Isolation and characterization of selective and potent human Fab inhibitors directed to the active-site region of the two-component NS2B-NS3 proteinase of West Nile virus.

There is a need to develop inhibitors of mosquito-borne flaviviruses, including WNV (West Nile virus). In the present paper, we describe a novel and efficient recombinant-antibody technology that led us to the isolation of inhibitory high-affinity human antibodies to the active-site region of a viral proteinase. As a proof-of-principal, we have successfully used this technology and the synthetic naive human combinatorial antibody library HuCAL GOLD® to isolate selective and potent function-blocking active-site-targeting antibodies to the two-component WNV NS (non-structural protein) 2B–NS3 serine proteinase, the only proteinase encoded by the flaviviral genome. First, we used the wild-type enzyme in antibody screens. Next, the positive antibody clones were counter-screened using an NS2B–NS3 mutant with a single mutation of the catalytically essential active-site histidine residue. The specificity of the antibodies to the active site was confirmed by substrate-cleavage reactions and also by using proteinase mutants with additional single amino-acid substitutions in the active-site region. The selected WNV antibodies did not recognize the structurally similar viral proteinases from Dengue virus type 2 and hepatitis C virus, and human serine proteinases. Because of their high selectivity and affinity, the identified human antibodies are attractive reagents for both further mutagenesis and structure-based optimization and, in addition, for studies of NS2B–NS3 activity. Conceptually, it is likely that the generic technology reported in the present paper will be useful for the generation of active-site-specific antibody probes for multiple enzymes. Abbreviations: C, capsid protein; CDR, complementarity-determining region; DV2, Dengue virus serotype 2; E, envelope protein; HRP, horseradish peroxidase; HuCAL, human combinatorial antibody library; NS, non-structural protein; NS3pro, proteinase domain of NS3; prM, precursor membrane protein; Pyr-RTKR–AMC, pyroglutamic acid-Arg-Thr-Lys-Arg–7-amino-4-methylcoumarin; scFv, single-chain variable fragment; TMB/M, TMB Super Sensitive One-Component HRP Microwell Substrate Solution; WNV, West Nile virus; WT, wild-type