Binding site localization on non-homogeneous cell surfaces using topological image averaging

Antibody binding to cell surface proteins plays a crucial role in immunity and the location of an epitope can altogether determine the immunological outcome of a host-target interaction. Techniques available today for epitope identification are costly, time-consuming, and unsuited for high-throughput analysis. Fast and efficient screening of epitope location can be useful for the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and vaccines. In the present work, we have developed a method for imaging-based localization of binding sites on cellular surface proteins. The cellular morphology typically varies, and antibodies often bind in a non-homogenous manner, making traditional particle-averaging strategies challenging for accurate native antibody localization. Nanometer-scale resolution is achieved through localization in one dimension, namely the distance from a bound ligand to a reference surface, by using topological image averaging. Our results show that this method is well suited for antibody binding site measurements on native cell surface morphology.