1
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Baskakova KO, Kuzmichev PK, Karbyshev MS. Advanced applications of Nanodiscs-based platforms for antibodies discovery. Biophys Chem 2024; 313:107290. [PMID: 39002246 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Due to their fundamental biological importance, membrane proteins (MPs) are attractive targets for drug discovery, with cell surface receptors, transporters, ion channels, and membrane-bound enzymes being of particular interest. However, due to numerous challenges, these proteins present underutilized opportunities for discovering biotherapeutics. Antibodies hold the promise of exquisite specificity and adaptability, making them the ideal candidates for targeting complex membrane proteins. They can target specific conformations of a particular membrane protein and can be engineered into various formats. Generating specific and effective antibodies targeting these proteins is no easy task due to several factors. The antigen's design, antibody-generation strategies, lead optimization technologies, and antibody modalities can be modified to tackle these challenges. The rational employment of cutting-edge lipid nanoparticle systems for retrieving the membrane antigen has been successfully implemented to simplify the mechanism-based therapeutic antibody discovery approach. Despite the highlighted MP production challenges, this review unequivocally underscores the advantages of targeting complex membrane proteins with antibodies and designing membrane protein antigens. Selected examples of lipid nanoparticle success have been illustrated, emphasizing the potential of therapeutic antibody discovery in this regard. With further research and development, we can overcome these challenges and unlock the full potential of therapeutic antibodies directed to target complex MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Baskakova
- Laboratory of Molecular Therapy of Cancer, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russian Federation
| | - Pavel K Kuzmichev
- Research Сenter for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudniy, Russian Federation
| | - Mikhail S Karbyshev
- Laboratory of Molecular Therapy of Cancer, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russian Federation; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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2
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Salom D, Wu A, Liu CC, Palczewski K. The Impact of Nanobodies on G Protein-Coupled Receptor Structural Biology and Their Potential as Therapeutic Agents. Mol Pharmacol 2024; 106:155-163. [PMID: 39107078 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.124.000974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The family of human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprises about 800 different members, with about 35% of current pharmaceutical drugs targeting GPCRs. However, GPCR structural biology, necessary for structure-guided drug design, has lagged behind that of other membrane proteins, and it was not until the year 2000 when the first crystal structure of a GPCR (rhodopsin) was solved. Starting in 2007, the determination of additional GPCR structures was facilitated by protein engineering, new crystallization techniques, complexation with antibody fragments, and other strategies. More recently, the use of camelid heavy-chain-only antibody fragments (nanobodies) as crystallographic chaperones has revolutionized the field of GPCR structural biology, aiding in the determination of more than 340 GPCR structures to date. In most cases, the GPCR structures solved as complexes with nanobodies (Nbs) have revealed the binding mode of cognate or non-natural ligands; in a few cases, the same Nb has acted as an orthosteric or allosteric modulator of GPCR signaling. In this review, we summarize the multiple ingenious strategies that have been conceived and implemented in the last decade to capitalize on the discovery of nanobodies to study GPCRs from a structural perspective. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are major pharmacological targets, and the determination of their structures at high resolution has been essential for structure-guided drug design and for insights about their functions. Single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) have greatly facilitated the structural determination of GPCRs by forming complexes directly with the receptors or indirectly through protein partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Salom
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute - Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology (D.S., A.W., K.P.) and Department of Biomedical Engineering (C.C.L.), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Arum Wu
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute - Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology (D.S., A.W., K.P.) and Department of Biomedical Engineering (C.C.L.), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Chang C Liu
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute - Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology (D.S., A.W., K.P.) and Department of Biomedical Engineering (C.C.L.), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute - Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology (D.S., A.W., K.P.) and Department of Biomedical Engineering (C.C.L.), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
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3
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Szwabowski GL, Griffing M, Mugabe EJ, O’Malley D, Baker LN, Baker DL, Parrill AL. G Protein-Coupled Receptor-Ligand Pose and Functional Class Prediction. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6876. [PMID: 38999982 PMCID: PMC11241240 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25136876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) transmembrane protein family members play essential roles in physiology. Numerous pharmaceuticals target GPCRs, and many drug discovery programs utilize virtual screening (VS) against GPCR targets. Improvements in the accuracy of predicting new molecules that bind to and either activate or inhibit GPCR function would accelerate such drug discovery programs. This work addresses two significant research questions. First, do ligand interaction fingerprints provide a substantial advantage over automated methods of binding site selection for classical docking? Second, can the functional status of prospective screening candidates be predicted from ligand interaction fingerprints using a random forest classifier? Ligand interaction fingerprints were found to offer modest advantages in sampling accurate poses, but no substantial advantage in the final set of top-ranked poses after scoring, and, thus, were not used in the generation of the ligand-receptor complexes used to train and test the random forest classifier. A binary classifier which treated agonists, antagonists, and inverse agonists as active and all other ligands as inactive proved highly effective in ligand function prediction in an external test set of GPR31 and TAAR2 candidate ligands with a hit rate of 82.6% actual actives within the set of predicted actives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel L. Baker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA; (G.L.S.); (M.G.); (E.J.M.); (D.O.); (L.N.B.)
| | - Abby L. Parrill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA; (G.L.S.); (M.G.); (E.J.M.); (D.O.); (L.N.B.)
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4
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Sachdev S, Creemer BA, Gardella TJ, Cheloha RW. Highly biased agonism for GPCR ligands via nanobody tethering. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4687. [PMID: 38824166 PMCID: PMC11144202 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49068-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Ligand-induced activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can initiate signaling through multiple distinct pathways with differing biological and physiological outcomes. There is intense interest in understanding how variation in GPCR ligand structure can be used to promote pathway selective signaling ("biased agonism") with the goal of promoting desirable responses and avoiding deleterious side effects. Here we present an approach in which a conventional peptide ligand for the type 1 parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR1) is converted from an agonist which induces signaling through all relevant pathways to a compound that is highly selective for a single pathway. This is achieved not through variation in the core structure of the agonist, but rather by linking it to a nanobody tethering agent that binds with high affinity to a separate site on the receptor not involved in signal transduction. The resulting conjugate represents the most biased agonist of PTHR1 reported to date. This approach holds promise for facile generation of pathway selective ligands for other GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Sachdev
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bathesda, MD, USA
| | - Brendan A Creemer
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bathesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas J Gardella
- Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ross W Cheloha
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bathesda, MD, USA.
