Epitope Mapping of a Monoclonal Antibody Directed against Neisserial Heparin Binding Antigen Using Next Generation Sequencing of Antigen-Specific Libraries

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 10;11(8):e0160702. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160702. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

We explore here the potential of a newly described technology, which is named PROFILER and is based on next generation sequencing of gene-specific lambda phage-displayed libraries, to rapidly and accurately map monoclonal antibody (mAb) epitopes. For this purpose, we used a novel mAb (designated 31E10/E7) directed against Neisserial Heparin-Binding Antigen (NHBA), a component of the anti-group B meningococcus Bexsero® vaccine. An NHBA phage-displayed library was affinity-selected with mAb 31E10/E7, followed by massive sequencing of the inserts present in antibody-selected phage pools. Insert analysis identified an amino acid stretch (D91-A128) in the N-terminal domain, which was shared by all of the mAb-enriched fragments. Moreover, a recombinant fragment encompassing this sequence could recapitulate the immunoreactivity of the entire NHBA molecule against mAb 31E10/E7. These results were confirmed using a panel of overlapping recombinant fragments derived from the NHBA vaccine variant and a set of chemically synthetized peptides covering the 10 most frequent antigenic variants. Furthermore, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass-spectrometry analysis of the NHBA-mAb 31E10/E7 complex was also compatible with mapping of the epitope to the D91-A128 region. Collectively, these results indicate that the PROFILER technology can reliably identify epitope-containing antigenic fragments and requires considerably less work, time and reagents than other epitope mapping methods.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / immunology*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / immunology*
  • Cross Reactions
  • Epitope Mapping / methods*
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Mice
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / immunology
  • Peptide Library*
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • NHBA protein, Neisseria meningitidis
  • Peptide Library
  • Recombinant Proteins

Grants and funding

Scylla Biotech Srl and Charybdis Vaccines Srl, two spin-off companies of the University of Messina, provided support in the form laboratory reagents and consumables. Support in the form of salaries for authors was provided by Scylla Biotech Srl (MD and VLC) and GSK Vaccines (DD, EBa, EBo, MB, LS, VM). The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section. Work described here was supported by funds granted to Scylla Biotech Srl by the Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca Scientifica of Italy (Project n. 4/13 ex art. 11 D.M. n. 593). Funders had no additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.