Citation

  • Authors: Kucharska I. et al.
  • Year: 2022
  • Journal: PLoS Pathog 18 e1010999
  • Applications: in vitro / DNA / FectoPRO
  • Cell type: HEK-293F

Method

NANP5.5−1210 Fab-LS-Th2R pHLsec plasmid was transiently co-transfected with LS-pHLsec and 1210 Fab KC pcDNA3.4 plasmids at a 2:3:1 ratio in HEK293F cells using FectoPRO DNA transfection reagent (Polyplus). NANP5.5-LS-Th2R and NANP5.5-ferritin-TSR constructs were transiently co-transfected with either LS-pHLsec or ferritin-pHLsec at 1:1 ratio. Cells were cultured in GIBCO FreeStyle 293 Expression Medium for 6 days. Secreted nanoparticles were purified via StrepTrap (GE Healthcare) and size-exclusion chromatography (Superose 6 Increase 10/300 GL column (GE Healthcare). Full-length PfCSP (strain NF54) was cloned into pcDNA3.4-TOPO with a His6x tag. The resulting plasmid was transiently transfected in HEK293F cells using FectoPRO DNA transfection reagent (Polyplus). Cells were cultured in GIBCO FreeStyle 293 Expression Medium for 6 days. PfCSP was purified via HisTrap Ni-NTA (GE Healthcare) and size-exclusion chromatography (Superdex 200 Increase 10/300 GL, GE Healthcare).

Abstract

Antibodies targeting the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) can prevent infection and disease. PfCSP contains multiple central repeating NANP motifs; some of the most potent anti-infective antibodies against malaria bind to these repeats. Multiple antibodies can bind the repeating epitopes concurrently by engaging into homotypic Fab-Fab interactions, which results in the ordering of the otherwise largely disordered central repeat into a spiral. Here, we characterize IGHV3-33/IGKV1-5-encoded monoclonal antibody (mAb) 850 elicited by immunization of transgenic mice with human immunoglobulin loci. mAb 850 binds repeating NANP motifs with picomolar affinity, potently inhibits Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) in vitro and, when passively administered in a mouse challenge model, reduces liver burden to a similar extent as some of the most potent anti-PfCSP mAbs yet described. Like other IGHV3-33/IGKV1-5-encoded anti-NANP antibodies, mAb 850 primarily utilizes its HCDR3 and germline-encoded aromatic residues to recognize its core NANP motif. Biophysical and cryo-electron microscopy analyses reveal that up to 19 copies of Fab 850 can bind the PfCSP repeat simultaneously, and extensive homotypic interactions are observed between densely-packed PfCSP-bound Fabs to indirectly improve affinity to the antigen. Together, our study expands on the molecular understanding of repeat-induced homotypic interactions in the B cell response against PfCSP for potently protective mAbs against Pf infection.

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