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5
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Downey ML, Peralta-Yahya P. Technologies for the discovery of G protein-coupled receptor-targeting biologics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103138. [PMID: 38728825 PMCID: PMC11250939 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important pharmaceutical targets, working as entry points for signaling pathways involved in metabolic, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases. Although small molecules remain the major GPCR drug type, biologic therapeutics, such as peptides and antibodies, are increasingly found among clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. Here, we review state-of-the-art technologies for the engineering of biologics that target GPCRs, as well as proof-of-principle technologies that are ripe for this application. Looking ahead, inexpensive DNA synthesis will enable the routine generation of computationally predesigned libraries for use in display assays for the rapid discovery of GPCR binders. Advances in synthetic biology are enabling the increased throughput of functional GPCR assays to the point that they can be used to directly identify biologics that modulate GPCR activity. Finally, we give an overview of adjacent technologies that are ripe for application to discover biologics that target human GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKenna L Downey
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Pamela Peralta-Yahya
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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6
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Schlimgen RR, Peterson FC, Heukers R, Smit MJ, McCorvy JD, Volkman BF. Structural basis for selectivity and antagonism in extracellular GPCR-nanobodies. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4611. [PMID: 38816420 PMCID: PMC11139983 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49000-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are pivotal therapeutic targets, but their complex structure poses challenges for effective drug design. Nanobodies, or single-domain antibodies, have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to target GPCRs, offering advantages over traditional small molecules and antibodies. However, an incomplete understanding of the structural features enabling GPCR-nanobody interactions has limited their development. In this study, we investigate VUN701, a nanobody antagonist targeting the atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3). We determine that an extended CDR3 loop is required for ACKR3 binding. Uncommon in most nanobodies, an extended CDR3 is prevalent in GPCR-targeting nanobodies. Combining experimental and computational approaches, we map an inhibitory ACKR3-VUN701 interface and define a distinct conformational mechanism for GPCR inactivation. Our results provide insights into class A GPCR-nanobody selectivity and suggest a strategy for the development of these new therapeutic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman R Schlimgen
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Francis C Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Raimond Heukers
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martine J Smit
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
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7
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Skiba MA, Sterling SM, Rawson S, Zhang S, Xu H, Jiang H, Nemeth GR, Gilman MSA, Hurley JD, Shen P, Staus DP, Kim J, McMahon C, Lehtinen MK, Rockman HA, Barth P, Wingler LM, Kruse AC. Antibodies expand the scope of angiotensin receptor pharmacology. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01620-6. [PMID: 38744986 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01620-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key regulators of human physiology and are the targets of many small-molecule research compounds and therapeutic drugs. While most of these ligands bind to their target GPCR with high affinity, selectivity is often limited at the receptor, tissue and cellular levels. Antibodies have the potential to address these limitations but their properties as GPCR ligands remain poorly characterized. Here, using protein engineering, pharmacological assays and structural studies, we develop maternally selective heavy-chain-only antibody ('nanobody') antagonists against the angiotensin II type I receptor and uncover the unusual molecular basis of their receptor antagonism. We further show that our nanobodies can simultaneously bind to angiotensin II type I receptor with specific small-molecule antagonists and demonstrate that ligand selectivity can be readily tuned. Our work illustrates that antibody fragments can exhibit rich and evolvable pharmacology, attesting to their potential as next-generation GPCR modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A Skiba
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah M Sterling
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Cryo-EM Facility at MIT.nano, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shaun Rawson
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shuhao Zhang
- Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Huixin Xu
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Haoran Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Genevieve R Nemeth
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Morgan S A Gilman
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph D Hurley
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pengxiang Shen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dean P Staus
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Septerna, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jihee Kim
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Conor McMahon
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Sanofi, Large Molecule Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maria K Lehtinen
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Howard A Rockman
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Patrick Barth
- Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Laura M Wingler
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew C Kruse
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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8
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Wang WW, Ji SY, Zhang W, Zhang J, Cai C, Hu R, Zang SK, Miao L, Xu H, Chen LN, Yang Z, Guo J, Qin J, Shen DD, Liang P, Zhang Y, Zhang Y. Structure-based design of non-hypertrophic apelin receptor modulator. Cell 2024; 187:1460-1475.e20. [PMID: 38428423 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Apelin is a key hormone in cardiovascular homeostasis that activates the apelin receptor (APLNR), which is regarded as a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease. However, adverse effects through the β-arrestin pathway limit its pharmacological use. Here, we report cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of APLNR-Gi1 complexes bound to three agonists with divergent signaling profiles. Combined with functional assays, we have identified "twin hotspots" in APLNR as key determinants for signaling bias, guiding the rational design of two exclusive G-protein-biased agonists WN353 and WN561. Cryo-EM structures of WN353- and WN561-stimulated APLNR-G protein complexes further confirm that the designed ligands adopt the desired poses. Pathophysiological experiments have provided evidence that WN561 demonstrates superior therapeutic effects against cardiac hypertrophy and reduced adverse effects compared with the established APLNR agonists. In summary, our designed APLNR modulator may facilitate the development of next-generation cardiovascular medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Wei Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China; Center for Structural Pharmacology and Therapeutics Development, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Su-Yu Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China; Center for Structural Pharmacology and Therapeutics Development, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Wenjia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing 100191, China; Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Junxia Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing 100191, China; Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Peking University, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Chenxi Cai
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Rubi Hu
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shao-Kun Zang
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Luwei Miao
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Haomang Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China; Center for Structural Pharmacology and Therapeutics Development, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Li-Nan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zongkuai Yang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Jia Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jiao Qin
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Dan-Dan Shen
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Ping Liang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing 100191, China; Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China; Center for Structural Pharmacology and Therapeutics Development, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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9
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Zhang S, Fan Z, Liu J. Generation and characterization of nanobodies targeting GPCR. BIOPHYSICS REPORTS 2024; 10:22-30. [PMID: 38737476 PMCID: PMC11079602 DOI: 10.52601/bpr.2023.230026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large family of cell membrane proteins that are important targets for drug discovery. Nanobodies, also known as VHH (variable domains of heavy chain-only antibodies, HcAbs) antibodies, are small antibody fragments derived from camelids that have gained significant attention as potential therapeutics for targeting GPCRs due to their advantages over conventional antibodies. However, there are challenges in developing nanobodies targeting GPCRs, among which epitope accessibility is the most significant because the cell membrane partially shields the GPCR surface. We developed a universal protocol for making nanobodies targeting GPCRs using the cell membrane extract of GPCR-overexpressing HEK293 cells as the llama/alpaca immunization antigen. We constructed an immune VHH library and identified nanobodies by phage display bio-panning. The monoclonal nanobodies were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and purified to characterize their binding potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenglan Zhang
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Zhiran Fan
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China
- Cellular Signaling laboratory, International Research Center for Sensory Biology and Technology of MOST, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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10
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Kumar V, Chunchagatta Lakshman PK, Prasad TK, Manjunath K, Bairy S, Vasu AS, Ganavi B, Jasti S, Kamariah N. Target-based drug discovery: Applications of fluorescence techniques in high throughput and fragment-based screening. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23864. [PMID: 38226204 PMCID: PMC10788520 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Target-based discovery of first-in-class therapeutics demands an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases. Precise measurements of cellular and biochemical activities are critical to gain mechanistic knowledge of biomolecules and their altered function in disease conditions. Such measurements enable the development of intervention strategies for preventing or treating diseases by modulation of desired molecular processes. Fluorescence-based techniques are routinely employed for accurate and robust measurements of in-vitro activity of molecular targets and for discovering novel chemical molecules that modulate the activity of molecular targets. In the current review, the authors focus on the applications of fluorescence-based high throughput screening (HTS) and fragment-based ligand discovery (FBLD) techniques such as fluorescence polarization (FP), Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence thermal shift assay (FTSA) and microscale thermophoresis (MST) for the discovery of chemical probe to exploring target's role in disease biology and ultimately, serve as a foundation for drug discovery. Some recent advancements in these techniques for compound library screening against important classes of drug targets, such as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and GTPases, as well as phosphorylation- and acetylation-mediated protein-protein interactions, are discussed. Overall, this review presents a landscape of how these techniques paved the way for the discovery of small-molecule modulators and biologics against these targets for therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thazhe Kootteri Prasad
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Kavyashree Manjunath
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Sneha Bairy
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Akshaya S. Vasu
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - B. Ganavi
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Subbarao Jasti
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Neelagandan Kamariah
- Centre for Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, inStem & NCBS, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
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11
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Yu J, Kumar A, Zhang X, Martin C, Raia P, Koehl A, Laeremans T, Steyaert J, Manglik A, Ballet S, Boland A, Stoeber M. Structural Basis of μ-Opioid Receptor-Targeting by a Nanobody Antagonist. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.06.570395. [PMID: 38106026 PMCID: PMC10723425 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.570395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The μ-opioid receptor (μOR), a prototypical member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family, is the molecular target of opioid analgesics such as morphine and fentanyl. Due to the limitations and severe side effects of currently available opioid drugs, there is considerable interest in developing novel modulators of μOR function. Most GPCR ligands today are small molecules, however biologics, including antibodies and nanobodies, are emerging as alternative therapeutics with clear advantages such as affinity and target selectivity. Here, we describe the nanobody NbE, which selectively binds to the μOR and acts as an antagonist. We functionally characterize NbE as an extracellular and genetically encoded μOR ligand and uncover the molecular basis for μOR antagonism by solving the cryo-EM structure of the NbE-μOR complex. NbE displays a unique ligand binding mode and achieves μOR selectivity by interactions with the orthosteric pocket and extracellular receptor loops. Based on a β-hairpin loop formed by NbE that deeply inserts into the μOR and centers most binding contacts, we design short peptide analogues that retain μOR antagonism. The work illustrates the potential of nanobodies to uniquely engage with GPCRs and describes novel μOR ligands that can serve as a basis for therapeutic developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Xuefeng Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Raia
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Koehl
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Jan Steyaert
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Aashish Manglik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Steven Ballet
- Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andreas Boland
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Miriam Stoeber
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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12
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Sun D, Sun Y, Janezic E, Zhou T, Johnson M, Azumaya C, Noreng S, Chiu C, Seki A, Arenzana TL, Nicoludis JM, Shi Y, Wang B, Ho H, Joshi P, Tam C, Payandeh J, Comps-Agrar L, Wang J, Rutz S, Koerber JT, Masureel M. Structural basis of antibody inhibition and chemokine activation of the human CC chemokine receptor 8. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7940. [PMID: 38040762 PMCID: PMC10692165 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The C-C motif chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) is a class A G-protein coupled receptor that has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in cancer. Targeting CCR8 with an antibody has appeared to be an attractive therapeutic approach, but the molecular basis for chemokine-mediated activation and antibody-mediated inhibition of CCR8 are not fully elucidated. Here, we obtain an antagonist antibody against human CCR8 and determine structures of CCR8 in complex with either the antibody or the endogenous agonist ligand CCL1. Our studies reveal characteristic antibody features allowing recognition of the CCR8 extracellular loops and CCL1-CCR8 interaction modes that are distinct from other chemokine receptor - ligand pairs. Informed by these structural insights, we demonstrate that CCL1 follows a two-step, two-site binding sequence to CCR8 and that antibody-mediated inhibition of CCL1 signaling can occur by preventing the second binding event. Together, our results provide a detailed structural and mechanistic framework of CCR8 activation and inhibition that expands our molecular understanding of chemokine - receptor interactions and offers insight into the development of therapeutic antibodies targeting chemokine GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Sun
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yonglian Sun
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Eric Janezic
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Tricia Zhou
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Matthew Johnson
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Caleigh Azumaya
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Sigrid Noreng
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Septerna Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Cecilia Chiu
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Akiko Seki
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Tune Therapeutics, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Teresita L Arenzana
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- HIBio, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - John M Nicoludis
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yongchang Shi
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Baomei Wang
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Hoangdung Ho
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Prajakta Joshi
- Department of Biomolecular Resources, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Christine Tam
- Department of Biomolecular Resources, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jian Payandeh
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Exelixis Inc., Alameda, CA, 94502, USA
| | - Laëtitia Comps-Agrar
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jianyong Wang
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Sascha Rutz
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - James T Koerber
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - Matthieu Masureel
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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13
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Thomas B, Chockalingam K, Chen Z. Methods for Engineering Binders to Multi-Pass Membrane Proteins. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1351. [PMID: 38135942 PMCID: PMC10741020 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10121351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous potential drug targets, including G-protein-coupled receptors and ion channel proteins, reside on the cell surface as multi-pass membrane proteins. Unfortunately, despite advances in engineering technologies, engineering biologics against multi-pass membrane proteins remains a formidable task. In this review, we focus on the different methods used to prepare/present multi-pass transmembrane proteins for engineering target-specific biologics such as antibodies, nanobodies and synthetic scaffold proteins. The engineered biologics exhibit high specificity and affinity, and have broad applications as therapeutics, probes for cell staining and chaperones for promoting protein crystallization. We primarily cover publications on this topic from the past 10 years, with a focus on the different formats of multi-pass transmembrane proteins. Finally, the remaining challenges facing this field and new technologies developed to overcome a number of obstacles are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Thomas
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA;
| | - Karuppiah Chockalingam
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA;
| | - Zhilei Chen
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA;
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA;
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14
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Sachdev S, Creemer BA, Gardella TJ, Cheloha RW. Highly biased agonism for GPCR ligands via nanobody tethering. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.10.561766. [PMID: 37873435 PMCID: PMC10592785 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.10.561766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Ligand-induced activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can initiate signaling through multiple distinct pathways with differing biological and physiological outcomes. There is intense interest in understanding how variation in GPCR ligand structure can be used to promote pathway selective signaling ("biased agonism") with the goal of promoting desirable responses and avoiding deleterious side effects. Here we present a new approach in which a conventional peptide ligand for the type 1 parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR1) is converted from an agonist which induces signaling through all relevant pathways to a compound that is highly selective for a single pathway. This is achieved not through variation in the core structure of the agonist, but rather by linking it to a nanobody tethering agent that binds with high affinity to a separate site on the receptor not involved in signal transduction. The resulting conjugate represents the most biased agonist of PTHR1 reported to date. This approach holds promise for facile generation of pathway selective ligands for other GPCRs.
