title: Molecular determinants of polyreactive antibody binding: HCDR3 and cyclic peptides.
abstract: Human monoclonal antibody 63 (mAb63) is an IgM/lambda polyreactive antibody that binds to multiple self and non-self antigens. The molecular basis of polyreactivity is still unclear. The present study was initiated to prepare a recombinant Fab of mAb63 and use it to study the determinants involved in polyreactivity. The baculovirus system was employed to express large amounts of mAb63 Fab in Sf9 cells. Our experiments showed that infected Sf9 cells secreted a soluble 50-kD Fab heterodimer that bound to multiple self and non-self antigens. The antigen-binding activity of mAb63 Fab was inhibited by both homologous and heterologous antigens. To study in more detail the molecular determinants involved in polyreactivity, the heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3), which is known to play a key role in the binding of monoreactive antibodies to antigens, was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis. A single substitution, alanine for arginine, at position 100A resulted in complete loss of antigen-binding activity. The 19 amino acids comprising the HCDR3 of mAb63 were then synthesized and a cyclic peptide prepared. The cyclic peptide showed the same antigen-binding pattern as the parental mAb63 and the recombinant mAb63 Fab. A five amino acid motif (RFLEW), present in the HCDR3 of mAb63, was found by searching the GenBank in three of 50 other human polyreactive antibodies, but in none of nearly 2500 human antibodies thought to be monoreactive. It is concluded that HCDR3 plays a major role in polyreactivity and that in some cases cyclic peptides comprising the HCDR3, by themselves, may be polyreactive.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Medicine Section, Oral Infection and Immunity Branch, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. ydeng@yoda.nidr.nih.gov
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Notkins
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018411:Spodoptera
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D017931:DNA Primers; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins