scholarly journals Elucidating the Structural and Minimal Protective Epitope of the Serogroup X Meningococcal Capsular Polysaccharide

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Pietro Pietri ◽  
Marta Tontini ◽  
Barbara Brogioni ◽  
Davide Oldrini ◽  
Stefania Robakiewicz ◽  
...  

Despite the considerable progress toward the eradication of meningococcal disease with the introduction of glycoconjugate vaccines, previously unremarkable serogroup X has emerged in recent years, recording several outbreaks throughout the African continent. Different serogroup X polysaccharide-based vaccines have been tested in preclinical trials, establishing the principles for further improvement. To elucidate the antigenic determinants of the MenX capsular polysaccharide, we generated a monoclonal antibody, and its bactericidal nature was confirmed using the rabbit serum bactericidal assay. The antibody was tested by the inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance against a set of oligosaccharide fragments of different lengths. The epitope was shown to be contained within five to six α-(1–4) phosphodiester mannosamine repeating units. The molecular interactions between the protective monoclonal antibody and the MenX capsular polysaccharide fragment were further detailed at the atomic level by saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The NMR results were used for validation of the in silico docking analysis between the X-ray crystal structure of the antibody (Fab fragment) and the modeled hexamer oligosaccharide. The antibody recognizes the MenX fragment by binding all six repeating units of the oligosaccharide via hydrogen bonding, salt bridges, and hydrophobic interactions. In vivo studies demonstrated that conjugates containing five to six repeating units can produce high functional antibody levels. These results provide an insight into the molecular basis of MenX vaccine-induced protection and highlight the requirements for the epitope-based vaccine design.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 2141
Author(s):  
Srinu Tumpara ◽  
Elena Korenbaum ◽  
Mark Kühnel ◽  
Danny Jonigk ◽  
Beata Olejnicka ◽  
...  

The C-terminal-fragments of alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) have been identified and their diverse biological roles have been reported in vitro and in vivo. These findings prompted us to develop a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes C-36 peptide (corresponding to residues 359–394) resulting from the protease-associated cleavage of AAT. The C-36-targeting mouse monoclonal Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody (containing κ light chains, clone C42) was generated and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-tested by Davids Biotechnologie GmbH, Germany. Here, we addressed the effectiveness of the novel C42 antibody in different immunoassay formats, such as dot- and Western blotting, confocal laser microscopy, and flow cytometry. According to the dot-blot results, our novel C42 antibody detects the C-36 peptide at a range of 0.1–0.05 µg and shows no cross-reactivity with native, polymerized, or oxidized forms of full-length AAT, the AAT-elastase complex mixture, as well as with shorter C-terminal fragments of AAT. However, the C42 antibody does not detect denatured peptide in SDS-PAGE/Western blotting assays. On the other hand, our C42 antibody, unconjugated as well as conjugated to DyLight488 fluorophore, when applied for immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry assays, specifically detected the C-36 peptide in human blood cells. Altogether, we demonstrate that our novel C42 antibody successfully recognizes the C-36 peptide of AAT in a number of immunoassays and has potential to become an important tool in AAT-related studies.


2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1182-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masayuki Saijo ◽  
Marie-Claude Georges-Courbot ◽  
Philippe Marianneau ◽  
Victor Romanowski ◽  
Shuetsu Fukushi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Diagnostic systems for Lassa fever (LF), a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by Lassa virus (LASV), such as enzyme immunoassays for the detection of LASV antibodies and LASV antigens, were developed using the recombinant nucleoprotein (rNP) of LASV (LASV-rNP). The LASV-rNP was expressed in a recombinant baculovirus system. LASV-rNP was used as an antigen in the detection of LASV-antibodies and as an immunogen for the production of monoclonal antibodies. The LASV-rNP was also expressed in HeLa cells by transfection with the expression vector encoding cDNA of the LASV-NP gene. An immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using LASV-rNP and an indirect immunofluorescence assay using LASV-rNP-expressing HeLa cells were confirmed to have high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of LASV-antibodies. A novel monoclonal antibody to LASV-rNP, monoclonal antibody 4A5, was established. A sandwich antigen capture (Ag-capture) ELISA using the monoclonal antibody and an anti-LASV-rNP rabbit serum as capture and detection antibodies, respectively, was then developed. Authentic LASV nucleoprotein in serum samples collected from hamsters experimentally infected with LASV was detected by the Ag-capture ELISA. The Ag-capture ELISA specifically detected LASV-rNP but not the rNPs of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus or Junin virus. The sensitivity of the Ag-capture ELISA in detecting LASV antigens was comparable to that of reverse transcription-PCR in detecting LASV RNA. These LASV rNP-based diagnostics were confirmed to be useful in the diagnosis of LF even in institutes without a high containment laboratory, since the antigens can be prepared without manipulation of the infectious viruses.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 4530-4538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamika Burns ◽  
Maria Abadi ◽  
Liise-anne Pirofski

