Purification and characterization of a chimeric bifunctional antibody specific for human carcinoembryonic antigen and indium-benzyl-EDTA.

We describe the purification and characterization of a genetically engineered mouse/human chimeric bifunctional antibody specific for human carcinoembryonic antigen and indium-benzyl-EDTA. A clone expressing the bifunctional antibody has been previously described by our group and was found in this investigation also to express monospecific antibodies as well as Ig forms with mismatched light and heavy chains. The physicochemical properties of these various chimeric immunoglobulins were nearly identical. Isoelectric focusing showed that all these immunoglobulins have pI values between 8.47 and 8.80. A purification method that separates the bifunctional antibody from other Ig forms expressed in the same clone has been devised by relying on a unique interaction between the metal chelate binding region of these antibodies and the sulfopropyl functional group of a TSK SP 5-PW column.

Expression and characterization of a chimeric bifunctional antibody with therapeutic applications.

A simple method is described for the generation of a biologically produced mouse/human chimeric hetero-bifunctional antibody that has dual specificity for human carcinoembryonic Ag and metal chelate haptens. Two large compound chimeric vectors each containing the genetic information to produce a single antibody specificity were sequentially electroporated into the murine nonsecreting hybridoma SP2/0. This led to the isolation of a clone expressing high levels of total IgG (up to 25 micrograms/ml/10(6) cells), 10 to 20% of which showed simultaneous reactivity with both Ag. Binding studies showed that the immunoreactivities and affinity constants for the individual arms of the bifunctional antibody were equivalent to those seen with the parental antibodies.

Kinetics of the dissociation of indium-(p-substituted-benzyl)ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid hapten analogues from the monoclonal anti-hapten antibody CHA255.

Half-lives were measured for the dissociation of a series of 20 indium-benzyl-EDTA derivatives from a monoclonal antibody that binds to them. Most haptens gave expected monoexponential dissociation curves with half-lives ranging from approximately 8 to approximately 100 min at 22 +/- 1 degree C. Precise (+/- approximately 2.5%) determinations were made using centrifugal ultrafiltration to separate free from bound hapten. A strong pH dependence of the dissociation half-life was found for the two haptens studied. Activation enthalpies were identical (23 +/- 1 kcal/mol) for the dissociation of four haptens, suggesting that, in contrast to individual rate constants, this parameter is insensitive to hapten modification. The dissociation half-lives provided evidence for the location of a positive charge in the binding site, but gave no clear indication of the role of hydrophobic interactions or of steric requirements in hapten binding. While variations in ionic strength had no effect on the dissociation rate, lowering surface tension with dioxane increased the rate somewhat. Three hapten-antibody complexes showed biexponential dissociation rates. It is postulated that this results from distinct conformations of the complex dissociating at different rates. The dissociation rate constant was found to be an extremely sensitive indicator of the hapten-antibody interaction that can be measured very precisely.

Cloning and high level expression of a chimeric antibody with specificity for human carcinoembryonic antigen.

A mouse/human chimeric antibody has been constructed by using variable light and variable heavy regions from a murine hybridoma specific for human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (CEM231.6.7). These V regions were combined with kappa and gamma-1 constant region genes cloned from human lymphocytes. The chimeric constructs were sequentially electroporated into murine non-Ig-producing myeloma (P3.653) and hybridoma (SP2/0) cell. Significant differences were seen in expression levels between the two cell types. High levels of expression (24 to 32 micrograms/ml/10(6) cells) were seen with several of the anti-CEA SP2/0 transfectomas but not with the P3.653 cells. The SP2/0 transfectoma lines were adapted to serum-free, chemically defined media and grown in large scale fermentation cultures where they continued to secrete high levels of antibody. The chimeric antibodies remain reactive against human CEA with affinity constants comparable to that of the parental hybridoma antibody. High level expression will make practical the production of chimeric antibodies for in vivo therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.

Modification of human leukocyte interferon pharmacology with a monoclonal antibody.

