength. From this theoretical approach, the relative charge densities of the human serum albumin surface implied in the binding process were estimated at different column temperatures.     

Interaction of bromophenol blue with serum albumin: criteria for using dyes for assessing the state and quantity of protein

The optical properties of the complexes of the pH-dependent dye bromophenol blue (BPB) with human serum albumin were investigated by the spectrophotometric method. The solvatochromic longwave displacement of bound BPB-2 absorption and BPB-1/BPB-2 redistribution were shown to form the optical signal of complexes. Because of the distortion of the bound BPB-2 signal its quantity was determined as delta A630 = A630 - A660 and the use of lambda max as structural parameter was limited to low pH less than or equal to 3. The conclusion was made that BPB is inapplicable as a structural probe on account of low structural dependence of delta A630 and pH-limitation of lambda max used. The maximal absorption delta Amax = Amax - A660 and its structural independence were obtained in the region of 70-100% occupation of the dye-binding centers of the protein. It is the optimal conditions for the quantitative determination of protein. After maximal dye binding (15-16 molecules of BPB per 1 molecule of albumin) the aggregation and precipitation of the complexes occurred.     

Adhesion of Listeria monocytogenes to silica surfaces after sequential and competitive adsorption of bovine serum albumin and beta-lactoglobulin.

Adsorbed bovine serum albumin was resistant to exchange with beta-lactoglobulin, and when albumin was adsorbed from a mixture, its surface concentration increased with time. The passivating character of adsorbed albumin and its resistance to desorption were consistent with the level of Listeria monocytogenes adhesion evoked by albumin-containing protein films.     

Changes in the antioxidant properties of substituted phenol polydisulfides during interaction with human serum albumin

Gallic acid polydisulfide and poly(2-aminodisulfide-4-nitrophenol) in aqueous solutions were shown to form polycomplexes with human serum albumin. This process was accompanied by considerable changes in the spectrum of protein circular dichroism recorded in distilled water in the far UV range at 20 degrees C. Complex formation between human serum albumin and polydisulfides was followed by a marked decrease in the content of alpha-helices and increase in the count of antiparallel beta-structures in the protein. Stable complexes containing 1.5, 2.8, and 7.7 poly(2-aminodisulfide-4-nitrophenol) molecules per human serum albumin molecule were formed in bicarbonate buffer (pH 9.0). In these complexes, the secondary protein structure underwent changes similar to those in polycomplexes of human serum albumin and polydisulfides. Gallic acid polydisulfide and poly(2-aminodisulfide-4-nitrophenol) inhibited the catalase-induced degradation of 50 mM H2O2. Complexes of human serum albumin and poly(2-aminodisulfide-4-nitrophenol) increased the catalytic activity and operational stability of catalase 1.5 and 4-7-fold, respectively. This was characterized by the effective reaction rate constant (kin, s-1). Our results indicate that complexes of human serum albumin and substituted phenol polydisulfides act as potent protectors and activators of catalase during enzymatic degradation of H2O2 at high concentrations.     

Engineering of Bispecific Affinity Proteins with High Affinity for ERBB2 and Adaptable Binding to Albumin

The epidermal growth factor receptor 2, ERBB2, is a well-validated target for cancer diagnostics and therapy. Recent studies suggest that the over-expression of this receptor in various cancers might also be exploited for antibody-based payload delivery, e.g. antibody drug conjugates. In such strategies, the full-length antibody format is probably not required for therapeutic effect and smaller tumor-specific affinity proteins might be an alternative. However, small proteins and peptides generally suffer from fast excretion through the kidneys, and thereby require frequent administration in order to maintain a therapeutic concentration. In an attempt aimed at combining ERBB2-targeting with antibody-like pharmacokinetic properties in a small protein format, we have engineered bispecific ERBB2-binding proteins that are based on a small albumin-binding domain. Phage display selection against ERBB2 was used for identification of a lead candidate, followed by affinity maturation using second-generation libraries. Cell surface display and flow-cytometric sorting allowed stringent selection of top candidates from pools pre-enriched by phage display. Several affinity-matured molecules were shown to bind human ERBB2 with sub-nanomolar affinity while retaining the interaction with human serum albumin. Moreover, parallel selections against ERBB2 in the presence of human serum albumin identified several amino acid substitutions that dramatically modulate the albumin affinity, which could provide a convenient means to control the pharmacokinetics. The new affinity proteins competed for ERBB2-binding with the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab and recognized the native receptor on a human cancer cell line. Hence, high affinity tumor targeting and tunable albumin binding were combined in one small adaptable protein.     

Reactivity of histidine and lysine side-chains with diethylpyrocarbonate -- a method to identify surface exposed residues in proteins

The chemical modification of amino acid side-chains followed by mass spectrometric detection can reveal at least partial information about the 3-D structure of proteins. In this work we tested diethylpyrocarbonate, as a common histidyl modification agent, for this purpose. Appropriate conditions for the reaction and detection of modified amino acids were developed using angiotensin II as a model peptide. We studied the modification of several model proteins with a known spatial arrangement (insulin, cytochrome c, lysozyme and human serum albumin). Our results revealed that the surface accessibility of residues is a necessary, although in itself insufficient, condition for their reactivity; the microenvironment of side-chains and the dynamics of protein structure also affect the ability of residues to react. However the detection of modified residues can be taken as proof of their surface accessibility, and of direct contact with solvent molecules.     

Orientation and lateral mobility of cytochrome c on the surface of ultrathin lipid multilayer films.

We have previously shown that cytochrome c can be electrostatically bound to an ultrathin multilayer film having a negatively charged hydrophilic surface; furthermore, x-ray diffraction and absorption spectroscopy techniques indicated that the cytochrome c was bound to the surface of these ultrathin multilayer films as a molecular monolayer. The ultrathin fatty acid multilayers were formed on alkylated glass, using the Langmuir-Blodgett method. In this study, optical linear dichroism was used to determine the average orientation of the heme group within cytochrome c relative to the multilayer surface plane. The cytochrome c was either electrostatically or covalently bound to the surface of an ultrathin multilayer film. Horse heart cytochrome c was electrostatically bound to the hydrophilic surface of fatty acid multilayer films having an odd number of monolayers. Ultrathin multilayer films having an even number of monolayers would not bind cytochrome c, as expected for such hydrophobic surfaces. Yeast cytochrome c was covalently bound to the surface of a multilayer film having an even number of fatty acid monolayers plus a surface monolayer of thioethyl stearate. After washing extensively with buffer, the multilayer films with either electrostatically or covalently bound cytochrome c were analyzed for bound protein by optical absorption spectroscopy; the orientation of the cytochrome c heme was then investigated via optical linear dichroism. Polarized optical absorption spectra were measured from 450 to 600 nm at angles of 0 degrees, 30 degrees, and 45 degrees between the incident light beam and the normal to the surface plane of the multilayer. The dichroic ratio for the heme alpha-band at 550 nm as a function of incidence angle indicated that the heme of the electrostatically-bound monolayer of cytochrome c lies, on average, nearly parallel to the surface plane of the ultrathin multilayer. Similar results were obtained for the covalently-bound yeast cytochrome c. Furthermore, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) was used to characterize the lateral mobility of the electrostatically bound cytochrome c over the monolayer plane. The optical linear dichroism and these initial FRAP studies have indicated that cytochrome c electrostatically bound to a lipid surface maintains a well-defined orientation relative to the membrane surface while exhibiting measurable, but highly restricted, lateral motion in the plane of the surface.