ABSTRACT The human monoclonal antibody to serotype 8 pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide D11 [immunoglobulin M(κ)] protects wild-type and complement component 4 knockout (C4 KO) mice against lethal intratracheal challenge with serotype 8 pneumococcus, but it does not promote polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-mediated pneumococcal killing in vitro. In this study, we investigated the effect of D11 on the blood and lung bacterial burdens and the serum and lung expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines in an intratracheal challenge model with serotype 8 pneumococcus in C4 KO mice. Pneumococcus was not detected in the blood of D11-treated mice, whereas control mice had high-grade bacteremia with >107 CFU. Control mice had a >5-log increase in lung CFU and D11-treated mice manifested a nearly 3-log increase in lung CFU compared to the original inoculum 24 h after infection. Serum and lung levels of soluble macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) and interleulin-6 (IL-6) as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were lower in D11-treated mice than in control mice 24 h after infection. Real-time PCR was performed to examine lung mRNA chemokine and cytokine expression. The results showed that D11-treated mice had significantly less gamma interferon, MIP-2, IL-12, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1/JE, and tumor necrosis factor alpha expression than control mice 24 h after infection. Histopathology and immunohistochemical staining of lung tissues revealed that D11-treated mice had less inflammation, fewer PMNs, and less myeloperoxidase staining than control mice 24 h after infection. These findings suggest that the efficacy of certain serotype-specific antibodies against pneumococcal pneumonia could be associated with modulation of the lung inflammatory response and a reduction in host damage.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 336-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Sun ◽  
Young-il Hwang ◽  
Moon H. Nahm

ABSTRACT Many pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (PSs) are similar in structure, and a pneumococcal antibody often binds to all of the PSs with a similar structure. Yet, these cross-reactive antibodies may bind to the structurally related pneumococcal capsular PSs with an avidity too low to be effective. If memory B cells producing such weakly cross-reactive antibodies are elicited with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, the memory cells for low-avidity antibodies could compromise the subsequent immune responses to the cross-reactive PS (original antigenic sin). To investigate these issues, we produced 14 hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the capsular PS ofStreptococcus pneumoniae serotype 6B by immunizing BALB/c mice with antigens containing 6B PS and studied their epitope, avidity, in vitro opsonizing capacity, in vivo protective capacity, and “antigen binding titer” by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of 6A and 6B capsular PSs. Six MAbs bound to the non-cross-reactive 6B-specific epitope, and seven MAbs bound to the cross-reactive epitope present in both 6A and 6B PSs One MAb (Hyp6BM6) revealed a novel epitope. This epitope was found on 6A PS in solution, but not on 6A PS adsorbed onto the plastic surface of the ELISA plates. The avidity of the MAb for 6A or 6B PS ranged from 7.8 × 106 M−1 to 4.1 × 1011M−1. No MAbs were weakly cross-reactive, since none of the cross-reactive MAbs showed any tendency toward having less avidity to 6A PS (the cross-reactive PS) than to 6B PS. Avidity influenced the results of several antibody assays. When all of the hybridomas were examined, avidity strongly correlated with the titer of a unit amount of MAb to bind antigen-coated ELISA plates (r = 0.91) or to opsonize pneumococci in vitro (r = −0.85). Because both assay results are avidity dependent, the ELISA and the opsonization assay results were strongly correlated (r= 0.91), regardless of avidity. Avidity also correlated with the potency of a MAb to passively protect mice against pneumococcal infections. When only the immunoglobulin G hybridomas were examined, little increase in opsonizing capacity and in vivo protective potency was observed above 109 M−1. Taken together, an ELISA measuring antigen binding titer may be an adequate measure of the protective immunity induced with pneumococcal vaccines, and the absence of a partially cross-reactive MAb suggests that antigenic sin may not be significant in responses to vaccines against the S. pneumoniae 6B serotype.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 820
Author(s):  
Dae Gyu Kim ◽  
Thi Thu Ha Nguyen ◽  
Nam Hoon Kwon ◽  
Junsik Sung ◽  
Semi Lim ◽  
...  

