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Krishna S, Jung ST, Lee EY. Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris: microbial cell-factory platform for -full-length IgG production. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024:1-23. [PMID: 38797692 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2024.2342969] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Owing to the unmet demand, the pharmaceutical industry is investigating an alternative host to mammalian cells to produce antibodies for a variety of therapeutic and research applications. Regardless of some disadvantages, Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris are the preferred microbial hosts for antibody production. Despite the fact that the production of full-length antibodies has been successfully demonstrated in E. coli, which has mostly been used to produce antibody fragments, such as: antigen-binding fragments (Fab), single-chain fragment variable (scFv), and nanobodies. In contrast, Pichia, a eukaryotic microbial host, is mostly used to produce glycosylated full-length antibodies, though hypermannosylated glycan is a major challenge. Advanced strategies, such as the introduction of human-like glycosylation in endotoxin-edited E. coli and cell-free system-based glycosylation, are making progress in creating human-like glycosylation profiles of antibodies in these microbes. This review begins by explaining the structural and functional requirements of antibodies and continues by describing and analyzing the potential of E. coli and P. pastoris as hosts for providing a favorable environment to create a fully functional antibody. In addition, authors compare these microbes on certain features and predict their future in antibody production. Briefly, this review analyzes, compares, and highlights E. coli and P. pastoris as potential hosts for antibody production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Krishna
- Department of Chemical Engineering (BK21 FOUR Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Taek Jung
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Yeol Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering (BK21 FOUR Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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2
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Shenoy A, Davis AR, Roberts ET, Amster IJ, Barb AW. Metabolic 15N labeling of the N-glycosylated immunoglobulin G1 Fc with an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2022; 76:95-105. [PMID: 35802275 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-022-00397-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The predominant protein expression host for NMR spectroscopy is Escherichia coli, however, it does not synthesize appropriate post-translation modifications required for mammalian protein function and is not ideal for expressing naturally secreted proteins that occupy an oxidative environment. Mammalian expression platforms can address these limitations; however, these are not amenable to cost-effective uniform 15 N labeling resulting from highly complex growth media requirements. Yeast expression platforms combine the simplicity of bacterial expression with the capabilities of mammalian platforms, however yeasts require optimization prior to isotope labeling. Yeast expression will benefit from methods to boost protein expression levels and developing labeling conditions to facilitate growth and high isotope incorporation within the target protein. In this work, we describe a novel platform based on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that simultaneously expresses the Kar2p chaperone and protein disulfide isomerase in the ER to facilitate the expression of secreted proteins. Furthermore, we developed a growth medium for uniform 15 N labeling. We recovered 2.2 mg/L of uniformly 15 N-labeled human immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 Fc domain with 90.6% 15 N labeling. NMR spectroscopy revealed a high degree of similarity between the yeast and mammalian-expressed IgG1 Fc domains. Furthermore, we were able to map the binding interaction between IgG1 Fc and the Z domain through chemical shift perturbations. This platform represents a novel cost-effective strategy for 15 N-labeled immunoglobulin fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Shenoy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Alexander R Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | | | - Adam W Barb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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3
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Rinnofner C, Felber M, Pichler H. Strains and Molecular Tools for Recombinant Protein Production in Pichia pastoris. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2513:79-112. [PMID: 35781201 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2399-2_6] [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] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Within the last two decades, the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) has become an important alternative to E. coli or mammalian cell lines for the production of recombinant proteins. Easy handling, strong promoters, and high cell density cultivations as well as the capability of posttranslational modifications are some of the major benefits of this yeast. The high secretion capacity and low level of endogenously secreted proteins further promoted the rapid development of a versatile Pichia pastoris toolbox. This chapter reviews common and new "Pichia tools" and their specific features. Special focus is given to expression strains, such as different methanol utilization, protease-deficient or glycoengineered strains, combined with application highlights. Different promoters and signal sequences are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rinnofner
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB), Graz, Austria.
- Bisy GmbH, Hofstaetten/Raab, Austria.
| | - Michael Felber
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB), Graz, Austria
| | - Harald Pichler
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB), Graz, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
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4
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ATP and Tri-Polyphosphate (TPP) Suppress Protein Aggregate Growth by a Supercharging Mechanism. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9111646. [PMID: 34829875 PMCID: PMC8616003 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A common strategy to increase aggregation resistance is through rational mutagenesis to supercharge proteins, which leads to high colloidal stability, but often has the undesirable effect of lowering conformational stability. We show this trade-off can be overcome by using small multivalent polyphosphate ions, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and tripolyphosphate (TPP) as excipients. These ions are equally effective at suppressing aggregation of ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) upon thermal stress as monitored by dynamic and static light scattering. Monomer loss kinetic studies, combined with measurements of native state protein–protein interactions and ζ-potentials, indicate the ions reduce aggregate growth by increasing the protein colloidal stability through binding and overcharging the protein. Out of three additional proteins studied, ribonuclease A (RNaseA), α-chymotrypsinogen (α-Cgn), and lysozyme, we only observed a reduction in aggregate growth for RNaseA, although overcharging by the poly-phosphate ions still occurs for lysozyme and α-Cgn. Because the salts do not alter protein conformational stability, using them as excipients could be a promising strategy for stabilizing biopharmaceuticals once the protein structural factors that determine whether multivalent ion binding will increase colloidal stability are better elucidated. Our findings also have biological implications. Recently, it has been proposed that ATP also plays an important role in maintaining intracellular biological condensates and preventing protein aggregation in densely packed cellular environments. We expect electrostatic interactions are a significant factor in determining the stabilizing ability of ATP towards maintaining proteins in non-dispersed states in vivo.
