Middle-Down Fragmentation for the Identification and Quantitation of Site-Specific Methionine Oxidation in an IgG1 Molecule

A middle-down LC/MS approach, for the rapid quantitation and characterization of site-specific methionine oxidation in a recombinant monoclonal IgG1 molecule, is described. An IgG1 antibody was digested with endoprotease LysC under limited proteolytic conditions to produce two major components; an antigen binding fragment (Fab) and a crystallizable fraction (Fc). These fractions were then reduced to produce three major species; light chain (LC), Fc/2 which is the C terminal region of the heavy chain (HC) and the N-terminal heavy chain region (Fd). These three fragments were separated by reversed-phase HPLC using a diphenyl column. The diphenyl column resolved site-specific methionine oxidation in all three subunits. Middle- down N-terminal sequencing with a LCT premier mass spectrometer was used to identify the sites of oxidation in the LC. Sites of oxidation in the Fc/2 were identified using middle-down collision-induced dissociation (CID) on a Qtof premier. This method allowed for the rapid quantitation and identification of oxidation on each methionine residue in an IgG1 molecule.     

Active dimer of Epratuzumab provides insight into the complex nature of an antibody aggregate

Understanding the intermolecular products of antibodies as a consequence of host-cell expression, aging, and heat-stress can be insightful especially when it involves the development of a stable biopharmaceutical product. The dimerized form of Epratuzumab (an IgG(1) antibody) with a molecular mass of approximately 300 kDa (twice the monomer antibody molecular weight of approximately 150 kDa) was examined to gain a better perspective of its properties pertaining to structure and activity. The nascent dimer was shown to partially dissociate upon incubation at 30 degrees C and 37 degrees C, exhibit no discernable alteration of structure (i.e., secondary or tertiary structure based on CD and 2nd derivative UV spectroscopy), have approximately 70% covalent forms (based upon CE-SDS results) and manifest twofold higher activity relative to the active monomer form (on a weight basis the dimer and monomer have equal activity). Interestingly, these properties were not attributed to a single dimer species, but rather to a more complex dimer assembly. The Epratuzumab dimer was digested with papain to reveal three uniquely dimerized aggregates. The relative molar distribution of Fab:Fab, Fc:Fc, and Fab:Fc was found to be 4:3:8, respectively. The data suggest that all three predominantly covalent dimer adducts are capable of full activity, shedding light on their complex nature and showing that their target specificity was unaltered. ESI-MS data indicated the presence of remnant levels of noncovalent dimers for all three dimerized forms. Material aged at 37 degrees C exhibited a similar papain digest molar distribution of the three dimerized forms, except with enhanced chemical heterogeneity and an increase in covalent forms to approximately 84%.     

Analytical Control Procedures of Immunoreactivity for IgG and Fab Fragments Specific to Haptens

This study investigates immunoreactivity control procedures, i.e., specificity, affinity constant (K _a ), and specific active binding sites (SABS), for polyclonal anticolchicine, monoclonal antidigitoxin IgG and Fab fragments, and antidigoxin Fab fragments (Digidot). Preliminary control procedures for IgG and Fab fragment purity indicated that all reagents were immunologically pure. All IgG and Fab fragments exhibited similar cross-reactivity and K _a. No decrease in percentage of Fab fragment SABS was observed after papain cleavage of anticolchicine and antidigitoxin IgG. Nevertheless, only 4.3 ± 1.2% of nonimmunopurified anticolchicine polyclonal Fab fragments and 76.2 ± 2.3 to 88.7 ± 2.5% of different batches of immunopurified anti-digoxin Fab (Digidot) were active, the latter percentage being in the range of the 85% specified by the manufacturer. Only 58 ± 3% of digitoxin-specific monoclonal IgG was active and 67 ± 7% of its Fab fragments. Results show the importance of determining the ratio of SABS to presumed total specific binding sites for pharmaceutical monoclonal and polyclonal antibody preparations against haptens.     

