Richard L. Remmele

Structure and Stability Changes of Human IgG1 Fc as a Consequence of Methionine Oxidation

The Fc region has two highly conserved methionine residues, Met 33 (C(H)3 domain) and Met 209 (C(H)3 domain), which are important for the Fcs structure and biological function. To understand the effect of methionine oxidation on the structure and stability of the human IgG1 Fc expressed in Escherichia coli, we have characterized the fully oxidized Fc using biophysical (DSC, CD, and NMR) and bioanalytical (SEC and RP-HPLC-MS) methods. Methionine oxidation resulted in a detectable secondary and tertiary structural alteration measured by circular dichroism. This is further supported by the NMR data. The HSQC spectral changes indicate the structures of both C(H)2 and C(H)3 domains are affected by methionine oxidation. The melting temperature (Tm) of the C(H)2 domain of the human IgG1 Fc was significantly reduced upon methionine oxidation, while the melting temperature of the C(H)3 domain was only affected slightly. The change in the C(H)2 domain T m depended on the extent of oxidation of both Met 33 and Met 209. This was confirmed by DSC analysis of methionine-oxidized samples of two site specific methionine mutants. When incubated at 45 degrees C, the oxidized Fc exhibited an increased aggregation rate. In addition, the oxidized Fc displayed an increased deamidation (at pH 7.4) rate at the Asn 67 and Asn 96 sites, both located on the C(H)2 domain, while the deamidation rates of the other residues were not affected. The methionine oxidation resulted in changes in the structure and stability of the Fc, which are primarily localized to the C(H)2 domain. These changes can impact the Fcs physical and covalent stability and potentially its biological functions; therefore, it is critical to monitor and control methionine oxidation during manufacturing and storage of protein therapeutics.

Opalescence of an IgG2 monoclonal antibody solution as it relates to liquid–liquid phase separation

Opalescence for a monoclonal antibody solution was systematically studied with respect to temperature, protein concentration, ionic strength (using KCl), and pH conditions. Multiple techniques, including measurement of light scattering at 90° and transmission, Tyndall test, and microscopy, were deployed to examine the opalescence behavior. Near the vicinity of the critical point on the liquid-liquid coexistence curve in the temperature-protein concentration phase diagram, the enhanced concentration fluctuations significantly contributed to the critical opalescence evidently by formation of small liquid droplets. Furthermore, our data confirm that away from the critical point, the opalescence behavior is related to the antibody self-association (agglomeration) caused by the attractive antibody-antibody interactions. As expected, at a pH near the pI of the antibody, the solution became less opalescent as the ionic strength increased. However, at a pH below the pI, the opalescence of the solution became stronger, reached a maximum, and then began to drop as the ionic strength further increased. The change in the opalescence correlated well with the trends of protein-protein interactions revealed by the critical temperature from the liquid-liquid phase separation.

Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of a Monoclonal Antibody and Nonmonotonic Influence of Hofmeister Anions

Liquid-liquid phase separation was studied for a monoclonal antibody in the monovalent salt solutions of KF, KCl, and KSCN under different pH conditions. A modified Carnahan-Starling hard-sphere model was utilized to fit the experimental data, establish the liquid-liquid coexistence curve, and determine antibody-antibody interactions in the form of T(c) (critical temperature) under the different solution conditions. The liquid-liquid phase separation revealed the complex relationships between antibody-antibody interactions and different solution conditions, such as pH, ionic strength, and the type of anion. At pH 7.1, close to the pI of the antibody, a decrease of T(c) versus ionic strength was observed at low salt conditions, suggesting that the protein-protein interactions became less attractive. At a pH value below the pI of the antibody, a nonmonotonic relationship of T(c) versus ionic strength was apparent: initially as the ionic strength increased, protein-protein interactions became more attractive with the effectiveness of the anions following the inverse Hofmeister series; then the interactions became less attractive following the direct Hofmeister series. This nonmonotonic relationship may be explained by combining the charge neutralization by the anions, perhaps with the ion-correlation force for polarizable anions, and their preferential interactions with the antibody.

