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Cell-Free Dot Blot as a Practical and Adaptable Immunoassay Platform for the Detection of Antibody Response in Human and Animal Sera

The string of global pathogenic outbreaks over the past two decades has highlighted the importance of serosurveillance strategies. Immunoassay platforms ...

University of Toronto

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a 32 kDa dimeric enzyme that actively removes a toxic oxygen species within red cells. The acellular protein itself does not survive circulation as it is filtered through the kidney. Conjugating the protein to another SOD should increase the size of the dual protein above the threshold for filtration by the kidney, making the material a potential therapeutic in circulation. Site-selective chemical cross-linking of SOD introduces a bioorthogonal azide group on the cross-link so that two SODs react efficiently with a bis-alkyne through phase-directed copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (PDCuAAC). The modification has a negligible effect on the catalytic activity of the constituent proteins. Consistent with the retained activity, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy indicates that the secondary structures of the proteins are similar to that of the native protein.

Bioorthogonal phase-directed copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (PDCuAAC) coupling of selectively cross-linked superoxide dismutase dimers produces a fully active bis-dimer.

While cross-linked hemoglobin (Hb) tetramers can deliver oxygen as a supplement to red cells, they also cause unacceptable increases in blood pressure, presumably from their penetration of the linings of blood vessels (endothelia) where the internal hemes bind endogenous nitric oxide (NO). This penetration would lower the local concentration of NO that normally induces vasodilation. Enlarging the effective size of the oxygen-carrying protein by coupling two Hbs can prevent their extravasation. Efficient and selective protein-protein coupling to produce those species has been a significant challenge. Introduction of an azide within a protein provides a directionally-oriented reaction site for utilization of the Cu(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) in the protein-protein-coupling process based on solubility-directed sequential addition to a bis-alkyne. However, it is known that Hb with an azide-containing cross-link between α-subunits is unreactive in CuAAC. To direct reaction away from the α-subunits of Hb, a specific fumaryl cross-link is installed exclusively between the most reactive sites on those subunits, thereby blocking the α-99 lysyl groups and preventing any further reaction. This modification allows installation of an azide-containing cross-link exclusively between lysine-82 ε-amino groups of the β-subunits of Hb. The multiply interconnected sites establish a geometry that permits initial interfacial interaction of the cross-linked Hb-azide with Cu(i) and a bis-alkyne. After coupling, the protein-linked azide product undergoes CuAAC at the remaining alkyne with a second cross-linked Hb-azide, producing a fully functional cross-linked Hb bis-tetramer whose oxygenation and structural properties include cooperativity and oxygen affinity that should be suitable for testing as an alternative to red cells in transfusions.

Subunit-directed click coupling via doubly cross-linked hemoglobin efficiently produces readily purified functional bis-tetrameric oxygen carriers.

Hypertension resulting from vasoconstriction in clinical trials of cross-linked tetrameric (α2β2) human hemoglobins implicates the extravasation of the hemoglobins into endothelia where they scavenge nitric oxide (NO), which is the signal for relaxation of the surrounding smooth muscle. Thus, we sought an efficient route to create a larger species that avoids extravasation while maintaining the oxygenation function of hemoglobin. Selectively formed cysteine-linked biotin conjugates of hemoglobin undergo self-assembly with avidin into a stable triple protein, hemoglobin-avidin-hemoglobin (HbAvHb), which binds and releases oxygen with moderate affinity and cooperativity. The triple protein is likely to be stabilized by interactions of each constituent hemoglobin (pI 6.9) with the oppositely charged avidin (pI 10.5) as well as the strong association of the biotin moieties on hemoglobin with avidin.

Self-Assembly of a Functional Triple Protein: Hemoglobin-Avidin-Hemoglobin via Biotin-Avidin Interactions.

Conventional chemical approaches to protein-protein coupling present challenges due to the intrinsic competition between the desired interactions of reagents with groups of the protein as well as reactions with water. Biorthogonal Cu(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC)-processes provide a basis to direct reactivity without functional group interference. However, the requirement for Cu(i) in CuAAC leads to complications that result from the metal ion's interactions with the protein. In principle, a similar but metal-free alternative approach to coupling could employ the reaction of an alkyne that is strained in combination with an azide (strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition, SPAAC). The method is exemplified by the combination of a cyclooctyne derivative of hemoglobin with an azide-modified hemoglobin. The bis-hemoglobin tetramer that is produced has properties consistent with those sought for use as a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC).

Strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition for protein-protein coupling in the formation of a bis-hemoglobin as a copper-free oxygen carrier.

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) are potential alternatives to red blood cells in transfusions. Clinical trials using early versions of HBOCs noted adverse effects that appeared to result from removal of the vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). Previous reports suggest that size-enlarged HBOCs may avoid NO-rich regions along the vasculature and therefore not cause vasoconstriction and hypertension.

Cross-linked hemoglobin bis-tetramers from bioorthogonal coupling do not induce vasoconstriction in the circulation.

Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) hold promise as therapeutics against COVID-19. Here, we describe protein engineering and modular design principles that have led to the development of synthetic bivalent and tetravalent nAbs against SARS-CoV-2. The best nAb targets the host receptor binding site of the viral S-protein and tetravalent versions block entry with a potency exceeding bivalent nAbs by an order of magnitude. Structural studies show that both the bivalent and tetravalent nAbs can make multivalent interactions with a single S-protein trimer, consistent with the avidity and potency of these molecules. Significantly, we show that the tetravalent nAbs show increased tolerance to potential virus escape mutants and an emerging variant of concern. Bivalent and tetravalent nAbs can be produced at large-scale and are as stable and specific as approved antibody drugs. Our results provide a general framework for enhancing antiviral therapies against COVID-19 and related viral threats, and our strategy can be applied to virtually any antibody drug.

Tetravalent SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies Show Enhanced Potency and Resistance to Escape Mutations.

Connexin (Cx) hemichannels (HCs) are large pore hexameric structures that allow the exchange of ions, metabolites and a variety of other molecules between the cell cytoplasm and extracellular milieu. HC inhibitors are attracting growing interest as drug candidates because deregulated fluxes through HCs have been implicated in a plethora of genetic conditions and other diseases. HC activity has been mainly investigated by electrophysiological methods and/or using HC-permeable dye uptake measurements. Here, we present an all-optical assay based on fluorometric measurements of ionized calcium (Ca) uptake with a Ca-selective genetically encoded indicator (GCaMP6s) that permits the optical tracking of cytosolic Ca concentration ([Ca]) changes with high sensitivity. We exemplify use of the assay in stable pools of HaCaT cells overexpressing human Cx26, Cx46, or the pathological mutant Cx26G45E, under control of a tetracycline (Tet) responsive element (TRE) promoter (Tet-on). We demonstrate the usefulness of the assay for the characterization of new monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the extracellular domain of the HCs. Although we developed the assay on a spinning disk confocal fluorescence microscope, the same methodology can be extended seamlessly to high-throughput high-content platforms to screen other kinds of inhibitors and/or to probe HCs expressed in primary cells and microtissues.

Serena Singh

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

University of Toronto

Cell-Free Dot Blot as a Practical and Adaptable Immunoassay Platform for the Detection of Antibody Response in Human and Animal Sera

Serena Singh

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

University of Toronto

Cell-Free Dot Blot as a Practical and Adaptable Immunoassay Platform for the Detection of Antibody Response in Human and Animal Sera

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy