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T-cell-epitope mapping of the idiotypic monoclonal IgG heavy and light chains in multiple myeloma.

The idiotypic structures of the myeloma protein might be regarded as tumor-specific antigens. The present study was designed to map T-cell epitopes of the idiotypic myeloma protein to prove the existence of naturally occurring major-histocompatibility-complex-dependent idiotype (peptide)-specific T cells in multiple myeloma. The fine specificity of idiotype-reactive, interferon-gamma-producing blood T cells of a patient with multiple myeloma stage I was characterized by identification of idiotype (heavy and light chains)-derived MHC-restricted T-cell epitopes. T cells specifically reacting with peptides corresponding to each of the 3 complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of the heavy-chain variable part (V(H)) of the autologous idiotype were found. In contrast, none of the peptides corresponding to the 3 CDRs of the light chain (V(L)) induced a specific T-cell response. The idiotype amino-acid sequence corresponding to the junction of the V(H), diversity (D), and joining (J) gene segments of the VH appeared to be an important target for T cells, since the sequence expressed MHC-class-I- as well as MHC-class-II-restricted epitopes. The study provides further support for the existence of MHC-restricted idiotype-specific T cells, which may target immunogenic CDR peptides in multiple myeloma. Such T cells could be an important part of the specific anti-tumor immune responses induced in idiotype vaccination protocols.

Aged↗

Epitope mapping of HBsAg using a panel of human anti-HBs antibodies.

Mapping of B cell epitopes on HBsAg was performed using a panel of human anti-HBs antibodies. Synthetic peptides representing different regions of HBsAg failed to inhibit the binding of two antibodies which recognized non-conformational HBsAg determinants in dot-blot ELISA and HBsAg polypeptide bands in immunoblot analysis. Cross-inhibition studies using five of the antibodies conjugated to horseradish peroxidase suggested that at least three different epitopes are recognised by the panel of antibodies, two of which are within the 'a' group determinant.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Intracellular localization and epitope mapping of feline herpesvirus type 1 glycoproteins.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) were used to characterize feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) glycoproteins (gp). Intracellular localization and transport of these proteins as revealed by a sequential indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on fixed infected cells showed slight differences between FHV-1 gp143/108 and gp113. Antibodies against gp143/108 first showed membrane fluorescence at 4 hrs post-infection (PI) followed by a pronounced perinuclear and cytoplasmic staining from 8 hrs PI onwards. Those reacting with gp113 showed the same pattern but fluorescence did not appear until 8 hrs PI. In contrast, MoAbs against gp60 first showed para- and perinuclear staining at 12 hrs PI which became intranuclear at 16 hrs PI, followed by intracytoplasmic staining at 20 hrs PI. Sequential IFA of unfixed infected cells revealed that the three glycoproteins were expressed on the cell surface membrane as well. Topographical mapping of the functional epitopes of gp113 by ELISA additivity test indicated the presence of 2 antigenic domains--a neutralizing domain consisting of 3 overlapping epitopes and a non-neutralizing domain. On the other hand, gp143/108 contained only one antigenic site consisting of 5 similar or overlapping epitopes, one of which seemed to be a conserved region recognized by all MoAbs reacting to this protein.

Animals↗

Epitope mapping of prostate-specific antigen with monoclonal antibodies.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a widely used marker for screening and monitoring prostate cancer. We identified and characterized the epitopes of two anti-PSA monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) designated B80 and B87. The epitopes were initially mapped as nonoverlapping by developing a sandwich immunoassay to measure PSA with the two anti-PSA mAbs. The two antibodies do not cross-react with homologous pancreatic kallikrein, but recognize epitopes unique to PSA. B80 and B87 can recognize both free and complexed PSA and hence measure total PSA. Epitope scanning and bacteriophage peptide library affinity selection procedures were used to identify and locate an epitope on PSA. A possible epitope for B80 was identified as being located on or near PSA amino acid residues 50-58 (-GRH-SLFHP-). The epitope for B87 was likely on an exposed nonlinear conformational determinant, unique to PSA, and not masked by the binding of B80 or alpha 1-antichymotrypsin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Epitope mapping.

This article describes a strategy for the mapping of the binding site, or epitope, of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) using bacterially expressed protein products. An overall strategy is discussed. This includes an initial round of several parallel approaches to gain the greatest amount of information at this stage. The second round uses the mapping information generated to identify MAbs, which may bind to identical or overlapping epitopes. The third round involves the design of new constructs that express small defined regions of the protein to refine the position of the epitope. The final step leads to the identification of the epitope to a resolution of 10 amino acid residues or else.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Epitope mapping using combinatorial phage-display libraries: a graph-based algorithm.

