A method for the preparation of protein-protein conjugates of predetermined composition

The Impact of Sustained Immunization Regimens on the Antibody Response to Oligomannose Glycans

The high mannose patch (HMP) of the HIV envelope protein (Env) is the structure most frequently targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies; therefore, many researchers have attempted to use mimics of this region as a vaccine immunogen. In our previous efforts, vaccinating rabbits with evolved HMP mimic glycopeptides containing Man₉ resulted in an overall antibody response targeting the glycan core and linker rather than the full glycan or Manα1→2Man tips of Man₉ glycans. A possible reason could be processing of our immunogen by host serum mannosidases. We sought to test whether more prolonged dosing could increase the antibody response to intact glycans, possibly by increasing the availability of intact Man₉ to germinal centers. Here, we describe a study investigating the impact of immunization regimen on antibody response by testing immunogen delivery through bolus, an exponential series of mini doses, or a continuously infusing mini-osmotic pump. Our results indicate that, with our glycopeptide immunogens, standard bolus immunization elicited the strongest HIV Env-binding antibody response, even though higher overall titers to the glycopeptide were elicited by the exponential and pump regimens. Antibody selectivity for intact glycan was, if anything, slightly better in the bolus-immunized animals.

Predictable Peptide Conjugation Ratios by Activation of Proteins with Succinimidyl Iodoacetate (SIA)

The small heterobifunctional linker succinimidyl iodoacetate (SIA) was examined for the preparation of peptide–protein bioconjugates with predicable conjugation ratios. For many conjugation protocols, the protein is either treated with a reductant to cleave disulfide bonds or is reacted with thiolation chemicals, such as Traut’s reagent. Both approaches are difficult to control, need individual optimization and often lead to unsatisfactory results. In another popular approach, a heterobifunctional linker with a N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and a maleimide functionality is applied to the protein. After the activation of some lysine ε-amino groups with the NHS ester functionality, a cysteine-containing peptide is attached to the activated carrier protein via maleimide. Particularly, the maleimide reaction leads to some unwanted byproducts or even cleavage of the linker. Many protocols end up with conjugates with unpredictable and irreproducible conjugation ratios. In addition, the maleimide-thiol addition product should be assumed immunogenic in vivo. To avoid these and other disadvantages of the maleimide approach, we examined the known linker succinimidyl iodoacetate (SIA) in more detail and developed two protocols, which lead to peptide–protein conjugates with predefined average conjugation ratios. This holds potential to eliminate tedious and expensive optimization steps for the synthesis of a bioconjugate of optimal composition.

Solid-phase synthesis provides a modular, lysine-based platform for fluorescent discrimination of nitroxyl and biological thiols

A synthetically facile solid-phase approach yields fluorescent Cu(ii)-based lysine conjugates which selectively detect nitroxyl and thiols in live cells.

We describe a modular, synthetically facile solid-phase approach aimed at separating the fluorescent reporter and binding unit of small-molecule metal-based sensors. The first representatives contain a lysine backbone functionalized with a tetramethylrhodamine fluorophore, and they operate by modulating the oxidation state of a copper ion ligated to an [N₄] (cyclam) or an [N₂O] (quinoline-phenolate) moiety. We demonstrate the selectivity of their Cu(ii) complexes for sensing nitroxyl (HNO) and thiols (RSH), respectively, and investigate the mechanism responsible for the observed reactivity in each case. The two lysine conjugates are cell permeable in the active, Cu(ii)-bound forms and retain their analyte selectivity intracellularly, even in the presence of interfering species such as nitric oxide, nitrosothiols, and hydrogen sulfide. Moreover, we apply the new probes to discriminate between distinct levels of intracellular HNO and RSH generated upon stimulation of live HeLa cells with ascorbate and hydrogen sulfide, respectively. The successful implementation of the lysine-based sensors to gain insight into biosynthetic pathways validates the method as a versatile tool for producing libraries of analogues with minimal synthetic effort.

Peptide-Carrier Conjugation

To produce antibodies against synthetic peptides it is necessary to couple them to a protein carrier. This chapter provides a nonspecialist overview of peptide-carrier conjugation. Furthermore, a protocol for coupling cysteine-containing peptides to bovine serum albumin is outlined.