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5
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Abstract
The aggregation of therapeutic antibodies is a major issue for the pharmaceutical industry leading to loss of drug quality, increased dosage, and unwanted immune responses such as the production of anti-drug antibodies (ADA). As aggregation can occur at various stages of development and storage, much work has been performed to reduce or eliminate it. In this report we analyzed four antibodies available in the PDB (1IGT, 1IGY, 1HZH, and 5DK3) using the online software UCSF Chimera to study the structural features of the proteins and the associated N-linked glycans in the CH2 domains of the Fc region. To study antibody aggregation in silico we used the online software TANGO and AGGRESCAN to identify aggregation prone regions (APR) in the antibodies and the influence of the Fc glycans on hydrophobic and aromatic residues present in the APRs. In the 3D structures of 1IGT and 1IGY the glycan chains are in close enough proximity to influence and protect these hydrophobic regions. However, in the 3D structures of 1HZH and 5DK3 the glycans do not appear to influence the likely APRs of the antibodies. Therefore, in these structures we modified the Fc glycan regions by adjusting the glycosylated asparagine side chains and glycosidic bonds. We successfully adjusted the glycan chains of 1HZH and 5DK3 and reduced the distance between them and the APRs to show potential influence on aggregation. However, similar to 5DK3, the influence of glycosylation on the APRs of the antibody was limited due to the size of the glycans present in the 3D structure. This report is based on in silico studies to show how antibody glycans can influence aggregation.
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6
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Unraveling Human AQP5-PIP Molecular Interaction and Effect on AQP5 Salivary Glands Localization in SS Patients. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082108. [PMID: 34440877 PMCID: PMC8391295 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Saliva secretion requires effective translocation of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) water channel to the salivary glands (SGs) acinar apical membrane. Patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) display abnormal AQP5 localization within acinar cells from SGs that correlate with sicca manifestation and glands hypofunction. Several proteins such as Prolactin-inducible protein (PIP) may regulate AQP5 trafficking as observed in lacrimal glands from mice. However, the role of the AQP5-PIP complex remains poorly understood. In the present study, we show that PIP interacts with AQP5 in vitro and in mice as well as in human SGs and that PIP misexpression correlates with an altered AQP5 distribution at the acinar apical membrane in PIP knockout mice and SS hMSG. Furthermore, our data show that the protein-protein interaction involves the AQP5 C-terminus and the N-terminal of PIP (one molecule of PIP per AQP5 tetramer). In conclusion, our findings highlight for the first time the role of PIP as a protein controlling AQP5 localization in human salivary glands but extend beyond due to the PIP-AQP5 interaction described in lung and breast cancers.
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Merten H, Brandl F, Zimmermann M, Schaefer JV, Irpinio L, Sand KMK, Nilsen J, Andersen JT, Zangemeister-Wittke U, Plückthun A. Half-life extension of efficiently produced DARPin serum albumin fusions as a function of FcRn affinity and recycling. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2021; 167:104-113. [PMID: 34303832 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2021.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Serum albumin shows slow clearance from circulation due to neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)-mediated recycling and has been used for half-life extension. We report here fusions to a high-affinity DARPin, binding to Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM). We developed a novel, efficient expression system for such fusion proteins in Pichia pastoris with titers above 300 mg/L of lab-scale shake-flask culture. Since human serum albumin (HSA) does not bind to the murine FcRn, half-lives of therapeutic candidates are frequently measured in human FcRn transgenic mice, limiting useable tumor models. Additionally, serum albumins with extended half-life have been designed. We tested HSA7, motivated by its previously claimed extraordinarily long half-life in mice, which we could not confirm. Instead, we determined a half-life of only 29 h for HSA7, comparable to MSA. The fusion of HSA7 to a DARPin showed a similar half-life. To rationalize these findings, we measured binding kinetics and affinities to murine and human FcRn. Briefly, HSA7 showed affinity to murine FcRn only in the micromolar range, comparable to MSA to its cognate murine FcRn, and an affinity in the nanomolar range only to the human FcRn. This explains the comparable half-life of MSA and HSA7 in mice, while wild-type-HSA has a half-life of only 21 h, as it does not bind the murine FcRn and is not recycled. Thus, HSA-fusions with improved FcRn-affinity, such as HSA7, can be used for preclinical experiments in mice when FcRn transgenes cannot be used, as they reflect better the complex FcRn-mediated recycling and distribution mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Merten
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Brandl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology, University of Bern, Inselspital INO-F, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martina Zimmermann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonas V Schaefer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Linda Irpinio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kine M K Sand
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, N-0372 Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo, N-0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jeannette Nilsen
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, N-0372 Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo, N-0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Terje Andersen
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, N-0372 Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo, N-0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Uwe Zangemeister-Wittke
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology, University of Bern, Inselspital INO-F, 3010 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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8
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Cao G, Gao X, Zhan Y, Wang Q, Zhang Z, Dimitrov DS, Gong R. An engineered human IgG1 CH2 domain with decreased aggregation and nonspecific binding. MAbs 2021; 12:1689027. [PMID: 31795802 PMCID: PMC6927756 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2019.1689027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunoglobulin (Ig) CH2 domain is a promising scaffold for the development of candidate therapeutics. We have previously shown that the stability of isolated CH2 could be increased by the introduction of an additional disulfide bond and removal of seven N-terminal residues (m01s). However, both isolated CH2 and m01s aggregate, likely due to the existence of aggregation-prone regions (APRs) that we identified by using computational methods. This knowledge was used to generate a phage display library of mutants. The library was incubated at high temperature to remove aggregating CH2 domains, and then panned against a mouse anti-human CH2 monoclonal antibody targeting a conformational epitope to remove misfolded CH2s. After two rounds of panning, one clone, m01s5, with smaller APRs, was identified. After additional mutagenesis one clone, m01s5.4, which aggregated much less than m01s as measured by a turbidity assay and dynamic light scattering, was identified. m01s5.4 also exhibited much lower nonspecific binding than m01s. Engineering of a previously identified m01s-based tumor antigen-specific binder led to a dramatic reduction of its aggregation without affecting its binding. In summary, we describe a new approach for reducing aggregation based on a combination of computational and phage display methodologies, and show that aggregation of CH2-based scaffolds can be significantly reduced by the newly identified mutants, which can improve the developability of potential CH2-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangcan Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yancheng Zhan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingguang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dimiter S Dimitrov
- Center for Antibody Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rui Gong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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9
