First synthesis of C. difficile PS-II cell wall polysaccharide repeating unit

Clostridium difficile is the most commonly diagnosed cause of nosocomial diarrhea with increasing incidence and mortality among elderly and hospitalized patients. We report the first synthesis of the surface polysaccharide PS-II repeating unit and its nonphosphorylated analogue, with a linker for conjugation, via a (4 + 2) convergent approach from a common AB(D)C tetrasaccharide intermediate.     

Neoglycoconjugates from synthetic tetra- and hexasaccharides that mimic the terminus of the O-PS of Vibrio cholerae O:1, serotype Inaba

A glycosyl acceptor and a glycosyl donor having the N-3-deoxy-L-glycero-tetronic acid side chain already attached have been prepared and used for the synthesis of the di-through to the hexasaccharide that mimic the upsteam terminus of the O-specific polysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae O:1, serotype Inaba. The target tetra- and the hexasaccharide, which were obtained in the form of 5-methoxycarbonylpentyl glycosides, were linked to BSA using squaric acid diester chemistry. The conjugation reactions were monitored by surface enhanced laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS). This allowed the progression of the conjugation of the synthetic oligosaccharides in a controlled way and termination of the reaction when the desired molar hapten/BSA ratio had been reached, yielding neoglycoconjugates with predetermined carbohydrate/carrier ratios. The ability to monitor the conjugation by the SELDI-TOF MS technique made it possible to prepare, from one hapten in a one-pot reaction, several neoglycoconjugates having different, predetermined carbohydrate/carrier ratios.     

A Semi‐Synthetic Glycoconjugate Vaccine Candidate for Carbapenem‐Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

Hospital‐acquired infections are an increasingly serious health concern. Infections caused by carpabenem‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR‐Kp ) are especially problematic, with a 50 % average survival rate. CR‐Kp are isolated from patients with ever greater frequency, 7 % within the EU but 62 % in Greece. At a time when antibiotics are becoming less effective, no vaccines to protect from this severe bacterial infection exist. Herein, we describe the convergent [3+3] synthesis of the hexasaccharide repeating unit from its capsular polysaccharide and related sequences. Immunization with the synthetic hexasaccharide 1 glycoconjugate resulted in high titers of cross‐reactive antibodies against CR‐Kp CPS in mice and rabbits. Whole‐cell ELISA was used to establish the surface staining of CR‐Kp strains. The antibodies raised were found to promote phagocytosis. Thus, this semi‐synthetic glycoconjugate is a lead for the development of a vaccine against a rapidly progressing, deadly bacterium.     

硫代磷酸二乙酯类农药半抗原设计及抗体识别特性

通过分析硫代磷酸二乙酯类农药的结构特点, 设计并合成了系列半抗原; 采用活泼酯法将半抗原分别与牛血清蛋白(BSA)和卵清蛋白(OVA)偶联制备了系列免疫原和包被原; 通过免疫新西兰大白兔获得了相应抗硫代磷酸二乙酯类农药的类特异性抗体. 建立检测硫代磷酸二乙酯类农药的间接竞争酶联免疫分析(ELISA)方法, 分析探讨了免疫半抗原结构对抗体特性的影响, 并阐述了包被半抗原结构对ELISA灵敏度的影响规律. 结果表明, 手臂取代位置在苯环对位且手臂较短的免疫原具有较好的免疫效果, 同时异源包被可以显著提高ELISA方法的灵敏度. 由抗体PAb-H1和包被原H6-OVA建立的间接竞争ELISA方法可以同时检测7个广泛使用的有机磷农药, 其半抑制浓度(IC50)分别为蝇毒磷(0.013 mg/L)、对硫磷(0.348 mg/L)、喹硫磷(0.022 mg/L)、三唑磷(0.035 mg/L)、甲拌磷(0.751 mg/L)、除线磷(0.850 mg/L)及辛硫磷(1.301 mg/L), 最低检测限符合国内外相关有机磷药物最大允许残留限量标准(MRLS)的检测要求.     

Synthesis of a hexasaccharide repeating unit from Bacillus anthracis vegetative cell walls

The first synthesis of hexasaccharide 1 representing a repeat unit of a polysaccharide specific to the vegetative cell wall of Bacillus anthracis is reported. The synthetic hexasaccharide is equipped with an n-pentenyl handle at the reducing terminus to allow for further functionalization. Key transformations during the synthesis are the conversion of a glucose into a mannosazide residue, a (2+2) coupling, followed by double alpha-galactosylation to furnish the hexasaccharide, and global deprotection under Birch conditions.     