A phage-display library of random peptides is a combinatorial experimental technique that can be harnessed for studying antibody-antigen interactions. In this technique, a phage peptide library is scanned against an antibody molecule to obtain a set of peptides that are bound by the antibody with high affinity. This set of peptides is regarded as mimicking the genuine epitope of the antibody's interacting antigen and can be used to define it. Here we present PepSurf, an algorithm for mapping a set of affinity-selected peptides onto the solved structure of the antigen. The problem of epitope mapping is converted into the task of aligning a set of query peptides to a graph representing the surface of the antigen. The best match of each peptide is found by aligning it against virtually all possible paths in the graph. Following a clustering step, which combines the most significant matches, a predicted epitope is inferred. We show that PepSurf accurately predicts the epitope in four cases for which the epitope is known from a solved antibody-antigen co-crystal complex. We further examine the capabilities of PepSurf for predicting other types of protein-protein interfaces. The performance of PepSurf is compared to other available epitope mapping programs.

Algorithms↗

Glycosylation and epitope mapping of the 5T4 glycoprotein oncofoetal antigen.

The human 5T4 oncofoetal antigen is a focus for development of several antibody-directed therapies on the basis of the murine monoclonal antibody against 5T4 (mAb5T4), which recognizes a conformational epitope. 5T4 molecules are highly N-glycosylated transmembrane glycoproteins whose extracellular domain contains two regions of leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) and associated flanking regions, separated by an intervening hydrophilic sequence. Using a series of deletion and mutated cDNA constructs as well as chimaeras with the murine homologue, we have mapped the mAb5T4 epitope to the more membrane-proximal LRR2 or its flanking region. Analysis of the glycosylation of the seven consensus Asp-Xaa-Ser/Thr sites was consistent with all of the sites being glycosylated. A combination of two high-mannose chains (predominantly octasaccharide) and five mostly sialylated bi-, tri- and tetra-antennary complex chains with minor quantities of core fucose were detected. The two glycosylation sites, which are the most likely to have predominantly high-mannose chains, are in the only two regions that show significant differences between the human and the 81% identical mouse sequence. A site-directed mutation, which abolished glycosylation at one of these sites (position 192), did not alter antigenicity. The other, which is nearest to the N-terminus in the human, has an Asn-Leu-Thr to Asn-Leu-Leu conversion in the mouse, so cannot be glycosylated in the latter species. The large complex glycosylation at the other sites is likely to influence the antigenicity and tertiary structure generating the 5T4 epitope.

Animals↗

A novel method for the production of antibodies against ACTH: their characterization and use in epitope mapping.

Our earlier attempts at immunization with human adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) were unsuccessful and we therefore developed a new strategy including the chemical modification of the hormone by succinic anhydride in order to increase its immunogenicity. This process allowed us to obtain antisera with titers of up to 1/1000 and yielded 39 anti-succinylated ACTH (sACTH)-secreting hybridomas. Subsequently, the epitopes of sACTH were mapped by testing monoclonal antibodies two by two for simultaneous binding to sACTH and for their capacity to recognize its succinylated fragments 1-13, 1-17 and 1-24. The results, obtained with the use of radioactive tracers, were confirmed by and complemented with experiments conducted with biosensor technology. Seven groups of antibodies were defined on the basis of their pattern of reactivity and it was shown that four monoclonal antibodies could bind simultaneously to sACTH. Their dissociation constants (Kd) for sACTH were calculated and ranged from 10(-8) M to 10(-11) M. In order to obtain a fast and sensitive immunoassay for the hormone, we developed a protocol for the chemical modification of ACTH in serum and the most efficient monoclonal antibodies were selected on the basis of the epitope map and of their dissociation constants.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Fine specificity of autoantibodies to calreticulin: epitope mapping and characterization.