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Optimization of an Antibody Light Chain Framework Enhances Expression, Biophysical Properties and Pharmacokinetics. Antibodies (Basel) 2019; 8:antib8030046. [PMID: 31544852 PMCID: PMC6784111 DOI: 10.3390/antib8030046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficacy, safety, and manufacturability of therapeutic antibodies are influenced by their biopharmaceutical and biophysical properties. These properties can be optimized by library approaches or rationale protein design. Here, we employed a protein engineering approach to modify the variable domain of the light chain (VL) framework of an oxidized macrophage migration inhibitory factor (oxMIF)-specific antibody. The amendment of the antibody sequence was based on homology to human germline VL genes. Three regions or positions were identified in the VL domain—L1-4, L66, L79—and mutated independently or in combination to match the closest germline V gene. None of the mutations altered oxMIF specificity or affinity, but some variants improved thermal stability, aggregation propensity, and resulted in up to five-fold higher expression. Importantly, the improved biopharmaceutical properties translated into a superior pharmacokinetic profile of the antibody. Thus, optimization of the V domain framework can ameliorate the biophysical qualities of a therapeutic antibody candidate, and as result its manufacturability, and also has the potential to improve pharmacokinetics.
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10
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Schaefer JV, Sedlák E, Kast F, Nemergut M, Plückthun A. Modification of the kinetic stability of immunoglobulin G by solvent additives. MAbs 2018. [PMID: 29537925 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2018.1450126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Biophysical properties of antibody-based biopharmaceuticals are a critical part of their release criteria. In this context, finding the appropriate formulation is equally important as optimizing their intrinsic biophysical properties through protein engineering, and both are mutually dependent. Most previous studies have empirically tested the impact of additives on measures of colloidal stability, while mechanistic aspects have usually been limited to only the thermodynamic stability of the protein. Here we emphasize the kinetic impact of additives on the irreversible denaturation steps of immunoglobulins G (IgG) and their antigen-binding fragments (Fabs), as these are the key committed steps preceding aggregation, and thus especially informative in elucidating the molecular parameters of activity loss. We examined the effects of ten additives on the conformational kinetic stability by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), using a recently developed three-step model containing both reversible and irreversible steps. The data highlight and help to rationalize different effects of the additives on the properties of full-length IgG, analyzed by onset and aggregation temperatures as well as by kinetic parameters derived from our model. Our results further help to explain the observation that stabilizing mutations in the antigen-binding fragment (Fab) significantly affect the kinetic parameters of its thermal denaturation, but not the aggregation properties of the full-length IgGs. We show that the proper analysis of DSC scans for full-length IgGs and their corresponding Fabs not only helps in ranking their stability in different formats and formulations, but provides important mechanistic insights for improving the conformational kinetic stability of IgGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas V Schaefer
- a Department of Biochemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Erik Sedlák
- a Department of Biochemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich , Switzerland.,b Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, P.J. Šafárik University , Jesenná 5, Košice , Slovakia
| | - Florian Kast
- a Department of Biochemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Michal Nemergut
- c Department of Biophysics , P.J. Šafárik University , Jesenná 5, Košice , Slovakia
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- a Department of Biochemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich , Switzerland
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11
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Yang C, Gao X, Gong R. Engineering of Fc Fragments with Optimized Physicochemical Properties Implying Improvement of Clinical Potentials for Fc-Based Therapeutics. Front Immunol 2018; 8:1860. [PMID: 29375551 PMCID: PMC5766897 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and Fc-fusion proteins are successfully used in treatment of various diseases mainly including cancer, immune disease, and viral infection, which belong to the Fc-based therapeutics. In recent years, engineered Fc-derived antibody domains have also shown potential for Fc-based therapeutics. To increase the druggability of Fc-based therapeutic candidates, many efforts have been made in optimizing physicochemical properties and functions mediated by Fc fragment. The desired result is that we can simultaneously obtain Fc variants with increased physicochemical properties in vitro and capacity of mediating appropriate functions in vivo. However, changes of physicochemical properties of Fc may result in alternation of Fc-mediated functions and vice versa, which leads to undesired outcomes for further development of Fc-based therapeutics. Therefore, whether modified Fc fragments are suitable for achievement of expected clinical results or not needs to be seriously considered. Now, this question comes to be noticed and should be figured out to make better translation from the results of laboratory into clinical applications. In this review, we summarize different strategies on engineering physicochemical properties of Fc, and preliminarily elucidate the relationships between modified Fc in vitro and the subsequent therapeutic influence in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunpeng Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Gong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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12
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Kuhn AB, Kube S, Karow-Zwick AR, Seeliger D, Garidel P, Blech M, Schäfer LV. Improved Solution-State Properties of Monoclonal Antibodies by Targeted Mutations. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:10818-10827. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b09126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander B. Kuhn
- Theoretical
Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Lars V. Schäfer
- Theoretical
Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
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13
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Austerberry JI, Dajani R, Panova S, Roberts D, Golovanov AP, Pluen A, van der Walle CF, Uddin S, Warwicker J, Derrick JP, Curtis R. The effect of charge mutations on the stability and aggregation of a human single chain Fv fragment. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2017; 115:18-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2017.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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14
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Nascimento Santos L, Carvalho Pacheco LG, Silva Pinheiro C, Alcantara-Neves NM. Recombinant proteins of helminths with immunoregulatory properties and their possible therapeutic use. Acta Trop 2017; 166:202-211. [PMID: 27871775 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The inverse relationship between helminth infections and the development of immune-mediated diseases is a cornerstone of the hygiene hypothesis and studies were carried out to elucidate the mechanisms by which helminth-derived molecules can suppress immunological disorders. These studies have fostered the idea that parasitic worms may be used as a promising therapeutic alternative for prevention and treatment of immune-mediated diseases. We discuss the current approaches for identification of helminth proteins with potential immunoregulatory properties, including the strategies based on high-throughput technologies. We also explore the methodological approaches and expression systems used for production of the recombinant forms of more than 20 helminth immunomodulatory proteins, besides their performances when evaluated as immunotherapeutic molecules to treat different immune-mediated conditions, including asthma and inflammatory bowel diseases. Finally, we discuss the perspectives of using these parasite-derived recombinant molecules as tools for future immunotherapy and immunoprophylaxis of human inflammatory diseases.
