Kinetics of Low pH Induced Aggregation of Equine IgG

Conformational and thermal stability improvements for the large-scale production of yeast-derived rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus-like particles as multipurpose vaccine

Recombinant virus-like particles (VLP) antigenically similar to rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) were recently expressed at high levels inside Pichia pastoris cells. Based on the potential of RHDV VLP as platform for diverse vaccination purposes we undertook the design, development and scale-up of a production process. Conformational and stability issues were addressed to improve process control and optimization. Analyses on the structure, morphology and antigenicity of these multimers were carried out at different pH values during cell disruption and purification by size-exclusion chromatography. Process steps and environmental stresses in which aggregation or conformational instability can be detected were included. These analyses revealed higher stability and recoveries of properly assembled high-purity capsids at acidic and neutral pH in phosphate buffer. The use of stabilizers during long-term storage in solution showed that sucrose, sorbitol, trehalose and glycerol acted as useful aggregation-reducing agents. The VLP emulsified in an oil-based adjuvant were subjected to accelerated thermal stress treatments. None to slight variations were detected in the stability of formulations and in the structure of recovered capsids. A comprehensive analysis on scale-up strategies was accomplished and a nine steps large-scale production process was established. VLP produced after chromatographic separation protected rabbits against a lethal challenge. The minimum protective dose was identified. Stabilized particles were ultimately assayed as carriers of a foreign viral epitope from another pathogen affecting a larger animal species. For that purpose, a linear protective B-cell epitope from Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) E2 envelope protein was chemically coupled to RHDV VLP. Conjugates were able to present the E2 peptide fragment for immune recognition and significantly enhanced the peptide-specific antibody response in vaccinated pigs. Overall these results allowed establishing improved conditions regarding conformational stability and recovery of these multimers for their production at large-scale and potential use on different animal species or humans.

The use of native cation-exchange chromatography to study aggregation and phase separation of monoclonal antibodies

This study introduces a novel analytical approach for studying aggregation and phase separation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The approach is based on using analytical scale cation-exchange chromatography (CEX) for measuring the loss of soluble monomer in the case of individual and mixed protein solutions. Native CEX outperforms traditional size-exclusion chromatography in separating complex protein mixtures, offering an easy way to assess mAb aggregation propensity. Different IgG1 and IgG2 molecules were tested individually and in mixtures consisting of up to four protein molecules. Antibody aggregation was induced by four different stress factors: high temperature, low pH, addition of fatty acids, and rigorous agitation. The extent of aggregation was determined from the amount of monomeric protein remaining in solution after stress. Consequently, it was possible to address the role of specific mAb regions in antibody aggregation by co-incubating Fab and Fc fragments with their respective full-length molecules. Our results revealed that the relative contribution of Fab and Fc regions in mAb aggregation is strongly dependent on pH and the stress factor applied. In addition, the CEX-based approach was used to study reversible protein precipitation due to phase separation, which demonstrated its use for a broader range of protein-protein association phenomena. In all cases, the role of Fab and Fc was clearly dissected, providing important information for engineering more stable mAb-based therapeutics.

Dynamic light scattering investigations of nanoparticle aggregation following a light-induced pH jump

There are many important processes where the stability of nanoparticles can change due to changes in solution environment. These processes are often difficult to study under controlled changes to the solution conditions. Dynamic light scattering was used to measure the initial kinetics of aggregation of carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles after well-defined pH jumps using aqueous solutions of photoacid generator (PAG). With this approach, the pH of the solution was controlled by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light without the delays from mixing or stirring. The aggregation kinetics of the nanoparticles was extremely sensitive to the solution pH. The UV exposure dose is inversely correlated with the resulting surface charge of the nanoparticles. Decreasing pH decreases the electrostatic repulsion force between particles and leads to aggregation. The reaction-limited or diffusion-limited aggregation kinetics was sensitive to the pH quench depth, relative to the acid-equilibrium constant (pK(a)) of the surface carboxylic acid groups on the nanoparticles. Since numerous PAGs are commercially available, this approach provides a flexible method to study the aggregation of a variety of solvent-dispersed nanoparticle systems.

Lysozyme inactivation under mechanical stirring: effect of physical and molecular interfaces

This article focuses on the role of interfaces on lysozyme inactivation and aggregation process in stirred reactor. The first order inactivation constant of this process has found to be proportional not only to the power imparted by the impeller but also to the area of glass-liquid, air-liquid and PTFE-liquid interfaces in three reactors. Both area and type of interfaces act on inactivation: PTFE and air are four more efficient than glass to promote lysozyme inactivation because of their hydrophobicity. As well as physical interfaces, molecular surfaces of inactivated enzymes -more hydrophobic than native enzymes- enhance lysozyme inactivation and aggregation. This enhancement has been found to be correlated with the properties of aggregates of inactivated enzymes, especially their number. Then, under mechanical stirring, inactivation-aggregation process is induced by physical interfaces and self-catalyzed by increasing hydrophobic surfaces of inactivated enzymes.