Extracellular calreticulin (CRT) as well as anti-CRT antibodies have been reported in patients with various autoimmune disorders and CRT has been implicated in 'epitope spreading' to other autoantigens such as the Ro/SS-A complex. In addition, antibodies against parasite forms of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone, CRT, have been found in patients suffering from onchocerciasis and schistosomiasis. In this study, we screened sera for anti-CRT antibodies from patients with active and inactive systemic lupus ertythematosus (SLE) and primary or secondary Sjögren's syndrome. Approximately 40% of all SLE patients were positive for anti-CRT antibodies. The antigenic regions of CRT were determined using full length CRT and fragments of CRT prepared in yeast and Escherichia coli, respectively. Synthetic 15mer peptides corresponding to the major autoantigenic region of CRT (amino acids 1-289), each one overlapping by 12 amino acids, were used to map the B cell epitopes on the CRT protein recognized by autoimmune sera. Major antigenic epitopes were found to be associated with the N-terminal half of the protein in 69% of the SLE sera from active disease patients, while the C-domain was not antigenic. Major epitopes were found to be reactive with antibodies in sera from SLE patients with both active and inactive disease, spanning different regions of the N and P-domains. Sera from both healthy and disease controls and primary Sjögren's syndrome patients were non-reactive to these sequences. Limited proteolysis of CRT with two major leucocyte serine proteases, elastase and cathepsin G, demonstrated that an N-terminal region of CRT is resistant to digestion. Interestingly, some of the epitopes with the highest reactivity belong to the fragments of the protein which bind to C1q and inhibit complement activation. Whether C1q association with CRT is a pathological or protective interaction between these two proteins is currently under investigation.

Adult↗

Epitope mapping of the variable repetitive region with the MB antigen of Ureaplasma urealyticum.

One of the major surface structures of Ureaplasma urealyticum recognized by antibodies of patients during infection is the MB antigen. Previously, we showed by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis that any one of the anti-MB monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) 3B1.5, 5B1.1, and 10C6.6 could block the binding of patient antibodies to MB. Subsequent DNA sequencing revealed that a unique six-amino-acid direct tandem repeat region composed the carboxy two-thirds of this antigen. In the present study, using antibody-reactive peptide scanning of this repeat region, we demonstrated that the amino acids defining the epitopes for MAbs 3B1.5 5B1.1 and 10C6.6 are EQP, GK, and KEQPA, respectively. Peptide scanning analysis of an infected patient's serum antibody response showed that the dominant epitope was defined by the sequence PAGK. Mapping of these continuous epitopes revealed overlap between all MAb and patient polyclonal antibody binding sites, thus explaining the ability of a single MAb to apparently block all polyclonal antibody binding sites. We also show that a single amino acid difference in the sequence of the repeats of serovars 3 and 14 accounts for the lack of reactivity with serovar 14 of two of the serovar 3-specific MAbs. Finally, the data demonstrate the need to obtain the sequences of the mba genes of all serovars before an effective serovar-specific antibody detection method can be developed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Epitope mapping analysis of apolipoprotein B-100 using a surface plasmon resonance-based biosensor.

Using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensor (BIA-technology), we have studied the interaction of ten different murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs, all IgG(1)), raised against the main protein constituent of human low density lipoprotein (LDL), i.e. the apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100). These mAbs identify distinct domains on apoB-100, relevant to LDL-receptor interaction: epitopes in the amino-terminal region (mAbs L7, L9, L10 and L11: aa 1-1297) and in the middle region (mAb 6B: aa 1480-1693; mAbs 2A, 3B: aa 2152-2377; mAbs 9A, L2 and L4: aa 2657-3248) of native apoB-100. A multisite binding analysis was performed to further characterize the epitopes recognized by all these mAbs. A rabbit anti-mouse IgG(1)-Fc antibody (RAM.Fc) was first coupled to the gold surface in order to capture one anti-human apoB-100 mAb. ApoB-100 protein was subsequently injected and allowed to react with this immobilized, oriented antibody. Multisite binding assays were then performed, by sequentially flowing other mAbs, in different orders, over the sensing surface. The capacity of each mAb to interact with the entrapped apoB-100 in a multimolecular complex was monitored in real time by SPR. The results achieved were comparable to those obtained by western immunoblotting using the same reagents. However, SPR ensures a more detailed epitope identification, demonstrating that BIA-technology can be successfully used for mapping distinct epitopes on apoB-100 protein in solution dispensing with labels and secondary tracers; moreover, compared with conventional immunoassays, it is significantly time saving (CNR-P.F. MADESS 2).