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15
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Mattanovich D, Sauer M, Gasser B. Industrial Microorganisms: Pichia pastoris. Ind Biotechnol (New Rochelle N Y) 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527807796.ch19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diethard Mattanovich
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Department of Biotechnology; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH); Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
| | - Michael Sauer
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Department of Biotechnology; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH); Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; CD-Laboratory for Biotechnology of Glycerol; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
| | - Brigitte Gasser
- BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences; Department of Biotechnology; Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH); Muthgasse 18 1190 Vienna Austria
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16
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Grewal Y, Shiddiky MJA, Mahler SM, Cangelosi GA, Trau M. Nanoyeast and Other Cell Envelope Compositions for Protein Studies and Biosensor Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:30649-30664. [PMID: 27762541 PMCID: PMC5114700 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b09263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Rapid progress in disease biomarker discovery has increased the need for robust detection technologies. In the past several years, the designs of many immunoaffinity reagents have focused on lowering costs and improving specificity while also promoting stability. Antibody fragments (scFvs) have long been displayed on the surface of yeast and phage libraries for selection; however, the stable production of such fragments presents challenges that hamper their widespread use in diagnostics. Membrane and cell wall proteins similarly suffer from stability problems when solubilized from their native environment. Recently, cell envelope compositions that maintain membrane proteins in native or native-like lipid environment to improve their stability have been developed. This cell envelope composition approach has now been adapted toward stabilizing antibody fragments by retaining their native cell wall environment. A new class of immunoaffinity reagents has been developed that maintains antibody fragment attachment to yeast cell wall. Herein, we review recent strategies that incorporate cell wall fragments with functional scFvs, which are designed for easy production while maintaining specificity and stability when in use with simple detection platforms. These cell wall based antibody fragments are globular in structure, and heterogeneous in size, with fragments ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers in size. These fragments appear to retain activity once immobilized onto biosensor surfaces for the specific and sensitive detection of pathogen antigens. They can be quickly and economically generated from a yeast display library and stored lyophilized, at room temperature, for up to a year with little effect on stability. This new format of scFvs provides stability, in a simple and low-cost manner toward the use of scFvs in biosensor applications. The production and "panning" of such antibody cell wall composites are also extremely facile, enabling the rapid adoption of stable and inexpensive affinity reagents for emerging infectious threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadveer
S. Grewal
- Centre
for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering
and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of
Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Muhammad J. A. Shiddiky
- Centre
for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering
and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of
Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Stephen M. Mahler
- ARC Training Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
(AIBN), University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School
of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Gerard A. Cangelosi
- School
of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Matt Trau
- Centre
for Personalised Nanomedicine, Australian Institute for Bioengineering
and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of
Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School
of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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17
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Abstract
The crystallizable fragment (Fc) of the immunoglobulin class G (IgG) is a very attractive scaffold for the design of novel therapeutics due to its quality of uniting all essential antibody functions. This article reviews the functionalization of this homodimeric glycoprotein by diversification of structural loops of CH3 domains for the design of Fcabs, i.e. antigen-binding Fc proteins. It reports the design of libraries for the selection of nanomolar binders with wildtype-like in vivo half-life and correlation of Fc receptor binding and ADCC. The in vitro and preclinical biological activity of selected Fcabs is compared with that of clinically approved antibodies. Recently, the great potential of the scaffold for the development of therapeutics for clinical use has been shown when the HER2-binding Fcab FS102 entered clinical phase I. Furthermore, methods for the engineering of biophysical properties of Fcabs applicable to proteins in general are presented as well as the different approaches in the design of heterodimeric Fc-based scaffolds used in the generation of bispecific monoclonal antibodies. Finally, this work critically analyzes and compares the various efforts in the design of highly diverse and functional libraries that have been made in the engineering of IgG1-Fc and structurally similar scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Lobner
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Antibody Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Vienna Institute of BioTechnology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael W Traxlmayr
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Antibody Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Vienna Institute of BioTechnology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Obinger
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Antibody Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Vienna Institute of BioTechnology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Hasenhindl
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Antibody Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Vienna Institute of BioTechnology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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18