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15
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Wu A, Salom D, Hong JD, Tworak A, Watanabe K, Pardon E, Steyaert J, Kandori H, Katayama K, Kiser PD, Palczewski K. Structural basis for the allosteric modulation of rhodopsin by nanobody binding to its extracellular domain. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5209. [PMID: 37626045 PMCID: PMC10457330 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40911-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsin is a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) critical for vertebrate vision. Research on GPCR signaling states has been facilitated using llama-derived nanobodies (Nbs), some of which bind to the intracellular surface to allosterically modulate the receptor. Extracellularly binding allosteric nanobodies have also been investigated, but the structural basis for their activity has not been resolved to date. Here, we report a library of Nbs that bind to the extracellular surface of rhodopsin and allosterically modulate the thermodynamics of its activation process. Crystal structures of Nb2 in complex with native rhodopsin reveal a mechanism of allosteric modulation involving extracellular loop 2 and native glycans. Nb2 binding suppresses Schiff base deprotonation and hydrolysis and prevents intracellular outward movement of helices five and six - a universal activation event for GPCRs. Nb2 also mitigates protein misfolding in a disease-associated mutant rhodopsin. Our data show the power of nanobodies to modulate the photoactivation of rhodopsin and potentially serve as therapeutic agents for disease-associated rhodopsin misfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arum Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - David Salom
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - John D Hong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Aleksander Tworak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Kohei Watanabe
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466- 8555, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Els Pardon
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan Steyaert
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466- 8555, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8555, Japan
| | - Kota Katayama
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466- 8555, Japan.
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8555, Japan.
| | - Philip D Kiser
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Research Service, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA, USA.
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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16
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Skiba MA, Sterling SM, Rawson S, Gilman MS, Xu H, Nemeth GR, Hurley JD, Shen P, Staus DP, Kim J, McMahon C, Lehtinen MK, Wingler LM, Kruse AC. Antibodies Expand the Scope of Angiotensin Receptor Pharmacology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.23.554128. [PMID: 37662341 PMCID: PMC10473732 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.23.554128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key regulators of human physiology and are the targets of many small molecule research compounds and therapeutic drugs. While most of these ligands bind to their target GPCR with high affinity, selectivity is often limited at the receptor, tissue, and cellular level. Antibodies have the potential to address these limitations but their properties as GPCR ligands remain poorly characterized. Here, using protein engineering, pharmacological assays, and structural studies, we develop maternally selective heavy chain-only antibody ("nanobody") antagonists against the angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) and uncover the unusual molecular basis of their receptor antagonism. We further show that our nanobodies can simultaneously bind to AT1R with specific small-molecule antagonists and demonstrate that ligand selectivity can be readily tuned. Our work illustrates that antibody fragments can exhibit rich and evolvable pharmacology, attesting to their potential as next-generation GPCR modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A. Skiba
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sarah M. Sterling
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shaun Rawson
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Morgan S.A. Gilman
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Huixin Xu
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Genevieve R. Nemeth
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joseph D. Hurley
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Pengxiang Shen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Dean P. Staus
- Department of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jihee Kim
- Department of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Conor McMahon
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria K. Lehtinen
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Laura M. Wingler
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Andrew C. Kruse
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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17
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Wang Y, Zhang K, Zhao Y, Li Y, Su W, Li S. Construction and Applications of Mammalian Cell-Based DNA-Encoded Peptide/Protein Libraries. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1874-1888. [PMID: 37315219 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
DNA-encoded peptide/protein libraries are the starting point for protein evolutionary modification and functional peptide/antibody selection. Different display technologies, protein directed evolution, and deep mutational scanning (DMS) experiments employ DNA-encoded libraries to provide sequence variations for downstream affinity- or function-based selections. Mammalian cells promise the inherent post-translational modification and near-to-natural conformation of exogenously expressed mammalian proteins and thus are the best platform for studying transmembrane proteins or human disease-related proteins. However, due to the current technical bottlenecks of constructing mammalian cell-based large size DNA-encoded libraries, the advantages of mammalian cells as screening platforms have not been fully exploited. In this review, we summarize the current efforts in constructing DNA-encoded libraries in mammalian cells and the existing applications of these libraries in different fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer; Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Kaili Zhang
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer; Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yanjie Zhao
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer; Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yifan Li
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer; Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Weijun Su
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Shuai Li
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer; Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
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18
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Toyoda Y, Zhu A, Kong F, Shan S, Zhao J, Wang N, Sun X, Zhang L, Yan C, Kobilka BK, Liu X. Structural basis of α 1A-adrenergic receptor activation and recognition by an extracellular nanobody. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3655. [PMID: 37339967 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39310-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The α1A-adrenergic receptor (α1AAR) belongs to the family of G protein-coupled receptors that respond to adrenaline and noradrenaline. α1AAR is involved in smooth muscle contraction and cognitive function. Here, we present three cryo-electron microscopy structures of human α1AAR bound to the endogenous agonist noradrenaline, its selective agonist oxymetazoline, and the antagonist tamsulosin, with resolutions range from 2.9 Å to 3.5 Å. Our active and inactive α1AAR structures reveal the activation mechanism and distinct ligand binding modes for noradrenaline compared with other adrenergic receptor subtypes. In addition, we identified a nanobody that preferentially binds to the extracellular vestibule of α1AAR when bound to the selective agonist oxymetazoline. These results should facilitate the design of more selective therapeutic drugs targeting both orthosteric and allosteric sites in this receptor family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Toyoda
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Angqi Zhu
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Fang Kong
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Sisi Shan
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- NexVac Research Center, Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jiawei Zhao
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaoou Sun
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Linqi Zhang
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- NexVac Research Center, Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chuangye Yan
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Brian K Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Xiangyu Liu
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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19
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Rossin D, Vanni R, Lo Iacono M, Cristallini C, Giachino C, Rastaldo R. APJ as Promising Therapeutic Target of Peptide Analogues in Myocardial Infarction- and Hypertension-Induced Heart Failure. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15051408. [PMID: 37242650 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The widely expressed G protein-coupled apelin receptor (APJ) is activated by two bioactive endogenous peptides, apelin and ELABELA (ELA). The apelin/ELA-APJ-related pathway has been found involved in the regulation of many physiological and pathological cardiovascular processes. Increasing studies are deepening the role of the APJ pathway in limiting hypertension and myocardial ischaemia, thus reducing cardiac fibrosis and adverse tissue remodelling, outlining APJ regulation as a potential therapeutic target for heart failure prevention. However, the low plasma half-life of native apelin and ELABELA isoforms lowered their potential for pharmacological applications. In recent years, many research groups focused their attention on studying how APJ ligand modifications could affect receptor structure and dynamics as well as its downstream signalling. This review summarises the novel insights regarding the role of APJ-related pathways in myocardial infarction and hypertension. Furthermore, recent progress in designing synthetic compounds or analogues of APJ ligands able to fully activate the apelinergic pathway is reported. Determining how to exogenously regulate the APJ activation could help to outline a promising therapy for cardiac diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Rossin
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Roberto Vanni
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Marco Lo Iacono
