Anti-Clfa Antibody Development

In the past decade, Creative Biolabs has successfully finished thousands of antibody development projects for our customers all over the world. Equipped with abundant experience and advanced instruments, Creative Biolabs provides antibody customization services for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) Clumping Factor A (Clfa) based on our exquisite technology platform. Our professional scientists will exert all their energies to help our clients make great progress in your anti-S. aureus antibody development and Antibody-antibiotic Conjugate (AAC) generation project.

Clumping Factor A (Clfa) Introduction

S. aureus is a leading cause of human soft tissue infections and bacterial sepsis. Fatal S.aureus infections are often associated with bacteremia with a 65-70% mortality rate. More than half of Staphylococcal pneumonia isolates are classified as Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The search for alternative options to treat or prevent serious S. aureus infections is in urgent need. As one of the major virulence factors on the surface of S. aureus, Clfa not only promotes binding of fibrinogen and fibrin to the bacterial cell surface but also mediate indirectly binding to human platelets. Clfa is thought to be a key factor contributing to the Staphylococcal colonization of damaged endothelial surfaces at the site of endovascular infections.

Fig.1 Interconnections between S. aureus and platelets. (Hamzeh-Cognasse, 2015)

Protein Structure

Clfa is highly conserved in virtually all clinical S. aureus strains examined to date. The presence of Clfa-mediated fibrinogen binding is a trait conserved in a vast majority of S. aureus strains. clfA gene encodes a 933 amino acid polypeptide. The N-terminal signal sequence (S) is followed by three subdomains N1, N2, and N3 comprising the ligand-binding A region. A binding trench is found at the junction between N2 and N3. The ligand (red) inserts into the binding trench and is locked in place. The fibrinogen-binding domain of clfA has been localized to a 218-residue segment within A region. A flexible serine-aspartate repeat (Sdr) region links A region to the C-terminal Wall (W) spanning region and the sorting sequence. The LPXTG motif allows anchoring of the protein to cell-wall peptidoglycan by sortase A.

Fig.2 Schematic representation of Clfa. (Herman-Bausier, 2018)

Antibody-based Therapy

Studies involving genetic manipulation of the Clfa gene, passive-immunization studies of mice with anti-Clfa antibodies have shown protection against S. aureus septic arthritis and sepsis-induced death. These reports indicate Clfa is a valid target for the development of novel immunotherapeutic agents. 

With the novel technology platform and professional scientist team, Creative Biolabs gets ready to provide you with the best anti-S. aureus antibody development services. As a leading provider of antibody services, Creative Biolabs is committed to developing a high-quality antibody against a variety of markers which include but not limited to Clfa. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details.

1. Hamzeh-Cognasse, H.; et al. (2015). Platelets and infections-complex interactions with bacteria. Frontiers in immunology, 6, 82.
2. Herman-Bausier, P.; et al. (2018). Staphylococcus aureus clumping factor A is a force-sensitive molecular switch that activates bacterial adhesion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(21), 5564-5569.

For Research Use Only. NOT FOR CLINICAL USE.