A cell–cell interaction format for selection of high-affinity antibodies to membrane proteins

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 116; no. 30; pp. 14971 - 14978
• Main Authors: Yang, Zhuo, Wan, Yue, Tao, Pingdong, Qiang, Min, Dong, Xue, Lin, Chih-Wei, Yang, Guang, Zheng, Tianqing, Lerner, Richard A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 23.07.2019
• Series: PNAS Plus
• Subjects: Affinity; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies - immunology; Antibody Affinity; Antigen presentation; Antigens; Biological Sciences; Cell membranes; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Display devices; Drug Discovery - methods; Flow cytometry; Flow Cytometry - methods; Fluorescence; Format; G protein-coupled receptors; Immunoglobulins; Ion channels; Ion Channels - immunology; Membrane proteins; Opioid receptors (type mu); Peptides; PNAS Plus; Proteins; Receptors; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - immunology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Yeast; membrane proteins; GPCRs; antibody drug discovery; ion channels; yeast display
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1908571116

Generating and improving antibodies and peptides that bind specifically to membrane protein targets such as ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can be challenging using established selection methods. Current strategies are often limited by difficulties in the presentation of the antigen or the efficiency of the selection process. Here, we report a method for obtaining antibodies specific for whole cell membrane-associated antigens which combines a cell–cell interaction format based on yeast display technology with fluorescence-activated cell sorting of dual fluorescent complexes. Using this method, we were able to direct the affinity maturation of an antagonist antibody specific for the proton-gated ion channel ASIC1a and showed that both the affinity and potency were improved. We were also able to use this method to do kinetic selections to generate clones with better dissociation profiles. In addition, this method was employed successfully to handle the difficult problem of selecting antibodies specific to a GPCR target, the mu-opioid receptor.