Surface-modified membranes as a matrix for protein purification

Preparation of Protein A Membranes Using Propargyl Methacrylate-Based Copolymers and Copper-Catalyzed Alkyne-Azide Click Chemistry

The development of convective technologies for antibody purification is of interest to the bioprocessing industries. This study developed a Protein A membrane using a combination of graft polymerization and copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide click chemistry. Regenerated cellulose supports were functionalized via surface-initiated copolymerization of propargyl methacrylate (PgMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA300), followed by a reaction with azide-functionalized Protein A ligand. The polymer-modified membranes were characterized using attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), gravimetric analysis, and permeability measurements. Copolymer composition was determined using the Mayo-Lewis equation. Membranes clicked with azide-conjugated Protein A were evaluated by measuring static and dynamic binding (DBC10) capacities for human immunoglobulin G (hIgG). Copolymer composition and degree of grafting were found to affect maximum static binding capacities, with values ranging from 5 to 16 mg/mL. DBC10 values did not vary with flow rate, as expected of membrane adsorbers.

Adsorption Performance of a Multimodal Anion-Exchange Chromatography Membrane: Effect of Liquid Phase Composition and Separation Mode

Membrane chromatography is a modern, high-throughput separation method that finds important applications in therapeutic protein purification. Multimodal, salt-tolerant membranes are the most recent innovation in chromatographic membrane adsorbents. Due to the complex structure of their ligands and the bimodal texture of their carriers, their adsorption properties have not been sufficiently investigated. This work deals with the equilibrium and kinetic properties of a multimodal anion-exchange chromatography membrane, Sartobind STIC. Single- and two-component adsorption experiments were carried out with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and salmon DNA as model target and impurity components. The effect of the Hofmeister series ions and ionic strength on the BSA/DNA adsorption was investigated in micromembrane flow experiments. A significant difference was observed between the effects of monovalent and polyvalent ions when strong kosmotropic salts with polyvalent anions acted as strong displacers of BSA. On the contrary, DNA binding was rather high at elevated ionic strength, independent of the salt type. Two-component micromembrane experiments confirmed very high selectivity of DNA binding at a rather low sodium sulfate feed content and at pH 8. The strength of binding was examined in more than a dozen different desorption experiments. While BSA was desorbed relatively easily using high salt concentrations independent of buffer type and pH, while DNA was desorbed only in a very limited measure under any conditions. Separation experiments in a laboratory membrane module were carried out for the feed containing 1 g/L of BSA, 0.3 g/L of DNA, and 0.15 M of sodium sulfate. The negative flow-through mode was found to be more advantageous than the bind-elute mode, as BSA was obtained with 99% purity and a 97% yield. Membrane reuse was investigated in three adsorption-desorption-regeneration cycles.

Affinity chromatography of proteins on monolithic columns

At present, monolithic stationary phases, because of their morphology, are widely used for development and realization of fast dynamic and static processes based on mass transition between liquid and solid phases. These are liquid chromatography, solid phase synthesis, microarrays, flow-through enzyme reactors, etc. High-performance liquid chromatography on monoliths, including bioaffinity mode, represents a unique technique appropriate for fast and efficient separation of biological (macro)molecules of different sizes and shapes (proteins, nucleic acids, peptides), as well as such supramolecular systems as viruses.In this work, the examples of application of commercially available macroporous monoliths for modern affinity processing are presented. In particular, the original methods developed for efficient isolation and fractionation of monospecific antibodies from rabbit blood sera, the possibility of simultaneous affinity separation of protein G and serum albumin from human serum, the isolation of recombinant products, such as protein G and tissue plasminogen activator from E. coli cell lysate and Chinese Hamster Ovary cell culture supernatant, respectively, are described in detail. The suggested and realized multifunctional fractionation of polyclonal pools of antibodies by combination of several short monolithic columns (disks) with different affinity functionalities stacked in the same cartridge represents an original and practically valuable method that can be used in biotechnology.

Characterization of pore structure of a strong anion-exchange membrane adsorbent under different buffer and salt concentration conditions

The quantitative characterization of pore structure of Sartobind Q, a strongly basic membrane anion exchanger that is formed by cross-linked cellulose support and a hydrogel layer on its pore surface, was made combining the results obtained by several experimental techniques: liquid impregnation, batch size-exclusion, inverse size-exclusion chromatography, and permeability. Mercury intrusion and nitrogen sorption porosimetry were carried out for a dry cellulose support membrane in order to get additional information for building a model of the bimodal pore structure. The model incorporated the distribution of the total pore volume between transport and gel-layer pores and the partitioning of solutes of different molecular weights was expressed through the cylindrical pore model for the transport pores and random plane model for the gel layer. The effect of composition of liquid phase on the pore structure was investigated in redistilled water, phosphate and Tris-HCl buffers containing up to 1M NaCl. Evident differences in the bimodal pore structure were observed here when both the specific volume and size of the hydrogel layer pores significantly decreased with the ionic strength of liquid phase.

