1
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Sampson JM, Cannon DA, Duan J, Epstein JCK, Sergeeva AP, Katsamba PS, Mannepalli SM, Bahna FA, Adihou H, Guéret SM, Gopalakrishnan R, Geschwindner S, Rees DG, Sigurdardottir A, Wilkinson T, Dodd RB, De Maria L, Mobarec JC, Shapiro L, Honig B, Buchanan A, Friesner RA, Wang L. Robust Prediction of Relative Binding Energies for Protein-Protein Complex Mutations Using Free Energy Perturbation Calculations. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168640. [PMID: 38844044 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Computational free energy-based methods have the potential to significantly improve throughput and decrease costs of protein design efforts. Such methods must reach a high level of reliability, accuracy, and automation to be effectively deployed in practical industrial settings in a way that impacts protein design projects. Here, we present a benchmark study for the calculation of relative changes in protein-protein binding affinity for single point mutations across a variety of systems from the literature, using free energy perturbation (FEP+) calculations. We describe a method for robust treatment of alternate protonation states for titratable amino acids, which yields improved correlation with and reduced error compared to experimental binding free energies. Following careful analysis of the largest outlier cases in our dataset, we assess limitations of the default FEP+ protocols and introduce an automated script which identifies probable outlier cases that may require additional scrutiny and calculates an empirical correction for a subset of charge-related outliers. Through a series of three additional case study systems, we discuss how Protein FEP+ can be applied to real-world protein design projects, and suggest areas of further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Sampson
- Schrödinger, Inc., Life Sciences Software, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel A Cannon
- Schrödinger, GmbH, Life Sciences Software, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jianxin Duan
- Schrödinger, GmbH, Life Sciences Software, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Alina P Sergeeva
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Seetha M Mannepalli
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fabiana A Bahna
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hélène Adihou
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stéphanie M Guéret
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ranganath Gopalakrishnan
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stefan Geschwindner
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D Gareth Rees
- AstraZeneca, Biologics Engineering, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Roger B Dodd
- AstraZeneca, Biologics Engineering, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Leonardo De Maria
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Juan Carlos Mobarec
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barry Honig
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Department of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Lingle Wang
- Schrödinger, Inc., Life Sciences Software, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Sampson JM, Cannon DA, Duan J, Epstein JCK, Sergeeva AP, Katsamba PS, Mannepalli SM, Bahna FA, Adihou H, Guéret SM, Gopalakrishnan R, Geschwindner S, Rees DG, Sigurdardottir A, Wilkinson T, Dodd RB, De Maria L, Mobarec JC, Shapiro L, Honig B, Buchanan A, Friesner RA, Wang L. Robust prediction of relative binding energies for protein-protein complex mutations using free energy perturbation calculations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590325. [PMID: 38712280 PMCID: PMC11071377 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Computational free energy-based methods have the potential to significantly improve throughput and decrease costs of protein design efforts. Such methods must reach a high level of reliability, accuracy, and automation to be effectively deployed in practical industrial settings in a way that impacts protein design projects. Here, we present a benchmark study for the calculation of relative changes in protein-protein binding affinity for single point mutations across a variety of systems from the literature, using free energy perturbation (FEP+) calculations. We describe a method for robust treatment of alternate protonation states for titratable amino acids, which yields improved correlation with and reduced error compared to experimental binding free energies. Following careful analysis of the largest outlier cases in our dataset, we assess limitations of the default FEP+ protocols and introduce an automated script which identifies probable outlier cases that may require additional scrutiny and calculates an empirical correction for a subset of charge-related outliers. Through a series of three additional case study systems, we discuss how protein FEP+ can be applied to real-world protein design projects, and suggest areas of further study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jianxin Duan
- Schrödinger, GmbH, Life Sciences Software, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Alina P. Sergeeva
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Seetha M. Mannepalli
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
| | - Fabiana A. Bahna
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
| | - Hélène Adihou
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stéphanie M. Guéret
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ranganath Gopalakrishnan
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stefan Geschwindner
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Roger B. Dodd
- AstraZeneca, Biologics Engineering, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Leonardo De Maria
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Juan Carlos Mobarec