重组抗IgE单克隆抗体天冬氨酸异构化程度分析方法的建立

 目的  建立一种检测重组抗IgE单克隆抗体（单抗）轻链互补决定区中天冬氨酸异构化程度的疏水作用层析（hydrophobic interaction chromatography, HIC）方法。方法  采用木瓜蛋白酶酶切抗IgE单抗，产生抗原结合片段（fragment of antigen binding, Fab）和可结晶片段作为HIC方法的样品。筛选不同品牌及官能团的色谱柱，优化流动相的组成及洗脱梯度，研究样品于5 ℃和﹣20 ℃条件下的稳定性；同时用强制破坏的方式考察该方法的稳定性检测能力。并对该方法的专属性、精密度、线性和准确度进行了验证。结果  采用TSKgel Butyl-NPR色谱柱、流动相甘油含量为5%时色谱图的分离度较好。样品在进样器（5 ℃）中放置24 h或在-20 ℃中放置48 h可保持稳定。该方法能检出强制破坏样品的各成分含量随时间的变化，且专属性良好，重复性及中间精密度均符合规定，Fab段各峰的线性决定系数均≥0.990且准确度均在90%~110%。结论  建立的HIC方法可有效分析单抗制品天冬氨酸异构化程度。     

基因重组人血红蛋白的纯化

目的 :探索重组人血红蛋白的纯化方法。方法 :将α、β珠蛋白串联基因克隆进 pBV2 2 0表达载体 ,获得了高效表达 ,表达产物达细菌总蛋白的 2 0 %左右。该表达产物以包涵体形式存在 ,包涵体经洗涤后 ,用 8mol/L尿素溶解 ,先用Q SepharoseFastFlow阴离子交换纯化后 ,又经Sephacryl 10 0凝胶过滤纯化。 结果 :经两步纯化后重组人血红蛋白的纯度达 90 %左右。纯化产物经复性 ,具有与氧结合的能力。结论 :成功地得到人重组血红蛋白的纯化方法     

Chimeric proteins comprising the constant region of immunoglobulins for treating hemophilia B (WO2005001025)

The application (WO2005001025) details recombinant fusion proteins attached to the constant region of heavy chains of immunoglobulins. They are found to be particularly useful for the treatment of hemostatic disorders, such as hemophilia B. It aims at engineering chimeric proteins comprising of a single molecule of human factor IX (FIX) and the constant region (Fc domain) of one or two heavy chain(s) of human IgG (rFIXFc). cDNA for rFIXFc was generated by a PCR. rFIXFc protein was isolated and purified from stably transfected mammalian cells. The concentration and clotting activity of rFIXFc were assessed in mice, rats, monkeys, and FIX-deficient mice and dogs, after intravenous administration. The half-life of rFIXFc activity is prolonged by three to fourfold, compared with rFIX, when administered intravenously in all animals. The generation of chimeric proteins, comprised of FIX fused to the Fc domain of IgG, extends the clotting activity of the recombinant molecule. rFIXFc represents a promising candidate for the treatment of patients with hemophilia B. The application claims the methods of making recombinant chimeric proteins comprising of one biologically active molecule fused to the Fc region of the heavy chain(s) of immunoglobulins and their use for therapy.     

Structural Characterization of a Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody by Electrospray Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Purpose The aim of this study was to perform structural characterization of a recombinant monoclonal antibody (MAb), huN901, by electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOFMS) using both “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches.Methods In the top-down approach, the molecular masses of the deglycosylated huN901 and the light and heavy chains of the antibody were measured by direct infusion MS and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). In the bottom-up approach, trypsin and Asp-N protease were used to digest the separated, reduced and alkylated light and heavy chains followed by LC–MS analysis of the digests.Results The primary structure and post-translational modifications of huN901 were characterized by both top-down and bottom-up MS approaches. Modifications of N-terminal pyroglutamate formation, cleavage of C-terminal lysine, glycosylation, and deamidation were identified in the antibody heavy chain by both protein mass measurement and peptide mapping. No modifications were found in the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of both chains. Both trypsin and Asp-N protease digestion had an average sequence recovery of 97%, and generated complimentary mapping results with complete sequence recovery.Conclusions ESI-TOFMS is a superior tool to characterize MAb and other complex protein pharmaceuticals.     