Ion-specific modulation of protein interactions: Anion-induced, reversible oligomerization of a fusion protein

Ions can significantly modulate the solution interactions of proteins. We aim to demonstrate that the salt‐dependent reversible heptamerization of a fusion protein called peptibody A or PbA is governed by anion‐specific interactions with key arginyl and lysyl residues on its peptide arms. Peptibody A, an E. coli expressed, basic (pI = 8.8), homodimer (65.2 kDa), consisted of an IgG1‐Fc with two, C‐terminal peptide arms linked via penta‐glycine linkers. Each peptide arm was composed of two, tandem, active sequences (SEYQGLPPQGWK) separated by a spacer (GSGSATGGSGGGASSGSGSATG). PbA was monomeric in 10 mM acetate, pH 5.0 but exhibited reversible self‐association upon salt addition. The sedimentation coefficient (sw) and hydrodynamic diameter (DH) versus PbA concentration isotherms in the presence of 140 mM NaCl (A5N) displayed sharp increases in sw and DH, reaching plateau values of 9 s and 16 nm by 10 mg/mL PbA. The DH and sedimentation equilibrium data in the plateau region (>12 mg/mL) indicated the oligomeric ensemble to be monodisperse (PdI = 0.05) with a z‐average molecular weight (Mz) of 433 kDa (stoichiometry = 7). There was no evidence of reversible self‐association for an IgG1‐Fc molecule in A5N by itself or in a mixture containing fluorescently labeled IgG1‐Fc and PbA, indicative of PbA self‐assembly being mediated through its peptide arms. Self‐association increased with pH, NaCl concentration, and anion size (I− > Br− > Cl− > F−) but could be inhibited using soluble Trp‐, Phe‐, and Leu‐amide salts (Trp > Phe > Leu). We propose that in the presence of salt (i) anion binding renders PbA self‐association competent by neutralizing the peptidyl arginyl and lysyl amines, (ii) self‐association occurs via aromatic and hydrophobic interactions between the ..xx..xxx..xx.. motifs, and (iii) at >10 mg/mL, PbA predominantly exists as heptameric clusters.

Development of stable lyophilized protein drug products.

Freeze drying, or lyophilization is widely used for biopharmaceuticals to improve the long term storage stability of labile molecules. This review examines general theory and practice of rational lyophilization of biopharmaceuticals. Formulation development involving the selection of appropriate excipients, their associated physical properties, and mechanism of action in achieving a stable drug product are primary considerations for a successful lyophilization program. There are several parameters considered critical on the basis of their relationship to lyophilization cycle development and protein product stability. This along with the importance of analytical methods to provide insight toward understanding properties of drug product stability and cake structure are discussed. Also, aspects of instability found in lyophilized biopharmaceutical products, their degradation pathways and control are elucidated. Finally, container-closure requirements and drug product handling are described in context of the caveats to avoid compromising drug product quality.

Perturbation of thermal unfolding and aggregation of human IgG1 Fc fragment by Hofmeister anions.

The thermal unfolding and subsequent aggregation of the unglycosylated Fc fragment of a human IgG1 antibody (Fc) were studied in the salt solutions of Na(2)SO(4), KF, KCl and KSCN at pH 4.8 and 7.2 below and at its pI of 7.2, respectively, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), far ultraviolet circular dichroism (far-UV CD), size exclusion chromatography (SE-HPLC) and light scattering. First, our experimental results demonstrated that the thermal unfolding of the C(H)2 domain of the Fc was sufficient to induce aggregation. Second, at both pH conditions, the anions (except F(-)) destabilized the C(H)2 domain where the effectiveness of SO(4)(2-) > SCN(-) > Cl(-) > F(-) was more apparent at pH 4.8. In addition, the thermal stability of the C(H)2 domain was less sensitive to the change in salt concentration at pH 7.2 than at pH 4.8. Third, at pH 4.8 when the Fc had a net positive charge, the anions accelerated the aggregation reaction with SO(4)(2-) > SCN(-) > Cl(-) > F(-) in effectiveness. But these anions slowed down the aggregation kinetics at pH 7.2 with similar effectiveness when the Fc was net charge neutral. We hypothesize that the effectiveness of the anion on destabilizing the C(H)2 domain could be attributed to its ability to perturb the free energy for both of the native and unfolded states. The effect of the anions on the kinetics of the aggregation reaction could be interpreted based on the modulation of the electrostatic protein-protein interactions by the anions.