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
- Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barry Honig
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
- Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University, Department of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Lingle Wang
- Schrödinger, Inc., Life Sciences Software, New York, NY, USA
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3
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Aebischer-Gumy C, Moretti P, Brunstein Laplace T, Frank J, Grand Y, Mosbaoui F, Hily E, Galea A, Peltret M, Estoppey C, Ayoub D, Giovannini R, Bertschinger M. Alternative splicing for tuneable expression of protein subunits at desired ratios. MAbs 2024; 16:2342243. [PMID: 38650451 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2024.2342243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The controlled expression of two or more proteins at a defined and stable ratio remains a substantial challenge, particularly in the bi- and multispecific antibody field. Achieving an optimal ratio of protein subunits can facilitate the assembly of multimeric proteins with high efficiency and minimize the production of by-products. In this study, we propose a solution based on alternative splicing, enabling the expression of a tunable and predefined ratio of two distinct polypeptide chains from the same pre-mRNA under the control of a single promoter. The pre-mRNA used in this study contains two open reading frames situated on separate exons. The first exon is flanked by two copies of the chicken troponin intron 4 (cTNT-I4) and is susceptible to excision from the pre-mRNA by means of alternative splicing. This specific design enables the modulation of the splice ratio by adjusting the strength of the splice acceptor. To illustrate this approach, we developed constructs expressing varying ratios of GFP and dsRED and extended their application to multimeric proteins such as monoclonal antibodies, achieving industrially relevant expression levels (>1 g/L) in a 14-day fed-batch process. The stability of the splice ratio was confirmed by droplet digital PCR in a stable pool cultivated over a 28-day period, while product quality was assessed via intact mass analysis, demonstrating absence of product-related impurities resulting from undesired splice events. Furthermore, we showcased the versatility of the construct by expressing two subunits of a bispecific antibody of the BEAT® type, which contains three distinct subunits in total.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christel Aebischer-Gumy
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Moretti
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Timothee Brunstein Laplace
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Jana Frank
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Ysaline Grand
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Farid Mosbaoui
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Emilie Hily
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Anna Galea
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Megane Peltret
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Carole Estoppey
- Antibody Engineering, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Ayoub
- Analytical Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Giovannini
- Process Sciences, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
| | - Martin Bertschinger
- Drug Substance Development, Ichnos Sciences SA (formerly Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
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4
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Sou SN, Harris CL, Williams R, Kozub D, Zurlo F, Patel YD, Kallamvalli Illam Sankaran P, Daramola O, Brown A, James DC, Hatton D, Dunn S, Gibson SJ. CHO synthetic promoters improve expression and product quality of biotherapeutic proteins. Biotechnol Prog 2023; 39:e3348. [PMID: 37114854 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
When expressing complex biotherapeutic proteins, traditional expression plasmids and methods may not always yield sufficient levels of high-quality product. High-strength viral promoters commonly used for recombinant protein (rProtein) production in mammalian cells allow for maximal expression, but provide limited scope to alter their transcription dynamics. However, synthetic promoters designed to provide tunable transcriptional activity offer a plasmid engineering approach to more precisely regulate product quality, yield or to reduce product related contaminants. We substituted the viral promoter CMV with synthetic promoters that offer different transcriptional activities to express our gene of interest in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Stable pools were established and the benefits of regulating transgene transcription on the quality of biotherapeutics were examined in stable pool fed-batch overgrow experiments. Specific control of gene expression of the heavy chain (HC):light chain (LC) of a Fab, and the ratio between the two HCs in a Duet mAb reduced levels of aberrant protein contaminants; and the controlled expression of the helper gene XBP-1s improved expression of a difficult-to-express mAb. This synthetic promoter technology benefits applications that require custom activity. Our work highlights the advantages of employing synthetic promoters for production of more complex rProteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Nga Sou
- BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Claire L Harris
- BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Dorota Kozub
- BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fabio Zurlo
- BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yash D Patel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | | - Adam Brown
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David C James
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Diane Hatton
- BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah Dunn
- BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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5
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Rezvani K, WuDunn D, Hunter AK, Aspelund MT. Leveraging light chain binding avidity for control of mispaired byproducts during production of asymmetric bispecific antibodies. J Chromatogr A 2022; 1683:463533. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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6
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Tang D, Gunson J, Tran E, Lam C, Shen A, Snedecor B, Barnard G, Misaghi S. Expressing antigen binding fragments with high titers in a targeted integration CHO host by optimizing expression vector gene copy numbers and position: A case study. Biotechnol Prog 2022; 38:e3290. [PMID: 36537257 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Antigen binding fragments (Fab) are a promising class of therapeutics as they maintain high potency while having significantly smaller size relative to full-length antibodies. Because Fab molecules are aglycosylated, many expression platforms, including prokaryotic, yeast, and mammalian cells, have been developed for their expression, with Escherichia coli being the most commonly used Fab expression system. In this study, we have examined production of a difficult to express Fab molecule in a targeted integration (TI) Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) host. Without a need for extensive host or process optimization, as is usually required for E. coli, by simply using different vector configurations, clones with very high Fab expression titers were obtained. In this case, by increasing heavy chain (HC) gene copy numbers, clones with titers of up to 7.4 g/L in the standard fed-batch production culture were obtained. Our findings suggest that having a predetermined transgene integration site, as well as the option to optimize gene copy number/dosage, makes CHO TI hosts an effective system for expression of Fab molecules, allowing Fab expression using platform process and without significant process development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danming Tang
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA.,Protein Sciences, Proteologix US Inc., Redwood Shores, California, USA
| | - Jane Gunson
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eric Tran
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Cynthia Lam
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Amy Shen
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Brad Snedecor
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Gavin Barnard
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shahram Misaghi
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations Department, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
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7
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Chen H, Chen JS, Paerhati P, Jakos T, Bai SY, Zhu JW, Yuan YS. Strategies and Applications of Antigen-Binding Fragment (Fab) Production in Escherichia coli. PHARMACEUTICAL FRONTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractWith the advancement of genetic engineering, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have made far-reaching progress in the treatment of various human diseases. However, due to the high cost of production, the increasing demands for antibody-based therapies have not been fully met. Currently, mAb-derived alternatives, such as antigen-binding fragments (Fab), single-chain variable fragments, bispecifics, nanobodies, and conjugated mAbs have emerged as promising new therapeutic modalities. They can be readily prepared in bacterial systems with well-established fermentation technology and ease of manipulation, leading to the reduction of overall cost. This review aims to shed light on the strategies to improve the expression, purification, and yield of Fab fragments in Escherichia coli expression systems, as well as current advances in the applications of Fab fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Sheng Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Pameila Paerhati
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Tanja Jakos
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Si-Yi Bai
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Wei Zhu
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-Sheng Yuan
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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8
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Goulet DR, Zwolak A, Williams JA, Chiu ML, Atkins WM. Design and characterization of novel dual Fc antibody with enhanced avidity for Fc receptors. Proteins 2019; 88:689-697. [PMID: 31702857 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become an important class of therapeutics, particularly in the realm of anticancer immunotherapy. While the two antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) of an mAb allow for high-avidity binding to molecular targets, the crystallizable fragment (Fc) engages immune effector elements. mAbs of the IgG class are used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and can elicit antitumor immune functions not only by several mechanisms including direct antigen engagement via their Fab arms but also by Fab binding to tumors combined with Fc engagement of complement component C1q and Fcγ receptors. Additionally, IgG binding to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) allows for endosomal recycling and prolonged serum half-life. To augment the effector functions or half-life of an IgG1 mAb, we constructed a novel "2Fc" mAb containing two Fc domains in addition to the normal two Fab domains. Structural and functional characterization of this 2Fc mAb demonstrated that it exists in a tetrahedral-like geometry and retains binding capacity via the Fab domains. Furthermore, duplication of the Fc region significantly enhanced avidity for Fc receptors FcγRI, FcγRIIIa, and FcRn, which manifested as a decrease in complex dissociation rate that was more pronounced at higher densities of receptor. At intermediate receptor density, the dissociation rate for Fc receptors was decreased 6- to 130-fold, resulting in apparent affinity increases of 7- to 42-fold. Stoichiometric analysis confirmed that each 2Fc mAb may simultaneously bind two molecules of FcγRI or four molecules of FcRn, which is double the stoichiometry of a wild-type mAb. In summary, duplication of the IgG Fc region allows for increased avidity to Fc receptors that could translate into clinically relevant enhancement of effector functions or pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis R Goulet