Development of sulfhydryl-reactive silica for protein immobilization in high-performance affinity chromatography

Two techniques were developed for the immobilization of proteins and other ligands to silica through sulfhydryl groups. These methods made use of maleimide-activated silica (the SMCC method) or iodoacetyl-activated silica (the SIA method). The resulting supports were tested for use in high-performance affinity chromatography by employing human serum albumin (HSA) as a model protein. Studies with normal and iodoacetamide-modified HSA indicated that these methods had a high selectivity for sulfhydryl groups on this protein, which accounted for the coupling of 77-81% of this protein to maleimide- or iodoacetyl-activated silica. These supports were also evaluated in terms of their total protein content, binding capacity, specific activity, nonspecific binding, stability, and chiral selectivity for several test solutes. HSA columns prepared using maleimide-activated silica gave the best overall results for these properties when compared to HSA that had been immobilized to silica through the Schiff base method (i.e., an amine-based coupling technique). A key advantage of the supports developed in this work is that they offer the potential of giving greater site-selective immobilization and ligand activity than amine-based coupling methods. These features make these supports attractive in the development of protein columns for such applications as the study of biological interactions and chiral separations.

A fluorometric approach to local electric field measurements in a voltage-gated ion channel

Site-specific electrostatic measurements have been limited to soluble proteins purified for in vitro spectroscopic characterization or proteins of known structure; however, comparable measurements have not been made for functional membrane bound proteins. Here, using an electrochromic fluorophore, we describe a method to monitor localized electric field changes in a voltage-gated potassium channel. By coupling the novel probe Di-1-ANEPIA to cysteines in Shaker and tracking field-induced optical changes, in vivo electrostatic measurements were recorded with submillisecond resolution. This technique reports dynamic changes in the electric field during the gating process and elucidates the electric field profile within Shaker. The extension of this method to other membrane bound proteins, including transporters, will yield insight into the role of electrical forces on protein function.

Targeted drug conjugates: principles and progress

Reports of targeting drugs using antibodies have appeared in the literature since 1958, but exciting clinical results in this field have only been reported in the last few years. Progress in this field has occurred largely through an understanding how drug-immunoconjugates work. The objective of this review is to draw together the fundamental principles on which this field of work is based, to examine the evidence supporting those principles, and the effectiveness and selectivity of targeted drug conjugates. The activity of many drug-immunoconjugates can now largely be accounted for by the underlying principles. Excellent development work, both with conventional anti-cancer agents and very potent drugs have led to a number of interesting clinical trials. In the best Phase I and II trials, good evidence of effectiveness have been reported, which suggest that drug-immunoconjugates may now be heralding a new era for chemotherapy.

Transformation from block-type to graft-type oligonucleotide-glycopolymer conjugates by self-organization with half-sliding complementary oligonucleotides and their lectin recognition

Block-type oligonucleotide-glycopolymer conjugates bearing alpha-mannosides and beta-galactosides were prepared by coupling 5'-thiol-modified oligonucleotides with iodoacetamidated glycopolymers that were synthesized by telomerization. The conjugates minimally affected the DNA conformation and melting behavior of the duplex. Their self-organization via hybridization with the half-sliding complementary oligonucleotides produced graft-type conjugates or macromolecular gapped DNA duplexes grafted with glycopolymers at regular intervals, which was confirmed using size exclusion chromatography and electrophoresis. The binding affinity of block-type and self-organized graft-type conjugates to lectins was investigated using fluorometry. The affinity of the graft-type duplex assembly bearing mannosides to Con A was approximately 2 times stronger than that of block-type single-stranded or double-stranded conjugates with full complementary oligonucleotides. The organization strategy of DNA-glycopolymer conjugates might be useful for constructing novel glyco-clusters and also for developing a new methodology for gene therapy.

The use of photoactivatable reagents for the study of cell lineage in Drosophila embryogenesis

Photoactivatable lineage tracers represent a major advance for clonal analysis in the early embryo and the study of cell movements. Any cell in the blastoderm can be marked, and the nuclear localization of the signal allows excellent resolution in identifying the daughters of individual cells. Although the technique is limited by the availability of the water-soluble caged fluorescein and its derivatives for synthesis of the complete tracer, these may become commercially available in the future. The use of caged rhodamine derivatives or antibody amplification of the signal may greatly extend the developmental period over which marked clones can be identified.

