Validation of peptide mapping with electrospray mass spectrometry for recombinant proteins of biopharmaceutical interest and its applications as an identity test and a characterization tool.

In this paper, the steps required to validate a liquid chromatography peptide mapping method with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS) for use as an identity test and characterization tool are presented. All aspects of peptide mapping are evaluated and optimized, including protein sample preparation (protein reduction, alkylation and enzymatic digestion), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of the resulting peptides, and the use of a mass spectrometric detection. In addition, the validation of a single quadruple MS detector is described and the implementation of on-line electrospray ionization MS (ESI-MS) as an adjunct detector to support the investigation of peak differences is presented. Applications of peptide mapping with tandem MS using an electrospray ion-trap instrument throughout the biopharmaceutical product development cycle are discussed, including assessing protein product heterogeneity derived from post-translational modifications (e.g. multiple N- or C-termini, deamidation, oxidation and glycosylation) and protein degradation.

Comparability testing of a humanized monoclonal antibody (Synagis) to support cell line stability, process validation, and scale-up for manufacturing.

Biochemical and functional testing of a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Synagis) has been performed to evaluate cell line stability, support process validation, and to demonstrate "comparability" during the course of process development. Using a variety of analytical methods, product manufactured at different sites and in bioreactors from 20 litres to 10,000 litres was shown to be biochemically and functionally equivalent. The biochemical testing for microheterogeneity found on Synagis included evaluation of changes in post-translational modifications such as deamidation, truncation, and carbohydrate structure. Studies were also performed to support cell line stability assessment and cell culture process validation. Cell culture conditions were deliberately varied in an attempt to determine if this would have an impact on the microheterogeneity of the product. In these studies Synagis was produced from cells cultured beyond the population doublings achieved at the maximum manufacturing scale, under conditions of low glucose, and using harvest times outside of the historical manufacturing operating range. Results showed that there was a different pattern of glycosylation during the early stages of bioreactor culture. No other changes in microheterogeneity were apparent for the other culture conditions studied. In summary, comparability assessment demonstrated that the Synagis manufacturing process is robust and consistent resulting in a predictable and reproducible monoclonal antibody product.

Production of parvovirus B19 vaccine in insect cells co-infected with double baculoviruses.

Recombinant human parvovirus B19 virus-like particles (VLPs), a candidate vaccine, were produced using the insect cell (Sf-9)-baculovirus (AcNPV) expression system. The synthesis and assembly of the particles in Sf-9 cells are directed by double infections with one recombinant virus (bacVP1) expressing the parvovirus minor viral protein VP1 and a second virus (bacVP2) expressing the major viral protein VP2. Previous animal studies demonstrated that the polypeptide composition of the VLPs strongly affects the elicitation of virus neutralizing antibodies. The key factor controlling the production of an immunologically potent product in bioreactors was identified to be the multiplicity of infection (MOI) of bacVP1 and bacVP2 used for infection. A probabilistic model, which correlates well with the experimental results, was employed to facilitate the selection of MOIs and to provide a better understanding of the baculovirus co-infection process. A novel production process based on secondary infections was developed to ensure product consistency and to simplify large-scale logistics. The effects of other critical process parameters, such as temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, lactate concentration, cell concentration at infection, and harvest time, were also investigated. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Molecular characteristics of recombinant human CD4 as deduced from polymorphic crystals.

We have grown crystals of a soluble recombinant form of human CD4, a transmembrane glycoprotein found predominantly on the surface of helper T cells. Crystals composed of the entire extracellular portion of CD4 exhibit extensive polymorphism. Of the five crystal types that have been grown, the best diffracts to Bragg spacings of 4.9 A. Symmetry considerations and characterization of the asymmetric unit by volume-specific amino acid analysis lead to the suggestion that a tetramer is the fundamental unit of crystallization. The characterization also showed that several of the crystal types have unusually high solvent contents. Because high solvent content and weak diffraction are indicative of an extended flexible structure, we examined the molecular shape of the recombinant CD4 with ultracentrifugation and found that it has an axial ratio of roughly 6, when modeled as a prolate ellipsoid. These results, combined with crystal packing constraints, suggest dimensions of approximately 25 x 25 x 125 A for a monomer. The structural features deduced here may be relevant to the biological function of CD4 as a receptor mediating cell-cell and cell-virus interactions.

Protein and carbohydrate structural analysis of a recombinant soluble CD4 receptor by mass spectrometry.

The primary structure of a soluble form of the CD4 receptor (sCD4) expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells has been confirmed by mass spectrometric peptide mapping and and tandem mass spectrometry. These studies corroborated 95% of the 369-amino acid-long sequence and established the fidelity of translation of the NH2 and COOH terminal including the absence of "ragged ends." The arrangement of the three disulfide bonds in recombinant sCD4 was also established by mass spectrometry and comparative high performance liquid chromatography mapping and shown to be identical to that expected from previous studies of intrachain disulfide bonding in T4 antigens derived from sheep and mouse. No other arrangements of disulfides were detected. Carbohydrate mapping by mass spectrometry was used to establish that both potential Asn-linked glycosylation sites in sCD4 (Asn271 and Asn300) have oligosaccharides attached. Structural characterization by mass spectrometry and methylation analysis of the heterogeneous family of oligosaccharides at each of the specific attachment sites indicates that the major components of both families of oligosaccharides have the following biantennary structures: (Formula, see text) where m + n = 0-2, and x = 0,1. Minor carbohydrate components having three N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) groups and an additional hexose-hexosamine unit were detected by high performance anion-exchange chromatography.