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Caterina Cristallini
- Institute for Chemical and Physical Processes, IPCF ss Pisa, CNR, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Giachino
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Raffaella Rastaldo
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
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20
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Chen Z, Luo X, Liu M, Jiang J, Li Y, Huang Z, Wang L, Cao J, He L, Huang S, Hu H, Li L, Chen L. Elabela-apelin-12, 17, 36/APJ system promotes platelet aggregation and thrombosis via activating the PANX1-P2X7 signaling pathway. J Cell Biochem 2023; 124:586-605. [PMID: 36855998 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
The elabela-apelin/angiotensin domain type 1 receptor-associated protein (APJ) system is an important regulator in certain thrombosis-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and cerebral infarction. Our previous reports have revealed that apelin exacerbates atherosclerotic lesions. However, the relationship between the elabela-apelin/APJ system and platelet aggregation and atherothrombosis is unclear. The results of the present study demonstrate that elabela and other endogenous ligands such as apelin-12, -17, and -36 induce platelet aggregation and thrombosis by activating the pannexin1(PANX1)-P2X7 signaling pathway. Interestingly, the diuretic, spironolactone, a novel PANX1 inhibitor, alleviated elabela- and apelin isoforms-induced platelet aggregation and thrombosis. Significantly, two potential antithrombotic drugs were screened out by targeting APJ receptors, including the anti-HIV ancillary drug cobicistat and the traditional Chinese medicine monomer Schisandrin A. Both cobicistat and Schisandrin A abolished the effects of elabela and apelin isoforms on platelet aggregation, thrombosis, and cerebral infarction. In addition, cobicistat significantly attenuated thrombosis in a ponatinib-induced zebrafish trunk model. Overall, the elabela-apelin/APJ axis mediated platelet aggregation and thrombosis via the PANX1-P2X7 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Blocking the APJ receptor with cobicistat/Schisandrin A or inhibiting PANX1 with spironolactone may provide novel therapeutic strategies against thrombosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Xuling Luo
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Meiqing Liu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Jinyong Jiang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yao Li
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Zhen Huang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Lingzhi Wang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Jiangang Cao
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Lu He
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Shifang Huang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Haoliang Hu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Changde Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and Biomedicine, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, Hunan, China
| | - Lanfang Li
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Linxi Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of tumor microenvironment responsive drug research, Hengyang Medical School, Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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21
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Murali S, Aradhyam GK. Structure-function relationship and physiological role of apelin and its G protein coupled receptor. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:127-143. [PMID: 36919024 PMCID: PMC9995629 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01044-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Apelin receptor (APJR) is a class A peptide (apelin) binding G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that plays a significant role in regulating blood pressure, cardiac output, and maintenance of fluid homeostasis. It is activated by a wide range of endogenous peptide isoforms of apelin and elabela. The apelin peptide isoforms contain distinct structural features that aid in ligand recognition and activation of the receptor. Site-directed mutagenesis and structure-based studies have revealed the involvement of extracellular and transmembrane regions of the receptor in binding to the peptide isoforms. The structural features of APJR activation of the receptor as well as mediating G-protein and β-arrestin-mediated signaling are delineated by multiple mutagenesis studies. There is increasing evidence that the structural requirements of APJR to activate G-proteins and β-arrestins are different, leading to biased signaling. APJR also responds to mechanical stimuli in a ligand-independent manner. A multitude of studies has focused on developing both peptide and non-peptide agonists and antagonists specific to APJR. Apelin/elabela-activated APJR orchestrates major signaling pathways such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERKs), protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), and p70S. This review focuses on the structural and functional characteristics of apelin, elabela, APJR, and their interactions involved in the binding and activation of the downstream signaling cascade. We also focus on the diverse signaling profile of APJR and its ligands and their involvement in various physiological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhashree Murali
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Gopala Krishna Aradhyam
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
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22
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Banik SSR, Kushnir N, Doranz BJ, Chambers R. Breaking barriers in antibody discovery: harnessing divergent species for accessing difficult and conserved drug targets. MAbs 2023; 15:2273018. [PMID: 38050985 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2273018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To exploit highly conserved and difficult drug targets, including multipass membrane proteins, monoclonal antibody discovery efforts increasingly rely on the advantages offered by divergent species such as rabbits, camelids, and chickens. Here, we provide an overview of antibody discovery technologies, analyze gaps in therapeutic antibodies that stem from the historic use of mice, and examine opportunities to exploit previously inaccessible targets through discovery now possible in alternate species. We summarize the clinical development of antibodies raised from divergent species, discussing how these animals enable robust immune responses against highly conserved binding sites and yield antibodies capable of penetrating functional pockets via long HCDR3 regions. We also discuss the value of pan-reactive molecules often produced by these hosts, and how these antibodies can be tested in accessible animal models, offering a faster path to clinical development.
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23
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Janssens P, Decuypere JP, Bammens B, Llorens-Cortes C, Vennekens R, Mekahli D. The emerging role of the apelinergic system in kidney physiology and disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2022; 37:2314-2326. [PMID: 33744967 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The apelinergic system (AS) is a novel pleiotropic system with an essential role in renal and cardiovascular physiology and disease, including water homeostasis and blood pressure regulation. It consists of two highly conserved peptide ligands, apelin and apela, and a G-protein-coupled apelin receptor. The two ligands have many isoforms and a short half-life and exert both similar and divergent effects. Vasopressin, apelin and their receptors colocalize in hypothalamic regions essential for body fluid homeostasis and interact at the central and renal levels to regulate water homeostasis and diuresis in inverse directions. In addition, the AS and renin-angiotensin system interact both systemically and in the kidney, with implications for the cardiovascular system. A role for the AS in diverse pathological states, including disorders of sodium and water balance, hypertension, heart failure, pre-eclampsia, acute kidney injury, sepsis and diabetic nephropathy, has recently been reported. Furthermore, several metabolically stable apelin analogues have been developed, with potential applications in diverse diseases. We review here what is currently known about the physiological functions of the AS, focusing on renal, cardiovascular and metabolic homeostasis, and the role of the AS in associated diseases. We also describe several hurdles and research opportunities worthy of the attention of the nephrology community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Janssens
- PKD Research Group, Laboratory of Pediatrics, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussell), Department of Nephrology, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Decuypere
- PKD Research Group, Laboratory of Pediatrics, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert Bammens
- Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplantation, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Nephrology and Renal Transplantation Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Llorens-Cortes
- Laboratory of Central Neuropeptides in the Regulation of Body Fluid Homeostasis and Cardiovascular Functions, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, INSERM U1050, CNRS UMR 7241, Paris, France
| | - Rudi Vennekens
- Laboratory of Ion Channel Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium and
| | - Djalila Mekahli
- PKD Research Group, Laboratory of Pediatrics, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Pediatric Nephrology and Organ Transplantation, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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24
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Abstract
NOX2 is the prototypical member of the NADPH oxidase NOX superfamily and produces superoxide (O2•-), a key reactive oxygen species (ROS) that is essential in innate and adaptive immunity. Mutations that lead to deficiency in NOX2 activity correlate with increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections, resulting in chronic granulomatous disease. The core of NOX2 is formed by a heterodimeric transmembrane complex composed of NOX2 (formerly gp91) and p22, but a detailed description of its structural architecture is lacking. Here, we present the structure of the human NOX2 core complex bound to a selective anti-NOX2 antibody fragment. The core complex reveals an intricate extracellular topology of NOX2, a four-transmembrane fold of the p22 subunit, and an extensive transmembrane interface which provides insights into NOX2 assembly and activation. Functional assays uncover an inhibitory activity of the 7G5 antibody mediated by internalization-dependent and internalization-independent mechanisms. Overall, our results provide insights into the NOX2 core complex architecture, disease-causing mutations, and potential avenues for selective NOX2 pharmacological modulation.
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25
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Wingler LM, Feld AP. Nanobodies as Probes and Modulators of Cardiovascular G Protein-Coupled Receptors. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2022; 80:342-353. [PMID: 34840268 DOI: 10.1097/fjc.0000000000001185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Understanding the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is of paramount importance to the field of cardiovascular medicine due to the critical physiological roles of these receptors and their prominence as drug targets. Although many cardiovascular GPCRs have been extensively studied as model receptors for decades, new complexities in their regulation continue to emerge. As a result, there is an ongoing need to develop novel approaches to monitor and to modulate GPCR activation. In less than a decade, nanobodies, or recombinant single-domain antibody fragments from camelids, have become indispensable tools for interrogating GPCRs both in purified systems and in living cells. Nanobodies have gained traction rapidly due to their biochemical tractability and their ability to recognize defined states of native proteins. Here, we review how nanobodies have been adopted to elucidate the structure, pharmacology, and signaling of cardiovascular GPCRs, resolving long-standing mysteries and revealing unexpected mechanisms. We also discuss how advancing technologies to discover nanobodies with tailored specificities may expand the impact of these tools for both basic science and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Wingler
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC
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26
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Nanobody-based sensors reveal a high proportion of mGlu heterodimers in the brain. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:894-903. [PMID: 35681029 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01050-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins, including ion channels, receptors and transporters, are often composed of multiple subunits and can form large complexes. Their specific composition in native tissues is difficult to determine and remains largely unknown. In this study, we developed a method for determining the subunit composition of endogenous cell surface protein complexes from isolated native tissues. Our method relies on nanobody-based sensors, which enable proximity detection between subunits in time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements. Additionally, given conformation-specific nanobodies, the activation of these complexes can be recorded in native brain tissue. Applied to the metabotropic glutamate receptors in different brain regions, this approach revealed the clear existence of functional metabotropic glutamate (mGlu)2-mGlu4 heterodimers in addition to mGlu2 and mGlu4 homodimers. Strikingly, the mGlu4 subunits appear to be mainly heterodimers in the brain. Overall, these versatile biosensors can determine the presence and activity of endogenous membrane proteins in native tissues with high fidelity and convenience.
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27
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Yue Y, Liu L, Wu LJ, Wu Y, Wang L, Li F, Liu J, Han GW, Chen B, Lin X, Brouillette RL, Breault É, Longpré JM, Shi S, Lei H, Sarret P, Stevens RC, Hanson MA, Xu F. Structural insight into apelin receptor-G protein stoichiometry. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:688-697. [PMID: 35817871 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00797-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The technique of cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized the field of membrane protein structure and function with a focus on the dominantly observed molecular species. This report describes the structural characterization of a fully active human apelin receptor (APJR) complexed with heterotrimeric G protein observed in both 2:1 and 1:1 stoichiometric ratios. We use cryo-EM single-particle analysis to determine the structural details of both species from the same sample preparation. Protein preparations, in the presence of the endogenous peptide ligand ELA or a synthetic small molecule, both demonstrate these mixed stoichiometric states. Structural differences in G protein engagement between dimeric and monomeric APJR suggest a role for the stoichiometry of G protein-coupled receptor- (GPCR-)G protein coupling on downstream signaling and receptor pharmacology. Furthermore, a small, hydrophobic dimer interface provides a starting framework for additional class A GPCR dimerization studies. Together, these findings uncover a mechanism of versatile regulation through oligomerization by which GPCRs can modulate their signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yue
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lier Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Jie Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Wang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Li
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junlin Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gye-Won Han
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bo Chen
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Lin
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rebecca L Brouillette
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Pharmacology at Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Émile Breault
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Pharmacology at Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-Michel Longpré
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Pharmacology at Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Songting Shi
- Structure Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hui Lei
- Structure Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philippe Sarret
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Pharmacology at Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,Structure Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Fei Xu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China. .,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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28
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Eguchi RR, Choe CA, Huang PS. Ig-VAE: Generative modeling of protein structure by direct 3D coordinate generation. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010271. [PMID: 35759518 PMCID: PMC9269947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
While deep learning models have seen increasing applications in protein science, few have been implemented for protein backbone generation—an important task in structure-based problems such as active site and interface design. We present a new approach to building class-specific backbones, using a variational auto-encoder to directly generate the 3D coordinates of immunoglobulins. Our model is torsion- and distance-aware, learns a high-resolution embedding of the dataset, and generates novel, high-quality structures compatible with existing design tools. We show that the Ig-VAE can be used with Rosetta to create a computational model of a SARS-CoV2-RBD binder via latent space sampling. We further demonstrate that the model’s generative prior is a powerful tool for guiding computational protein design, motivating a new paradigm under which backbone design is solved as constrained optimization problem in the latent space of a generative model. Many essential biochemical processes are governed by protein-protein interactions (PPIs), and our ability to make binding proteins that modulate PPIs is crucial to the creation of therapeutics and the study of cell-signaling. One critical aspect of PPI design is to capture protein conformational flexibility. Deep generative models are a class of mathematical models that are able to synthesize novel data from a finite set of training examples. Here, we make advances in computational protein design methodology by developing a deep generative model that creates protein backbones adopting the immunoglobulin fold, which is found in natural binding proteins such as antibodies. While generative models have been powerful in tasks such as image generation, using them to create proteins has remained a challenge. We solve this problem with a new model that allows for the direct generation of novel 3D molecules and show that they are of high chemical accuracy. Generated structures work well with existing protein design methods such as Rosetta, providing access to a large collection of novel immunoglobulin structures. Finally, we present a new protein design framework, called “generative design,” that shows how deep generative models such as ours can be applied to virtually any protein design problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael R. Eguchi
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Christian A. Choe
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Po-Ssu Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Laeremans T, Sands ZA, Claes P, De Blieck A, De Cesco S, Triest S, Busch A, Felix D, Kumar A, Jaakola VP, Menet C. Accelerating GPCR Drug Discovery With Conformation-Stabilizing VHHs. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:863099. [PMID: 35677880 PMCID: PMC9170359 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.863099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The human genome encodes 850 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), half of which are considered potential drug targets. GPCRs transduce extracellular stimuli into a plethora of vital physiological processes. Consequently, GPCRs are an attractive drug target class. This is underlined by the fact that approximately 40% of marketed drugs modulate GPCRs. Intriguingly 60% of non-olfactory GPCRs have no drugs or candidates in clinical development, highlighting the continued potential of GPCRs as drug targets. The discovery of small molecules targeting these GPCRs by conventional high throughput screening (HTS) campaigns is challenging. Although the definition of success varies per company, the success rate of HTS for GPCRs is low compared to other target families (Fujioka and Omori, 2012; Dragovich et al., 2022). Beyond this, GPCR structure determination can be difficult, which often precludes the application of structure-based drug design approaches to arising HTS hits. GPCR structural studies entail the resource-demanding purification of native receptors, which can be challenging as they are inherently unstable when extracted from the lipid matrix. Moreover, GPCRs are flexible molecules that adopt distinct conformations, some of which need to be stabilized if they are to be structurally resolved. The complexity of targeting distinct therapeutically relevant GPCR conformations during the early discovery stages contributes to the high attrition rates for GPCR drug discovery programs. Multiple strategies have been explored in an attempt to stabilize GPCRs in distinct conformations to better understand their pharmacology. This review will focus on the use of camelid-derived immunoglobulin single variable domains (VHHs) that stabilize disease-relevant pharmacological states (termed ConfoBodies by the authors) of GPCRs, as well as GPCR:signal transducer complexes, to accelerate drug discovery. These VHHs are powerful tools for supporting in vitro screening, deconvolution of complex GPCR pharmacology, and structural biology purposes. In order to demonstrate the potential impact of ConfoBodies on translational research, examples are presented of their role in active state screening campaigns and structure-informed rational design to identify de novo chemical space and, subsequently, how such matter can be elaborated into more potent and selective drug candidates with intended pharmacology.
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30
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APJ/apelin: a promising target for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:2342-2352. [PMID: 35561966 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Retinopathy of prematurity is a noticeable retinal abnormality causing common blindness in children. An uncontrolled retinal vasculature in retinopathy of prematurity inflicts vision loss in numerous children despite the accessibility to a wide range of clinical treatments prescribed for retinopathy of prematurity. Apelin/APJ [class A (rhodopsin-like) G-protein-coupled receptor] signaling regulates retinopathy of prematurity augmented with uncontrolled angiogenesis. Antagonists targeting pathological apelin/APJ-signaling-induced angiogenesis could be effective in attenuating retinopathy of prematurity. The therapeutic proficiency of antagonists in diverse modalities: peptides, bioactive molecules and antibodies, targeting apelin peptides or the APJ receptor is discussed in this review. We hypothesize the antagonists could effectively attenuate the retinal vasculature triggered by apelin/APJ signaling activation governing vision impairment in young children.
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31
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Tran K, Sainsily X, Côté J, Coquerel D, Couvineau P, Saibi S, Haroune L, Besserer-Offroy É, Flynn-Robitaille J, Resua Rojas M, Murza A, Longpré JM, Auger-Messier M, Lesur O, Bouvier M, Marsault É, Boudreault PL, Sarret P. Size-Reduced Macrocyclic Analogues of [Pyr 1]-apelin-13 Showing Negative Gα 12 Bias Still Produce Prolonged Cardiac Effects. J Med Chem 2022; 65:531-551. [PMID: 34982553 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported a series of macrocyclic analogues of [Pyr1]-apelin-13 (Ape13) with increased plasma stability and potent APJ agonist properties. Based on the most promising compound in this series, we synthesized and then evaluated novel macrocyclic compounds of Ape13 to identify agonists with specific pharmacological profiles. These efforts led to the development of analogues 39 and 40, which possess reduced molecular weight (MW 1020 Da vs Ape13, 1534 Da). Interestingly, compound 39 (Ki 0.6 nM), which does not activate the Gα12 signaling pathway while maintaining potency and efficacy similar to Ape13 to activate Gαi1 (EC50 0.8 nM) and β-arrestin2 recruitment (EC50 31 nM), still exerts cardiac actions. In addition, analogue 40 (Ki 5.6 nM), exhibiting a favorable Gα12-biased signaling and an increased in vivo half-life (t1/2 3.7 h vs <1 min of Ape13), produces a sustained cardiac response up to 6 h after a single subcutaneous bolus injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kien Tran
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Xavier Sainsily
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Jérôme Côté
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - David Coquerel
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre Couvineau
- Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et en Cancérologie (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal H3T 1J4, Québec, Canada
| | - Sabrina Saibi
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Lounès Haroune
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Élie Besserer-Offroy
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | | | - Martin Resua Rojas
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Alexandre Murza
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Michel Longpré
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Mannix Auger-Messier
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Olivier Lesur
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Michel Bouvier
- Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et en Cancérologie (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal H3T 1J4, Québec, Canada
| | - Éric Marsault
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre-Luc Boudreault
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Philippe Sarret
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
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32
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Schardt JS, Jhajj HS, O’Meara RL, Lwo TS, Smith MD, Tessier PM. Agonist antibody discovery: Experimental, computational, and rational engineering approaches. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:31-48. [PMID: 34571277 PMCID: PMC8714685 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Agonist antibodies that activate cellular signaling have emerged as promising therapeutics for treating myriad pathologies. Unfortunately, the discovery of rare antibodies with the desired agonist functions is a major bottleneck during drug development. Nevertheless, there has been important recent progress in discovering and optimizing agonist antibodies against a variety of therapeutic targets that are activated by diverse signaling mechanisms. Herein, we review emerging high-throughput experimental and computational methods for agonist antibody discovery as well as rational molecular engineering methods for optimizing their agonist activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S. Schardt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Harkamal S. Jhajj
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ryen L. O’Meara
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Timon S. Lwo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Matthew D. Smith
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Peter M. Tessier
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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33
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Makowski EK, Schardt JS, Tessier PM. Improving antibody drug development using bionanotechnology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 74:137-145. [PMID: 34890875 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies are being used to treat a remarkable breadth of human disorders. Nevertheless, there are several key challenges at the earliest stages of antibody drug development that need to be addressed using simple and widely accessible methods, especially related to generating antibodies against membrane proteins and identifying antibody candidates with drug-like biophysical properties (high solubility and low viscosity). Here we highlight key bionanotechnologies for preparing functional and stable membrane proteins in diverse types of lipoparticles that are being used to improve antibody discovery and engineering efforts. We also highlight key bionanotechnologies for high-throughput and ultra-dilute screening of antibody biophysical properties during antibody discovery and optimization that are being used for identifying antibodies with superior combinations of in vitro (formulation) and in vivo (half-life) properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Makowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - John S Schardt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Peter M Tessier
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Departmant of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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34
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Cheloha RW, Fischer FA, Gardella TJ, Ploegh HL. Activation of a G protein-coupled receptor through indirect antibody-mediated tethering of ligands. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1692-1700. [PMID: 34977584 PMCID: PMC8637866 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00118c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies raised against many cell surface proteins, including G protein-coupled receptors, remain important tools for their functional characterization. By linking antibodies to ligands for cell surface proteins, such adducts can be targeted to the surface of a cell type of choice. Site-specific functionalization of full-size antibodies with synthetic moieties remains challenging. Here we present new approaches in which single domain antibodies (known as VHHs or nanobodies) that target either cell surface proteins or conventional antibodies are used to indirectly deliver ligands for GPCRs to their sites of action. The combination of high yield production of nanobodies, facile site-specific functionalization, and compatibility with commercially available mouse and rabbit antibodies should enable wide application of this approach. The use of antibodies to target membrane receptors enables specific and potent activation. But antibodies with appropriate specificity can be lacking. We present methods for targeting receptors without target-specific antibodies.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross W Cheloha
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Blackfan Circle Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Fabian A Fischer
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Blackfan Circle Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Thomas J Gardella
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Blossom Street Boston MA 02114 USA
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Blackfan Circle Boston MA 02115 USA
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35
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Wang X, Li F, Qiu W, Xu B, Li Y, Lian X, Yu H, Zhang Z, Wang J, Li Z, Xue W, Zhu F. SYNBIP: synthetic binding proteins for research, diagnosis and therapy. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D560-D570. [PMID: 34664670 PMCID: PMC8728148 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of protein engineering and design has extensively expanded the protein space, which presents a promising strategy for creating next-generation proteins of diverse functions. Among these proteins, the synthetic binding proteins (SBPs) are smaller, more stable, less immunogenic, and better of tissue penetration than others, which make the SBP-related data attracting extensive interest from worldwide scientists. However, no database has been developed to systematically provide the valuable information of SBPs yet. In this study, a database named ‘Synthetic Binding Proteins for Research, Diagnosis, and Therapy (SYNBIP)’ was thus introduced. This database is unique in (a) comprehensively describing thousands of SBPs from the perspectives of scaffolds, biophysical & functional properties, etc.; (b) panoramically illustrating the binding targets & the broad application of each SBP and (c) enabling a similarity search against the sequences of all SBPs and their binding targets. Since SBP is a human-made protein that has not been found in nature, the discovery of novel SBPs relied heavily on experimental protein engineering and could be greatly facilitated by in-silico studies (such as AI and computational modeling). Thus, the data provided in SYNBIP could lay a solid foundation for the future development of novel SBPs. The SYNBIP is accessible without login requirement at both official (https://idrblab.org/synbip/) and mirror (http://synbip.idrblab.net/) sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Fengcheng Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Wenqi Qiu
- Department of Surgery, HKU-SZH & Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Binbin Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Yanlin Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xichen Lian
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Hongyan Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Jianxin Wang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Zhaorong Li
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou 330110, China
| | - Weiwei Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China.,College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.,Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou 330110, China
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36
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Zhao Y, Wang Y, Su W, Li S. Construction of Synthetic Nanobody Library in Mammalian Cells by dsDNA-Based Strategies*. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2957-2965. [PMID: 34411391 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A nanobody is an antibody fragment consisting of a single monomeric variable antigen-binding domain. Mammalian cells are ideal platforms for identifying nanobodies targeting hard-to-display transmembrane proteins and nanobodies that function as modulators of cellular phenotypes. However, the introduction of a high-diversity nanobody library into mammalian cells is challenging. We have developed two novel methods for constructing a nanobody library in mammalian cells. Complementarity-determining region (CDR) random sequences were first incorporated into upstream and downstream dsDNAs by PCR. In the first method, named dsDNA-HR, upstream and downstream dsDNAs containing an identical overlapping sequence were co-transfected into cultured mammalian cells for intracellular homologous recombination that resulted in the formation of an intact nanobody library expression cassette. In the second method, named in vitro ligation, we generated full-length nanobody expression dsDNAs via ligation of restriction digested upstream and downstream dsDNAs. The obtained full-length dsDNAs were transfected into mammalian cells for nanobody library expression. Using both methods, we generated over a million unique nanobody sequences, as revealed by high-throughput sequencing. Single-cell sequencing was employed to resolve the diversity of the dsDNA-HR nanobody library. We also identified a small molecule, Nocodazole, which could enhance the efficacy of dsDNA-HR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Zhao
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, P. R. China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, P. R. China
| | - Weijun Su
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Li
- Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, P. R. China
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37
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Gulezian E, Crivello C, Bednenko J, Zafra C, Zhang Y, Colussi P, Hussain S. Membrane protein production and formulation for drug discovery. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:657-674. [PMID: 34270922 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Integral membrane proteins (MPs) are important drug targets across most fields of medicine, but historically have posed a major challenge for drug discovery due to difficulties in producing them in functional forms. We review the state of the art in drug discovery strategies using recombinant multipass MPs, and outline methods to successfully express, stabilize, and formulate them for small-molecule and monoclonal antibody therapeutics development. Advances in structure-based drug design and high-throughput screening are allowing access to previously intractable targets such as ion channels and transporters, propelling the field towards the development of highly specific therapies targeting desired conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Gulezian
- TetraGenetics Inc., 91 Mystic Street, Arlington, MA 02474, USA
| | | | - Janna Bednenko
- TetraGenetics Inc., 91 Mystic Street, Arlington, MA 02474, USA
| | - Claudia Zafra
- TetraGenetics Inc., 91 Mystic Street, Arlington, MA 02474, USA
| | - Yihui Zhang
- TetraGenetics Inc., 91 Mystic Street, Arlington, MA 02474, USA
| | - Paul Colussi
- TetraGenetics Inc., 91 Mystic Street, Arlington, MA 02474, USA
| | - Sunyia Hussain
- TetraGenetics Inc., 91 Mystic Street, Arlington, MA 02474, USA.