Structure-function relationships of interleukin-3. An analysis based on the function and binding characteristics of a series of interspecies chimera of gibbon and murine interleukin-3

IL-3 is a glycoprotein cytokine involved in the hematopoietic response to infectious, immunologic, and inflammatory stimuli. In addition, clinical administration of recombinant IL-3 augments recovery in states of natural and treatment-related marrow failure. IL-3 acts by binding to high affinity cell surface receptors present on hematopoietic cells. To determine the site(s) at which IL-3 binds to it receptor, we analyzed a series of interspecies chimera of the growth factor for species-specific receptor binding and biological activity. The results suggest that IL-3 binds to its receptor and triggers a proliferative stimulus through two noncontiguous helical domains located near the amino terminus and the carboxy terminus of the molecule. To corroborate these findings, we have also mapped the binding epitopes of 10 mAb of human or murine IL-3, and have defined four distinct epitopes. Two of these epitopes comprise the amino-terminal receptor binding domain. A third epitope corresponds to the carboxy-terminal receptor interactive domain, and the fourth epitope, apparently not involved in the interaction of IL-3 and its receptor, lies between these sites. And on the basis of sandwich immunoassays using pairs of these mAbs, the two receptor interactive regions appear to reside in close juxtaposition in the tertiary structure of the molecule. These results provide a correlation of the structure-function relationships of IL-3 that should prove useful in evaluating the details of IL-3-IL-3 receptor interaction and in the rational design of clinically useful derivatives of this growth factor.

Comparative pharmacokinetic properties of murine monoclonal antibody A7 modified with neocarzinostatin, dextran and polyethylene glycol

The murine monoclonal antibody A7 (Mab A7) was chemically modified with several macromolecules: dextran, polyethylene glycol and the anti-cancer polypeptide neocarzinostatin. The pharmacokinetic properties of the combinations were subsequently examined. Radioimmunoassay revealed that all preparations retained their antigen-binding activities. The Mab A7-neocarzinostatin conjugate was cleared from the blood circulation with a kinetic pattern almost identical to that of the parent Mab A7. Of the three preparations, Mab A7-dextran (A7-Dx) was removed the most rapidly from the circulation. Mab A7-polyethylene glycol (A7-PEG) exhibited the slowest blood clearance curve, with twice the half life of the parent Mab A7 in the circulation. In normal organ distributions, A7-Dx exhibited the highest liver, spleen and kidney uptake, and A7-PEG showed the lowest uptake, when expressed as tissue:blood ratio. Although A7-Dx exhibited lower tumor uptake, there was no significant difference among the three conjugates in tumor-bearing nude mice. A7-PEG seems to be a good candidate for targeted cancer therapy using antibody due to its high blood retention but low normal organ uptake.

Conjugation of monoclonal antibodies to a synthetic peptide substrate for protein kinase: a method for labelling antibodies with 32P

In recent years, radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies have been evaluated for their use in the diagnosis and treatment of neoplastic disease. One isotope which has not been assessed for antibody targeting is 32P, even though it has many favourable radiobiological characteristics and has been used clinically for the treatment of certain neoplastic disorders such as polycythaemia rubra vera. The main drawback so far in using 32P has been the absence of a general method for phosphorylating antibodies. We have now developed a novel process for the phosphorylation of immunoglobulins which is rapid, efficient and allows high specific activities to be achieved (greater than 10 muCi micrograms-1). The technique involves the chemical conjugation of Kemptide, a synthetic heptapeptide substrate for kinases, to immunoglobulins. The antibody-Kemptide conjugate can then be phosphorylated using protein kinases and [32P]-gamma-ATP. The procedure does not compromise the binding activity of the antibody. The 32P-labelled monoclonal antibodies were stable in human, mouse and rat plasmas in vitro, although they cleared from the bloodstream of mice with a beta-phase half life of 2 days which is approximately two times faster than that of native antibody. The application of this phosphorylation technique should allow the therapeutic potential of targeted 32P to be assessed.

The development and application of protein-liposome conjugation techniques

Numerous techniques have been developed over the past 10 years for the conjugation of proteins to liposomes. Early procedures involved coupling with reagents such as glutaraldehyde or EDCI. Subsequently, more sophisticated approaches involving selective bifunctional coupling agents have been developed. These later procedures are also much more efficient for coupling in aqueous media. The techniques of coupling have become more rigorous because investigators have recognized the inherent problems of producing, purifying and characterizing protein conjugated liposomes. Protein-liposome coupling techniques were developed mainly for targeted drug delivery. The attachment of specific antibodies to the surface of the liposomes makes them able to bind to cells and to subsequently be internalised by the cells. Protein conjugated liposomes have also been used for various immunochemical and diagnostic purposes. These include the binding of labelled liposomes to cells and the agglutination of cells or latex particles by protein conjugated liposomes.

