Synthesis and expression in Escherichia coli of DNA encoding the murine lambda 1 chain of a monoclonal antibody specific for Salmonella serotype B O-antigen

Effect of C lambda-C kappa domain switching on Fab activity and yield in Escherichia coli: synthesis and expression of genes encoding two anti-carbohydrate Fabs

We have used a strategy of hybrid gene synthesis and constant domain shuffling to construct and functionally express in Escherichia coli genes encoding two anti-carbohydrate Fabs, one specific for a Brucella cell-surface polysaccharide and the second for the human blood group A determinant. Very similar VL amino acid sequences made possible the simultaneous synthesis of the two corresponding genes. A class switching approach was used in Fd and light chain gene assembly. The two independently synthesized VH genes were fused to a previously made sequence encoding the C(gamma 1)1 domain as an alternative to synthesis of the natural C gamma 2b 1 and C mu 1 sequences. The VL genes were initially coupled to a synthetic C kappa gene. When these light chain and the above Fd genes, each preceded by the ompA signal sequence, were expressed from two-cistron DNA, yields of functional periplasmic Fab were low and, in each instance, limited by light chain availability. Replacement of the C kappa domains with a C lambda 1 domain resulted in a significant increase in the amount of soluble periplasmic light chain and functional Fab for both the Brucella and blood group A antibodies. The C kappa and C lambda 1 forms of each of the Brucella and blood group A Fabs, with His5 fusions at the C-termini of the Fd chains, were purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sensitive titration microcalorimetric study of the binding of Salmonella O-antigenic oligosaccharides by a monoclonal antibody

The binding of several oligosaccharide haptens by a monoclonal antibody, Se155-4, specific for Salmonella serogroup B O-antigen was studied by titration microcalorimetry. In the software developed by Wiseman et al. [Wiseman, T., Williston, S. & Brandts, J.F. (1989) Anal. Biochem. 17, 131-137] the number of binding sites/macromolecule is one of the optional regression parameters in the non-linear least-squares analysis of the calorimetric data. Instead, an approach was adopted in which the concentration of binding sites was treated as a regression parameter, obviating the requirement for precise values of antibody absorption coefficients and minimizing effects due to partially inactive antibody preparations. Furthermore, performing the least-squares analysis in two steps, first using a differential heat mode and then an integral heat mode, was shown to yield the most accurate results. The technique gave accurate results using not more than 1-2 mumol ligand and less than 7 mg antibody. Haptens 2-5 were oligomers of the O-antigenic repeating unit varying in chain length by 2-5 repeating units and a trisaccharide glycoside 1, which filled the binding site. The latter hapten exhibited a favourable entropy contribution to binding (delta Go = -31 kJ.mol-1; delta Ho = -21 kJ.mol-1 and -T delta So -10 kJ.mol-1), while all four oligomers 2-5 showed a constant binding energy delta Go = -33 kJ.mol-1, composed of increasingly stronger enthalpy forces compensated by an increasingly unfavourable entropy contribution. These observations are compared with results from enzyme immunoassays and a high-resolution crystal structure for the dodecasaccharide 3 bound to the Fab derived from Se155-4.

Synthesis and expression in Escherichia coli of cistronic DNA encoding an antibody fragment specific for a Salmonella serotype B O-antigen

A 1460-bp DNA encoding the two chains of the antigen-binding fragment (Fab) portion of a monoclonal antibody have been chemically synthesized and expressed in Escherichia coli. The antibody, Se155-4, is specific for a Salmonella serogroup B O-antigen and its crystal structure is under investigation. The genes were synthesized according to a strategy that allows for easy manipulation in genetic engineering studies of the Fab-binding site. Each gene is preceded by the ompA secretory signal and a ribosome-binding site, and has been expressed from the two-cistron DNA under the control of the lac promoter. Active Fab of 50 kDa with an inter-chain disulfide bond has been isolated from the periplasm of E. coli in a one-step affinity purification in high yield (2 micrograms/ml of cells). The bacterially produced Fab is as active as purified mouse Fab in antigen-binding and competitive immunoassays. This is the first example of a completely synthetic Fab gene and provides an ideal system to probe the nature of antigen binding by anti-carbohydrate antibodies.