Single-chain variable fragment antibody against ginsenoside Re as an effective tool for the determination of ginsenosides in various ginsengs

A single-chain variable fragment antibody (scFv) against ginsenoside Re (G-Re) was constructed and applied to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determining the total concentration of ginsenosides in various ginsengs. The variable heavy and light chain genes were cloned directly from the cDNA of the 4G10 hybridoma cell line and assembled by means of splicing by overlapping extension PCR (SOE-PCR) using specific primers designed to have flexible peptide (Gly₄Ser)₃ between the variable heavy chain and light chain domains. The constructed scFv gene was ligated into the pET28a expression vector and transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant scFv against G-Re (GRe-scFv) was expressed as a chimera protein containing the His6-tag at its N-termini, purified by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC), and refolded by a stepwise dialysis method. The yield of GRe-scFv after purification was 1.7 mg per liter of culture medium. Characterization of GRe-scFv revealed that it retained the characteristics of the parental monoclonal antibody (MAb) against G-Re (MAb-4G10) which has wide cross-reactivity with 20(S)-protopanaxadiol- and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides. The detectable range for G-Re in ELISA using scFv antibody was 0.02–10 μg/ml. Based on validation analysis, the use of GRe-scFv in ELISA is a precise, accurate, and sensitive method. In light of the time-consuming and labor-intensive procedures for the preparation of MAb, speedy bacterial expression of GRe-scFv is a powerful alternative tool for producing MAb to use in ELISA for quantitative analysis of total ginsenoside concentrations.     

Contribution of variable domains to the stability of humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibodies

Temperature-induced unfolding of three humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibodies and their Fab and Fc fragments was monitored by differential scanning calorimetry at neutral pH. With some exceptions, the thermogram of the intact antibody presents two peaks and the transition with the larger experimental enthalpy contains the contribution from the Fab fragments. Although the measured enthalpy was similar for all three Fab fragments studied, the apparent melting temperatures were found to vary significantly, even for Fab fragments originating from the same human germline. Therefore, we propose to use the measured enthalpy of unfolding as the key parameter to recognize the unfolding events in the melting profile of an intact IgG1 antibody. If the variable domain sequences, resulting from complementarity determining regions (CDRs) grafting and humanization, destabilize the Fab fragment with respect to the CH3 domain, the first transition represents the unfolding of the Fab fragment and the CH2 domain, while the second transition represents CH3 domain unfolding. Otherwise, the first transition represents CH2 domain unfolding, and the second transition represents the unfolding of the Fab fragment and the CH3 domain. In some cases, the DSC profile may present three transitions, with the Fab unfolding occurring at distinct temperatures compared to the melting of the CH2 and CH3 domains. If the DSC profile of a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody cannot be described by the model above, the result may be an indication of significant structural heterogeneity and/or of disruption of the Fab cooperative unfolding. Low stability or heterogeneity of the Fab fragment may prove problematic for long-term storage or consistency of production. Therefore, understanding the features of a DSC profile is important for clone selection and process maturation in the early stages of development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.     

抗VEGFR-2 scFv-Fc融合抗体的构建及其在CHO细胞中的稳定表达

目前报道的靶向VEGF/VEGFR基因工程抗体多为不含Fc片段的Fabs、cFv等小分子抗体,该文旨在CHO-k细胞中表达抗VEGFR-2 scFv-Fc融合抗体。将抗VEGFR-2 scFv(AK404)基因与含有人IgG1恒定区的真核表达载体pcDNA3.1-Fc连接,重组质粒测序后经脂质体介导转染CHO-k细胞,G418加压筛选获取稳定表达细胞株。RT-PCR、western blot检测目的基因的转录、表达。测序结果表明重组质粒构建成功,RT-PCR及western blot显示目的基因成功整合到宿主基因组并表达。最终获得可稳定表达抗VEGFR-2 scFv-Fc融合抗体的重组CHO-k细胞株,为融合抗体的大量制备和活性研究打下基础。     

Engineering of a recombinant Fab from a neutralizing IgG directed against scorpion neurotoxin AahI, and functional evaluation versus other antibody fragments.

