Peter M. Bowers

Prolinks: a database of protein functional linkages derived from coevolution

The advent of whole-genome sequencing has led to methods that infer protein function and linkages. We have combined four such algorithms (phylogenetic profile, Rosetta Stone, gene neighbor and gene cluster) in a single database - Prolinks - that spans 83 organisms and includes 10 million high-confidence links. The Proteome Navigator tool allows users to browse predicted linkage networks interactively, providing accompanying annotation from public databases. The Prolinks database and the Proteome Navigator tool are available for use online at http://dip.doe-mbi.ucla.edu/pronav.

Coupling mammalian cell surface display with somatic hypermutation for the discovery and maturation of human antibodies

A novel approach has been developed for the isolation and maturation of human antibodies that replicates key features of the adaptive immune system by coupling in vitro somatic hypermutation (SHM) with mammalian cell display. SHM is dependent on the action of the B cell specific enzyme, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), and can be replicated in non-B cells through expression of recombinant AID. A library of human antibodies, based on germline V-gene segments with recombined human regions was used to isolate low-affinity antibodies to human β nerve growth factor (hβNGF). These antibodies, initially naïve to SHM, were subjected to AID-directed SHM in vitro and selected using the same mammalian cell display system, as illustrated by the maturation of one of the antibodies to low pM KD. This approach overcomes many of the previous limitations of mammalian cell display, enabling direct selection and maturation of antibodies as full-length, glycosylated IgGs.

An integrated approach to extreme thermostabilization and affinity maturation of an antibody

Antibodies are important tools for a broad range of applications due to their high specificity and ability to recognize virtually any target molecule. However, in order to be practically useful, antibodies must be highly stable and bind their target antigens with high affinity. We present a combinatorial approach to generate high-affinity, highly stable antibodies through the design of stable frameworks, specificity grafting and maturation via somatic hypermutation in vitro. By collectively employing these methods, we have engineered a highly stable, high-affinity, full-length antibody with a T(m) over 90°C that retains significant activity after heating to 90°C for 1 h, and has ~95-fold improved antigen-binding affinity. The stabilized IgG framework is compatible with affinity maturation, and should provide a broadly useful scaffold for grafting a variety of complementarity-determining region loops for the development of stable antibodies with desired specificities.

Mammalian cell display for the discovery and optimization of antibody therapeutics.

Recent advances are described for the isolation and affinity maturation of antibodies that couple in vitro somatic hypermutation (SHM) with mammalian cell display, replicating key aspects of the adaptive immune system. SHM is dependent on the action of the B cell specific enzyme, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID-directed SHM in vitro in non-B cells, combined with mammalian display of a library of human antibodies, initially naïve to SHM, can be used to isolate and affinity mature antibodies via iterative cycles of fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) under increasingly stringent sort conditions. SHM observed in vitro closely resembles SHM observed in human antibodies in vivo in both mutation type and positioning in the antibody variable region. In addition, existing antibodies originating from mouse immunization, in vivo based libraries, or alternative display technologies such as phage can also be affinity matured in a similar manner. The display system has been developed to enable simultaneous high-level cell surface expression and secretion of the same protein through alternate splicing, where the displayed protein phenotype remains linked to genotype, allowing soluble secreted antibody to be simultaneously characterized in biophysical and cell-based functional assays. This approach overcomes many of the previous limitations of mammalian cell display, enabling direct selection and maturation of antibodies as full-length, glycosylated IgGs.

Utilizing logical relationships in genomic data to decipher cellular processes

The wealth of available genomic data has spawned a corresponding interest in computational methods that can impart biological meaning and context to these experiments. Traditional computational methods have drawn relationships between pairs of proteins or genes based on notions of equality or similarity between their patterns of occurrence or behavior. For example, two genes displaying similar variation in expression, over a number of experiments, may be predicted to be functionally related. We have introduced a natural extension of these approaches, instead identifying logical relationships involving triplets of proteins. Triplets provide for various discrete kinds of logic relationships, leading to detailed inferences about biological associations. For instance, a protein C might be encoded within an organism if, and only if, two other proteins A and B are also both encoded within the organism, thus suggesting that gene C is functionally related to genes A and B. The method has been applied fruitfully to both phylogenetic and microarray expression data, and has been used to associate logical combinations of protein activity with disease state phenotypes, revealing previously unknown ternary relationships among proteins, and illustrating the inherent complexities that arise in biological data.

Computational method to assign microbial genes to pathways

We present techniques that mine fully sequenced microbial genomes for functional relationships between genes. We show that genes related by one of four techniques are more likely to belong to the same cellular pathways. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the pathway of an uncharacterized gene may be inferred from those of its functionally related partners. Therefore, we are now able to assign most of the genes within bacteria to cellular pathways. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 37: 106–109, 2001.

