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The binding of IgG antibodies to receptors for the Fc region of IgG (FcgammaR) is a critical step for the initiation and/or the control of effector immune functions once immune complexes have been formed. Site-directed and random mutagenesis as well as domain-swapping, NMR and X-ray cristallography have made it possible to get detailed insights in the molecular mechanisms that govern IgG/FcgammaR interactions and to define some of the structural determinants that impact IgG binding to the various FcgammaR. It has demonstrated the role of particular stretches and individual residues located in the lower hinge region of the CH2 domain and in the CH2 and CH3 domains of the Fc region. The importance of the sugar components linked to asparagine 297 in the binding properties of IgG1, the human IgG isotype the most widely used in antibody-based therapies, has been also highlighted. These data have led to the engineering of a new generation of monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic use with optimized effector functions.

Subtle modulation of antibody-binding properties by protein engineering often lies with an accurate structural and energetic description of how an antigen is recognised. Thus, with the intent to increase the affinity and add a bias in favour of natural estradiol compared with its chemically modified immunogen, we have determined the crystal structure of two anti-estradiol monoclonal antibodies, 10G6D6 and 17E12E5. Although generated against the same estradiol derivative, these antibodies share little sequence identity, which is reflected in dissimilar binding pockets and in different positioning of the steroid. In both antibodies the characteristic 17-hydroxyl group is buried deeply at the bottom of hydrophobic pockets and stabilised by hydrogen bonds. Apart from this similarity, the steroid is oriented differently in the respective binding pockets. The high specificity of both antibodies has been mapped out, and even closely related steroids show low cross-reactivity. The structural studies of the complex formed between 10G6D6 and 6-CMO-estradiol have identified contacts between the 6-CMO coupling linker and an arginine residue from the heavy chain CDR2 segment. This segment is now being targeted by random mutagenesis to select mutants with a preference for natural estradiol compared to the branched hapten., (Copyright 2002 Academic Press.)

We describe the specificity profile and V region sequences of a high-affinity monoclonal antibody (mAb), 3910, directed against oestrone-3-glucuronide (E3G). Inhibition studies show that the D-ring is critical for steroid specificity, while the glucuronic acid attached to the A ring is required for high binding affinity, suggesting that both 'ends' of the E3G ligand are recognized. The VH domain is encoded by a gene from the VH7183 family, while VL appears to be encoded by the Vk5.1 gene (kappa II subgroup) with a deletion of six residues from complementarity-determining region-1 (CDR1). The VH CDR3 is 10 amino acid residues in length, of which D/N contributes five residues. Comparison of VH CDR of 3910 with those of mAb against progesterone (DB3) and digoxin (26-10, 40-50), for which crystal structures have been determined, suggests that aromatic side chains are important for E3G binding and that tyrosine residues H50, H97 and H100 may interact with the ligand. The Fab fragment of 3910 has been crystallized in its native and steroid (E3G and oestriol-3-glucuronide) complexed forms. An X-ray diffraction data set to 3 A resolution has been collected for the native Fab.

The crystal structure of the Fab fragment of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) neutralizing monoclonal antibody Fab has been determined at 2.8 A resolution in complex with a linear 16-residue peptide from the third hypervariable region (V3) of gp120. The first 9 residues of the peptide are ordered in the electron density maps, and their conformation is in partial agreement with the beta-strand-type II beta-turn structure predicted for this portion of the V3 loop. Notably, several of the peptide residues that are well conserved among different HIV-1 isolates contact a nonpolar 25-A-long groove in the antibody-combining site. The largely extended structure of the peptide differs from the beta-turns seen as the primary determinants in other published anti-peptide Fab structures. Analysis of the specific Fab-peptide interactions only partially explains the MN isolate specificity shown by this antibody.

The monoclonal anti-progesterone antibody DB3 binds progesterone with nanomolar affinity (Ka approximately 10(9) M-1), suggesting high specificity. However, DB3 also cross-reacts with similar affinity with a subgroup of structurally distinct, progesterone-like steroids. Crystals of the unliganded Fab' and various steroid-Fab' complexes are isomorphous and belong to the hexagonal space group, P6(4)22, with unit cell dimensions of a = b = 135 A, c = 124 A. Structures of free and progesterone-bound Fab' have been determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.7 A resolution using molecular replacement techniques. Progesterone is bound in a hydrophobic pocket formed mainly by the interaction of three complementarity determining regions L1, H2 and H3. The orientation of the ligand in the binding site was aided by both crystallographic and biochemical analyses of substituted steroids. The indole side-chain of TrpH100 of the DB3 has two different conformations, inter-converting "open" and "closed" forms of the antibody combining site. The TrpH100 indole thus appears to be acting as an antibody-derived surrogate ligand for its own hydrophobic binding pocket. These structures provide the first atomic view of how a steroid interacts with a protein and offer a structural explanation for the restriction of the anti-progesterone response to the VGAM3.8 family of VH genes.

Crystals of an Fab' from an antiprogesterone monoclonal antibody (IgG1) have been grown from 1.5 M-ammonium sulfate, pH 5.5 to 8.5. The single crystals are hexagonal rods, space group P6222 (or P6422), with cell dimensions a = b = 135.2 A, and c = 124.2 A. Cocrystals of the Fab' with progesterone, pregnanedione and other related steroids have been grown. The complex crystals have different morphology but are isomorphous with the native crystals. A hydroxy-progesterone derivative obtained by substituting an iodo-benzoyl group at the 11 alpha-hydroxyl position looks promising as a suitable heavy-atom candidate in addition to other potential conventional heavy-atom derivatives. All crystals diffract to at least 2.8 A resolution and are suitable for high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies.

Crystals of the Fab' fragment from the monoclonal anti-peptide antibody B1312 and of the Fab'-peptide antigen complex have been characterized. The monoclonal antibodies were raised against a synthetic homologue of the C-helix of myohemerythrin (residues 69-87 in myohemerythrin). The Fab'-peptide complex crystallizes in space group P6322 with unit cell dimensions a = b = 142.5 A, c = 101.5 A, alpha = beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees, and Z = 1. The native Fab' crystallizes in space group P212121 with unit cell dimensions a = 98.0 A, b = 151.7 A, c = 80.8 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees, and Z = 2. Both crystal forms diffract to beyond 2.6 A resolution. We also report the cDNA and predicted amino acid sequences for the variable regions of both the light and heavy chains of this anti-peptide antibody.