A novel molecular analysis of genes encoding catalytic antibodies.
Among the numerous questions remaining opened about catalytic antibodies (abzymes), the understanding of the origin of the genes encoding them is of vital significance. An original statistical analysis of genes encoding abzymes is described in the present report. Results suggested that these genes display a high conservation degree with their germline counterpart and a limited number of amino acid changes. Hence, on the contrary with high-affinity antibodies, maturation process by accumulation of somatic hypermutations is not required for the catalytic function. We demonstrated that despite a weak somatic mutation rate, the physicochemical properties of mutated amino acid (AA) are predominantly dissimilar with that of the germline AA. Further, we developed a novel approach in order to analyze the nature of genes encoding catalytic antibodies. For the first time, an unexpected and significant high level expression of rare gene subgroups was noticed and emphasized. The data described in this paper would lay the foundation for future studies about origin of genes encoding catalytic antibodies.
Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire, UMR 6022 CNRS, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, BP 20529, 60205 Compiègne, France.
Damien
D
Le Minoux
Ankit
A
Mahendra
Srini
S
Kaveri
Nikolaos
N
Limnios
Alain
A
Friboulet
Bérangère
B
Avalle
Didier
D
Boquet
Sébastien
S
Lacroix-Desmazes
Séverine
S
Padiolleau-Lefèvre
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017151:Antibodies, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D027041:Somatic Hypermutation, Immunoglobulin
D017151:Antibodies, Catalytic