Comparative functional characterization of canine IgG subclasses.

To date, very little is known about the functional characteristics of the four published canine IgG subclasses. It is not clear how each subclass engages the immune system via complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), or how long each antibody may last in serum. Such information is critical for understanding canine immunology and for the discovery of canine therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Through both in vitro and ex vivo experiments to evaluate canine Fc's for effector function, complement binding, FcRn binding, and ADCC, we are now able to categorize canine subclasses by function. The subclasses share functional properties with the four human IgG subclasses and are reported herein with their function-based human analog. Canine Fc fusions, canine chimeras, and caninized antibodies were characterized. Canine subclasses A and D appear effector-function negative while subclasses B and C bind canine Fc gamma receptors and are positive for ADCC. All canine subclasses bind the neonatal Fc receptor except subclass C. By understanding canine IgGs in this way, we can apply what is known of human immunology toward translational and veterinary medicine. Thus, this body of work lays the foundation for evaluating canine IgG subclasses for therapeutic antibody development and builds upon the fundamental scholarship of canine immunology.

A class of selective antibacterials derived from a protein kinase inhibitor pharmacophore.

As the need for novel antibiotic classes to combat bacterial drug resistance increases, the paucity of leads resulting from target-based antibacterial screening of pharmaceutical compound libraries is of major concern. One explanation for this lack of success is that antibacterial screening efforts have not leveraged the eukaryotic bias resulting from more extensive chemistry efforts targeting eukaryotic gene families such as G protein-coupled receptors and protein kinases. Consistent with a focus on antibacterial target space resembling these eukaryotic targets, we used whole-cell screening to identify a series of antibacterial pyridopyrimidines derived from a protein kinase inhibitor pharmacophore. In bacteria, the pyridopyrimidines target the ATP-binding site of biotin carboxylase (BC), which catalyzes the first enzymatic step of fatty acid biosynthesis. These inhibitors are effective in vitro and in vivo against fastidious gram-negative pathogens including Haemophilus influenzae. Although the BC active site has architectural similarity to those of eukaryotic protein kinases, inhibitor binding to the BC ATP-binding site is distinct from the protein kinase-binding mode, such that the inhibitors are selective for bacterial BC. In summary, we have discovered a promising class of potent antibacterials with a previously undescribed mechanism of action. In consideration of the eukaryotic bias of pharmaceutical libraries, our findings also suggest that pursuit of a novel inhibitor leads for antibacterial targets with active-site structural similarity to known human targets will likely be more fruitful than the traditional focus on unique bacterial target space, particularly when structure-based and computational methodologies are applied to ensure bacterial selectivity.