Structure-Guided Design of a Group B Streptococcus Type III Synthetic Glycan–Conjugate Vaccine

Identification of glycan functional epitopes is of paramount importance for rational design of glycoconjugate vaccines. We recently mapped the structural epitope of the capsular polysaccharide from type III Group B Streptococcus (GBSIII), a major cause of invasive disease in newborns, by using a dimer fragment (composed of two pentasaccharide repeating units) obtained by depolymerization complexed with a protective mAb. Although reported data had suggested a highly complex epitope contained in a helical structure composed of more than four repeating units, we showed that such dimer conjugated to a carrier protein with a proper glycosylation degree elicited functional antibodies comparably to the full-length conjugated polysaccharide. Here, starting from the X-ray crystallographic structure of the polysaccharide fragment–mAb complex, we synthesized a hexasaccharide comprising exclusively the relevant positions involved in binding. Combining competitive surface plasmon resonance and saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy as well as in-silico modeling, we demonstrated that this synthetic glycan was recognized by the mAb similarly to the dimer. The hexasaccharide conjugated to CRM₁₉₇, a mutant of diphtheria toxin, elicited a robust functional immune response that was not inferior to the polysaccharide conjugate, indicating that it may suffice as a vaccine antigen. This is the first evidence of an X-ray crystallography-guided design of a synthetic carbohydrate-based conjugate vaccine.     

Synthetic immunogen for the anti-relapse treatment of opioid dependence

A synthetic immunogen representing a complex of a conjugate of a macromolecular carrier (natural protein) and a hapten (morphine drug) covalently bound to poly(4-nitrophenyl acrylate) (PNPA) has been developed. The macromolecular carrier in the conjugate is a human serum protein (human gamma-globulin, HGG, or human serum albumin, HSA). The optimal design of the synthetic immunogen was developed. The epitope accessibility and specificity of the immunogen complexes were investigated by ELISA. It was established that antigenic determinants are not shielded upon binding to antibodies for complexes with the optimal (1: 10) ratio of the conjugate to the synthetic polymer. The accute toxicity of PNPA was estimated. The immunogenicity of synthetic complexes was studied in rat immunization models. An influence of the immunogen structure and vaccination dose on the ability to produce specific antibodies to morphine was found.     

特异性吗啡抗原和单克隆抗体的制备

吗啡分子的不同部位与蛋白偶联诱导出的抗体的专一性差异很大。为减少交叉反应,提高抗体分子对游离吗啡的特异性识别,选择吗啡分子N位进行修饰,合成了半抗原降吗啡,并设计和合成不同的连接臂,将半抗原用不同的连接臂与不同的载体蛋白共价结合分别制备了免疫抗原和筛选抗原,经细胞融合和筛选,成功地获得了5株可分汔抗吗啡单克隆抗体的细胞株：28H10,29D5,36G3,42D5,43C4。     

氯黄隆酶联免疫吸附分析技术研究

对邻氯苯磺酰胺进行衍生合成半抗原,并与载体蛋白质共价偶联制备突出氯黄隆分子特异性部分的合成抗原,以合成抗原免疫兔获得对氯黄隆具高亲合力的抗血清。采用硫酸铵盐析和ＤＥＡＥ纤维素反相吸附法分离纯化抗体,用辣根过氧化物酶以改良的过碘酶钠法标记 混合酸酐法标记半抗原。在此基础上建立了对氯黄隆具高度特异性的同接竞争,包被抗体,包被抗原直接竞争酶联免疫吸附分析技术。在优化条件下,氯黄隆测定的线性浓度范围为１０＾０－１０＾３ｎｇ／ｍＬ,检出限〈０．１ｎｇ／ｍＬ。邻氯苯磺酰胺及与氯黄隆结构类似的常用磺酰脲类除草剂不干扰氯黄隆的分析。     

吡虫啉的酶联免疫吸附分析方法研究

通过碳二亚胺法将吡虫啉交联于牛血清蛋白(BSA)作为免疫抗原,混合酸酐法将吡虫啉交联于卵清蛋白(OVA)作为包被抗原,免疫Balb/c小鼠,采用B细胞杂交瘤技术,经免疫、融合、筛选、克隆,得到抗吡虫啉单克隆抗体,抗体亚类为IgG1,制备的单克隆抗体效价达1×107,确定了吡虫啉酶联免疫吸附分析方法(ELISA)的最佳工作条件,建立了定量测定吡虫啉的间接竞争ELISA方法。本方法的IC50为(15.12±1.28)μg/L,检出限为(1.76±0.02)μg/L。与其它吡虫啉结构类似物无交叉反应。批内相对标准偏差为4.5%;批间相对标准偏差5.1%,饮用水、重庆理工大学地下水和重庆市花溪河地表水平均添加回收率分别为102%,97%和85%。本研究建立了一种快速检测环境水中吡虫啉残留的方法。     