Antibody-based therapy is the only specific treatment for scorpion envenomation. However, there are still major drawbacks associated with its use; mainly because antivenoms are still prepared from immune equine serum raised against crude venoms, whereas only a limited number of neurotoxins are responsible for the lethality of the venom. Using a murine hybridoma that secretes a well-characterized neutralizing IgG directed to neurotoxins AahI and AahIII from the venom of the scorpion Androctonus australis, we constructed a recombinant Fab (rFab) fragment, which was produced and purified from transformed bacteria. It recognized toxin AahI with a high affinity (KD = 8.2 x 10(-11)) equivalent to the homologous pFab prepared by papain digestion of whole IgG. Although the AahI-neutralizing capacity of protein L-purified rFab was low compared to other recombinant antibody formats (scFv and diabody) investigated in parallel, the antibody engineering approach presented here provides an innovative way to synthesize novel toxin-neutralizing molecules. It may serve as a strategy for designing a new generation of antivenoms.     

A high-throughput UPLC method for the characterization of chemical modifications in monoclonal antibody molecules

Development of high-throughput release and characterization assays is critical for the effective support of the rapidly growing biologics pipeline for biotherapeutics. Clipping of polypeptide chains is commonly monitored during process optimization, formulation development, and stability studies. A reduced capillary electrophoresis-sodium dodecyl sulfate (rCE -SDS) method is often used as a purity release assay for monitoring clips in monoclonal antibodies (mAbs); however, it has a cycle time of approximately 40 min, which is not suited for high-throughput screening. Additionally, the characterization of clips and variants from electropherograms is not straightforward and takes significant time. Reduced reversed-phase (RP) chromatography has been a popular assay for the characterization and identification of clips and variants because it can be directly coupled with online mass spectrometric analysis. However, the high-column temperature and low pH required for RP assays can induce on-column cleavage and therefore skew the results. To minimize on-column degradation, we have developed a high-throughput method with a significantly shorter cycle time of 5 min. The short cycle time was achieved using an ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC) system with a 1.7 μm phenyl column. This UPLC method allowed quantitation of hinge clipping in an IgG1 molecule and acid induced aspartic acid/proline (D/P) clip in an IgG2 molecule. The results from the UPLC method were comparable to those obtained with rCE-SDS. Additionally, the phenyl column offered partial resolution of oxidation and other chemical modifications, making this technique an attractive assay for high-throughput process characterization and formulation screens.     

Preparation and in‐vitro bioactivity of a novel superantigen conjugate targeting bladder carcinoma

Objectives Superantigens have shown potent effects against bladder tumours by inducing Vβ‐specific T‐lymphocyte proliferation and massive cytokine release but therapeutic benefit is compromised by cytotoxicity towards non‐malignant cells and hypotoxicity to major histocompability complex (MHC) II‐negative tumour cells. We are therefore interested in a conjugate preparation of a monoclonal antibody (MAb)—superantigens conjugate for which these drawbacks would be resolved. Methods The Fab fragment of the anti‐bladder carcinoma MAb BDI‐1 was conjugated to one member of the staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) superantigen using the chemical conjugating reagent, N‐succinimidyl 3‐(2‐pyridyldithio) propionate. Results After HPLC purification through a Superdex‐200 gel column, another peak with a molecular mass of 250 KDa was observed before Fab and SEA were eluted. Indirect immunocytochemical analysis and immunofluorescence tests showed that the cell membranes of most human bladder cancer cells were positively stained only by the conjugate, confirming the ability of the conjugate to target human bladder carcinoma. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation and cytokine release were similar with the conjugate and SEA. Cytotoxicity targeting in MHC II‐negative bladder cancer cell lines, evaluated by flow cytometry, showed significant differences between the conjugate and SEA, whereas there was no difference in the Lovo colon cancer cell line. Conclusions These findings indicate the conjugate of SEA protein and BDI‐1 Fab fragment was prepared successfully and targeted bladder carcinoma in vitro.     

