Selection of single-chain variable fragment antibodies to black currant reversion associated virus from a synthetic phage display library

Progress on Phage Display Technology: Tailoring Antibodies for Cancer Immunotherapy

The search for innovative anti-cancer drugs remains a challenge. Over the past three decades, antibodies have emerged as an essential asset in successful cancer therapy. The major obstacle in developing anti-cancer antibodies is the need for non-immunogenic antibodies against human antigens. This unique requirement highlights a disadvantage to using traditional hybridoma technology and thus demands alternative approaches, such as humanizing murine monoclonal antibodies. To overcome these hurdles, human monoclonal antibodies can be obtained directly from Phage Display libraries, a groundbreaking tool for antibody selection. These libraries consist of genetically engineered viruses, or phages, which can exhibit antibody fragments, such as scFv or Fab on their capsid. This innovation allows the in vitro selection of novel molecules directed towards cancer antigens. As foreseen when Phage Display was first described, nowadays, several Phage Display-derived antibodies have entered clinical settings or are undergoing clinical evaluation. This comprehensive review unveils the remarkable progress in this field and the possibilities of using clever strategies for phage selection and tailoring the refinement of antibodies aimed at increasingly specific targets. Moreover, the use of selected antibodies in cutting-edge formats is discussed, such as CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) in CAR T-cell therapy or ADC (antibody drug conjugate), amplifying the spectrum of potential therapeutic avenues.

Camelid nanobodies with high affinity for broad bean mottle virus: a possible promising tool to immunomodulate plant resistance against viruses

Worldwide, plant viral infections decrease seriously the crop production yield, boosting the demand to develop new strategies to control viral diseases. One of these strategies to prevent viral infections, based on the immunomodulation faces many problems related to the ectopic expression of specific antibodies in planta. Camelid nanobodies, expressed in plants, may offer a solution as they are an attractive tool to bind efficiently to viral epitopes, cryptic or not accessible to conventional antibodies. Here, we report a novel, generic approach that might lead to virus resistance based on the expression of camelid specific nanobodies against Broad bean mottle virus (BBMV). Eight nanobodies, recognizing BBMV with high specificity and affinity, were retrieved after phage display from a large 'immune' library constructed from an immunized Arabic camel. By an in vitro assay we demonstrate how three nanobodies attenuate the BBMV spreading in inoculated Vicia faba plants. Furthermore, the in planta transient expression of these three selected nanobodies confirms their virus neutralizing capacity. In conclusion, this report supports that plant resistance against viral infections can be achieved by the in vivo expression of camelid nanobodies.

Structure of the mite-transmitted Blackcurrant reversion nepovirus using electron cryo-microscopy

Blackcurrant reversion nepovirus (BRV; genus Nepovirus) has a single-stranded, bipartite RNA genome surrounded by 60 copies of a single capsid protein (CP). BRV is the most important mite-transmitted viral pathogen of the Ribes species. It is the causal agent of blackcurrant reversion disease. We determined the structure of BRV to 1.7 nm resolution using electron cryo- microscopy (cryoEM) and image reconstruction. The reconstruction reveals a pseudo T=3 viral capsid similar to that of tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV). We modelled the BRV capsid protein to that of TRSV and fitted it into the cryoEM reconstruction. The fit indicated that the extended C-terminus of BRV-CP is located on the capsid surface and the N-terminus on the interior. We generated peptide antibodies to two putatively exposed C-terminal sequences and these reacted with the virus. Hence homology modelling may be useful for defining epitopes for antibody generation for diagnostic testing of BRV in commercial crops.

