Project Division of Cancer Biomolecular Therapy, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Division of Bioengineering, Advanced Clinical Research Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
J Virol. 2021 Apr 12;95(9). doi: 10.1128/JVI.01766-20.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a promising tool for developing oncolytic virotherapy. We recently reported a platform for receptor-retargeted oncolytic HSVs that incorporates single-chain antibodies (scFvs) into envelope glycoprotein D (gD) to mediate virus entry via tumor-associated antigens. Therefore, it would be useful to develop an efficient system that can screen antibodies that might mediate HSV entry when they are incorporated as scFvs into gD. We created an HSV-based screening probe by the genetic fusion of a gD mutant with ablated binding capability to the authentic HSV entry receptors and the antibody-binding C domain of streptococcal protein G. This engineered virus failed to enter cells through authentic receptors. In contrast, when this virus was conjugated with an antibody specific to an antigen on the cell membrane, it specifically entered cells expressing the cognate antigen. This virus was used as a probe to identify antibodies that mediate virus entry via recognition of certain molecules on the cell membrane other than authentic receptors. Using this method, we identified an antibody specific to epiregulin (EREG), which has been investigated mainly as a secreted growth factor and not necessarily for its precursor that is expressed in a transmembrane form. We constructed an scFv from the anti-EREG antibody for insertion into the retargeted HSV platform and found that the recombinant virus entered cells specifically through EREG expressed by the cells. This novel antibody-screening system may contribute to the discovery of unique and unexpected molecules that might be used for the entry of receptor-retargeted oncolytic HSVs. The tropism of the cellular entry of HSV is dependent on the binding of the envelope gD to one of its authentic receptors. This can be fully retargeted to other receptors by inserting scFvs into gD with appropriate modifications. In theory, upon binding to the engineered gD, receptors other than authentic receptors should induce a conformational change in the gD, which activates downstream mechanisms required for viral entry. However, prerequisite factors for receptors to be used as targets of a retargeted virus remain poorly understood, and it is difficult to predict which molecules might be suitable for our retargeted HSV construct. Our HSV-based probe will allow unbiased screening of antibody-antigen pairs that mediate virus entry and might be a useful tool to identify suitable pairs for our construct and to enhance our understanding of virus-cell interactions during infection by HSV and possibly other viruses.
单纯疱疹病毒(HSV)是开发溶瘤病毒疗法的有前途的工具。我们最近报道了一种受体重靶向溶瘤单纯疱疹病毒的平台,该平台将单链抗体(scFv)整合到包膜糖蛋白 D(gD)中,通过肿瘤相关抗原介导病毒进入。因此,开发一种能够筛选当它们作为 scFv 整合到 gD 中时可能介导 HSV 进入的抗体的有效系统将是有用的。我们通过 gD 突变体与链球菌蛋白 G 的抗体结合 C 结构域的遗传融合创建了一种基于 HSV 的筛选探针,该突变体丧失了与真正的 HSV 进入受体结合的能力。与真正的受体结合。相比之下,当这种病毒与针对细胞膜上抗原的抗体结合时,它会特异性地进入表达同源抗原的细胞。这种病毒被用作探针来识别通过识别细胞膜上除真正受体之外的某些分子介导病毒进入的抗体。使用这种方法,我们鉴定了一种针对表皮调节素(EREG)的抗体,该抗体主要作为一种分泌生长因子进行研究,而不是作为其以前体形式表达的跨膜形式。我们从抗 EREG 抗体中构建了一个 scFv 用于插入重靶向 HSV 平台,并发现重组病毒通过细胞表达的 EREG 特异性进入细胞。这种新型抗体筛选系统可能有助于发现可能用于受体重靶向溶瘤单纯疱疹病毒进入的独特和意外的分子。HSV 细胞进入的趋向性取决于包膜 gD 与一种真正的受体的结合。通过对 gD 进行适当修饰并插入 scFv,即可将其完全重定向到其他受体。从理论上讲,与工程化的 gD 结合后,除真正的受体以外的受体应该诱导 gD 的构象变化,从而激活病毒进入所需的下游机制。然而,受体作为重靶向病毒的靶标的先决条件因素仍知之甚少,并且难以预测哪些分子可能适合我们的重靶向 HSV 构建。我们基于 HSV 的探针将允许对介导病毒进入的抗体-抗原对进行无偏筛选,并且可能是一种有用的工具,可以识别适合我们构建的合适对,并增强我们对 HSV 感染期间病毒-细胞相互作用的理解,可能还有其他病毒。