A rapid and simple pipeline for synthesis of mRNA-ribosome-VHH complexes used in single-domain antibody ribosome display

The single-domain antibody (VHH) is a promising building block for a number of antibody-based applications. Ribosome display can successfully be used in the production of VHH. However, the construction of the expression cassette, confirmation of the translation and proper folding of the nascent chain, and the purification of the ribosome complexes, remain cumbersome tasks. Additionally, selection of the most suitable expression system can be challenging. We have designed primers that will amplify virtually all Camelidae VHH. With the help of a double-overlap extension (OE) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) we have fused VHH with the F1 fragment (T7 promoter and species-independent translation sequence) and the F2 fragment (mCherry, Myc-tag, tether, SecM arrest sequence and 30 stem loop) to generate a full-length DNA cassette. OE-PCR generated fragments were incubated directly with cell-free lysates (Leishmania torentolae, rabbit reticulocyte or E. coli) for the synthesis of mRNA-VHH-mCherry-ribosome complexes in vitro. Alternatively, the cassette was ligated in pQE-30 vector and transformed into E. coli to produce ribosome complexes in vivo. The results showed that the same expression cassette could be used to synthesize ribosome complexes with different expression systems. mCherry reporter served to confirm the synthesis and proper folding of the nascent chain, Myc-tag was useful in the rapid purification of ribosome complexes, and combination of the SecM sequence and 30 stem loop made the cassette universal, both for cells-free and E. coli in vivo. This rapid and universal pipeline can effectively be used in antibody ribosome display and VHH production.