Asparagine Deamidation Dependence on Buffer Type,pH, and Temperature

The deamidation of asparagine into aspartate and isoaspartate moieties is a major pathway for the chemical degradation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). It can affect the shelf life of a therapeutic antibody that is not formulated or stored appropriately. A new approach to detect deamidation using ion exchange chromatography was developed that separates papain-digested mAbs into Fc and Fab fragments. From this, deamidation rates of each fragment can be calculated. To generate kinetic parameters useful in setting shelf life, buffers prepared at room temperature and then placed at the appropriate stability temperatures. Solution pH was not adjusted to the same at different temperatures. Deamidation rate at 40°C was faster in acidic buffers than in basic buffers. However, this trend is reversed at 5°C, attributed to the change in hydroxide ion concentration influenced by buffer and temperature. The apparent activation energy was higher for rates generated in an acidic buffer than in a basic buffer. The rate-pH profile for mAbl can be deconvoluted to Fc and Fab. The Fc deamidation showed a V-shaped profile: deamidation of PENNY peptide is responsible for the rate at high-pH, whereas deamidation of a new site, Asn323, may be responsible for the rate at low-pH. The profile for Fab is a straight line without curvature.     

结核分支杆菌分泌蛋白Mtb81克隆、表达、纯化及血清学诊断价值的初步研究

目的 通过结核分支杆菌Mtb81基因在大肠杆菌中的表达, 获得大量纯化的重组Mtb81蛋白.通过Western -blot和ELISA方法评价Mtb81抗原,检测血清中抗结核抗体的灵敏度和特异性,为进行结核病血清学诊断打下基础.方法 应用PCR技术扩增结核分支杆菌H37Rv Mtb81DNA序列;构建pET24b-Mtb81重组质粒,然后转化入表达宿主大肠杆菌BL21(DE3);通过Western-blot鉴定重组Mtb81蛋白,采用Chelating Sepharose Fast Flow纯化重组 Mtb81蛋白;将纯化的重组Mtb81蛋白通过Western-blot、酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)方法,检测结核病人及正常人血清中的抗体,应用Microsoft Excel软件统计分析实验数据.结果 pET24b-Mtb81在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)细胞内以包涵体形式存在,表达量占菌体总蛋白的30%左右.纯化后的Mtb81样品经SDS-PAGE和光密度扫描分析表明其纯度为95%左右.纯化后的Mtb81蛋白通过Western-blot鉴定,结果显示:加入结核病人血清抗体于目的蛋白位置有一条显色带,而加入正常人血清组则无显色反应;酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)方法,检测30例结核病人及正常人血清中的抗体,结果显示:rMtb81的特异性和灵敏度分别为96%、93%.结论 pET24b -Mtb81大肠杆菌工程菌株能高效表达Mtb81蛋白,Western-blot结果证明表达蛋白具有很好的免疫反应性和抗原特异性;ELISA结果证明重组Mtb81检测结核病人血清中的抗结核抗体,具有较高的灵敏度和特异性.     