Affinity monoliths for ultrafast immunoextraction

Affinity monoliths based on a copolymer of glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate were developed for ultrafast immunoextractions. Rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-FITC antibodies were used as model ligands for this work. The antibody content of the monoliths was optimized by varying both the polymerization and immobilization conditions for preparing such supports. The temperature and porogen composition used during polymerization showed significant effects on monolith morphology and on the amount of antibodies that could be coupled to these materials. The effects of various immobilization procedures and coupling conditions were also evaluated, including the coupling temperature, pH, protein concentration, and use of high buffer concentrations. The maximum ligand density obtained for rabbit IgG was approximately 60 mg/g. When a 4.5 mm i.d. x 0.95 mm monolith disk containing anti-FITC antibodies was used, 95% extraction of fluorescein was achieved in 100 ms. These properties make such monoliths attractive for work in the rapid isolation of analytes from biological samples. Similar columns can be developed for other targets by varying the types of antibodies or binding agents placed within the monoliths.

Membrane adsorbers as purification tools for monoclonal antibody purification

Downstream purification processes for monoclonal antibody production typically involve multiple steps; some of them are conventionally performed by bead-based column chromatography. Affinity chromatography with Protein A is the most selective method for protein purification and is conventionally used for the initial capturing step to facilitate rapid volume reduction as well as separation of the antibody. However, conventional affinity chromatography has some limitations that are inherent with the method, it exhibits slow intraparticle diffusion and high pressure drop within the column. Membrane-based separation processes can be used in order to overcome these mass transfer limitations. The ligand is immobilized in the membrane pores and the convective flow brings the solute molecules very close to the ligand and hence minimizes the diffusional limitations associated with the beads. Nonetheless, the adoption of this technology has been slow because membrane chromatography has been limited by a lower binding capacity than that of conventional columns, even though the high flux advantages provided by membrane adsorbers would lead to higher productivity. This review considers the use of membrane adsorbers as an alternative technology for capture and polishing steps for the purification of monoclonal antibodies. Promising industrial applications as well as new trends in research will be addressed.

Study of dynamic adsorption behavior of large-size protein-bearing particles

The subject of this paper is an investigation of the peculiarities of dynamic adsorption behavior of nanoparticles. For this purpose, virus-mimicking synthetic particles bearing different proteins at their outer surface were specially constructed using two approaches, e.g. the cross-linking of proteins and modification of polystyrene microsphere surface by proteins. Two chromatographic modes, namely ion-exchange and affinity liquid chromatography on ultra-short monolithic columns [Convective Interaction Media (CIM) DEAE and CIM QA disks] have been used as a tool for dynamic adsorption experiments. Such parameters as maximum adsorption capacity and its dependence on applied flow rate were established and compared with those obtained for individual proteins. Similarly to individual proteins, it was shown that the maximum of adsorption capacity was not changed at different flow rates. In addition, the permeability of porous space of used monolithic sorbents appeared to be sufficient for efficient separation of large particles and quite similar to the well-studied process applied for individual proteins.

Purification of humanized monoclonal antibody by hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography

Humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) hold significant promise as biopharmaceuticals. One of the main challenges faced in the purification of mAbs is their separation from bovine serum albumin, which is the main protein present in most mammalian cell culture media. This paper discusses the purification of humanized mAb hIgG1-CD4 from CHO cell culture media by hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography using a stack of microporous synthetic membranes. The effects of solution conditions on mAb solubility and binding on the membrane were first studied. The separation of a simulated mixture of bovine albumin and the mAb was then carried out to examine the feasibility of mAb purification. Separation experiments carried out under optimized conditions demonstrated that this membrane-based technique could be used for mAb purification from cell culture media. High purity (97%) and recovery (in excess of 97%) were obtained.

Chromatographic investigation of macromolecular affinity interactions

High-performance monolithic disk affinity chromatography was applied to the investigation of formation of complexes between (1) complementary polyriboadenylic and polyribouridylic acids, e.g. poly(A) and poly(U), respectively, (2) poly(A) and synthetic polycation poly(allylamine), pAA. Polyriboadenylic acid and poly(allylamine) were immobilized on macroporous disks (CIM disks). Quantitative parameters of affinity interactions between macromolecules were established using frontal analysis at different flow rates.

