Design of a peptibody consisting of the antimicrobial peptide dhvar5 and a llama variable heavy-chain antibody fragment.

Immunoconjugates have been widely studied as potential therapeutics for infectious diseases to direct unspecific antimicrobials to pathogens. In this study, the recombinant approach was used for expression of the immunoconjugate composed of the variable domain of a llama heavy-chain antibody (VHH) against Streptococcus mutans and dhvar5, a synthetic antimicrobial peptide. Before cloning, the impact of the elongation of the peptide termini on its biological activity was evaluated by chemical synthesis of the N- or C-termini extended dhvar5 peptides. As the elongation of the C-terminus had a greater influence on decline of the antimicrobial activity, the N-terminal fusion was designed. To promote in vivo release of the active peptide, a factor Xa cleavage site was inserted between VHH and dhvar5. Propagation of transformed Escherichia coli with the constructed plasmid was only possible in the absence of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG). Although these data demonstrate that the diminished antimicrobial activity of dhvar5 by the N-terminal fusion to VHH was not sufficient for the protection of the bacterial host cells against the peptide lethal effect, an insight into propeptides biological activities may be beneficial not only for new and more successful rearrangement of the VHH-dhvar5 immunoconjugate construct, but also design of the other recombinant molecules composed of peptides toxic to host cells.

Beneficial properties of single-domain antibody fragments for application in immunoaffinity purification and immuno-perfusion chromatography.

We explored the possibility to apply single-domain antibodies from Camelidae for immunoaffinity purification of the ice structuring protein (ISP) from Lolium perenne, which modifies ice crystal growth and therefore has potential application in medicine, biotechnology, agriculture and (frozen) foods. Using phage display together with an appropriate selection method, a group of candidate fragments was isolated from a llama-derived immune library. Affinity chromatography using a purposely selected antibody coupled to a matrix yielded a completely pure and functional ISP. Due to the extreme refolding capabilities and physical stability of single-domain antibodies, the affinity matrix could be regenerated more than 2000 times without loss of capacity, while the fragment's monomeric nature permitted an efficient elution of antigen. The results of this study show that highly pure proteins can be recovered from biological material in a single-step process.

Selection of human anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope single-chain antibodies from a peripheral blood cell-based phage repertoire.

Monoclonal antibodies play an important role in the development of diagnostic assays. Instead of using hybridoma technology to isolate human immunodeficiency virus type 1-specific antibodies, a phage-displayed antibody library was generated from a small number (10(7)) of peripheral blood lymphocytes from a seropositive donor. Two families of single-chain antibodies (scFvs) were selected by biopanning with the envelope precursor gp160. ELISA and competition in the BIAcore system revealed that one antibody family recognized a conformation-sensitive epitope within gp120, while the other antibody family was gp41-specific. The latter group had sequence similarity to antibodies recognizing the cluster III epitope of gp41. Binding of scFvs to gp160 could be inhibited with the donor's serum antibodies, indicating that antibodies with a similar specificity were circulating in the donor's blood. Competition experiments suggested that the epitope of the anti-gp41 antibodies was recognized by a broad range of patients' sera: 21 out of 22 sera from North American and all 20 sera from African seropositive patients inhibited binding of scFvs. In contrast, three sera from this panel did not react with the epitope of the anti-gp120 antibodies. These data indicate that, because of the conserved nature of its epitope, the anti-gp41 antibody will be suitable for diagnostic applications.

Demonstration of specific high-affinity Fc epsilon-receptors on the human basophil-like leukemia cell line KU812 by flow cytometry.

The specificity of IgE binding to a human basophil-like cell line (KU812) was studied by flow cytometry. Four IgE myeloma proteins, representing both light-chain types, one chimeric IgE protein, and polyclonal serum IgE blocked the direct binding of FITC-labeled IgE(DES) myeloma protein to KU812 cells in a dose-dependent and nearly equimolar way. Although not as efficiently as human IgE (from five to eight times less on a molar basis), both rat and mouse IgE blocked IgE(DES)-FITC binding to KU812 cells. In sharp contrast, all four human IgG subclasses, both IgA subclasses, and IgM myeloma proteins, as well as monomeric and heat-aggregated polyclonal human IgG, were unable to block significantly IgE(DES)-FITC binding to KU812 cells (< 0.5% on a molar basis). The cytophilic epitope on IgE was heat-susceptible (56 degrees C, 2 h), lost after reduction alkylation, and resident in the papain-derived Fc epsilon-fragment, but not in the papain-derived Fab epsilon- and Fc'epsilon-fragments nor in the pepsin-derived F(ab')2 epsilon- and Fc"epsilon-fragments. Washing and displacement experiments indicated that a major part of IgE reacted with high affinity to KU812 cells. The results indicate that the binding of IgE to KU812 cells is highly specific and involves the classical high-affinity Fc epsilon RI-receptor. Although the density of receptors is low, this human cell line offers a unique model to study IgE/Fc epsilon RI interactions.

Age-dependent bone marrow mast cell maturation in specific pathogen-free rats.

In the present study we have investigated an age-dependent mast cell increase. The mast cell numbers in bone marrow from (BN x Wi/Fu)F1 rats were determined using Alcian blue staining of cells in solution. From the 6th to the 19th week of age the number of mast cells in the bone marrow increased 6-fold with a marked peak around the 12th week of age. This increase in mast cell numbers was accompanied with increased histamine levels. Immunization increased the numbers further, also when the age-dependent mast cell increase was corrected for. The results should be considered in relation to previous studies revealing increased mast cell numbers in the bone marrow after immunization and also increasing numbers in the lungs of rats immunized with protein antigens or exposed to environmental antigens.