重组人白细胞介素-18表达载体的构建及其在大肠杆菌中的表达

目的克隆人白细胞介素 18(IL 18)基因 ,构建重组表达质粒 ,在大肠杆菌中表达重组人白细胞介素 18(rhIL 18) ,并对其生物学活性进行初步鉴定。方法利用RT PCR方法从人外周血单个核细胞中扩增出成熟肽编码区cDNA(496bp) ,克隆到表达载体pBV2 2 0质粒中 ,Western印迹证实rhIL 18在大肠杆菌DH5α中获得表达。经分子筛层析法初步纯化后 ,用溴化四唑蓝 (MTT)比色法测定复性的rhIL 18的体外活性。结果rhIL 18表达量占总菌体蛋白的 2 7%左右 ,经纯化得到纯度达 96 %以上的rhIL 18。实验显示rhIL 18协同IL 2 (10U/ml)诱导NK细胞细胞毒活性。结论rhIL 18具有较好的生物学功能 ,应予进一步的研究     

Fc融合蛋白在药学领域的研究进展

Fc融合蛋白是指利用基因工程等技术将某种具有生物活性的功能蛋白分子与Fc片段融合而产生的新型重组蛋白,其不仅保留了功能蛋白分子的生物学活性,还具有一些抗体的性质,如通过结合相关Fc受体延长半衰期和引发抗体依赖细胞介导的细胞毒性效应等。对Fc融合蛋白及其在药学领域的研究进展进行了综述。     

Effect of the ADCC-Modulating Mutations and the Selection of Human IgG Isotypes on Physicochemical Properties of Fc

Monoclonal antibodies, particularly IgGs and Ig-based molecules, are a well-established and growing class of biotherapeutic drugs. In order to improve efficacy, potency and pharmacokinetics of these therapeutic drugs, pharmaceutical industries have investigated significantly in engineering fragment crystallizable (Fc) domain of these drugs to optimize the interactions of these drugs and Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs) in recent ten years. The biological function of the therapeutics with the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) enhanced double mutation (S239D/I332E) of isotype IgG1, the ADCC reduced double mutation (L234A/L235A) of isotype IgG1, and ADCC reduced isotype IgG4 has been well understood. However, limited information regarding the effect of these mutations or isotype difference on physicochemical properties (PCP), developability, and manufacturability of therapeutics bearing these different Fc regions is available. In this report, we systematically characterize the effects of the mutations and IgG4 isotype on conformation stability, colloidal stability, solubility, and storage stability at accelerated conditions in two buffer systems using six Fc variants. Our results provide a basis for selecting appropriate Fc region during development of IgG or Ig-based therapeutics and predicting effect of the mutations on CMC development process.     

Effect of Conjugation Site and Technique on the Stability and Pharmacokinetics of Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Appropriate selection of conjugation sites and conjugation technologies is now widely accepted as crucial for the success of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Herein, we present ADCs conjugated by different conjugation methods to different conjugation positions being systematically characterized by multiple in vitro assays as well as in vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) analyses in transgenic Tg276 mice. Conjugation to cysteines, genetically introduced at positions N325, L328, S239, D265, and S442, was compared to enzymatic conjugation via microbial transglutaminase (mTG) either to C-terminal light (LC) or heavy chain (HC) recognition motifs or to endogenous position Q295 of a native antibody. All conjugations yielded homogeneous DAR 2 ADCs with similar hydrophobicity, thermal stability, human neonatal Fc receptor (huFcRn) binding, and serum stability properties, but with pronounced differences in their PK profiles. mTG-conjugated ADC variants conjugated either to Q295 or to LC recognition motifs showed superior PK behavior. Within the panel of engineered cysteine variants L328 showed a similar PK profile compared to previously described S239 but superior PK compared to S442, D265, and N325. While all positions were first tested with trastuzumab, L328 and mTG LC were further evaluated with additional antibody scaffolds derived from clinically evaluated monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Based on PK analyses, this study confirms the newly described position L328 as favorable site for cysteine conjugation, comparable to the well-established engineered cysteine position S239, and emphasizes the favorable position Q295 of native antibodies and the tagged LC antibody variant for enzymatic conjugations via mTG. In addition, hemizygous Tg276 mice are evaluated as an adequate model for ADC pharmacokinetics, facilitating the selection of suitable ADC candidates early in the drug discovery process.