Preparation of peptide-protein immunogens using N-succinimidyl bromoacetate as a heterobifunctional crosslinking reagent

Synthetic peptides derived from human fibrin were unidirectionally conjugated to three carrier proteins (bovine serum albumin, bovine alpha-lactalbumin, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin) by a method that employs N-succinimidyl bromoacetate. This heterobifunctional crosslinking reagent was prepared with a 79% yield in gram quantities from inexpensive starting materials. With this reagent, carrier proteins were first bromoacetylated, then reacted with the thiol groups of cysteine-containing peptides. The extent of peptide conjugation was assessed by amino acid analysis after acid hydrolysis, which liberated 1 mol of S-carboxymethylcysteine for each mole of thioether linkage between peptide and protein. The results of several conjugation experiments indicated that the efficiency of peptide incorporation ranged between 22 and 37% based on the recovery of S-carboxymethylcysteine relative to lysine. When the conjugates were used as immunogens, the S-carboxymethyl linkage was not antigenic in comparison with the S-maleimidobenzoyl linkage, even though their antipeptide immunoreactivities were similar.

The potential of carboxypeptidase G2-antibody conjugates as anti-tumour agents. I. Preparation of antihuman chorionic gonadotrophin-carboxypeptidase G2 and cytotoxicity of the conjugate against JAR choriocarcinoma cells in vitro

Carboxypeptidase G2, a zinc metalloenzyme isolated from Pseudomonas sp. strain RS-16, which catalyses the hydrolytic cleavage of reduced and non-reduced folates to pteroates and L-glutamate, has been linked to a monoclonal antibody (W14A) raised to human chorionic gonadotrophin. The coupling efficiency and retention of antibody and enzymatic activities are compared for three separate methods of preparing 1:1 conjugates. Preliminary in vitro studies on the cytotoxicity of the free enzyme and the conjugated enzyme towards JAR choriocarcinoma cells are reported. Despite the limitations of the in vitro model, it could be demonstrated that a significant proportion of 10(6) choriocarcinoma cells lost viability when exposed to either free or conjugated enzyme for 72 hours at concentrations of carboxypeptidase G2 of 1-3 units ml-1 of medium.

In situ 125I-labelling of endosome proteins with lactoperoxidase conjugates

Asialoorosomucoid was conjugated to lactoperoxidase and bound specifically to the asialoglycoprotein receptor on the human cell line Hep G2 at 4 degrees C. The bound conjugates incorporated 125I into cell surface proteins in the presence of H2O2. When Hep G2 cells were allowed to endocytose the prebound conjugates by warming to 37 degrees C for 10 min or were incubated for 1 h at 23 degrees C in the presence of conjugate, addition of 125I and H2O2 at 4 degrees C now resulted in labelling of endocytic vesicle proteins. The cell surface labelling pattern and the endosome labelling pattern were compared and found to be distinct. A major component labelled by the endocytosed asialoorosomucoid conjugate is shown to be the transferrin receptor. This protein and a component of 230 000 daltons are enriched in the endosome relative to the cell surface. The endocytosed lactoperoxidase conjugate was also visualised at the morphological level. Characteristic endosome tubules and vesicles contained electron-dense peroxidase reaction product as did cell surface coated pits. Selective capture of some cell surface proteins but not others by coated pits presumably gives rise to the distinct polypeptide composition of the endosome.

Blockade of the galactose-binding sites of ricin by its linkage to antibody. Specific cytotoxic effects of the conjugates

A method is described for preparing specific cytotoxic agents by linking intact ricin to antibodies in a manner that produces obstruction of the galactose-binding sites on the B chain of the toxin and so diminishes the capacity of the conjugate to bind non-specifically to cells. The conjugates were synthesised by reacting iodoacetylated ricin with thiolated immunoglobulin and the components of conjugate with reduced galactose-binding capacity were separated by affinity chromatography on Sepharose (a beta-galactosyl matrix) and asialofetuin-Sepharose. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analyses revealed that the fraction of a monoclonal anti-Thy1.1-ricin conjugate that passed through a Sepharose column had markedly diminished capacity to bind non-specifically to Thy1.2-expressing CBA thymocytes and EL4 lymphoma cells. The fraction of conjugate that passed through an asialofetuin-Sepharose column displayed no detectable non-specific binding. Both fractions of conjugate were potent cytotoxic agents for Thy1.1-expressing AKR-A lymphoma cells in tissue culture. They reduced the [3H]leucine incorporation of the cells by 50% at a concentration of 2-5 pM. Comparable inhibition of EL4 cells was only achieved with 3000-7500-fold greater concentrations of conjugate. By contrast, the fraction of anti-Thy1.1-ricin that retained Sepharose-binding capacity showed marked non-specific binding and toxicity to EL4 cells. A conjugate with diminished galactose-binding capacity was also prepared from the W3/25 monoclonal antibody which recognises an antigen upon helper T-lymphocytes in the rat. It elicited powerful and specific toxic effects upon W3/25 antigen-expressing rat T-leukaemia cells. This finding is of particular importance because isolated ricin A-chain disulphide-linked to W3/25 antibody is not cytotoxic. The property of the B-chain in intact ricin conjugates that facilitates delivery of the A-chain to the cytosol thus appears to be independent of galactose recognition. It is concluded that the 'blocked' ricin conjugates combine the advantages of high potency, which is often lacking in antibody-A-chain conjugates, with high specificity, which previously was lacking in intact ricin conjugates.