Bilirubin removal from human plasma by Cibacron Blue F3GA using immobilized microporous affinity membranous capillary method

A novel affinity sorbent system for direct bilirubin removal from human plasma was developed. These new adsorbents comprise Cibacron Blue F3GA as the specific ligand, and microporous membranous poly(tetrafluoroethylene) capillary (modified by coating with a hydrophilic layer of poly(vinyl alcohol) after activation) as the carrier matrix. The affinity adsorbents carrying 126.5 micromol Cibacron Blue F3GA/g polymer was then used to remove bilirubin in a flow-injection system. Non-specific adsorption on the poly(vinyl alcohol) coated capillary remains low, and higher affinity adsorption capacity, of up to 76.2 mg/g polymer was obtained after dye immobilization. The bilirubin adsorption capacity of the affinity capillary decreased with increase in the recirculation rate of plasma. The adsorption capacity increased with increase the temperature while decreased with increase the ionic strength. The maximum adsorption was only observed in neutral solution (pH 6-7). The adsorption isotherm fitted the Langmuir model well. These new adsorbents have higher velocity of mass transfer, better adsorption capacity, less fouling, longer service life and good reusability. The results of blood tests suggested the dye affinity capillary has good blood compatibility.

Affinity processes realized on high-flow-through methacrylate-based macroporous monoliths

The technology for preparation of rigid macroporous polymers suggested in the late 1980s has become a powerful instrument for the development of a novel scientific and practical field. At present, monolithic stationary phases are widely used in the processes of bioseparation (chromatography), bioconversion (enzyme reactors) as well as in other processes based on interphase mass distribution (for example, solid phase peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis). Bioaffinity modes of suggested dynamic methods are very promising for their use in different analytical processes (immunological, ecological, medical and other types of analytical monitoring), preparative isolation of blood proteins such as myoglobin, hemoglobin, immunoglobulins, etc. and also recombinant products directly from cell supernatants or lysates. For the first time, it has been shown that bioaffinity pairing with participation of immobilized on carefully designed rigid supports is very fast and the whole process of affinity separation can be realized within second time scale. The principle of bioaffinity recognition is generaly at the construction of biological reactors (for example, enzyme reactors). Improved kinetics of biocatalized reactions is explained by a minimal influence on the surface of the used sorbent. Very perspective field is the use of discussed monoliths for solid phase chemical synthesis of fragments of biological macromolecules (peptides and oligonucleotides). Several examples of these applications will be presented and discussed.

Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylamidoalanine) membranes and their utilization as metal-chelate affinity adsorbents for lysozyme adsorption

Different adsorbents have been reported in the literature for protein purification. The authors have developed a novel and new approach to obtain high protein adsorption capacity utilizing a 2-methacrylamidoalanine-containing membrane. Amino acid ligand 2-methacrylamidoalanine (MAAL) monomer was synthesized using methacryloyl chloride and alanine. Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-co-2-methacrylamidoalanine) [p(HEMA-co-MAAL)] membranes were then prepared by UV-initiated photopolymerization of HEMA and MAAL in the presence of an initiator (azobisisobutyronitrile, AIBN). The synthesized MAAL monomer was characterized by NMR. p(HEMA-co-MAAL) membranes were characterized by swelling studies, porosimeter, SEM, FTIR, and elemental analysis. These membranes have macropores in the size range of 5-10 microm. Cu(II) ions (25.9 mmol/m2) were chelated on these membranes. p(HEMA-co-MAAL) membranes were used to study the adsorption of lysozyme from aqueous media containing different amounts of lysozyme (0.1-3.0 mg/l) and at different pH values (4.0-8.0). The non-specific adsorption of lysozyme on the pHEMA membranes was negligible (0.9 microg/cm2). Incorporation of MAAL increased the lysozyme adsorption significantly up to 2.96 mg/cm2. The lysozyme adsorption capacity of the Cu(II) incorporated membranes (9.98 mg/cm2) was greater than that of the p(HEMA-co-MAAL) membranes. More than 90% of the adsorbed lysozyme was desorbed in 1 h in the desorption medium containing 1.0 M NaCl and 0.025 M EDTA. The metal-chelate affinity membranes are suitable for repeated use for more than ten cycles without a noticeable loss of capacity.