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38
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Sachdev S, Cabalteja CC, Cheloha RW. Strategies for targeting cell surface proteins using multivalent conjugates and chemical biology. Methods Cell Biol 2021; 166:205-222. [PMID: 34752333 PMCID: PMC8895325 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Proper function of receptors on the cell surface is essential for homeostasis. Compounds that target cell surface receptors to address dysregulation have proven exceptionally successful as therapeutic agents; however, the development of compounds with the desired specificity for receptors, cells, and tissues of choice has proven difficult in some cases. The use of compounds that can engage more than one binding site at the cell surface offers a path toward improving biological specificity or pharmacological properties. In this chapter we summarize historical context for the development of such bivalent compounds. We focus on developments in chemical methods and biological engineering to provide bivalent compounds in which the high affinity and specificity of antibodies are leveraged to create multifunctional conjugates with new and useful properties. The development of methods to meld biological macromolecules with synthetic compounds will facilitate modulation of receptor biology in ways not previously possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Sachdev
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Chino C Cabalteja
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ross W Cheloha
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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39
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Gendaszewska-Darmach E, Garstka MA, Błażewska KM. Targeting Small GTPases and Their Prenylation in Diabetes Mellitus. J Med Chem 2021; 64:9677-9710. [PMID: 34236862 PMCID: PMC8389838 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
A fundamental role
of pancreatic β-cells to maintain proper
blood glucose level is controlled by the Ras superfamily of small
GTPases that undergo post-translational modifications, including prenylation.
This covalent attachment with either a farnesyl or a geranylgeranyl
group controls their localization, activity, and protein–protein
interactions. Small GTPases are critical in maintaining glucose homeostasis
acting in the pancreas and metabolically active tissues such as skeletal
muscles, liver, or adipocytes. Hyperglycemia-induced upregulation
of small GTPases suggests that inhibition of these pathways deserves
to be considered as a potential therapeutic approach in treating T2D.
This Perspective presents how inhibition of various points in the
mevalonate pathway might affect protein prenylation and functioning
of diabetes-affected tissues and contribute to chronic inflammation
involved in diabetes mellitus (T2D) development. We also demonstrate
the currently available molecular tools to decipher the mechanisms
linking the mevalonate pathway’s enzymes and GTPases with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Gendaszewska-Darmach
- Institute of Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego Street 4/10, 90-924 Łódź, Poland
| | - Malgorzata A Garstka
- Core Research Laboratory, Department of Endocrinology, Department of Tumor and Immunology, Precision Medical Institute, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Port, School of Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, DaMingGong, Jian Qiang Road, Wei Yang district, Xi'an 710016, China
| | - Katarzyna M Błażewska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Żeromskiego Street 116, 90-924 Łódź, Poland
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40
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Luo J, Liu W, Feng F, Chen L. Apelin/APJ system: A novel therapeutic target for locomotor system diseases. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 906:174286. [PMID: 34174264 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Apelin is an endogenous ligand of G protein-coupled receptor APJ. Apelin/APJ system is widely expressed in abundant tissues, especially bone, joint and muscle tissue. This review focus on the effects of apelin/APJ system on locomotor system. An increasing number of evidence suggests that apelin/APJ system plays a crucial role in many physiological and pathological processes of locomotor system. Physiologically, apelin/APJ system promotes bone formation, muscle metabolism and skeletal muscle production. Pathologically, apelin/APJ system exacerbates osteoarthritis pathogenesis, whereas it alleviates osteoporosis. Besides, the level of apelin expression is regulated by different training modes, including continuous aerobic exercise, high-intensity interval training and resistance exercises. More importantly, exercise-induced apelin may be a potent pharmacological agent for the treatment of diseases and the regulation of physiological processes. Considering the pleiotropic effects of apelin on locomotor system, apelin/APJ system may be an important therapeutic target for locomotor system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingshun Luo
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment Responsive Drug Research, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Fen Feng
- School of Medicine, Shaoyang University, Shaoyang, 422000, China.
| | - Linxi Chen
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment Responsive Drug Research, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China.
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41
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Ashokan A, Harisankar HS, Kameswaran M, Aradhyam GK. Critical APJ receptor residues in extracellular domains that influence effector selectivity. FEBS J 2021; 288:6543-6562. [PMID: 34076959 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human APJ receptor/apelin receptor (APJR), activated by apelin peptide isoforms, regulates a wide range of physiological processes. The role of extracellular loop (ECL) domain residues of APJR in ligand binding and receptor activation has not been established yet. Based on multiple sequence alignment of APJ receptor from various organisms, we identified conserved residues in the extracellular domains. Alanine substitutions of specific residues were characterized to evaluate their ligand binding efficiency and Gq -, Gi -, and β-arrestin-mediated signaling. Mutation-dependent variation in ligand binding and signaling was observed. W197 A in ECL2 and L276 L277 W279 -AAA in ECL3 were deficient in Gi and β-arrestin signaling pathways with relatively preserved Gq -mediated signaling. T169 T170 -AA, Y182 A, and T190 A mutants in ECL2 showed impaired β-arrestin-dependent cell signaling while maintaining G protein- mediated signaling. Structural comparison with angiotensin II type I receptor revealed the importance of ECL2 and ECL3 residues in APJR ligand binding and signaling. Our results unequivocally confirm the specific role of these ECL residues in ligand binding and in orchestrating receptor conformations that are involved in preferential/biased signaling functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisha Ashokan
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Harikumar Sheela Harisankar
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Mythili Kameswaran
- Radiopharmaceuticals Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Gopala Krishna Aradhyam
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
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42
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Scott MJ, Jowett A, Orecchia M, Ertl P, Ouro-Gnao L, Ticehurst J, Gower D, Yates J, Poulton K, Harris C, Mullin MJ, Smith KJ, Lewis AP, Barton N, Washburn ML, de Wildt R. Rapid identification of highly potent human anti-GPCR antagonist monoclonal antibodies. MAbs 2021; 12:1755069. [PMID: 32343620 PMCID: PMC7188403 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2020.1755069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex cellular targets such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, and other multi-transmembrane proteins represent a significant challenge for therapeutic antibody discovery, primarily because of poor stability of the target protein upon extraction from cell membranes. To assess whether a limited set of membrane-bound antigen formats could be exploited to identify functional antibodies directed against such targets, we selected a GPCR of therapeutic relevance (CCR1) and identified target binders using an in vitro yeast-based antibody discovery platform (AdimabTM) to expedite hit identification. Initially, we compared two different biotinylated antigen formats overexpressing human CCR1 in a ‘scouting’ approach using a subset of the antibody library. Binders were isolated using streptavidin-coated beads, expressed as yeast supernatants, and screened using a high-throughput binding assay and flow cytometry on appropriate cell lines. The most suitable antigen was then selected to isolate target binders using the full library diversity. This approach identified a combined total of 183 mAbs with diverse heavy chain sequences. A subset of clones exhibited high potencies in primary cell chemotaxis assays, with IC50 values in the low nM/high pM range. To assess the feasibility of any further affinity enhancement, full-length hCCR1 protein was purified, complementary-determining region diversified libraries were constructed from a high and lower affinity mAb, and improved binders were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting selections. A significant affinity enhancement was observed for the lower affinity parental mAb, but not the high affinity mAb. These data exemplify a methodology to generate potent human mAbs for challenging targets rapidly using whole cells as antigen and define a route to the identification of affinity-matured variants if required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Scott
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Amanda Jowett
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Martin Orecchia
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Peter Ertl
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Larissa Ouro-Gnao
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Julia Ticehurst
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - David Gower
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - John Yates
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Katie Poulton
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Carol Harris
- Department of Protein & Cellular Sciences, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Michael J Mullin
- Department of Protein & Cellular Sciences, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Kathrine J Smith
- Department of Protein & Cellular Sciences, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Alan P Lewis
- Department of Data & Computational Sciences, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Nick Barton
- Department of Data & Computational Sciences, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Michael L Washburn
- Experimental Medicine Unit, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Ruud de Wildt
- Department of Biopharm Discovery, Glaxo Smith Kline Research & Development, Hertfordshire, UK
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43
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Johnson JA, Kim SH, Jiang J, Phillips M, Schumacher WA, Bostwick JS, Gargalovic PS, Onorato JM, Luk CE, Generaux C, He Y, Chen XQ, Xu C, Galella MA, Wang T, Gordon DA, Wexler RR, Finlay HJ. Discovery of a Hydroxypyridinone APJ Receptor Agonist as a Clinical Candidate. J Med Chem 2021; 64:3086-3099. [PMID: 33689340 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Apelin-13 is an endogenous peptidic agonist of the apelin receptor (APJ) receptor with the potential for improving cardiac function in heart failure patients. However, the low plasma stability of apelin-13 necessitates continuous intravenous infusion for therapeutic use. There are several approaches to increase the stability of apelin-13 including attachment of pharmacokinetic enhancing groups, stabilized peptides, and Fc-fusion approaches. We sought a small-molecule APJ receptor agonist approach to target a compound with a pharmacokinetic profile amenable for chronic oral administration. This manuscript describes sequential optimization of the pyrimidinone series, leading to pyridinone 14, with in vitro potency equivalent to the endogenous ligand apelin-13 and with an excellent oral bioavailability and PK profile in multiple preclinical species. Compound 14 exhibited robust pharmacodynamic effects similar to apelin-13 in an acute rat pressure-volume loop model and was advanced as a clinical candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Johnson
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Soong-Hoon Kim
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Ji Jiang
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Monique Phillips
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - William A Schumacher
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Jeffrey S Bostwick
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Peter S Gargalovic
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Joelle M Onorato
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Chiuwa E Luk
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Claudia Generaux
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Yan He
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Xue-Qing Chen
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Carrie Xu
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Michael A Galella
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Tao Wang
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - David A Gordon
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Ruth R Wexler
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
| | - Heather J Finlay
- Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Research and Development, P.O. Box 5400, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-5400, United States
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44
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Affinity maturation: highlights in the application of in vitro strategies for the directed evolution of antibodies. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:601-608. [PMID: 33660765 PMCID: PMC8726058 DOI: 10.1042/etls20200331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Affinity maturation is a key technique in protein engineering which is used to improve affinity and binding interactions in vitro, a process often required to fulfil the therapeutic potential of antibodies. There are many available display technologies and maturation methods developed over the years, which have been instrumental in the production of therapeutic antibodies. However, due to the inherent limitations in display capacity of these technologies, accommodation of expansive and complex library builds is still a challenge. In this article, we discuss our recent efforts in the affinity maturation of a difficult antibody lineage using an unbiased approach, which sought to explore a larger sequence space through the application of DNA recombination and shuffling techniques across the entire antibody region and selections using ribosome display. We also highlight the key features of several display technologies and diversification methods, and discuss the strategies devised by different groups in response to different challenges. Particular attention is drawn to examples which are aimed at the expansion of sequence, structural or experimental diversity through different means and approaches. Here, we provide our perspectives on these methodologies and the considerations involved in the design of effective strategies for the directed evolution of antibodies.
