Selective oxidation of Zn2+—insulin catalyzed by Cu2+

Susceptibility of protein therapeutics to spontaneous chemical modifications by oxidation, cyclization, and elimination reactions

Peptides and proteins are preponderantly emerging in the drug market, as shown by the increasing number of biopharmaceutics already approved or under development. Biomolecules like recombinant monoclonal antibodies have high therapeutic efficacy and offer a valuable alternative to small-molecule drugs. However, due to their complex three-dimensional structure and the presence of many functional groups, the occurrence of spontaneous conformational and chemical changes is much higher for peptides and proteins than for small molecules. The characterization of biotherapeutics with modern and sophisticated analytical methods has revealed the presence of contaminants that mainly arise from oxidation- and elimination-prone amino-acid side chains. This review focuses on protein chemical modifications that may take place during storage due to (1) oxidation (methionine, cysteine, histidine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine), (2) intra- and inter-residue cyclization (aspartic and glutamic acid, asparagine, glutamine, N-terminal dipeptidyl motifs), and (3) β-elimination (serine, threonine, cysteine, cystine) reactions. It also includes some examples of the impact of such modifications on protein structure and function.

Identification of oxidation sites and covalent cross-links in metal catalyzed oxidized interferon Beta-1a: potential implications for protein aggregation and immunogenicity

Oxidation via Cu(2+)/ascorbate of recombinant human interferon beta-1a (IFNβ1a) leads to highly immunogenic aggregates, however it is unknown which amino acids are modified and how covalent aggregates are formed. In the present work we mapped oxidized and cross-linked amino acid residues in aggregated IFNβ1a, formed via Cu(2+)/ascorbate catalyzed oxidation. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to confirm extensive aggregation of oxidized IFNβ1a. Circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy indicated substantial loss of secondary and tertiary structure, respectively. Derivatization with 4-(aminomethyl)benzenesulfonic acid was used to demonstrate, by fluorescence in combination with SEC, the presence of tyrosine (Tyr) oxidation products. High performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of reduced, alkylated, and digested protein was employed to localize chemical degradation products. Oxidation products of methionine, histidine, phenylalanine (Phe), tryptophan, and Tyr residues were identified throughout the primary sequence. Covalent cross-links via 1,4- or 1,6-type addition between primary amines and DOCH (2-amino-3-(3,4-dioxocyclohexa-1,5-dien-1-yl)propanoic acid, an oxidation product of Phe and Tyr) were detected. There was no evidence of disulfide bridge, Schiff base, or dityrosine formation. The chemical cross-links identified in this work are most likely responsible for the formation of covalent aggregates of IFNβ1a induced by oxidation, which have previously been shown to be highly immunogenic.

Chemical modifications in aggregates of recombinant human insulin induced by metal-catalyzed oxidation: covalent cross-linking via michael addition to tyrosine oxidation products

PURPOSE

To elucidate the chemical modifications in covalent aggregates of recombinant human insulin induced by metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO).

METHODS

Insulin was exposed for 3 h at room temperature to the oxidative system copper(II)/ascorbate. Chemical derivatization with 4-(aminomethyl) benzenesulfonic acid (ABS) was performed to detect 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) formation. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was employed to localize the amino acids targeted by oxidation and the cross-links involved in insulin aggregation. Oxidation at different pH and temperature was monitored with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ESI-MS analysis to further investigate the chemical mechanism(s), to estimate the aggregates content and to quantify DOPA in aggregated insulin.

RESULTS

The results implicate the formation of DOPA and 2-amino-3-(3,4-dioxocyclohexa-1,5-dien-1-yl) propanoic acid (DOCH), followed by Michael addition, as responsible for new cross-links resulting in covalent aggregation of insulin during MCO. Michael addition products were detected between DOCH at positions B16, B26, A14, and A19, and free amino groups of the N-terminal amino acids Phe B1 and Gly A1, and side chains of Lys B29, His B5 and His B10. Fragments originating from peptide bond hydrolysis were also detected.

CONCLUSION

MCO of insulin leads to covalent aggregation through cross-linking via Michael addition to tyrosine oxidation products.