Framework-Directed Amino-Acid Insertions Generated over 55-Fold Affinity-Matured Antibody Fragments That Enabled Sensitive Luminescent Immunoassays of Cortisol

We generated three single-chain Fv fragments (scFvs) specific to cortisol according to our original affinity-maturation strategy and verified their utility in developing immunoassays. These scFv mutants (m-scFvs) had insertion of one, four, or six amino acid(s) in the framework region 1 of the VH-domain and showed >55-fold higher affinity (Ka, 2.0 - 2.2 × 1010 M-1) than the unmodified scFv (wt-scFv). Each m-scFv was fused with NanoLuc luciferase (NLuc) for the use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). In these ELISA, the m-scFv-NLuc fusions were competitively reacted with immobilized cortisol residues and cortisol standards, and then the bound NLuc activity was monitored luminometrically. The luminescent ELISAs generated dose-response curves with extremely low midpoints (approx. 3 pg/assay) and were >150-fold more sensitive than the colorimetric ELISAs using wt-scFv and >8000-fold more sensitive than the ELISA using the parental native antibody. The luminescent ELISAs showed acceptable cross-reactivity patterns with related steroids, and the determination of control sera afforded cortisol levels in the reference range with satisfactory parallelism.

Phage Display Derived IgNAR V Region Binding Domains for Therapeutic Development

Phage display technology has revolutionized the science of drug discovery by transforming the generation and manipulation of ligands, such as antibody fragments, enzymes, and peptides. The basis of this technology is the expression of recombinant proteins or peptides fused to a phage coat protein, and subsequent isolation of ligands based on a variety of catalytic, physicochemical/binding kinetic and/or biological characteristics. An incredible number of diagnostic and therapeutic domains have been successfully isolated using phage display technology. The variable domain of the New Antigen Receptors (VNAR) found in cartilaginous fish, is also amenable to phage display selection. Whilst not an antibody, VNARs are unquestionable the oldest (450 million years), and smallest antigen binding, single-domains so far identified in the vertebrate kingdom. Their role as an integral part of the adaptive immune system of sharks has been well established, enhancing our understanding of the evolutionary origins of humoral immunity and the unusual but divergent ancestry of the VNARs themselves. VNARs exhibit remarkable physicochemical properties, such as small size, stability in extreme conditions, solubility, molecular flexibility, high affinity and selectivity for target. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the important role phage display has played in the isolation and characterization of potent therapeutic and diagnostic VNAR domains.

Structural and functional characterization of the single-chain Fv fragment from a unique HCV E1E2-specific monoclonal antibody

The nucleotide sequence of the unique neutralizing monoclonal antibody D32.10 raised against a conserved conformational epitope shared between E1 and E2 on the serum-derived hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope was determined. Subsequently, the recombinant single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and its molecular characterization was assessed using multi-angle laser light scattering. The scFv mimicked the antibody in binding to the native serum-derived HCV particles from patients, as well as to envelope E1E2 complexes and E1, E2 glycoproteins carrying the viral epitope. The scFv D32.10 competed with the parental IgG for binding to antigen, and therefore could be a promising candidate for therapeutics and diagnostics.

Structure of the VH and VL segments of polyreactive and monoreactive human natural antibodies to HIV-1 and Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase

B lymphocytes committed to the production of antibodies binding to antigens on pathogenic bacteria and viruses (natural antibodies) are common components of the normal human B cell repertoire. A major proportion of natural antibodies is capable of binding multiple antigens (polyreactive antibodies). Using B cells from three HIV-1 seronegative healthy subjects, and purified HIV-1 and beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli as selecting antigen, we generated three natural IgM mAb to HIV-1 and a natural IgM mAb to beta-galactosidase. The three HIV-1-selected antibodies (mAb102, mAb103, and mAb104) were polyreactive. They bound with different affinities (Kd = 10(-6) to 10(-8) M) to the HIV-1 envelope gp160, the p24 core protein, and the p66 reverse transcriptase, but not to the 120 glycosylated env protein. They also bound to beta-galactosidase (Kd approximately 10(-7) M), tetanus toxoid, and various various self antigens. In contrast, the natural mAb selected for binding to beta-galactosidase (mAb207.F1) was monoreactive, in that it bound with a high affinity (Kd < 10(-8) M) to this antigen, but to none of the other antigens tested, including HIV-1. Structural analysis of the VH and VL segments revealed that the natural mAb utilized three segments of the VHIV gene family and one of the VHIII family, in conjunction with VL segments of the V lambda I, V lambda II, V lambda III, or V kappa IV subgroups. In addition, the natural mAb VH and VL segments were in unmutated or virtually unmutated (germline) configuration, including those of the monoreactive mAb207.F1 to beta-galactosidase, and were identical or closely related to those utilized by specific autoantibodies or specific antibodies to viral and/or bacterial pathogens. Thus, the present data show that both polyreactive and monoreactive natural antibodies to foreign antigen can be isolated from the normal human B cell repertoire. They also suggest that the VH and VL segments of not only polyreactive but also monoreactive natural antibodies can be encoded in unmutated or minimally mutated genes, and possibly provide the templates for the specific high affinity antibodies elicited by self or foreign antigens.