N-methacryloly-(L)-histidinemethylester carrying a pseudospecific affinity sorbent for immunoglobulin-G isolation from human plasma in a column system

N-methacryloly-(L)-histidinemethylester (MAH) as a pseudospecific ligand was synthesized by using methacryloyl chloride and histidine. Spherical beads with an average size of 63-75 microm were obtained by suspension polymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and MAH conducted in an aqueous dispersion medium. The specific surface area of the beads was found to be 18.3 m2/g. Poly(EGDMA-HEMA-MAH) beads were used in the separation of immunoglobulin-G (HIgG) from aqueous solutions and/or human plasma in a packed-bed column system. HIgG adsorption capacity of the beads decreased with an increase in the flow-rate of plasma. The maximum HIgG adsorption on the poly(EGDMA-HEMA-MAH) sorbents was observed at pH 7.4. HIgG adsorption onto the poly(EGDMA-HEMA) sorbents was negligible. Higher adsorption values (up to 135 mg/g) were obtained when the poly(EGDMA-HEMA-MAH) sorbents were used from aqueous solutions. HIgG adsorption increased with decreasing temperature and the maximum adsorption achieved at 4 degrees C. MAH incorporation significantly affected HIgG adsorption capacity (135 mg/g). Higher amounts of HIgG were adsorbed from human plasma (up to 165 mg/g). Adsorption capacities of other blood proteins were obtained as 8.7 mg/g for fibrinogen and 14.6 mg/g for albumin. The total protein adsorption was determined as 191 mg/g. The pseudospecific affinity beads allowed one-step separation of HIgG from human plasma. HIgG molecules could be repeatedly adsorbed and desorbed with these sorbents without noticeable loss in their HIgG adsorption capacity.

Very fast analysis of impurities in immunoglobulin concentrates using conjoint liquid chromatography on short monolithic disks

Transferrin and albumin are often present in immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrates and are considered as impurities. Therefore, it is important to determine their concentration in order to obtain a well-characterized biological product. Here, we describe their determination based on conjoint liquid chromatography (CLC). The established method combines two different chromatographic modes in one step: affinity and ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) combined in one column. Therefore, two CIM Protein G and one CIM quaternary amine (QA) monolithic disks were placed in series in one housing forming a CLC monolithic column. Binding conditions were optimized in a way that immunoglobulins were captured on the CIM Protein G disks, while transferrin and albumin were bound on the CIM QA disks. Subsequently, transferrin and albumin were eluted separately by a stepwise gradient with sodium chloride, whereas immunoglobulins were released from the Protein G ligands by applying low pH. A complete separation of all three proteins was achieved in less than 5 min. The method permits the quantification of albumin and transferrin in IgG concentrates and has been successfully validated.

High-performance affinity chromatography for characterization of human immunoglobulin G digestion with papain

Reactive continuous rods of macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) were prepared within the confines of a stainless steel column. Then papain was immobilized on these monoliths either directly or linked by a spacer arm. In a further step, a protein A affinity column was used for the characterization of the digestion products of human immunoglobulin G (IgG) by papain. The results showed that papain immobilized on the monolithic rod through a spacer arm exhibits higher activity for the digestion of human IgG than that without a spacer arm. The apparent Michaelis-Menten kinetic constants of free and immobilized papain, K(m) and V(max), were determined. The digestion conditions of human IgG with free and immobilized papain were optimized. Comparison of the thermal stability of free and immobilized papain showed that the immobilized papain exhibited higher thermal stability than the free enzyme. The half-time of immobilized papain reaches about a week under optimum pH and temperature conditions.

Chromatographic reactors based on biological activity

In the last decade there were many papers published on the study of enzyme catalyzed reactions performed in so-called chromatographic reactors. The attractive feature of such systems is that during the course of the reaction the compounds are already separated, which can drive the reaction beyond the thermodynamic equilibrium as well as remove putative inhibitors. In this chapter, an overview of such chromatographic bioreactor systems is given. Besides, some immobilization techniques to improve enzyme activity are discussed together with modern chromatographic supports with improved hydrodynamic characteristics to be used in this context.

Effect of experimental conditions on strong biocomplimentary pairing in high-performance monolithic disk affinity chromatography

The effect of flow-rate on quantitatively determined binding parameters for several biocomplementary pairs in affinity mode high-performance monolithic disk affinity chromatography (HPMDAC) has been investigated using frontal analysis approach. Affinity interactions were evaluated from linearized adsorption isotherms and dynamic dissociation constants of the complexes K(diss.) and the theoretical adsorption capacities Q(max) were calculated. HPMDAC isolation of a typical protein trypsin from both buffered solution and artificial mixture as well as biospecific extraction of antibodies against bovine serum albumin and recombinant protein G from such complex mixtures as blood serum and cellular lysate were examined. Immobilized counterparts soybean trypsin inhibitor, bovine serum albumin, and human immunoglobulin G were used in chromatographic experiments. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained at different flow-rates were compared with those determined at static conditions. The dependence of quantitative parameters on the surface density of immobilized ligands has also been explored. Finally, a series of experiments was carried out to evaluate the dependence of dynamic affinity binding on temperature for two complementary pairs.

