Fluorogenic tagging methodology applied to characterize oxidized tyrosine and phenylalanine in an immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody

Chemical and Biophysical Characteristics of Monoclonal Antibody Solutions Containing Aggregates Formed during Metal Catalyzed Oxidation

PURPOSE

To physicochemically characterize and compare monoclonal antibody (mAb) solutions containing aggregates generated via metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO).

METHODS

Two monoclonal IgG2s (mAb1 and mAb2) and one monoclonal IgG1 (rituximab) were exposed to MCO with the copper/ascorbic acid oxidative system, by using several different methods. The products obtained were characterized by complementary techniques for aggregate and particle analysis (from oligomers to micron sized species), and mass spectrometry methods to determine the residual copper content and chemical modifications of the proteins.

RESULTS

The particle size distribution and the morphology of the protein aggregates generated were similar for all mAbs, independent of the MCO method used. There were differences in both residual copper content and in chemical modification of specific residues, which appear to be dependent on both the protein sequence and the protocol used. All products showed a significant increase in the levels of oxidized His, Trp, and Met residues, with differences in extent of modification and specific amino acid residues modified.

CONCLUSION

The extent of total oxidation and the amino acid residues with the greatest oxidation rate depend on a combination of the MCO method used and the protein sequence.

Site-Specific Hydrolysis Reaction C-Terminal of Methionine in Met-His during Metal-Catalyzed Oxidation of IgG-1

The metal-catalyzed oxidation by [Fe(II)(EDTA)](2-)/H2O2 of IgG-1 leads to the site-specific hydrolysis of peptide bonds in the Fc region. The major hydrolytic cleavage occurs between Met428 and His429, consistent with a mechanism reported for the site-specific hydrolysis of parathyroid hormone (1-34) between Met8 and His9 (Mozziconacci, O.; et al. Mol. Pharmaceutics 2013, 10 (2), 739-755). In IgG-1, to a lesser extent, we also observe hydrolysis reactions between Met252 and Ile253. After 2 h of oxidation (at pH 5.8, 37 °C) approximately 5% of the protein is cleaved between Met428 and His429. For comparison, after 2 h of oxidation, the amount of tryptic peptides containing a Met sulfoxide residue represents less than 0.1% of the protein. The effect of this site-specific hydrolysis on the conformational stability and aggregation propensity of the antibody was also examined. No noticeable differences in structural integrity and conformational stability were observed between control and oxidized IgG-1 samples as measured by circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy, and static light scattering (SLS). Small amounts of soluble and insoluble aggregates (3-6%) were, however, observed in the oxidized samples by UV-visible absorbance spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Over the course of metal-catalyzed oxidation, increasing amounts of fragments were also observed by SEC. An increase in the concentration of subvisible particles was detected by microflow imaging (MFI).

Rapid and improved characterization of therapeutic antibodies and antibody related products using IdeS digestion and subunit analysis

Antibody subunits LC, Fd and Fc/2, generated by IdeS digestion has been applied in analytical methodologies to characterize antibody quality attributes such as glycosylation, oxidation, deamidation, and identity.

A new tool for monoclonal antibody analysis: application of IdeS proteolysis in IgG domain-specific characterization

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) products are extraordinarily heterogeneous due to the presence of a variety of enzymatic and chemical modifications, such as deamidation, isomerization, oxidation, glycosylation, glycation, and terminal cyclization. The modifications in different domains of the antibody molecule can result in different biological consequences. Therefore, characterization and routine monitoring of domain-specific modifications are essential to ensure the quality of the therapeutic antibody products. For this purpose, a rapid and informative methodology was developed to examine the heterogeneity of individual domains in mAb products. A recently discovered endopeptidase, IdeS, cleaves heavy chains below the hinge region, producing F(ab') 2 and Fc fragments. Following reduction of disulfide bonds, three antibody domains (LC, Fd, and Fc/2) can be released for further characterization. Subsequent analyses by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, capillary isoelectric focusing, and glycan mapping enable domain-specific profiling of oxidation, charge heterogeneity, and glycoform distribution. When coupled with reversed phase chromatography, the unique chromatographic profile of each molecule offers a simple strategy for an identity test, which is an important formal test for biopharmaceutical quality control purposes. This methodology is demonstrated for a number of IgGs of different subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG4), as well as an Fc fusion protein. The presented technique provides a convenient platform approach for scientific and formal therapeutic mAb product characterization. It can also be applied in regulated drug substance batch release and stability testing of antibody and Fc fusion protein products, in particular for identity and routine monitoring of domain-specific modifications.

Sequence-specific formation of d-amino acids in a monoclonal antibody during light exposure

The photoirradiation of a monoclonal antibody 1 (mAb1) at λ = 254 nm and λmax = 305 nm resulted in the sequence-specific generation of d-Val, d-Tyr, and potentially d-Ala and d-Arg, in the heavy chain sequence [95-101] YCARVVY. d-Amino acid formation is most likely the product of reversible intermediary carbon-centered radical formation at the (α)C-positions of the respective amino acids ((α)C(•) radicals) through the action of Cys thiyl radicals (CysS(•)). The latter can be generated photochemically either through direct homolysis of cystine or through photoinduced electron transfer from Trp and/or Tyr residues. The potential of mAb1 sequences to undergo epimerization was first evaluated through covalent H/D exchange during photoirradiation in D2O, and proteolytic peptides exhibiting deuterium incorporation were monitored by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Subsequently, mAb1 was photoirradiated in H2O, and peptides, for which deuterium incorporation in D2O had been documented, were purified by HPLC and subjected to hydrolysis and amino acid analysis. Importantly, not all peptide sequences which incorporated deuterium during photoirradiation in D2O also exhibited photoinduced d-amino acid formation. For example, the heavy chain sequence [12-18] VQPGGSL showed significant deuterium incorporation during photoirradiation in D2O, but no photoinduced formation of d-amino acids was detected. Instead this sequence contained ca. 22% d-Val in both a photoirradiated and a control sample. This observation could indicate that d-Val may have been generated either during production and/or storage or during sample preparation. While sample preparation did not lead to the formation of d-Val or other d-amino acids in the control sample for the heavy chain sequence [95-101] YCARVVY, we may have to consider that during hydrolysis N-terminal residues (such as in VQPGGSL) may be more prone to epimerization. We conclude that the photoinduced, radical-dependent formation of d-amino acids requires not only the intermediary formation of a (α)C(•) radical but also sufficient flexibility of the protein domain to allow both pro-chiral faces of the (α)C(•) radical to accept a hydrogen atom.