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45
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Trân K, Murza A, Sainsily X, Delile E, Couvineau P, Côté J, Coquerel D, Peloquin M, Auger-Messier M, Bouvier M, Lesur O, Sarret P, Marsault É. Structure-Activity Relationship and Bioactivity of Short Analogues of ELABELA as Agonists of the Apelin Receptor. J Med Chem 2020; 64:602-615. [PMID: 33350824 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
ELABELA (ELA) is the second endogenous ligand of the apelin receptor (APJ). Although apelin-13 and ELA both target APJ, there is limited information on structure-activity relationship (SAR) of ELA. In the present work, we identified the shortest bioactive C-terminal fragment ELA23-32, which possesses high affinity for APJ (Ki 4.6 nM) and produces cardiorenal effects in vivo similar to those of ELA. SAR studies on conserved residues (Leu25, His26, Val29, Pro30, Phe31, Pro32) show that ELA and apelin-13 may interact differently with APJ. His26 and Val29 emerge as important for ELA binding. Docking and binding experiments suggest that Phe31 of ELA may bind to a tight groove distinct from that of Phe13 of Ape13, while the Phe13 pocket may be occupied by Pro32 of ELA. Further characterization of signaling profiles on the Gαi1, Gα12, and β-arrestin2 pathways reveals the importance of aromatic residue at the Phe31 or Pro32 position for receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kien Trân
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Alexandre Murza
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Xavier Sainsily
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Eugénie Delile
- Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre Couvineau
- Département de Biochimie et de Médecine Moléculaire & Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et Cancérologie (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal H3T 1J4, Québec, Canada
| | - Jérôme Côté
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - David Coquerel
- Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Maude Peloquin
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Mannix Auger-Messier
- Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Michel Bouvier
- Département de Biochimie et de Médecine Moléculaire & Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et Cancérologie (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal H3T 1J4, Québec, Canada
| | - Olivier Lesur
- Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Philippe Sarret
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Éric Marsault
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada.,Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
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46
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Hutchings CJ. Mini-review: antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors and ion channels. Antib Ther 2020; 3:257-264. [PMID: 33912796 PMCID: PMC7799348 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbaa023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies are now well established as therapeutics with many additional advantages over small molecules and peptides relative to their selectivity, bioavailability, half-life and effector function. Major classes of membrane-associated protein targets include G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ion channels that are linked to a wide range of disease indications across all therapeutic areas. This mini-review summarizes the antibody target landscape for both GPCRs and ion channels as well as current progress in the respective research and development pipelines with some example case studies highlighted from clinical studies, including those being evaluated for the treatment of symptoms in COVID-19 infection.
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47
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Cheloha RW, Harmand TJ, Wijne C, Schwartz TU, Ploegh HL. Exploring cellular biochemistry with nanobodies. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:15307-15327. [PMID: 32868455 PMCID: PMC7650250 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.012960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Reagents that bind tightly and specifically to biomolecules of interest remain essential in the exploration of biology and in their ultimate application to medicine. Besides ligands for receptors of known specificity, agents commonly used for this purpose are monoclonal antibodies derived from mice, rabbits, and other animals. However, such antibodies can be expensive to produce, challenging to engineer, and are not necessarily stable in the context of the cellular cytoplasm, a reducing environment. Heavy chain-only antibodies, discovered in camelids, have been truncated to yield single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs or nanobodies) that overcome many of these shortcomings. Whereas they are known as crystallization chaperones for membrane proteins or as simple alternatives to conventional antibodies, nanobodies have been applied in settings where the use of standard antibodies or their derivatives would be impractical or impossible. We review recent examples in which the unique properties of nanobodies have been combined with complementary methods, such as chemical functionalization, to provide tools with unique and useful properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross W Cheloha
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thibault J Harmand
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charlotte Wijne
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas U Schwartz
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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48
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Abstract
There is considerable interest in developing antibodies as functional modulators of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling for both therapeutic and research applications. However, there are few antibody ligands targeting GPCRs outside of the chemokine receptor group. GPCRs are challenging targets for conventional antibody discovery methods, as many are highly conserved across species, are biochemically unstable upon purification, and possess deeply buried ligand-binding sites. Here, we describe a selection methodology to enrich for functionally modulatory antibodies using a yeast-displayed library of synthetic camelid antibody fragments called "nanobodies." Using this platform, we discovered multiple nanobodies that act as antagonists of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). Following angiotensin II infusion in mice, we found that an affinity matured nanobody antagonist has comparable antihypertensive activity to the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) losartan. The unique pharmacology and restricted biodistribution of nanobody antagonists may provide a path for treating hypertensive disorders when small-molecule drugs targeting the AT1R are contraindicated, for example, in pregnancy.
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49
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Generating therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to complex multi-spanning membrane targets: Overcoming the antigen challenge and enabling discovery strategies. Methods 2020; 180:111-126. [PMID: 32422249 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex integral membrane proteins, which are embedded in the cell surface lipid bilayer by multiple transmembrane spanning helices, encompass families of proteins which are important target classes for drug discovery. These protein families include G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels and transporters. Although these proteins have typically been targeted by small molecule drugs and peptides, the high specificity of monoclonal antibodies offers a significant opportunity to selectively modulate these target proteins. However, it remains the case that isolation of antibodies with desired pharmacological function(s) has proven difficult due to technical challenges in preparing membrane protein antigens suitable to support antibody drug discovery. In this review recent progress in defining strategies for generation of membrane protein antigens is outlined. We also highlight antibody isolation strategies which have generated antibodies which bind the membrane protein and modulate the protein function.
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50
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Function-based high-throughput screening for antibody antagonists and agonists against G protein-coupled receptors. Commun Biol 2020; 3:146. [PMID: 32218528 PMCID: PMC7099005 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0867-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybridoma and phage display are two powerful technologies for isolating target-specific monoclonal antibodies based on the binding. However, for complex membrane proteins, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), binding-based screening rarely results in functional antibodies. Here we describe a function-based high-throughput screening method for quickly identifying antibody antagonists and agonists against GPCRs by combining glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored antibody cell display with β-arrestin recruitment-based cell sorting and screening. This method links antibody genotype with phenotype and is applicable to all GPCR targets. We validated this method by identifying a panel of antibody antagonists and an antibody agonist to the human apelin receptor from an immune antibody repertoire. In contrast, we obtained only neutral binders and antibody antagonists from the same repertoire by phage display, suggesting that the new approach described here is more efficient than traditional methods in isolating functional antibodies. This new method may create a new paradigm in antibody drug discovery. Ren et al. develop a function-based high-throughput screening method for identifying antibody antagonists and agonists against GPCRs by combining GPI-anchored antibody cell surface display and β-arrestin recruitment reporter assay. They identify a panel of antibody antagonists and an agonist to the human apelin receptor, which is not obtainable from phage display technology.
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