Multiplexed Affinity Characterization of Protein Binders Directly from a Crude Cell Lysate by Covalent Capture on Suspension Bead Arrays

Anal Chem. 2021 Feb 2;93(4):2166-2173. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03992. Epub 2021 Jan 4.

Abstract

The precise determination of affinity and specificity is a crucial step in the development of new protein reagents for therapy and diagnostics. Paradoxically, the selection of protein binders, e.g., antibody fragments, from large combinatorial repertoires is a rapid process compared to the subsequent characterization of selected clones. Here we demonstrate the use of suspension bead arrays (SBA) in combination with flow cytometry to facilitate the post-selection analysis of binder affinities. The array is designed to capture the proteins of interest (POIs) covalently on the surface of superparamagnetic color-coded microbeads directly from expression cell lysate, based on SpyTag-SpyCatcher coupling by isopeptide bond formation. This concept was validated by analyzing the affinities of a typical phage display output, i.e., clones consisting of single-chain variable fragment antibodies (scFvs), as SpyCatcher fusions in 12- and 24-plex SBA formats using a standard three-laser flow cytometer. We demonstrate that the equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) obtained from multiplexed SBA assays correlate well with experiments performed on a larger scale, while the antigen consumption was reduced >100-fold compared to the conventional 96-well plate format. Protein screening and characterization by SBAs is a rapid and reagent-saving analytical format for combinatorial protein engineering to address specificity maturation and cross-reactivity profiling of antibodies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Fungal Proteins / chemistry*
  • Immobilized Proteins / chemistry*
  • Microspheres*
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Protein Binding
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / chemistry*

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • Immobilized Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Single-Chain Antibodies
  • SpyTag peptide
  • tamavidin 2-HOT