Protein separation using membrane chromatography: opportunities and challenges

Some of the problems associated with packed bed chromatography can be overcome by using synthetic macroporous and microporous membranes as chromatographic media. This paper reviews the current state of development in the area of membrane chromatographic separation of proteins. The transport phenomenon of membrane chromatography is briefly discussed and work done in this area is reviewed. The various separation chemistries which have been utilised for protein separation, along with different applications, are also reviewed. The technical challenges facing membrane chromatography are highlighted and the scope for future work is discussed.

Multifunctional fractionation of polyclonal antibodies by immunoaffinity high-performance monolithic disk chromatography

High-performance monolithic disk chromatography (HPMDC), including its affinity mode, is a very efficient method for fast separations of biological molecules of different sizes and shapes. In this paper, protein and peptide ligands, immobilized on the inner surface of thin, monolithic supports (Convective Interaction Media or CIM disks), have been used to develop methods for fast, quantitative affinity fractionation of pools of polyclonal antibodies from blood sera of rabbits, immunized with complex protein-peptide conjugates. The combination of several disks with different affinity functionalities in the same cartridge enables the separation of different antibodies to be achieved within a few minutes. The apparent dissociation constants of affinity complexes were determined by frontal analysis. Variation of elution flow rate over a broad range does not affect the affinity separation characteristics. Indifferent synthetic peptides used as biocompatible spacers do not change the affinity properties of the ligands. The highly reproducible results of immunoaffinity HPMDC are compared with data obtained by widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Application of monoliths as supports for affinity chromatography and fast enzymatic conversion

Monoliths are useful chromatographic supports, as their structure allows improved mass transport. This results in fast separation. Once the ligand of interest has been immobilized, chromatographic separation can also be accomplished in affinity mode. Ligands with low molecular mass have been shown to be the easiest to immobilize. Nowadays, ligands with low molecular mass are often designed by combinatorial chemical techniques. In addition, many applications have been described where ligands with high molecular mass, such as Proteins A and G, antibodies, lectins and receptors are used. The immobilization of an enzyme on the monolithic support creates a flow-through reactor. Small proteins, such as carbonic anhydrase, can be directly immobilized on the support. However, in the case of large molecules, the active center of the enzyme is no longer accessible at all or only to a limited degree. An improvement can be achieved by introducing a spacer, which allows maximum enzymatic conversion. Fast conversion of substrates with high molecular mass has been investigated with immobilized trypsin. It was shown that in case of high-molecular-mass substrates, the conversion rate depends very much on the flow-rate. Most applications described have been performed on an analytical or semi-preparative scale. However, the technical problems of up-scaling are close to being definitely solved, enabling enzymatic conversion on a preparative scale in the future.

Protein A-immobilized microporous polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate affinity membranes for selective sorption of human-immunoglobulin-G from human plasma

Microporous membranes made of poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) [poly(HEMA)] carrying protein A were used for selective sorption of human-IgG from human plasma. Poly(HEMA) membranes were prepared by a photo-polymerization technique, and activated by cyanogen bromide (CNBr) in an alkaline medium (pH 11.5). Bioligand protein A was then immobilized by covalent binding onto these CNBr-activated membranes. The amount of immobilized protein A was controlled by changing pH and the initial concentrations of CNBr and protein A. The non-specific adsorption of protein A on the plain poly(HEMA) membranes was 2.9 microg cm(-2). Maximum protein A immobilization was observed at pH 9.5. Up to 186 microg cm(-2) was immobilized on the CNBr-activated poly(HEMA) membranes. The maximum adsorption of human-IgG on the protein A-immobilized poly(HEMA) membranes was observed at pH 8.0. The non-specific adsorption of human-IgG onto the plain poly(HEMA) membranes was low (about 4.4 microg cm(-2)). Higher human-IgG adsorption values (up to 394 microg cm(-2)) were obtained in which the protein A-immobilized poly(HEMA) membranes were used. Much higher amounts of human-IgG (up to 489 microg cm(-2)) were adsorbed from human plasma. Up to 91% of the adsorbed human-IgG was desorbed by using 0.1 M aminoacetic acid as elution agent. The adsorption-desorption cycle was repeated ten times using the same polymeric membranes. There was no remarkable reduction in the adsorption capacity of the protein A-immobilized poly(HEMA) membranes.