title: Single-domain antibody fragments with high conformational stability.
abstract: A variety of techniques, including high-pressure unfolding monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence, circular dichroism, and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, have been used to investigate the equilibrium folding properties of six single-domain antigen binders derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies with specificities for lysozymes, beta-lactamases, and a dye (RR6). Various denaturing conditions (guanidinium chloride, urea, temperature, and pressure) provided complementary and independent methods for characterizing the stability and unfolding properties of the antibody fragments. With all binders, complete recovery of the biological activity after renaturation demonstrates that chemical-induced unfolding is fully reversible. Furthermore, denaturation experiments followed by optical spectroscopic methods and affinity measurements indicate that the antibody fragments are unfolded cooperatively in a single transition. Thus, unfolding/refolding equilibrium proceeds via a simple two-state mechanism (N <--> U), where only the native and the denatured states are significantly populated. Thermally-induced denaturation, however, is not completely reversible, and the partial loss of binding capacity might be due, at least in part, to incorrect refolding of the long loops (CDRs), which are responsible for antigen recognition. Most interestingly, all the fragments are rather resistant to heat-induced denaturation (apparent T(m) = 60-80 degrees C), and display high conformational stabilities (DeltaG(H(2)O) = 30-60 kJ mole(-1)). Such high thermodynamic stability has never been reported for any functional conventional antibody fragment, even when engineered antigen binders are considered. Hence, the reduced size, improved solubility, and higher stability of the camelid heavy-chain antibody fragments are of special interest for biotechnological and medical applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Enzymologie, Centre d'Ingénerie des Protéines, Institut de Chimie B6, Université de Liége, B-4000 Liége, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dumoulin
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Conrath
authors.forename: Annemie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Meirhaeghe
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meersman
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heremans
authors.forename: Leon G J
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Frenken
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muyldermans
authors.forename: Lode
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wyns
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matagne
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002161:Camelids, New World; D002162:Camelus; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009113:Muramidase / Q000276:immunology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments; D009113:Muramidase; C088657:NmcA protein, Enterobacter cloacae; D001618:beta-Lactamases