Black currant reversion virus, a mite-transmitted nepovirus

SUMMARY Taxonomy: Black currant reversion virus (BRV) is the first identified mite-transmitted member of the genus Nepovirus (family Comoviridae). A few systematic studies have been performed to compare virus isolates from different geographical locations. Physical properties: Purified preparations contain two closely sedimenting centrifugal components (B and M for RNA1 and RNA2, respectively) at varying ratios, and occasionally a T component (for satellite RNA). The BRV capsids have a diameter of 27 nm and they are putatively composed of 60 copies of a single species of capsid (coat) protein assembled in an icosahedral lattice. Diluted plant sap loses its infectivity within 1 day at 20 degrees C and in 4-8 days at 4 degrees C. Hosts: The natural host range of BRV is limited; it infects black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) and some related Ribes species. The transmission of the virus is by the eriophyid gall mite of black currant (Cecidophyopsis ribis). A number of herbaceous plants can be infected experimentally. BRV is the agent of black currant reversion disease (BRD), which is economically the most significant virus disease in Ribes species. BRV and BRD occur widely in locations where black currant is cultivated commercially.

Applications of recombinant antibodies in plant pathology

Summary Advances in molecular biology have made it possible to produce antibody fragments comprising the binding domains of antibody molecules in diverse heterologous systems, such as Escherichia coli, insect cells, or plants. Antibody fragments specific for a wide range of antigens, including plant pathogens, have been obtained by cloning V-genes from lymphoid tissue, or by selection from large naive phage display libraries, thus avoiding the need for immunization. The antibody fragments have been expressed as fusion proteins to create different functional molecules, and fully recombinant assays have been devised to detect plant viruses. The defined binding properties and unlimited cheap supply of antibody fusion proteins make them useful components of standardized immunoassays. The expression of antibody fragments in plants was shown to confer resistance to several plant pathogens. However, the antibodies usually only slowed the progress of infection and durable 'plantibody' resistance has yet to be demonstrated. In future, it is anticipated that antibody fragments from large libraries will be essential tools in high-throughput approaches to post-genomics research, such as the assignment of gene function, characterization of spatio-temporal patterns of protein expression, and elucidation of protein-protein interactions.

Phage-displayed peptides as developmental agonists for Phytophthora capsici zoospores

As part of its pathogenic life cycle, Phytophthora capsici disperses to plants through a motile zoospore stage. Molecules on the zoospore surface are involved in reception of environmental signals that direct preinfection behavior. We developed a phage display protocol to identify peptides that bind to the surface molecules of P. capsici zoospores in vitro. The selected phage-displayed peptides contained an abundance of polar amino acids and proline but were otherwise not conserved. About half of the selected phage that were tested concomitantly induced zoospore encystment in the absence of other signaling agents. A display phage was shown to bind to the zoospore but not to the cyst form of P. capsici. Two free peptides corresponding to active phage were similarly able to induce encystment of zoospores, indicating that their ability to serve as signaling ligands did not depend on their exact molecular context. Isolation and subsequent expression of peptides that act on pathogens could allow the identification of receptor molecules on the zoospore surface, in addition to forming the basis for a novel plant disease resistance strategy.

Fully "Recombinant Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays" Using Genetically Engineered Single-Chain Antibody Fusion Proteins for Detection of Citrus tristeza virus

ABSTRACT Recombinant single-chain variable fragment antibodies (scFv) that bind specifically to Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), which cause the most detrimental viral disease in the citrus industry worldwide, were obtained from the hybridoma cell lines 3DF1 and 3CA5. These scFv were genetically fused with dimerization domains as well as with alkaline phosphatase, respectively, and diagnostic reagents were produced by expressing these fusion proteins in bacterial cultures. The engineered antibodies were successfully used for CTV diagnosis in plants by tissue print enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and double antibody sandwich-ELISA. The fully recombinant ELISAs were as specific and sensitive as conventional ELISAs performed with the parental monoclonal antibodies, showing the usefulness of recombinant antibodies for routine detection of a virus in woody plants for the first time.

Application of Phage Display in Selecting Tomato spotted wilt virus-Specific Single-Chain Antibodies (scFvs) for Sensitive Diagnosis in ELISA

ABSTRACT A panel of recombinant single-chain antibodies (scFvs) against structural proteins of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was retrieved from a human combinatorial scFv antibody library using the novel phage display technique. After subcloning the encoding DNA sequences in the expression vector pSKAP/S, which allowed the scFvs to be expressed as alkaline phosphatase fusion proteins, 17 different scFv antibodies were obtained. Of these, 12 scFvs were directed against the nucleoprotein (N) and 5, putatively, against the glycoproteins (G1 and G2). Five of the N-specific antibodies cross-reacted with two other tospoviruses (Tomato chlorotic spot virus and Groundnut ringspot virus), but none recognized the more distantly related tospoviruses Impatiens necrotic spot virus, Watermelon silverleaf mottle virus, Iris yellow spot virus, or Physalis severe mottle virus. The successful use of one of the antibodies as coating and detection reagent in a double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed the potential of the phage display system in obtaining antibodies for routine TSWV diagnosis.

Fusion proteins of single-chain variable fragments derived from phage display libraries are effective reagents for routine diagnosis of potato leafroll virus infection in potato

ABSTRACT A panel of 11 different single-chain variable fragment antibodies (scFv) that bind to potato leafroll virus (PLRV) has been studied to assess each one's suitability as practical diagnostic tools. The scFv, previously obtained from naive phage display libraries, were expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins. The fusion proteins comprised scFv joined to either the human light chain kappa constant domain (C(L)), an amphipathic helix (Zip), a combination of C(L) and Zip, or alkaline phosphatase (AP/S). The fusion proteins were tested for their ability to detect, or trap on enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) plates, PLRV in extracts of infected potato leaves. The tests done with the different scFv fusion proteins were compared with a standard triple-antibody sandwich (TAS)-ELISA that employs a rabbit polyclonal antibody preparation to coat microtiter plates and a monoclonal antibody, SCR3, to detect PLRV. Of 11 scFvC(L) fusion proteins, 7 detected PLRV as readily as SCR3 when used as detecting antibodies in TAS-ELISA. The limit of detection of purified PLRV for the different scFvC(L) fusion proteins ranged from 250 to 5 ng/ml; that for SCR3 is 5 ng/ml. Of the 11 scFv, 4 cross-reacted with some other luteoviruses. Several scFvC(L) and scFvC(L)Zip fusion proteins trapped PLRV from extracts of infected potato leaves as effectively as the polyclonal antibody preparation. Four scFv fusion proteins were used in a stem print assay to detect PLRV, and the results were similar to those obtained in tests using SCR3. The scFvC(L) fusion proteins retained activity for at least 6 months at 4 degrees C, and all scFv fusion proteins were fully active on reconstitution after lyophilization. A fully recombinant ELISA was devised that detected PLRV in extracts of infected potato, with results comparable to those obtained using the standard TAS-ELISA. The advantages of using scFv fusion proteins for the routine detection of plant viruses include the ability to produce large quantities of reagents cheaply in bacterial fermenters and to incorporate them into standardized tests.

Properties of a panel of single chain variable fragments against Potato leafroll virus obtained from two phage display libraries

Twelve single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies that bind to particles of Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) were obtained from two naive phage display libraries. Phages were selected against PLRV particles or dissociated PLRV particles immobilised onto tubes. Individual PLRV-binding scFv were identified by ELISA, after their expression either fused to the surface of phage particles, or as soluble scFv (scFv-c-myc), or as scFv-alkaline phosphatase fusion proteins (scFv-AP), obtained by subcloning into pSKAP/S. These procedures resulted in the isolation of scFv with different properties. For example, some of the scFv reacted strongly with virus particles but not with dissociated capsid protein, which suggests that they had reacted with discontinuous epitopes. Others reacted with dissociated capsid proteins and SDS-denatured protein, which suggests that they had reacted with continuous epitopes. ScFv were also subcloned into pC(L) for expression as fusion proteins with human kappa constant region (scFv-C(L)). Expression of these constructs in Escherichia coli yielded 0.2-1 mg protein per litre of bacterial culture. The different scFv fusion proteins were evaluated in ELISA to detect PLRV in leaf extracts of Physalis floridana. Absorbance values obtained with the fusion proteins were greater than those obtained with the scFv-c-myc, and were similar to those obtained in assays done using monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies.