Understanding the determinants of substrate specificity in IMP family metallo-β-lactamases: The importance of residue 262

In Gram-negative bacteria, resistance to β-lactam antibacterials is largely due to β-lactamases and is a growing public health threat. One of the most concerning β-lactamases to evolve in bacteria are the Class B enzymes, the metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs). To date, penams and cephems resistant to hydrolysis by MBLs have not yet been found. As a result of this broad substrate specificity, a better understanding of the role of catalytically important amino acids in MBLs is necessary to design novel β-lactams and inhibitors. Two MBLs, the wild type IMP-1 with serine at position 262, and an engineered variant with valine at the same position (IMP-1-S262V), were previously found to exhibit very different substrate spectra. These findings compelled us to investigate the impact of a threonine at position 262 (IMP-1-S262T) on the substrate spectrum. Here, we explore MBL sequence-structure-activity relationships by predicting and experimentally validating the effect of the S262T substitution in IMP-1. Using site-directed mutagenesis, threonine was introduced at position 262, and the IMP-1-S262T enzyme, as well as the other two enzymes IMP-1 and IMP-1-S262V, were purified and kinetic constants were determined against a range of β-lactam antibacterials. Catalytic efficiencies (k_cat/K_M) obtained with IMP-1-S262T and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) observed with bacterial cells expressing the protein were intermediate or comparable to the corresponding values with IMP-1 and IMP-1-S262V, validating the role of this residue in catalysis. Our results reveal the important role of IMP residue 262 in β-lactam turnover and support this approach to predict activities of certain novel MBL variants.     

Neutralization of leukotriene C4 and D4 activity by monoclonal and single-chain antibodies

Background

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs) are key mediators in inflammation. To explore the structure of the antigen-recognition site of a monoclonal antibody against LTC₄ (mAbLTC), we previously isolated full-length cDNAs for heavy and light chains of the antibody and prepared a single-chain antibody comprising variable regions of these two chains (scFvLTC).

Methods

We examined whether mAbLTC and scFvLTC neutralized the biological activities of LTC₄ and LTD₄ by competing their binding to their receptors.

Results

mAbLTC and scFvLTC inhibited their binding of LTC₄ or LTD₄ to CysLT₁ receptor (CysLT₁R) and CysLT₂ receptor (CysLT₂R) overexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The induction by LTD₄ of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 mRNAs in human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells expressing CysLT₁R was dose-dependently suppressed not only by mAbLTC but also by scFvLTC. LTC₄- and LTD₄-induced aggregation of mouse platelets expressing CysLT₂R was dose-dependently suppressed by either mAbLTC or scFvLTC. Administration of mAbLTC reduced pulmonary eosinophil infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia observed in a murine model of asthma. Furthermore, mAbLTC bound to CysLT₂R antagonists but not to CysLT₁R antagonists.

Conclusions

These results indicate that mAbLTC and scFvLTC neutralize the biological activities of LTs by competing their binding to CysLT₁R and CysLT₂R. Furthermore, the binding of cysteinyl LT receptor antagonists to mAbLTC suggests the structural resemblance of the LT-recognition site of the antibody to that of these receptors.

General significance

mAbLTC can be used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as asthma.     

褐飞虱细胞色素P450基因CYP4C62的原核表达及多克隆抗体的制备

【目的】细胞色素P450单加氧酶在昆虫生长发育和适应环境过程中发挥着重要功能。【方法】本研究克隆了褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens细胞色素P450基因CYP4C62的开放阅读框（不含信号肽编码序列部分）,在大肠杆菌Escherichia coli中实现了高效表达,经Ni-NTA琼脂糖凝胶亲和层析柱纯化得到了重组的CYP4C62蛋白。将该蛋白免疫日本大耳白兔Oryctolagus cuniculus雄兔,制备了兔抗CYP4C62血清抗体。采用间接ELISA方法检测了血清抗体的效价;并通过Western印迹杂交检测了该抗体的免疫学特异性。【结果】结果表明,通过大肠杆菌表达出的CYP4C62蛋白相对分子量为56 kD。间接ELISA法检测表明,制备的兔抗CYP4C62抗体的效价达到1∶100 000。Western印迹杂交证实,该抗体既可与异源表达的CYP4C62蛋白特异性结合,也可以与褐飞虱总蛋白中内源的CYP4C62特异性结合,表明具有较好的免疫反应特异性。【结论】CYP4C62多克隆抗体的成功制备,为后续分析CYP4C62在褐飞虱各组织中的时空表达水平,并通过免疫组织化学法定位分析该蛋白的组织、细胞及亚细胞分布规律,及最终解析CYP4C62的生物学功能奠定了基础。     

水稻Argonaute 2蛋白的原核表达与多克隆抗体制备

为了制备水稻Argonaute 2(AGO2)的多克隆抗体,该研究采用RT-PCR扩增OsAGO2蛋白165~401aa片段和440~570aa片段的编码序列,并构建了2个原核表达载体。诱导表达重组蛋白后注射家兔,制备了相应的多克隆抗体,最后利用Western blot初步分析水稻AGO2蛋白的表达模式。结果表明:成功构建2个表达载体,通过诱导获得了分子量约为30kD和23kD的重组蛋白。其中,以440~570aa片段为抗原所制备的多克隆抗体免疫印记效果较好。Western blot表明在水稻花药、愈伤组织及小穗中检测到OsAGO2表达。该研究为进一步深入探讨水稻OsAGO2基因的特性与功能奠定了基础。     

毕赤酵母表达gp96-scFv抗体及生物活性测定

旨在利用毕赤酵母分泌表达gp96-scFv抗体,纯化后得到能特异性结合gp96抗原的小分子抗体片段(scFv)。根据gp96-scFv抗体基因序列,合成gp96-scFv抗体基因序列,将gp96-scFv抗体序列克隆到毕赤酵母表达质粒pPICZα-A,线性化的重组表达载体电转化到毕赤酵母X33,甲醇诱导目的蛋白表达,通过亲和层析法纯化目的蛋白,并以SDS-PAGE和Western blotting进行鉴定。通过Western blotting、Immunofluorescence、ELISA、FACS方法对gp96-scFv抗体的生物活性进行了检测。结果成功地构建了分泌表达抗gp96蛋白scFv抗体的毕赤酵母菌,每升毕赤酵母菌培养上清经纯化可获约50 mg gp96-scFv抗体,所获抗体其分子量大约为15 kDa,具有与gp96抗原特异性结合的活性。本研究通过毕赤酵母菌成功表达了gp96-scFv抗体,生物活性Western blotting、Immunofluorescence、ELISA、FACS分析表明该抗体能特异性结合gp96。     

Placental Transfer of a Fully Human IgG2 Monoclonal Antibody in the Cynomolgus Monkey,Rat, and Rabbit: A Comparative Assessment from during Organogenesis to Late Gestation

Understanding species differences in the placental transfer of monoclonal antibodies is important to inform species selection for nonclinical safety assessment, interpret embryo‐fetal changes observed in these studies, and extrapolate their human relevance. Data presented here for a fully human immunoglobulin G2 monoclonal antibody (IgG2X) revealed that, during organogenesis, in both the cynomolgus monkey (gestation day 35 [gd35]) and the rat (gd10) the extent of IgG2X placental transfer (approximately 0.5% maternal plasma concentration, MPC) was similar to the limited published human data for endogenous IgG. At this early gestational stage, IgG2X placental transfer was approximately 6‐fold higher in the rabbit (gd10). By the end of organogenesis, rat embryonic plasma concentrations (gd16) exceeded those in the cynomolgus monkey (gd50) by approximately 3‐fold. These data suggest that relative to the cynomolgus monkey, the rabbit (and to a lesser extent the rat) may overestimate potential harmful effects to the human embryo during this critical period of development. Beyond organogenesis, fetal IgG2X plasma concentrations increased approximately 10‐fold early in the second trimester (gd50–70) in the cynomolgus monkey and remained relatively unchanged thereafter (at approximately 5% MPC). Late gestational assessment was precluded in rabbits due to immunogenicity, but in rats, fetal IgG2X plasma concentrations increased more than 6‐fold from gd16 to gd21 (reaching approximately 15% MPC). In rats, maternal exposure consistent with that achieved by ICH S6(R1) high‐dose selection criteria resulted in embryonic plasma concentrations, reaching pharmacologically relevant levels during organogenesis. Furthermore, dose proportional exposure in both mothers and embryos indicated that this was unlikely to occur at the lower therapeutic dose levels used in humans     

Towards defining biomarkers indicating resistances to targeted therapies

An impressive, but often short objective response was obtained in many tumor patients treated with different targeted therapies, but most of the patients develop resistances against these drugs. So far, a number of distinct mechanisms leading to intrinsic as well as acquired resistances have been identified in tumors of distinct origin. These can arise from genetic alterations, like mutations, truncations, and amplifications or due to deregulated expression of various proteins and signal transduction pathways, but also from cellular heterogeneity within tumors after an initial response. Therefore, biomarkers are urgently needed for cancer prognosis and personalized cancer medicine. The application of “ome”-based technologies including cancer (epi)genomics, next generation sequencing, cDNA microarrays and proteomics might led to the predictive or prognostic stratification of patients to categorize resistance mechanisms and to postulate combinations of treatment strategies. This review discusses the implementation of proteome-based analysis to identify markers of pathway (in)activation in tumors and the resistance mechanisms, which represent major clinical problems as a tool to optimize individually tailored therapies based on targeted drugs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biomarkers: A Proteomic Challenge.     

Engineered Fc based antibody domains and fragments as novel scaffolds

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been successful for the therapy of a number of diseases mostly cancer and immune disorders. However, the vast majority of mAbs approved for clinical use are full size, typically in IgG1 format. These mAbs may exhibit relatively poor tissue penetration and restricted epitope access due to their large size. A promising solution to this fundamental limitation is the engineering of smaller scaffolds based on the IgG1 Fc region. These scaffolds can be used for the generation of libraries of mutants from which high-affinity binders can be selected. Comprised of the CH2 and CH3 domains, the Fc region is important not only for the antibody effector function but also for its long half-life. This review focuses on engineered Fc based antibody fragments and domains including native (dimeric) Fc and monomeric Fc as well as CH2 and monomeric CH3, and their use as novel scaffolds and binders. The Fc based binders are promising candidate therapeutics with optimized half-life, enhanced tissue penetration and access to sterically restricted binding sites resulting in an increased therapeutic efficacy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Recent advances in molecular engineering of antibody.     

抗IFITM1 单克隆抗体的制备及检测

目的：制备抗干扰素诱导的跨膜蛋白-1(interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1, IFITM1)的单克隆抗体,为检测IFITM1 及进一步研究其在结肠肿瘤发生过程中的作用提供实验基础。方法：以结肠癌患者的癌组织为材料,提取总RNA,以RT-PCR扩 增得到IFITM1 cDNA 序列,经ECoRⅠ和HindⅢ双酶切后,克隆入pGEX-4T-3 进行原核表达并纯化得IFITM1-GST;以该融合蛋 白免疫BALB/c 小鼠,淋巴细胞杂交瘤法制备单克隆抗体;采用ELISA、Western-blot及免疫组织化学法以制备的抗体检测结肠癌 患者结肠癌组织中的IFITM1。结果：成功构建了IFITM1 原核表达载体,获得了IFITM1-GST 重组蛋白;制备得到了1 株抗 IFITM1 单克隆抗体,腹水ELISA 效价为1:30000,抗体亚类为IgG1,可用于ELISA、Western-blot及免疫组织化学法检测结肠癌患 者结肠癌组织中的IFITM1。结论：获得了1 株可用于ELISA、Western-blot及免疫组织化学法的抗IFITM1 单克隆抗体2F-1,为进 一步研究IFITM1在结肠肿瘤发生过程中的作用提供了实验基础。     

抗 Trx 单克隆抗体用于血吸虫病诊断的研究 *

摘要 目的： 建立双抗体夹心 ELISA 法检测日本血吸虫硫氧还蛋白 （Thioredoxin,Trx ）。方法： 用重组日本血吸虫 Trx （rTrx ） 蛋白免 疫 BALB/c 小鼠, 筛选高滴度、 高特异性的单克隆抗体建立双抗体夹心 ELISA 法。通过检测日本血吸虫排泄 - 分泌物 （ excretorysecretions,ES ） 与 rTrx 的浓度评价该方法的敏感性; 通过对健康人血清的检测确定其特异性; 通过对布氏姜片吸虫病、 华支睾吸虫 病、 卫氏并殖吸虫病、 囊虫病患者血清进行交叉反应试验, 评价该方法的特异性。 结果： 获得 2 株稳定分泌抗 rTrx 蛋白单克隆抗体 的杂交瘤细胞株, 命名为 McTrx1 和 McTrx2。以 McTrx1 为包被抗体, HRP-McTrx2 为酶标抗体, 建立的双抗体夹心 ELISA 可检 测出 ES 的最低浓度为 4.8 μg/ml, 检测出 rTrx 的最低浓度为 1.2 μg/ml。 该方法的特异性为 96%。 结论： 以抗 rTrx 蛋白单克隆抗体 McTrx1 与 McTrx2 为基础建立的双抗体夹心 ELISA 法具有较高的特异性。