Animals↗

Conformational epitope mapping and IgG subclass distribution of desmoglein 3 in paraneoplastic pemphigus.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) shows autoimmune reaction against desmoglein 3 (Dsg3), whereas paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) shows autoimmune reaction against Dsg3 as well as numerous members of the plakin family. It has been demonstrated that in PV, dominant epitopes reside in N-terminal adhesive regions of Dsg3 and that the dominant IgG subclass against Dsg3 is IgG4. OBJECTIVE: We attempted to map conformational epitopes and analyze IgG subclass distribution against Dsg3 in PNP. METHOD: Epitopes on Dsg3 for circulating IgG autoantibodies from PNP (n = 22) were studied with competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using domain-swapped molecules between Dsg3 and Dsg1 and were compared with those for IgG autoantibodies from PV (n = 22). IgG subclass distribution was analyzed with PNP serum by Dsg3 ELISA (n = 17). RESULTS: Epitopes on Dsg3 in PNP were distributed more broadly through the extracellular domain of Dsg3 than were those in PV, although the N-terminal extracellular domains of Dsg3 were more frequently recognized than the C-terminal extracellular domains. IgG subclass in PNP was IgG1 and IgG2 dominant. CONCLUSION: Autoimmune response against Dsg3 in PNP is more diversified than that in PV, a finding that suggests PNP and PV have different pathophysiologic mechanisms for triggering production of anti-Dsg3 IgG.

Autoantibodies↗

Epitope mapping porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by phage display: the nsp2 fragment of the replicase polyprotein contains a cluster of B-cell epitopes.

We screened phage display libraries of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) protein fragments with sera from experimentally infected pigs to identify linear B-cell epitopes that are commonly recognized during infection in vivo. We identified 10 linear epitope sites (ES) 11 to 53 amino acids in length. In the replicase polyprotein, a total of eight ES were identified, six of which localized to the Nsp2 replicase polyprotein processing end product. In the structural proteins, a total of two ES were identified, in the ORF3 and ORF4 minor envelope glycoproteins. The ORF4 ES was previously identified by monoclonal antibody mapping (J. J. M. Meulenberg, A. P. van Nieuwstadt, A. van Essen-Zandenbergen, and J. P. M. Langeveld, J. Virol. 71:6061-6067, 1997), but its immunogenicity had not been examined in pigs. We found that six experimentally PRRSV-infected pigs consistently had very high antibody titers against the ORF4 ES. In some animals, sera diluted 1:62,500 still gave weak positive enzyme immunoassay reactivity against the ORF4 ES. This hitherto unrecognized immunodominance likely caused phages displaying the ORF4 ES to outcompete phages displaying other ES during library screening with porcine sera and accounted for our failure to identify more than two ES in the structural genes of PRRSV. Genetic analysis showed that variable ES were also the most immunogenic in vivo. Serological analysis indicated differences in the immunoglobulin A responses between short-term and longer-term viremic pigs towards some ES. The implications of these findings for PRRSV diagnostics and immunopathogenesis are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Epitope mapping of SHP-1 monoclonal antibodies using peptide phage display.

We have characterized the binding epitopes of four monoclonal antibodies for SHP-1, an SH2 domain containing protein tyrosine phosphatase, using two phage displayed random peptide libraries. Three of the antibodies are directed against the phosphatase domain of the molecule and the fourth is toward the NH2-terminal part of the second SH2 domain. The first two antibodies recognize the sequence NANY, amino acid 305 to amino acid 308, numbered in the non haematopoietic form of human SHP-1 sequence. The third antibody binds the sequence P Y W P (amino acids 365 to 368) located toward the middle of the phosphatase domain of the enzyme. The fourth antibody is directed against the first two amino acids, W Y (amino acids 112 and 113), of the second SH2 domain. The specificities of these antibodies are demonstrated by ELISA and western blot using different protein constructs expressed in bacteria. All the antibodies can detect wild type SHP-1, expressed in 293 cells, by western blot analysis, both under denaturing conditions as well as following renaturation. The data presented here show that the antibodies characterized in this study are raised against linear epitopes and suggest that these epitopes are accessible from the outside in the native SHP-1 molecule.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Epitope mapping of bovine serum albumin using monoclonal antibodies coupled with a photoreactive crosslinker.

Antigenic determinants (epitopes) on bovine serum albumin (BSA) to anti-BSA monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were assessed by means of photoaffinity labeling. Anti-BSA mAbs, AB3 and AB6, were modified with an 125I-labeled photoreactive crosslinker, sulfosuccinimidyl 2-(p-azidosalicylamido)ethyl-1,3'-dithiopropionate (SASD) and then bound with BSA. The complex yielded was irradiated with UV light to facilitate covalent binding of the modified mAb with BSA. Reduction of the product with 2-mercaptoethanol revealed that radioactivity of 125I-SASD was specifically introduced into BSA, probably near the mAb combining site(s). The radiolabeled or native BSA was digested with V8 protease and the peptides produced were assessed for their amino acid sequence, the radiolabeled amino acids contained, and their reactivity to mAb. The results indicated that AB3 mAb recognized an epitope in the region of Ala-537 to Asp-554 on a linear part of the BSA molecule, whereas AB6 mAb probably recognized an epitope of the assembled form present in a peptide of Asp-299 to Glu-338.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Producing peptide arrays for epitope mapping by intein-mediated protein ligation.