AIMP2-DX2, an exon 2-deleted splice variant of AIMP2 (aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein 2), is highly expressed in lung cancer and involved in tumor progression in vivo. Oncogenic function of AIMP2-DX2 and its correlation with poor prognosis of cancer patients have been well established; however, the application of this potentially important biomarker to cancer research and diagnosis has been hampered by a lack of antibodies specific for the splice variant, possibly due to the poor immunogenicity and/or stability of AIMP2-DX2. In this study a monoclonal antibody, H5, that specifically recognizes AIMP2-DX2 and its isoforms was generated via rabbit immunization and phage display techniques, using a short peptide corresponding to the exon 1/3 junction sequence as an antigen. Furthermore, based on mutagenesis, limited cleavage, and mass spectrometry studies, it is also suggested that the endogenous isoform of AIMP2-DX2 recognized by H5 is produced by proteolytic cleavage of 33 amino acids from N-terminus and is capable of inducing cell proliferation similarly to the uncleaved protein. H5 monoclonal antibody is applicable to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoblot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry, and expected to be a valuable tool for detecting AIMP2-DX2 with high sensitivity and specificity for research and diagnostic purposes.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 2123-2128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Moe ◽  
Apurva Dave ◽  
Dan M. Granoff

ABSTRACT The capsular polysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis group B (MBPS) is a polymer of alpha (2→8) N-acetyl neuraminic acid. The polysaccharide is chemically identical to an autoantigen, polysialic acid (PSA), and is a poor immunogen, even when conjugated to protein carriers. Immunization of mice with MBPS-protein conjugate vaccines, in which N-acetyl groups have been replaced by propionyl groups (N-Pr MBPS), elicits serum bactericidal antibodies. A subpopulation of these antibodies do not cross-react with human PSA. The reasons for the increased immunogenicity of N-Pr MBPS and the antigenic targets of the bactericidal nonautoreactive antibodies are unknown. In this study, we investigated the antigenic targets of a protective murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) prepared against a N-Pr MBPS-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine. Binding of the MAb to N-Pr MBPS (as demonstrated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and bactericidal activity were inhibited by de-N-acetylated MBPS and re-N-acetylated MBPS, which indicate that N-propionyl groups are not obligatory determinants for binding. The results of affinity selection from a preparation of N-Pr MBPS and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectroscopic analysis indicated that the minimal epitope recognized by the MAb is a MBPS disaccharide containing one de-N-acetylated residue. Thus, the bacterial capsular epitope recognized by this bactericidal, nonautoreactive, anti-group-B MAb likely contains de-N-acetyl residues.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 494-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang-Hyeup Lee ◽  
Jeong Hee Moon ◽  
Eun Ah Cho ◽  
Seong-Eon Ryu ◽  
Myung Kyu Lee

The factor-inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor (FIH) hydroxylates the asparagine 803 (Asn803) residue of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), and the modification abrogates the transcriptional activity of HIF-1α. Because FIH is more active on HIF-1α than prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins under hypoxic conditions, its inhibitors have potential to be developed as anti-ischemic drugs targeting normal cells stressed by hypoxia. In this study, the authors developed the first monoclonal antibody, SHN-HIF1α, specifically to Asn803 hydroxylated HIF-1α and a sensitive assay system for FIH inhibitors using the monoclonal antibody (Mab). SHN-HIF1α showed 740 times higher affinity to the Asn803 hydroxylated HIF-1α peptide than the unmodified one. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay—based system using SHN-HIF1α displayed at least 30 times more sensitivity than previous methods for screening FIH inhibitors and was easily applicable to develop a high-throughput screening system. SHN-HIF1α also showed an Asn803 hydroxylation-dependent specificity to HIF-1α in cells. Taken together, the results suggest that it may be used to analyze the in vivo and in vitro activities of FIH inhibitors. ( Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2008:494-503)


2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1199-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiquan Li ◽  
Simon Lockyer ◽  
Alice Concepcion ◽  
Xiaoqi Gong ◽  
Hisao Takizawa ◽  
...  

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (04) ◽  
pp. 1262-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia C Folman ◽  
Albert E G K von dem Borne ◽  
Irma H J A M Rensink ◽  
Winald Gerritsen ◽  
C Ellen van der Schoot ◽  
...  

SummaryIn this report a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the measurement of plasma thrombopoietin (Tpo) is described that is solely based on monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs).The assay has an intra and inter-assay variance of 5-7% and 7-13%, respectively. Native and recombinant human Tpo (rhTpo) were recognized equally well, no cross reactivity with other cytokines was found and rhTpo added to plasma and serum was completely recovered. With the ELISA, Tpo concentrations in EDTA-anticoagulated plasma of all controls (n = 193) could be determined, since the limit of detection (2 ± 0.8 A.U./ml, mean ± sd) was lower than the concentration found in controls (11 ± 8 A.U./ml, mean ± sd; 2.5th-97.5th percentile: 4-32 A.U./ml). Tpo levels in serum were on average 3.4 times higher than in plasma.We showed in vivo that Tpo is bound by platelets, as in thrombocytopenic patients (n = 5) a platelet transfusion immediately led to a drop in plasma Tpo level, whereas in patients receiving chemotherapy the induced thrombocytopenia was followed by a rise in plasma Tpo levels.In summary, these results indicate that this ELISA is a reliable tool for Tpo measurements and is applicable for large scale studies.


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