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Li W, Prabakaran P, Chen W, Zhu Z, Feng Y, Dimitrov DS. Antibody Aggregation: Insights from Sequence and Structure. Antibodies (Basel) 2016; 5:antib5030019. [PMID: 31558000 PMCID: PMC6698864 DOI: 10.3390/antib5030019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the fastest-growing biological therapeutics with important applications ranging from cancers, autoimmunity diseases and metabolic disorders to emerging infectious diseases. Aggregation of mAbs continues to be a major problem in their developability. Antibody aggregation could be triggered by partial unfolding of its domains, leading to monomer-monomer association followed by nucleation and growth. Although the aggregation propensities of antibodies and antibody-based proteins can be affected by the external experimental conditions, they are strongly dependent on the intrinsic antibody properties as determined by their sequences and structures. In this review, we describe how the unfolding and aggregation susceptibilities of IgG could be related to their cognate sequences and structures. The impact of antibody domain structures on thermostability and aggregation propensities, and effective strategies to reduce aggregation are discussed. Finally, the aggregation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as related to their sequence/structure, linker payload, conjugation chemistry and drug-antibody ratio (DAR) is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | | | - Weizao Chen
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Zhongyu Zhu
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Yang Feng
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Dimiter S Dimitrov
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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19
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Liang H, Li X, Wang B, Chen B, Zhao Y, Sun J, Zhuang Y, Shi J, Shen H, Zhang Z, Dai J. A collagen-binding EGFR antibody fragment targeting tumors with a collagen-rich extracellular matrix. Sci Rep 2016; 6:18205. [PMID: 26883295 PMCID: PMC4756367 DOI: 10.1038/srep18205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many tumors over-express collagen, which constitutes the physical scaffold of tumor microenvironment. Collagen has been considered to be a target for cancer therapy. The collagen-binding domain (CBD) is a short peptide, which could bind to collagen and achieve the sustained release of CBD-fused proteins in collagen scaffold. Here, a collagen-binding EGFR antibody fragment was designed and expressed for targeting the collagen-rich extracellular matrix in tumors. The antibody fragment (Fab) of cetuximab was fused with CBD (CBD-Fab) and expressed in Pichia pastoris. CBD-Fab maintained antigen binding and anti-tumor activity of cetuximab and obtained a collagen-binding ability in vitro. The results also showed CBD-Fab was mainly enriched in tumors and had longer retention time in tumors in A431 s.c. xenografts. Furthermore, CBD-Fab showed a similar therapeutic efficacy as cetuximab in A431 xenografts. Although CBD-Fab hasn’t showed better therapeutic effects than cetuximab, its smaller molecular and special target may be applicable as antibody–drug conjugates (ADC) or immunotoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liang
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoran Li
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Bin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Bing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Yannan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yan Zhuang
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jiajia Shi
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - He Shen
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jianwu Dai
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China.,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
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20
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Nilvebrant J, Tessier PM, Sidhu SS. Engineered Autonomous Human Variable Domains. Curr Pharm Des 2016; 22:6527-6537. [PMID: 27655414 PMCID: PMC5326600 DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666160921143011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The complex multi-chain architecture of antibodies has spurred interest in smaller derivatives that retain specificity but can be more easily produced in bacteria. Domain antibodies consisting of single variable domains are the smallest antibody fragments and have been shown to possess enhanced ability to target epitopes that are difficult to access using multidomain antibodies. However, in contrast to natural camelid antibody domains, human variable domains typically suffer from low stability and high propensity to aggregate. METHODS This review summarizes strategies to improve the biophysical properties of heavy chain variable domains from human antibodies with an emphasis on aggregation resistance. Several protein engineering approaches have targeted antibody frameworks and complementarity determining regions to stabilize the native state and prevent aggregation of the denatured state. CONCLUSION Recent findings enable the construction of highly diverse libraries enriched in aggregation-resistant variants that are expected to provide binders to diverse antigens. Engineered domain antibodies possess unique advantages in expression, epitope preference and flexibility of formatting over conventional immunoreagents and are a promising class of antibody fragments for biomedical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Nilvebrant
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Peter M. Tessier
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Sachdev S. Sidhu
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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21
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McConnell AD, Zhang X, Macomber JL, Chau B, Sheffer JC, Rahmanian S, Hare E, Spasojevic V, Horlick RA, King DJ, Bowers PM. A general approach to antibody thermostabilization. MAbs 2015; 6:1274-82. [PMID: 25517312 DOI: 10.4161/mabs.29680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibody engineering to enhance thermostability may enable further application and ease of use of antibodies across a number of different areas. A modified human IgG framework has been developed through a combination of engineering approaches, which can be used to stabilize antibodies of diverse specificity. This is achieved through a combination of complementarity-determining region (CDR)-grafting onto the stable framework, mammalian cell display and in vitro somatic hypermutation (SHM). This approach allows both stabilization and maturation to affinities beyond those of the original antibody, as shown by the stabilization of an anti-HA33 antibody by approximately 10°C and affinity maturation of approximately 300-fold over the original antibody. Specificities of 10 antibodies of diverse origin were successfully transferred to the stable framework through CDR-grafting, with 8 of these successfully stabilized, including the therapeutic antibodies adalimumab, stabilized by 9.9°C, denosumab, stabilized by 7°C, cetuximab stabilized by 6.9°C and to a lesser extent trastuzumab stabilized by 0.8°C. This data suggests that this approach may be broadly useful for improving the biophysical characteristics of antibodies across a number of applications.