Peptide arrays are increasingly used to define antibody epitopes and substrate specificities of protein kinases. Their use is hampered, however, by ineffective and variable binding efficiency of peptides, which often results in low sensitivity and inconsistent results. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a novel method for making arrays of synthetic peptides on various membranes after ligating the peptide substrates to an intein-generated carrier protein. We have conducted screening for optimal carrier proteins by immunoreactivity and direct assessment of binding using a peptide derivatized at a lysine sidechain with fluorescein, CDPEK(fluorescein)DS. Ligation of a synthetic peptide antigen to a carrier protein, HhaI methylase, resulted in an improved retention of peptides and an increased sensitivity of up to 10(4)-fold in immunoassay- and epitope-scanning experiments. Denaturing the ligation products with 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or an organic solvent (20% methanol) prior to arraying did not significantly affect the immunoreactivity of the HhaI methylase-peptide product. Because the carrier protein dominates the binding of ligation products and contains one peptide reactive site, the amount of peptide arrayed onto the membranes can be effectively normalized. This technique was utilized in the alanine scanning of hemagglutinin (HA) antigen using two monoclonal antibodies, resulting in distinguishing the different antigen epitope profiles. Furthermore, we show that this method can be used to characterize the antibodies that recognize phosphorylated peptides. This novel approach allows for synthetic peptides to be uniformly arrayed onto membranes, compatible with a variety of applications.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Continuous B-epitope maps of cytochrome P450cam (CYP101) obtained by peptide scanning: correlation to spatial structure.

Protein continuous B-epitopes can be revealed using short synthetic peptides that overlap a known protein sequence. Since the whole protein surface is considered to possess antigenic properties, a question that arises is whether a set of linear B-epitopes determined by peptide scanning correlates with a protein spatial structure. We have chosen cytochrome P450cam (CYP101) of Pseudomonas putida, with known 3D structure, as a template. Sera of two rabbits and antibody egg yolk preparations from three chickens were produced against the P450cam molecule. These polyclonals were analyzed separately in ELISA with 409 overlapping P450cam hexapeptides. The whole set of continuous antigenic sites of P450cam covered about 45% of the P450cam sequence. However, immunodominant sites (those revealed with more than 50% antibody preparations), the so-called "antigenic core," represent only 9% of the protein sequence. While the amount of water-accessible residues in the total antigenic map (42%) was close to that in the whole native P450cam molecule (39%), the amount of water-accessible residues in the antigenic core was significantly higher (64%). These results led to the conclusion that antigenic core epitopes can be associated to the molecular surface, whereas epitopes with low detection frequency may partly correspond to unfolded regions of the protein molecule.

Animals↗

"Affinity-proteomics": direct protein identification from biological material using mass spectrometric epitope mapping.

We describe here a new approach for the identification of affinity-bound proteins by proteolytic generation and mass spectrometric analysis of their antibody bound epitope peptides (epitope excision). The cardiac muscle protein troponin T was chosen as a protein antigen because of its diagnostic importance in myocardial infarct, and its previously characterised epitope structure. Two monoclonal antibodies (IgG1-1B10 and IgG1-11.7) raised against intact human troponin T were found to be completely cross reactive with bovine heart troponin T. A combination of immuno-affinity isolation, partial proteolytic degradation (epitope excision), mass spectrometric peptide mapping, and database analysis was used for the direct identification of Tn T from bovine heart cell lysate. Selective binding of the protein was achieved by addition of bovine heart cell lysate to the Sepharose-immobilised monoclonal antibodies, followed by removal of supernatant material containing unbound protein. While still bound to the affinity matrix the protein was partially degraded thereby generating a set of affinity-bound, overlapping peptide fragments comprising the epitope. Following dissociation from the antibody the epitope peptides were analysed by matrix assisted laser desorption-ionisation (MALDI) and electrospray-ionisation (ESI) mass spectrometry. The peptide masses identified by mass spectrometry were used to perform an automated database search, combined with a search for a common "epitope motif". This procedure resulted in the unequivocal identification of the protein from biological material with only a minimum number of peptide masses, and requiring only limited mass-determination accuracy. The dramatic increase of selectivity for identification of the protein by combining the antigen-antibody specificity with the redundancy of peptide sequences renders this "affinity-proteomics" approach a powerful tool for mass spectrometric identification of proteins from biological material.

Amino Acid Sequence↗