1.5 Proteinanalytik
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MALDI-TOF-MS-based identification of monoclonal murine anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies within one hour
(2022)
During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many virus-binding monoclonal antibodies have been developed for clinical and diagnostic purposes. This underlines the importance of antibodies as universal bioanalytical reagents. However, little attention is given to the reproducibility crisis that scientific studies are still facing to date. In a recent study, not even half of all research antibodies mentioned in publications could be identified at all. This should spark more efforts in the search for practical solutions for the traceability of antibodies. For this purpose, we used thirty-five monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 to demonstrate how sequence-independent antibody identification can be achieved by simple means applied onto the protein. First, we examined the intact and light chain masses of the antibodies relative to the reference material NIST-mAb 8671. Already half of the antibodies could be identified based solely on these two parameters. In addition, we developed two complementary peptide mass fingerprinting methods with MALDI-TOF-MS that can be performed in 45 minutes and had a combined sequence coverage of over 80%. One method is based on the partial acidic hydrolysis of the protein by 5 mM of sulfuric acid at 99 °C. Furthermore, we established a fast way for a tryptic digest without an alkylation step. We were able to show that the distinction of clones is possible simply by a brief visual comparison of the mass spectra. In this work, two clones originating from the same immunization gave the same fingerprints. Later, a hybridoma sequencing confirmed the sequence identity of these sister clones. In order to automate the spectral comparison for larger libraries of antibodies, we developed the online software ABID 2.0 (https://gets.shinyapps.io/ABID/). This open-source software determines the number of matching peptides in the fingerprint spectra. We propose that publications and other documents critically relying on monoclonal antibodies with unknown amino acid sequences should include at least one antibody fingerprint. By fingerprinting an antibody in question, its identity can be confirmed by comparison with a library spectrum at any time and context.
Thousands of antibodies for diagnostic and other analytical purposes are on the market. However, it is often difficult to identify duplicates, reagent changes, and to assign the correct original publications to an antibody. This slows down scientific progress and might even be a cause of irreproducible research and a waste of resources. Recently, activities were started to suggest the sole use of recombinant antibodies in combination with the open communication of their sequence. In this case, such uncertainties should be eliminated. Unfortunately, this approach seems to be rather a long-term vision since the development and manufacturing of recombinant antibodies
remain quite expensive in the foreseeable future. Also, nearly all commercial antibody suppliers may be reluctant to publish the sequence of their antibodies, since they fear counterfeiting. De-novo sequencing of antibodies is also not feasible today for a reagent user without access to the hybridoma clone. Nevertheless, it seems to be crucial for any scientist to have the opportunity to identify an antibody undoubtedly to guarantee the traceability of any research activity using antibodies from a third party as a tool. For this purpose, we developed a method for the identification of antibodies based on a MALDI-TOF-MS fingerprint. To circumvent lengthy denaturation, reduction, alkylation, and enzymatic digestion steps, the fragmentation was performed with a simple formic acid hydrolysis step. Eighty-nine unknown monoclonal antibodies were used for this study to examine the feasibility of this approach. Although the molecular assignment of peaks was rarely possible, antibodies could be easily recognized in a blinded test, simply from their mass-spectral fingerprint. A general protocol is given, which could be used without any optimization to generate fingerprints for a database. We want to propose that in most scientific projects relying critically on antibody reagents, such a fingerprint should be established to prove and document the identity of the used antibodies and to assign a specific reagent to a datasheet of a commercial supplier, a public database record or an antibody ID.
Im Vergleich zu anderen Proteinen ist die Identifizierung von Antikörpern anhand ihrer Sequenz zum Beispiel mittels "peptide mass fingerprinting" schwierig. Da die Sequenzinformation eines Antikörpers aufgrund der hypersomatischen Mutation während der Affinitätsreifung nicht im Genom eines Organismus gespeichert ist, kann die Aminosäuresequenz nicht auf einfachem Weg der DNA-Sequenzierung gewonnen werden. Das ist nur in seltenen Fällen möglich, wenn dem Endanwender der Zellklon der Antikörper-produzierenden Zelle zugänglich ist. Eine Sequenzierung auf Protein-Ebene ist sehr aufwändig und teuer und wird daher fast nie für die Charakterisierung von analytischen Antikörpern verwendet. Der Mangel an Validierung dieser analytischen Antikörper, die bei Experimenten verwendeten werden, löst aber eine Reihe Probleme aus, die die Wiederholbarkeit dieser Experimente schwierig und in einigen Fällen unmöglich macht. Das sorgt jährlich für verschwendete Forschungsgelder in Milliardenhöhe und hindert den wissenschaftlichen Fortschritt.
Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Entwicklung einer einfachen und schnellen Methode, die es trotzdem ermöglicht, die Identifikation von Antikörpern sicherzustellen. Dazu wurde eine Methode basierend auf dem "peptide mass fingerprinting" gewählt. Das Problem der unbekannten Aminosäuresequenz der Antikörper wurde gelöst, indem lediglich die Peptidmuster der entstehenden Fingerprint-Spektren zur Identifikation herangezogen wurden. MALDI wurde dabei als Ionisationsmethode für die Massenspektrometrie gewählt, da die resultierenden Spektren im Gegensatz zu ESI-MS einfach auszuwerten sind. Auch kann auf eine vorige Trennung der Peptide mittels LC verzichtet werden, was zusätzlich Analysenzeit spart. Für die Proteinspaltung wurde eine simple saure Hydrolyse mittels Ameisensäure gewählt. Im Vergleich zum herkömmlichen Trypsin-Verdau konnten auf zeitraubende Arbeitsschritte wie Denaturierung, Reduktion und Alkylierung der Antikörper verzichtet werden. Die Hydrolyse mittels Ameisensäure wurde bisher nur auf kleine und mittelgroße Proteine angewendet, sodass im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit mehrere Schritte optimiert wurden bevor zufriedenstellende Fingerprint-Spektren von Antikörpern erhalten wurden.
The trafficking of illegal drugs by criminal networks at borders, harbors, or airports is an increasing issue in public health as these routes ensure the main supply of illegal drugs. The prevention of drug smuggling, including the installation of scanners and other analytical devices to detect ultra-small traces of drugs within a reasonable time frame, remains a challenge. The presented immunosensor is based on a monolithic affinity column with a large excess of immobilized hapten, which traps fluorescently labeled antibodies as long as the analyte cocaine is absent. In the presence of the drug, some binding sites of the antibody will be blocked, which leads to an immediate breakthrough of the labeled protein, detectable by highly sensitive laser-induced fluorescence with the help of a Peltier-cooled complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera. Liquid handling is performed with high-precision syringe pumps and microfluidic chip-based mixing devices and flow cells. The biosensor achieved limits of detection of 23 pM (7 ppt) of cocaine with a response time of 90 seconds and a total assay time below 3 minutes. With surface wipe sampling, the biosensor was able to detect 300 pg of cocaine. This immunosensor belongs to the most sensitive and fastest detectors for cocaine and offers near-continuous analyte measurement.