Interaction of Malaysian sera with Plasmodium vivax sporozoite antigen.

A seroepidemiologic survey of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum transmission was conducted in 94 Orang Asli children and adults. The prevalence of malaria was 46% in this population, and infections due to P. vivax and P. falciparum occurred with equal frequency. Multi-species infection was common, particularly in children less than 10 years of age. Circumsporozoite (CS) antibodies to P. vivax were detected by ELISA, using the recombinant protein NS181V20, in sera from 53-95% of all subjects in this study. The specificity of reactivity to NS181V20 was confirmed by immunofluorescence using air-dried sporozoites. CS antibodies to P. falciparum were present in less than 50% of the population less than 30 years of age. These data support further testing of this protein as a candidate vivax vaccine.

A soluble form of CD4 (T4) protein inhibits AIDS virus infection.

CD4 (T4) is a glycoprotein of relative molecular mass 55,000 (Mr 55K) on the surface of T lymphocytes which is thought to interact with class II MHC (major histocompatibility complex) molecules, mediating efficient association of helper T cells with antigen-bearing targets. The CD4 protein is also the receptor for HIV, a T-lymphotropic RNA virus responsible for the human acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (refs 4-7). To define the mechanisms of interaction of CD4 with the surface of antigen-presenting cells and with HIV, we have isolated the CD4 gene and expressed this gene in several different cellular environments. Here we describe an efficient expression system in which a recombinant, soluble form of CD4 (sCD4) is secreted into tissue culture supernatants. This sCD4 retains the structural and biological properties of CD4 on the cell surface, binds to the envelope glycoprotein (gp110) of HIV and inhibits the binding of virus to CD4+ lymphocytes, resulting in a striking inhibition of virus infectivity.

Assay, purification and characterization of a recombinant malaria circumsporozoite fusion protein by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The immunodominant repeat region of the malaria circumsporozoite protein from Plasmodium falciparum was purified from a recombinant Escherichia coli to study as a potential subunit vaccine. The recombinant protein, R32Leu-Arg, is composed of 32 tetrapeptide repeat sequences from the circumsporozoite protein (R32) linked to the dipeptide, Leu-Arg. R32Leu-Arg was purified by a series of precipitation steps including temperature, ammonium sulfate, and acid pH treatments; followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). An automated RP-HPLC assay was developed to measure the R32Leu-Arg concentration during both fermentation and purification. This assay was used in a variety of applications including measurement of production levels of the antigen during fermentation, evaluation of the protein purification process, quantitation of protein recovery, and as one criterion of protein purity. With minimal changes, the assay conditions were easily adapted to the semi-preparative level to produce 200 mg of purified product. The purified product was characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; amino acid composition; and analytical size-exclusion and RP-HPLC.

Affinity chromatography of glycopeptide antibiotics.

An affinity support was designed to facilitate the isolation and purification of glycopeptide antibiotics by mimicking their known affinity for the bacterial cell wall. Members of this class of antibiotics inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis by specifically binding to pentapeptide precursors terminating with L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala. A series of ligands (Gly, D-Ala, D-Ala-D-Ala and alpha-N-Ac-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala) were immobilized on an N-hydroxysuccinimide-activated agarose support and evaluated using the glycopeptides vancomycin and the aridicin complex. Conditions were developed to enable complete adsorption and efficient elution of both antibiotics. Of the four ligands, the readily available dipeptide offered the best compromise between high binding specificity and recovery on elution. Binding and subsequent high recovery of biologically active products were observed for eight other glycopeptide antibiotics. Column performance was shown by purification of vancomycin directly from a low titer fermentation broth. The applicability of this technique to large scale isolation was demonstrated by the preparative affinity chromatography of 36 g of the aridicins.

Kibdelins (AAD-609), novel glycopeptide antibiotics. II. Isolation, purification and structure.

A new glycopeptide antibiotic complex was isolated from the fermentation culture of Kibdelosporangium aridum subsp. largum (SK&F AAD-609) by affinity chromatography on a D-alanyl-D-alanine agarose column. This major components of the complex were resolved by preparative reversed-phase HPLC. Mild acid hydrolysis showed that the new antibiotics have the same mannosyl aglycon (2) as the aridicins. FAB mass spectrometry, isoelectric focusing, potentiometric titration and carbohydrate and fatty acid analyses were used to determine the structures of the five major components of the complex. These studies showed that the kibdelins differ from the aridicins only in the oxidation level at the C-6 position of the amino sugar. Kibdelin A (5), B (6), C1 (7), C2 (8) and D (9) are a series of N-acylglucosamine analogs containing saturated straight and branched chain C10-C12 fatty acids whereas, in kibdelin D the fatty acid component is (Z)-4-decenoic acid.