Antibodies with broad specificity to azaspiracids by use of synthetic haptens

The development of general, sensitive, portable, and quantitative assays for the azaspiracid (AZA) class of marine toxins is urgently needed. Use of a synthetic hapten containing rings F-I of AZA to generate antibodies that cross-react with the AZAs via their common C28-C40 domain and use of these antibodies in ELISA and immunoaffinity columns are reported. This approach has many advantages over using intact azaspiracids (AZAs) derived from environmental samples or total synthesis as haptens for antibody development. A derivative of the levorotatory C28-C40 azaspiracid domain (1) was synthesized efficiently using a one-pot Staudinger reduction/intramolecular aza-Wittig reaction-imine capture sequence to form the H-I ring spiroaminal and a double intramolecluar hetero-Michael addition to assemble the F-G ring ketal. Conjugation of the hapten 1 to cBSA and immunization in sheep generated antibodies that recognized and bound to ovalbumin-conjugated 1 in the absence of AZA1. This binding was inhibited by 1 in a concentration-dependent manner. A mixture of AZA1, AZA2, AZA3, and AZA6 caused a degree of inhibition of antibody binding consistent with its total AZA content, rather than just its content of AZA1. This result suggests that the antibodies also have a similar affinity for AZA2, AZA3, and AZA6 as they do for AZA1 and that such antibodies are suitable for analysis of AZAs in shellfish samples.     

对克百威具高度特异性的免疫分析技术研究

合成了保留氨基甲酸酯结构的克百威半抗原,并采用活性酯法与载体蛋白质共价连接制备突出克百威分子结构特征的合成抗原。以合成抗原免疫新西兰白兔获得对克百威具高亲合力的抗血清,采用硫酸铵盐析和ＤＥＡＥ纤维素反相吸附法分离和纯化抗体。以辣根过氧化物酶采用改良的过碘酸钠法标记抗体、混合酸酐法标记半抗原。在此基础上分别建立了对克百威具高度特异性的间接竞争,包被抗原、包被抗体直接竞争酶联免疫吸附测定（ＥＬＩＳＡ）     

Synthesis of a novel diarylphosphinic acid: a distorted ground state mimic and transition state analogue for amide hydrolysis

We describe herein the synthesis of a new unsymmetrical diarylphosphinic acid, a hapten aimed to produce catalytic antibodies for the hydrolysis of heterocyclic amides. The phosphinate functionality was selected as a mimic both of the tetrahedral intermediate and the transition state of higher energy along the reaction profile. The phenyl and 2,4,6-(trimethyl)-phenyl groups flanking the phosphinate were chosen in order to impose rotation around the P–C bond, a choice supported by ab initio calculations. This new hapten should elicit catalytic antibodies whose binding site could affect the distortion at nitrogen as well as the twist along the N–C(O) bond for heterocyclic amides. This hapten along with a series of new sterically hindered unsymmetrical phosphinic acid derivatives was prepared by a key palladium-catalysed step.     

Broadening the Aldolase Catalytic Antibody Repertoire by Combining Reactive Immunization and Transition State Theory: New Enantio- and Diastereoselectivities

Nine efficient aldolase antibodies were generated by using hapten 1. This hapten unites reactive immunization and the transition state analogue approach in a single molecule. Characterization of two of these antibodies reveals that they are highly proficient (up to 1000-fold better than any other antibody catalyst) and enantioselective catalysts for aldol and retro-aldol reactions and exhibit enantio- and diastereoselectivities opposite to that of antibody 38C2.     

Solid-Phase Synthesis of a Biotin Derivative and its Application to the Development of Anti-Biotin Antibodies

A biotin derivative, namely biotin–aminocaproic acid–lysine (BAL), was synthesized with solid-phase chemistry, conjugated to a carrier-protein, and used for rabbit immunization. The aminocaproic acid–lysine “long-arm” was used in order to project the biotin-hapten above the carrier-protein surface. Lysine was selected due to its N^ε-amino group, through which BAL was conjugated to the carrier-protein. BAL was synthesized on a commercially available resin with the Fmoc-solid-phase strategy; this has simplified the experimental procedure, overcome the need for intermediate purification steps, and led to a final product of high purity, with high yield. The anti-BAL antibodies recognized free biotin, as shown with an in-house-developed ELISA, in which biotin conjugated to a synthetic “lysine–dendrimer” was used to coat the ELISA microwells. In immunocytology and Western-blot experiments, the anti-BAL antibodies led to similar results with those obtained with streptavidin. Synthetic derivatives of hapten molecules that can be easily prepared with solid-phase chemistry, such as BAL, may be used for the development of specific antibodies for the corresponding hapten.     

