Anti-InlA single-domain antibodies that inhibit the cell invasion of Listeria monocytogenes

Listeriosis, caused by infection with Listeria monocytogenes, is a severe disease with a high mortality rate. The L. monocytogenes virulence factor, internalin family protein InlA, which binds to the host receptor E-cadherin, is necessary to invade host cells. Here, we isolated two single-domain antibodies (V(H)Hs) that bind to InlA with picomolar affinities from an alpaca immune library using the phage display method. These InlA-specific V(H)Hs inhibited the binding of InlA to the extracellular domains of E-cadherin in vitro as shown by biophysical interaction analysis. Furthermore, we determined that the V(H)Hs inhibited the invasion of L. monocytogenes into host cells in culture. High-resolution X-ray structure analyses of the complexes of V(H)Hs with InlA revealed that the V(H)Hs bind to the same binding site as E-cadherin against InlA. We conclude that these V(H)Hs have the potential for use as drugs to treat listeriosis.