Generation of biologically active linear and cyclic peptides has revealed a unique fine specificity of rituximab and its possible cross-reactivity with acid sphingomyelinase-like phosphodiesterase 3b precursor

Heterogeneity of the effector functions displayed by rituximab and other anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) apparently recognizing the same CD20 epitope suggests that additional mechanisms, probably related to mAb fine specificity, are responsible for B-cell depletion. To improve our understanding of rituximab's function, its fine specificity was investigated by means of phage display peptide library (PDPL)-expressing 7-mer cyclic (c7c) or 7-/12-mer linear peptides. Rituximab-specific c7c PDPL-derived clone insert sequences expressed the motif A(S)NPS overlapping the human CD20 (170)ANPS(173). P-172 was the most critical for rituximab binding, since its replacement with S-172 (of mouse CD20) abolished the reactivity. The WPXWLE motif expressed by the linear PDPL-derived clone insert sequences could only be aligned to the reverse-oriented (WPXWLE156)-W-161 of acid sphingomyelinase-like phosphodiesterase 3b precursor (ASMLPD), though linear peptides bearing WPXWLE competed with cyclic ones for rituximab-paratope binding. Anti-CD20 mAb 1F5 only displayed a reactivity profile similar to that of rituximab, which also reacted with ASMLPD-derived peptides. Peptides induced antibodies with specificity and effector functions similar to those of rituximab. Our results show a unique fine specificity of rituximab, define the molecular basis for the lack of rituximab reactivity with mouse CD20 (mCD20), and the potential of targeting CD20 in an active immunotherapy setting. A possible rituximab interaction with ASMLPD is suggested.