The antitumor and antiviral properties of the interferons have been well established. However, the usefulness of the interferons may be limited, in part, because of rapid clearance from the plasma and degradation by plasma or tissue enzymes. A monoclonal antibody (IFG-252.2) was developed which binds to recombinant DNA-produced human alpha-interferon (rIFN-alpha A) without measurably reducing its in vitro antiviral or antiproliferative properties. Pharmacokinetic studies of rIFN-alpha A:antibody complex in the intact, anesthetized rat showed that rIFN-alpha A activity cleared from plasma 3-fold slower than found after injection of free rIFN-alpha A. This resulted in a 15-fold increase in its calculated area under concentration curve compared to that of free rIFN-alpha A. These studies suggest that interferon bound to a monoclonal antibody may provide a means to prevent the normal clearance and degradation of free interferon and may result in prolonged antitumor and antiviral plasma activity in vivo. Furthermore, it suggests that monoclonal antibodies to various biologically active agents may be used to favorably alter their pharmacokinetics while leaving their biological activity unaltered.

Selection of succinic dehydrogenase mutants of Neurospora crassa.

A method is described which permits the selection of mutants of Neurospora crassa that are deficient in succinic dehydrogenase activity. The method relies on the observation that succinic dehydrogenase-deficient strains fail to reduce the dye nitrotetrazolium blue when overlaid with the dye in the presence of succinate and phenazine methosulfate. Wild-type colonies reduced the dye and turned blue, whereas mutant colonies remained colorless. In this communication we present studies of a mutant, SDH-1, isolated by this method. The mutant had 18% of the succinic dehydrogenase activity of the parent strain used in the mutation experiments as determined from the ratio of Vmax activities obtained from Lineweaver-Burk plots. The SDH-1 mutant segregated in a Mendelian manner when back-crossed to its parent strain. Succinate oxidase activity in SDH-1 was low and was markedly inhibited by adenosine 5'-diphosphate. The succinate oxidase activity of the parent strain was high and was not affected by the presence of adenosine 5'-diphosphate.

Nuclear mutations conferring oligomycin resistance in Neurospora crassa.

Mutants of Neurospora crassa have been isolated that are highly resistant to inhibition by oligomycin, an inhibitor of mitochondrial ATPase activity. Dixon plots (Dixon, M., and Webb, E.C. (1964) Enzymes, 2nd Ed, pp. 328-330, Academic Press, New York) of oligomycin inhibition curves of the parent strain and the resistant mutants are linear, indicating that oligomycin interacts at a single site within the ATPase complex. The Ki values obtained from the mutants vary from 150 to 900 times greater than the Ki obtained for the parent strain. The parent strain and the oligomycin-resistant mutants are also inhibited by bathophenanthroline, a lipophilic chelating agent that inhibits F1 ATPase activity. Dixon plots of bathophenanthroline inhibition curves are also linear and Ki values obtained are all approximately equal. Crosses of the oligomycin-resistant mutants to the oligomycin-sensitive parent strain show a mendelian segregation of the resistance characteristic. These data show that mutations leading to oligomycin resistance in Neurospora are due to alterations in nuclear genes.

Cyanide- and hydroxamate-resistant respiration in Neurospora crassa.

Strain inl-89601 of Neurospora crassa respires exclusively by means of the mitochondrial cytochrome chain. The respiration of this strain is entirely inhibited by cyanide or antimycin A, the classical inhibitors of cytochrome chain respiration. When this strain was grown in the presence of chloramphenicol, however, two additional terminal oxidases were detected. One of these oxidases is inhibited by substituted hydroxamic acids and has been described previously. The second oxidase was not inhibited by cyanide or hydroxamic acid but was inhibited by azide in the presence of both cyanide and hydroxamic acid. This azide-sensitive respiration was due to a single respiratory pathway with a Ki for azide of 200 micrometer. A small amount of azide-sensitive respiration was detected in mitochondrial fractions obtained from chloramphenicol-treated cells, and it is likely that the azide-sensitive oxidase is localized in the mitochondrion. The determinants for the azide-sensitive and hydroxamate-sensitive oxidases segregate in a Mendelian manner in crosses and are either unlinked or not closely linked to each other.