Design,Synthesis, and In Vivo Evaluation of C1-Linked 4,5-Epoxymorphinan Haptens for Heroin Vaccines

In our continuing effort to develop effective anti-heroin vaccines as potential medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, herein we present the design and synthesis of the haptens: 1-AmidoMorHap (1), 1-AmidoMorHap epimer (2), 1 Amido-DihydroMorHap (3), and 1 Amido-DihydroMorHap epimer (4). This is the first report of hydrolytically stable haptenic surrogates of heroin with the attachment site at the C1 position in the 4,5-epoxymorophinan nucleus. We prepared respective tetanus toxoid (TT)–hapten conjugates as heroin vaccine immunogens and evaluated their efficacy in vivo. We showed that all TT–hapten conjugates induced high antibody endpoint titers against the targets but only haptens 2 and 3 can induce protective effects against heroin in vivo. The epimeric analogues of these haptens, 1 and 4, failed to protect mice from the effects of heroin. We also showed that the in vivo efficacy is consistent with the results of the in vitro drug sequestration assay. Attachment of the linker at the C1 position induced antibodies with weak binding to the target drugs. Only TT-2 and TT-3 yielded antibodies that bound heroin and 6-acetyl morphine. None of the TT–hapten conjugates induced antibodies that cross-reacted with morphine, methadone, naloxone, or naltrexone, and only TT-3 interacted weakly with buprenorphine, and that subtle structural difference, especially at the C6 position, can vastly alter the specificity of the induced antibodies. This study is an important contribution in the field of vaccine development against small-molecule targets, providing proof that the chirality at C6 in these epoxymorphinans is a vital key to their effectiveness.     

Design and synthesis of an alpha,alpha-difluorophosphinate hapten for antibody-catalyzed hydrolysis of organophosphorus nerve agents

In a new approach to the safe neutralization of organophosphorus chemical weapons, we designed a hapten to elicit catalytic antibodies with phosphatase activity. Here we report the synthesis of this alpha,alpha-difluorophosphinate hapten 6. Various methods for the introduction of the key alpha,alpha-difluoromethyl feature into the phosphinate hapten are discussed. The best results were obtained with the electrophilic gem-difluorinating agent N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide.     

Chemical synthesis and immunological evaluation of entirely carbohydrate conjugate Globo H-PS A1

An anticancer, entirely carbohydrate conjugate, Globo H-polysaccharide A1 (Globo H-PS A1), was chemically prepared and immunologically evaluated in C57BL/6 mice. Tumor associated carbohydrate antigen Globo H hexasaccharide was synthesized in an overall 7.8% yield employing a convergent [3 + 3] strategy that revealed an anomeric aminooxy group used for conjugation to oxidized PS A1 via an oxime linkage. Globo H-PS A1, formulated with adjuvants monophosphoryl lipid A and TiterMax® Gold. After immunization an antigen specific immune response was observed in ELISA with anti-Globo H IgG/IgM antibodies. Specificity of the corresponding antibodies was determined by FACS showing cell surface binding to Globo H-positive cancer cell lines MCF-7 and OVCAR-5. The anti-Globo H antibodies also exhibited complement-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and OVCAR-5 cells.

An anticancer, entirely carbohydrate conjugate, Globo H-polysaccharide A1 (Globo H-PS A1), was chemically prepared and immunologically evaluated in C57BL/6 mice.     

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibody for class-specific determination of O,O-dimethyl organophosphorus pesticides and effect of heterologous coating antigens on immunoassay sensitivity

A generic hapten (H1), 3-(4-Dimethoxyphosphorothioyloxy phenyl)propanoic acid, was synthesized to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in a class-specific manner. Six heterologous haptens were designed to study the effect of hapten heterology on immunoassay sensitivity. Several mice were immunized with this H1-BSA immunogen. Spleen cells of two immunized mice were fused with myeloma cells, and the resulting hybridomas were screened using H1-OVA. In a competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) format, three hybridoma cell lines (B4-C6, D12-B5, E5-H2) that produced mAbs with high selectivity and broad specificity were selected and expanded. The monoclonal antibody D12-B5 with higher titer was chosen for further study. In heterologous assay, the combination of D12-B5 and coating antigen H7-OVA constituted a particularly sensitive assay for competitive indirect ELISA and showed broad specificity for the determination of OPs, including parathion-methyl, chlorpyrifos-methyl, tolclofos-methyl, fenthion, malathion, fenitrothion. This combination resulted in the IC₅₀ of 0.58-10.47 µg/ml.     

A molecular dynamics description of the conformational flexibility of the L-iduronate ring in glycosaminoglycans

For a synthetic hexasaccharide model it is shown that the conformational flexibility of the L-iduronate ring in glycosaminoglycans can be adequately described by using the PME methodology together with simulation protocols suitable for highly charged systems.