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Adam Zwolak
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research & Development, Spring House, Pennsylvania
| | - James A Williams
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Mark L Chiu
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research & Development, Spring House, Pennsylvania
| | - William M Atkins
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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9
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Ereño-Orbea J, Sicard T, Cui H, Akula I, Julien JP. Characterization of Glycoproteins with the Immunoglobulin Fold by X-Ray Crystallography and Biophysical Techniques. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30035760 PMCID: PMC6124603 DOI: 10.3791/57750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycoproteins on the surface of cells play critical roles in cellular function, including signalling, adhesion and transport. On leukocytes, several of these glycoproteins possess immunoglobulin (Ig) folds and are central to immune recognition and regulation. Here, we present a platform for the design, expression and biophysical characterization of the extracellular domain of human B cell receptor CD22. We propose that these approaches are broadly applicable to the characterization of mammalian glycoprotein ectodomains containing Ig domains. Two suspension human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell lines, HEK293F and HEK293S, are used to express glycoproteins harbouring complex and high-mannose glycans, respectively. These recombinant glycoproteins with different glycoforms allow investigating the effect of glycan size and composition on ligand binding. We discuss protocols for studying the kinetics and thermodynamics of glycoprotein binding to biologically relevant ligands and therapeutic antibody candidates. Recombinant glycoproteins produced in HEK293S cells are amenable to crystallization due to glycan homogeneity, reduced flexibility and susceptibility to endoglycosidase H treatment. We present methods for soaking glycoprotein crystals with heavy atoms and small molecules for phase determination and analysis of ligand binding, respectively. The experimental protocols discussed here hold promise for the characterization of mammalian glycoproteins to give insight into their function and investigate the mechanism of action of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Ereño-Orbea
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute
| | - Taylor Sicard
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto
| | - Hong Cui
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute
| | - Indira Akula
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute
| | - Jean-Philippe Julien
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto;
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10
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Pabst TM, Wendeler M, Wang X, Bezemer S, Hermans P, Hunter AK. Camelid V H H affinity ligands enable separation of closely related biopharmaceuticals. Biotechnol J 2016; 12. [PMID: 27677057 PMCID: PMC5333455 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201600357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Interest in new and diverse classes of molecules such as recombinant toxins, enzymes, and blood factors continues to grow for use a biotherapeutics. Compared to monoclonal antibodies, these novel drugs typically lack a commercially available affinity chromatography option, which leads to greater process complexity, longer development timelines, and poor platformability. To date, for both monoclonal antibodies and novel molecules, affinity chromatography has been mostly reserved for separation of process‐related impurities such as host cell proteins and DNA. Reports of affinity purification of closely related product variants and modified forms are much rarer. In this work we describe custom affinity chromatography development using camelid VHH antibody fragments as "tunable" immunoaffinity ligands for separation of product‐related impurities. One example demonstrates high selectivity for a recombinant immunotoxin where no binding was observed for an undesired deamidated species. Also discussed is affinity purification of a coagulation factor through specific recognition of the gamma‐carboxylglutamic acid domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Pabst
- MedImmune, Department of Purification Process Sciences, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Michaela Wendeler
- MedImmune, Department of Purification Process Sciences, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Xiangyang Wang
- MedImmune, Department of Purification Process Sciences, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | | | - Pim Hermans
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Naarden, The Netherlands
| | - Alan K Hunter
- MedImmune, Department of Purification Process Sciences, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
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