Mammalian Cell Display and Somatic Hypermutation In Vitro for Human Antibody Discovery

Human therapeutic antibody discovery has utilized a variety of systems, from in vivo immunization of human immunoglobulin-expressing mice, to in vitro display of antibody libraries. Of the in vitro antibody display technologies, mammalian cell display provides a number of advantages with the ability to co-select immunoglobulin molecules for high expression level in mammalian cells, native folding, and biophysical properties appropriate for drug development. Mammalian cell display has been achieved using either transient or stable expression systems, using a number of alternate transmembrane domains to present antibody on the cell surface. The unique capability of mammalian cells to present IgG in its fully post-translationally modified format also allows selection of antibodies for functional properties. One limitation of mammalian cell based systems, however, has been the smaller library size that can be presented compared to phage display approaches. Until recently, this has necessitated the use of libraries biased toward a particular antigen, such as libraries derived from immunized donors, to achieve success. An alternative approach has now been developed which recapitulates key aspects of the in vivo immune system through reproducing somatic hypermutation (SHM) in vitro. Libraries representing a naïve human B lymphocyte antibody repertoire are created by PCR amplification of the rearranged (D)J segments of heavy and light chain variable regions from human donors and incorporating the resulting sequence diversity into panels of human germline VH and VL genes. The resulting antibodies are presented as full length IgG on the surface of HEK293 cells. After isolation of antibodies binding to individual target antigens, subsequent affinity maturation using in vitro SHM is induced by expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Selection of antibodies from naïve fully human libraries using mammalian cell display coupled with in vitro SHM is an efficient methodology for the generation of high affinity human antibodies with excellent properties for drug development.

Simultaneous Surface Display and Secretion of Proteins from Mammalian Cells Facilitate Efficient in Vitro Selection and Maturation of Antibodies

Background: Simultaneous cell surface display and secretion is desirable for protein evolution and selection. Results: Alternative splicing enables simultaneous cell surface display and secretion of the same protein or an alternate form to facilitate screening. Conclusion: Analysis of secreted protein complements cell surface display for evolution of protein function. Significance: This technology can enable rapid evolution and characterization of proteins with desired functional properties. A mammalian expression system has been developed that permits simultaneous cell surface display and secretion of the same protein through alternate splicing of pre-mRNA. This enables a flexible system for in vitro protein evolution in mammalian cells where the displayed protein phenotype remains linked to genotype, but with the advantage of soluble protein also being produced without the requirement for any further recloning to allow a wide range of assays, including biophysical and cell-based functional assays, to be used during the selection process. This system has been used for the simultaneous surface presentation and secretion of IgG during antibody discovery and maturation. Presentation and secretion of monomeric Fab can also be achieved to minimize avidity effects. Manipulation of the splice donor site sequence enables control of the relative amounts of cell surface and secreted antibody. Multi-domain proteins may be presented and secreted in different formats to enable flexibility in experimental design, and secreted proteins may be produced with epitope tags to facilitate high-throughput testing. This system is particularly useful in the context of in situ mutagenesis, as in the case of in vitro somatic hypermutation.

Humanization of Antibodies Using Heavy Chain Complementarity-determining Region 3 Grafting Coupled with in Vitro Somatic Hypermutation

Background: Humanization of murine monoclonal antibodies by CDR grafting is a widely used technique. Results: In vitro somatic hypermutation was coupled with minimal CDR grafting to produce potent, pm affinity antibodies. Conclusion: This methodology can rapidly generate potent, humanized antibodies containing a minimum of donor sequence. Significance: Antibodies produced using this approach contain reduced rodent antibody donor content and possess potential advantages in manufacturability and immunogenicity. A method for simultaneous humanization and affinity maturation of monoclonal antibodies has been developed using heavy chain complementarity-determining region (CDR) 3 grafting combined with somatic hypermutation in vitro. To minimize the amount of murine antibody-derived antibody sequence used during humanization, only the CDR3 region from a murine antibody that recognizes the cytokine hβNGF was grafted into a nonhomologous human germ line V region. The resulting CDR3-grafted HC was paired with a CDR-grafted light chain, displayed on the surface of HEK293 cells, and matured using in vitro somatic hypermutation. A high affinity humanized antibody was derived that was considerably more potent than the parental antibody, possessed a low pm dissociation constant, and demonstrated potent inhibition of hβNGF activity in vitro. The resulting antibody contained half the heavy chain murine donor sequence compared with the same antibody humanized using traditional methods.

High Affinity Humanized Antibodies without Making Hybridomas; Immunization Paired with Mammalian Cell Display and In Vitro Somatic Hypermutation

A method has been developed for the rapid generation of high-affinity humanized antibodies from immunized animals without the need to make conventional hybridomas. Rearranged IgH D(J) regions were amplified from the spleen and lymph tissue of mice immunized with the human complement protein C5, fused with a limited repertoire of human germline heavy chain V-genes to form intact humanized heavy chains, and paired with a human light chain library. Completed heavy and light chains were assembled for mammalian cell surface display and transfected into HEK 293 cells co-expressing activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Numerous clones were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and affinity maturation, initiated by AID, resulted in the rapid evolution of high affinity, functional antibodies. This approach enables the efficient sampling of an immune repertoire and the direct selection and maturation of high-affinity, humanized IgGs.