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Key Words
- CDR, complementarity-determining region
- CH2, heavy chain constant domain 2
- CH3, heavy chain constant domain 3
- DSC, differential scanning calorimetry
- HC, heavy chain
- LC, light chain
- NGF, β-nerve growth factor
- SHM, somatic hypermutation
- SPR, surface plasmon resonance
- TNF, tumor necrosis factor
- Tm, melting temperature
- VH, heavy chain variable region
- VL, light chain variable region
- affinity maturation
- monoclonal antibodies
- protein engineering
- solubility
- somatic hypermutation
- thermostability
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22
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Entzminger KC, Johnson JL, Hyun J, Lieberman RL, Maynard JA. Increased Fab thermoresistance via VH-targeted directed evolution. Protein Eng Des Sel 2015; 28:365-77. [PMID: 26283664 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzv037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody aggregation is frequently mediated by the complementarity determining regions within the variable domains and can significantly decrease purification yields, shorten shelf-life and increase the risk of anti-drug immune responses. Aggregation-resistant antibodies could offset these risks; accordingly, we have developed a directed evolution strategy to improve Fab stability. A Fab-phage display vector was constructed and the VH domain targeted for mutagenesis by error-prone PCR. To enrich for thermoresistant clones, the resulting phage library was transiently heated, followed by selection for binding to an anti-light chain constant domain antibody. Five unique variants were identified, each possessing one to three amino acid substitutions. Each engineered Fab possessed higher, Escherichia coli expression yield, a 2-3°C increase in apparent melting temperature and improved aggregation resistance upon heating at high concentration. Select mutations were combined and shown to confer additive improvements to these biophysical characteristics. Finally, the wild-type and most stable triple variant Fab variant were converted into a human IgG1 and expressed in mammalian cells. Both expression level and aggregation resistance were similarly improved in the engineered IgG1. Analysis of the wild-type Fab crystal structure provided a structural rationale for the selected residues changes. This approach can help guide future Fab stabilization efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer L Johnson
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | | | - Raquel L Lieberman
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Jennifer A Maynard
- Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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23
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Abstract
The use of monoclonal antibodies as therapeutics requires optimizing several of their key attributes. These include binding affinity and specificity, folding stability, solubility, pharmacokinetics, effector functions, and compatibility with the attachment of additional antibody domains (bispecific antibodies) and cytotoxic drugs (antibody-drug conjugates). Addressing these and other challenges requires the use of systematic design methods that complement powerful immunization and in vitro screening methods. We review advances in designing the binding loops, scaffolds, domain interfaces, constant regions, post-translational and chemical modifications, and bispecific architectures of antibodies and fragments thereof to improve their bioactivity. We also highlight unmet challenges in antibody design that must be overcome to generate potent antibody therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Tiller
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180;
| | - Peter M Tessier
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180;
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24
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Heiss S, Puxbaum V, Gruber C, Altmann F, Gasser B, Mattanovich D. Multistep processing of the secretion leader of the extracellular protein Epx1 in Pichia pastoris and implications for protein localization. Microbiology (Reading) 2015; 161:1356-68. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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25
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Sedlák E, Schaefer JV, Marek J, Gimeson P, Plückthun A. Advanced analyses of kinetic stabilities of iggs modified by mutations and glycosylation. Protein Sci 2015; 24:1100-13. [PMID: 25966898 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The stability of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) affects production, storage and usability, especially in the clinic. The complex thermal and isothermal transitions of IgGs, especially their irreversibilities, pose a challenge to the proper determination of parameters describing their thermodynamic and kinetic stability. Here, we present a reliable mathematical model to study the irreversible thermal denaturations of antibody variants. The model was applied to two unrelated IgGs and their variants with stabilizing mutations as well as corresponding non-glycosylated forms of IgGs and Fab fragments. Thermal denaturations of IgGs were analyzed with three transitions, one reversible transition corresponding to C(H)2 domain unfolding followed by two consecutive irreversible transitions corresponding to Fab and C(H)3 domains, respectively. The parameters obtained allowed us to examine the effects of these mutations on the stabilities of individual domains within the full-length IgG. We found that the kinetic stability of the individual Fab fragment is significantly lowered within the IgG context, possibly because of intramolecular aggregation upon heating, while the stabilizing mutations have an especially beneficial effect. Thermal denaturations of non-glycosylated variants of IgG consist of more than three transitions and could not be analyzed by our model. However, isothermal denaturations demonstrated that the lack of glycosylation affects the stability of all and not just of the C(H)2 domain, suggesting that the partially unfolded domains may interact with each other during unfolding. Investigating thermal denaturation of IgGs according to our model provides a valuable tool for detecting subtle changes in thermodynamic and/or kinetic stabilities of individual domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Sedlák
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, Košice, 040 01, Slovakia.,Department of Biochemistry, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, Košice, 040 01, Slovakia
| | - Jonas V Schaefer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jozef Marek
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Watsonova 47, Košice, 040 01, Slovakia
| | - Peter Gimeson
- Malvern Instruments Inc., Northampton, Massachusetts, 01060-2327
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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26
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Remmele RL, Bee JS, Phillips JJ, Mo WD, Higazi DR, Zhang J, Lindo V, Kippen AD. Characterization of Monoclonal Antibody Aggregates and Emerging Technologies. ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/bk-2015-1202.ch005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard L. Remmele
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Jared S. Bee
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan J. Phillips
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Wenjun David Mo
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel R. Higazi
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Jifeng Zhang
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Vivian Lindo
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Alistair D. Kippen
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
- Analytical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
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27
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Kim DY, Hussack G, Kandalaft H, Tanha J. Mutational approaches to improve the biophysical properties of human single-domain antibodies. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2014; 1844:1983-2001. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Revised: 07/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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28
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Banks DD, Zhang J, Siska CC. Relationship between Native-State Solubility and Non-Native Aggregation of Recombinant Human Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor: Practical Implications for Protein Therapeutic Development. Mol Pharm 2014; 11:3431-42. [PMID: 25144791 DOI: 10.1021/mp500165j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Banks
- Department of Process and
Product Development, Amgen, Inc., 1201 Amgen Court West, Seattle, Washington 98119-3105, United States
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Process and
Product Development, Amgen, Inc., 1201 Amgen Court West, Seattle, Washington 98119-3105, United States
| | - Christine C. Siska
- Department of Process and
Product Development, Amgen, Inc., 1201 Amgen Court West, Seattle, Washington 98119-3105, United States
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29
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Roberts CJ. Therapeutic protein aggregation: mechanisms, design, and control. Trends Biotechnol 2014; 32:372-80. [PMID: 24908382 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although it is well known that proteins are only marginally stable in their folded states, it is often less well appreciated that most proteins are inherently aggregation-prone in their unfolded or partially unfolded states, and the resulting aggregates can be extremely stable and long-lived. For therapeutic proteins, aggregates are a significant risk factor for deleterious immune responses in patients, and can form via a variety of mechanisms. Controlling aggregation using a mechanistic approach may allow improved design of therapeutic protein stability, as a complement to existing design strategies that target desired protein structures and function. Recent results highlight the importance of balancing protein environment with the inherent aggregation propensities of polypeptide chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Roberts
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Within the last two decades, the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has become an important alternative to E. coli or mammalian cell lines for the production of recombinant proteins. Easy handling, strong promoters, and high cell density cultivations as well as the capability of posttranslational modifications are some of the major benefits of this yeast. The high secretion capacity and low level of endogenously secreted proteins further promoted the rapid development of a versatile Pichia pastoris toolbox. This chapter reviews common and new "Pichia tools" and their specific features. Special focus is given to expression strains, such as different methanol utilization, protease-deficient or glycoengineered strains, combined with application highlights. Different promoters and signal sequences are also discussed.
