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IgG Fab fragments forming bivalent complexes by a conformational mechanism that is reversible by osmolytes.

ABSTRACT: Generated by proteolytic cleavage of immunoglobulin, Fab fragments possess great promise as blocking reagents, able to bind receptors or other targets without inducing cross-linking. However, aggregation of Fab preparations is a common occurrence, which generates intrinsic stimulatory capacity and thwarts signal blockade strategies. Using a panel of biochemical approaches, including size exclusion chromatography, SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, and cell stimulation followed by flow cytometry, we have measured the oligomerization and acquisition of stimulatory capacity that occurs in four monoclonal IgG Fabs specific for TCR/CD3. Unexpectedly, we observed that all Fabs spontaneously formed complexes that were precisely bivalent, and these bivalent complexes possessed most of the stimulatory activity of each Fab preparation. Fabs composing bivalent complexes were more susceptible to proteolysis than monovalent Fabs, indicating a difference in conformation between the Fabs involved in these two different states of valency. Because osmolytes represent a class of compounds that stabilize protein folding and conformation, we sought to determine the extent to which the amino acid osmolyte l-proline might impact bivalent Fab complexation. We found that l-proline (i) inhibited the adoption of the conformation associated with bivalent complexation, (ii) preserved Fab monovalency, (iii) reversed the conformation of preformed bivalent Fabs to that of monovalent Fabs, and (iv) separated a significant percentage of preformed bivalent complexes into monovalent species. Thus, Fab fragments can adopt a conformation that is compatible with folding or packing of a bivalent complex in a process that can be inhibited by osmolytes.

SUBMITTER: Nelson AD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3522289 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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IgG Fab fragments forming bivalent complexes by a conformational mechanism that is reversible by osmolytes.

Nelson Alfreda D AD Hoffmann Michele M MM Parks Christopher A CA Dasari Surendra S Schrum Adam G AG Gil Diana D

The Journal of biological chemistry 20121029 51

Generated by proteolytic cleavage of immunoglobulin, Fab fragments possess great promise as blocking reagents, able to bind receptors or other targets without inducing cross-linking. However, aggregation of Fab preparations is a common occurrence, which generates intrinsic stimulatory capacity and thwarts signal blockade strategies. Using a panel of biochemical approaches, including size exclusion chromatography, SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, and cell stimulation followed by flow cytometry, we ha ...[more]

PMID: 23109335

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Project description:The neutralizing antibody (nAb) response against the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) fusion glycoprotein is important for preventing viral infection, but we lack a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which these antibodies act. Here we investigated the effect of nAb binding and the role of IgG bivalency in the inhibition of HA function for nAbs targeting distinct HA epitopes. HC19 targets the receptor binding pocket at the distal end of HA, while FI6v3 binds primarily to the HA2 fusion subunit toward the base of the stalk. Surprisingly, HC19 inhibited the ability of HA to induce lipid mixing by preventing the structural rearrangement of HA under fusion-activating conditions. These results suggest that nAbs such as HC19 not only act by blocking receptor binding but also inhibit key late-stage HA conformational changes required for fusion. Intact HC19 IgG was also shown to cross-link separate virus particles, burying large proportions of HA within aggregates where they are blocked from interacting with target membranes; Fabs yielded no such aggregation and displayed weaker neutralization than IgG, emphasizing the impact of bivalency on the ability to neutralize virus. In contrast, the stem-targeting nAb FI6v3 did not aggregate particles. The Fab fragment was significantly less effective than IgG in preventing both membrane disruption and fusion. We infer that interspike cross-linking within a given particle by FI6v3 IgG may be critical to its potent neutralization, as no significant neutralization occurred with Fabs. These results demonstrate that IgG bivalency enhances HA inhibition through functionally important modes not evident in pared-down Fab-soluble HA structures.IMPORTANCE The influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) fusion glycoprotein mediates entry into target cells and is the primary antigenic target of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). Our current structural understanding of mechanisms of antibody (Ab)-mediated neutralization largely relies on the high-resolution characterization of antigen binding (Fab) fragments in complex with soluble, isolated antigen constructs by cryo-electron microscopy (EM) single-particle reconstruction or X-ray crystallography. Interactions between full-length IgG and whole virions have not been well characterized, and a gap remains in our understanding of how intact Abs neutralize virus and prevent infection. Using structural and biophysical approaches, we observed that Ab-mediated inhibition of HA function and neutralization of virus infectivity occur by multiple coexisting mechanisms, are largely dependent on the specific epitope that is targeted, and are highly dependent on the bivalent nature of IgG molecules.

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IgG Fab fragments forming bivalent complexes by a conformational mechanism that is reversible by osmolytes.

Publications

IgG Fab fragments forming bivalent complexes by a conformational mechanism that is reversible by osmolytes.

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