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31
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Rouet R, Lowe D, Christ D. Stability engineering of the human antibody repertoire. FEBS Lett 2013; 588:269-77. [PMID: 24291820 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 11/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Human monoclonal antibodies often display limited thermodynamic and colloidal stabilities. This behavior hinders their production, and places limitations on the development of novel formulation conditions and therapeutic applications. Antibodies are highly diverse molecules, with much of the sequence variation observed within variable domain families and, in particular, their complementarity determining regions. This has complicated the development of comprehensive strategies for the stability engineering of the human antibody repertoire. Here we provide an overview of the field, and discuss recent advances in the development of robust and aggregation resistant antibody therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Rouet
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
| | - David Lowe
- MedImmune, Milstein Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Christ
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; The University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine, St Vincent's Clinical School, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
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32
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Lee CC, Perchiacca JM, Tessier PM. Toward aggregation-resistant antibodies by design. Trends Biotechnol 2013; 31:612-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2013] [Revised: 06/30/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Ratanji KD, Derrick JP, Dearman RJ, Kimber I. Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins: influence of aggregation. J Immunotoxicol 2013; 11:99-109. [PMID: 23919460 PMCID: PMC4002659 DOI: 10.3109/1547691x.2013.821564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 398] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The elicitation of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) against biotherapeutics can have detrimental effects on drug safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics. The immunogenicity of biotherapeutics is, therefore, an important issue. There is evidence that protein aggregation can result in enhanced immunogenicity; however, the precise immunological and biochemical mechanisms responsible are poorly defined. In the context of biotherapeutic drug development and safety assessment, understanding the mechanisms underlying aggregate immunogenicity is of considerable interest. This review provides an overview of the phenomenon of protein aggregation, the production of unwanted aggregates during bioprocessing, and how the immune response to aggregated protein differs from that provoked by non-aggregated protein. Of particular interest is the nature of the interaction of aggregates with the immune system and how subsequent ADA responses are induced. Pathways considered here include 'classical' activation of the immune system involving antigen presenting cells and, alternatively, the breakdown of B-cell tolerance. Additionally, methods available to screen for aggregation and immunogenicity will be described. With an increased understanding of aggregation-enhanced immune responses, it may be possible to develop improved manufacturing and screening processes to avoid, or at least reduce, the problems associated with ADA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty D Ratanji
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
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Control of IgG LC:HC ratio in stably transfected CHO cells and study of the impact on expression, aggregation, glycosylation and conformational stability. J Biotechnol 2013; 165:157-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2013.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2012] [Revised: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Gasser B, Prielhofer R, Marx H, Maurer M, Nocon J, Steiger M, Puxbaum V, Sauer M, Mattanovich D. Pichia pastoris: protein production host and model organism for biomedical research. Future Microbiol 2013; 8:191-208. [DOI: 10.2217/fmb.12.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pichia pastoris is the most frequently used yeast system for heterologous protein production today. The last few years have seen several products based on this platform reach approval as biopharmaceutical drugs. Successful glycoengineering to humanize N-glycans is further fuelling this development. However, detailed understanding of the yeast’s physiology, genetics and regulation has only developed rapidly in the last few years since published genome sequences have become available. An expanding toolbox of genetic elements and strains for the improvement of protein production is being generated, including promoters, gene copy-number enhancement, gene knockout and high-throughput methods. Protein folding and secretion have been identified as significant bottlenecks in yeast expression systems, pinpointing a major target for strain optimization. At the same time, it has become obvious that P. pastoris, as an evolutionarily more ‘ancient’ yeast, may in some cases be a better model for human cell biology and disease than Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Gasser
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH), 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roland Prielhofer
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hans Marx
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Maurer
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH), 1190 Vienna, Austria
- University of Applied Sciences FH-Campus Vienna, School of Bioengineering, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Justyna Nocon
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Steiger
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH), 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Puxbaum
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH), 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Sauer
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB GmbH), 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Diethard Mattanovich
- University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology, 1190 Vienna, Austria
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Dengl S, Wehmer M, Hesse F, Lipsmeier F, Popp O, Lang K. Aggregation and Chemical Modification of Monoclonal Antibodies under Upstream Processing Conditions. Pharm Res 2013; 30:1380-99. [DOI: 10.1007/s11095-013-0977-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Traxlmayr MW, Lobner E, Antes B, Kainer M, Wiederkum S, Hasenhindl C, Stadlmayr G, Rüker F, Woisetschläger M, Moulder K, Obinger C. Directed evolution of Her2/neu-binding IgG1-Fc for improved stability and resistance to aggregation by using yeast surface display. Protein Eng Des Sel 2012; 26:255-65. [PMID: 23267121 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzs102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
An Fcab (Fc antigen binding) is a crystallizable fragment of IgG having C-terminal structural loops of CH3 domains engineered for antigen binding. Since introduction of novel binding sites might impair the immunoglobulin fold, repairing strategies are needed for improving the biophysical properties of promising binders without decreasing affinity to the antigen. Here, a directed evolution protocol was developed and applied for stabilization of a Her2/neu-binding Fcab. Distinct loop regions of the parental binder were softly randomized by parsimonious mutagenesis, followed by heat incubation of the yeast displayed protein library and selection for retained antigen binding. Selected Fcabs were expressed solubly in Pichia pastoris and human embryonic kidney 293 cells and characterized. Fcab clones that retained their affinity to Her2/neu but exhibited a significantly increased conformational stability and resistance to aggregation could be evolved. Moreover, we demonstrate that simultaneous selection for binding to the antigen and to structurally specific ligands (FcγRI and an antibody directed against the CH2 domain) yields even more stable Fcabs. To sum up, this study presents a very potent and generally applicable method for improving the fold and stability of antibodies, antibody fragments and alternative binding scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Traxlmayr
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Antibody Engineering, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
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Aggregation mechanism of an IgG2 and two IgG1 monoclonal antibodies at low pH: from oligomers to larger aggregates. Pharm Res 2012; 30:641-54. [PMID: 23054090 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-012-0885-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify the aggregation mechanism and the stability characteristics of three different monoclonal antibodies under acidic conditions. METHODS The aggregation kinetics is analyzed by a combination of light scattering, size exclusion chromatography and fluorescence techniques and the aggregation data are correlated to protein structure, hydrophobicity, charge and antibody subclass. RESULTS In the investigated conditions, the antibody aggregation follows a mechanism consisting of two-steps: reversible monomer oligomerization followed by irreversible cluster-cluster aggregation. The kinetics of the two steps is differently affected by the operating conditions: mild destabilizing conditions induce formation of oligomers which are stable within weeks, while stronger denaturing conditions promote aggregation of oligomers to larger aggregates which eventually precipitate. For different antibodies significant differences in both oligomerization and growth rates are found, even for antibodies belonging to the same subclass. For all antibodies the aggregate formation is accompanied by a structure re-organization with an increase in the ordered β-sheet structures. At low pH the aggregation propensity of the investigated antibodies does not correlate with antibody subclass, surface net charge and hydrophobicity of the non-native state. CONCLUSIONS The aggregation mechanism of three antibodies in acidic conditions as well as differences and analogies in their stability behavior has been characterized.
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Schaefer JV, Plückthun A. Transfer of engineered biophysical properties between different antibody formats and expression systems. Protein Eng Des Sel 2012; 25:485-506. [PMID: 22763265 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzs039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant antibodies and their derivatives are receiving ever increasing attention for many applications. Nevertheless, they differ widely in biophysical properties, from stable monomers to metastable aggregation-prone mixtures of oligomers. Previous work from our laboratory presented the combination of structure-based analysis with family consensus alignments as being able to improve the properties of immunoglobulin variable domains. We had identified a series of mutations in the variable domains that greatly influenced both the stability and the expression level of single-chain Fv (scFv) fragments produced in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. We now investigated whether these effects are transferable to Fab fragments and immunoglobulin G (IgG) produced in bacteria, Pichia pastoris, and mammalian cells. Taken together, our data indicate that engineered mutations can increase functional expression levels only for periplasmic expression in prokaryotes. In contrast, stability against thermal and denaturant-induced unfolding is improved by the same mutations in all formats tested, including scFv, Fab and IgG, independent of the expression system. The mutations in V(H) also influenced the structural homogeneity of full-length IgG, and the reducibility of the distant C(H)1-C(L) inter-chain disulfide bond. These results confirm the potential of structure-based protein engineering in the context of full-length IgGs and the transferability of stability improvements discovered with smaller antibody fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas V Schaefer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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General strategy for the generation of human antibody variable domains with increased aggregation resistance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:10879-84. [PMID: 22745168 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1202866109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The availability of stable human antibody reagents would be of considerable advantage for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. Unfortunately, antibody variable heavy and light domains (V(H) and V(L)) that mediate the interaction with antigen have the propensity to aggregate. Increasing their aggregation resistance in a general manner has proven to be a difficult and persistent problem, due to the high level of sequence diversity observed in human variable domains and the requirement to maintain antigen binding. Here we outline such an approach. By using phage display we identified specific positions that clustered in the antigen binding site (28, 30-33, 35 in V(H) and 24, 49-53, 56 in V(L)). Introduction of aspartate or glutamate at these positions endowed superior biophysical properties (non-aggregating, well-expressed, and heat-refoldable) onto domains derived from common human germline families (V(H)3 and V(κ)1). The effects of the mutations were highly positional and independent of sequence diversity at other positions. Moreover, crystal structures of mutant V(H) and V(L) domains revealed a surprising degree of structural conservation, indicating compatibility with V(H)/V(L) pairing and antigen binding. This allowed the retrofitting of existing binders, as highlighted by the development of robust high affinity antibody fragments derived from the breast cancer therapeutic Herceptin. Our results provide a general strategy for the generation of human antibody variable domains with increased aggregation resistance.
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