An efficient method for labelling antibodies with 111In

Using a new method, rabbit IgG and a monoclonal antibody have been conjugated with the chelating agent DTPA. This was accomplished with reaction conditions that should entail lower antibody damage than existing methods. Gel filtration of the 111In-labelled antibody conjugate indicated minimal damage to the antibody and radioimmunoassay showed no significant change in its immunological activity.

Preparation and properties of a drug-carrier-antibody conjugate showing selective antibody-directed cytotoxicity in vitro

The preparation and properties of a drug-carrier-antibody preparation are reported. The antifolate chemotherapeutic agent methotrexate was covalently coupled to human serum albumin as a carrier. The carrier-drug preparation was then chemically linked to a monoclonal antibody, raised originally against a human osteogenic sarcoma cell line, 791T, in a manner permitting retention of antibody-binding activity. The cytotoxic properties of the conjugate were tested in vitro in comparison with carrier-methotrexate and free methotrexate against a panel of tumour cell lines containing both antigenically cross-reactive cell lines and cell lines having low antigenic cross-reactivity with the monoclonal antibody. The cytotoxicity tests demonstrated that coupling of methotrexate to carrier caused a loss of some drug activity but that coupling of the antibody to the carrier-drug preparation permitted full expression of drug cytotoxicity against antibody-reactive cell lines. It was further demonstrated that the conjugate was selective in its action and was preferentially cytotoxic towards antibody-reactive cell types. The cytotoxicity against antibody-reactive cell lines was shown by competitive inhibition by free antibody to be entirely dependent on antibody binding. A clonogenic assay showed that the conjugate was capable of killing greater than 99% of 791T target cells. These results indicate that a drug-carrier antibody conjugate can be synthesized which has all the in vitro properties theoretically necessary for a successful antibody-targeted cytotoxic agent.

Targeting potential of antibody conjugates

Although the use of conjugates of enzymes has been considered, their use has not been very actively pursued. Much more interest has focused on the possibilities offered by the use of toxins, their subunits or of ribosome inhibitors. Conjugates of holotoxin which were very active and specific in vitro have been prepared. High in vivo activity and some specificity together with reduced whole body toxicity has been described. When A chain subunits or ribosome inhibiting proteins are used, the results are more mixed. Some very active and specific conjugates are known but others have relatively low activity. The reasons for this may be associated with the particular antigen to which the antibody component is directed, the nature of the A chain or inhibitor and the type and physiological state of the target cell. Application to man seems likely in the first instance to involve the removal of undesirable cells from bone marrow transplants.

A novel non-separation fluoroimmunoassay for thyroxine

It has proved possible to develop a novel non-separation fluoroimmunoassay for thyroxine employing antibodies both to thyroxine and to fluorescein incorporated into immune complexes by addition of a common species-specific anti-immunoglobulin G serum. The labelled hapten could bind to antibody of either specificity but not to both at the same time. Binding to anti-fluorescein markedly reduced fluorescence whereas binding to anti-thyroxine did not. Unlabelled thyroxine competed with the labelled hapten only for anti-thyroxine binding sites and, as a result, more of the labelled thyroxine was bound to anti-fluorescein with a decrease in total fluorescence.

A technique for preparing defined conjugates of horseradish peroxidase and immunoglobulin

Conjugates of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and sheep anti-human immunoglobulin (anti-Ig) were prepared by means of a heterobifunctional reagent, N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate (SPDP). The molar ratios of the conjugates could be changed by varying the degree of chemical substitution of anti-Ig and HRP. Gel filtration and affinity chromatography were used to separate conjugated anti-Ig from free HRP and unconjugated anti-Ig. The distribution of complex sizes and the presence of free HRP and anti-Ig in the final products were monitored by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After final purification and characterisation conjugates were studied as reagents in enzyme immunoassays (EIA) with various antigens. Conjugates prepared by SPDP bridging were shown to yield more than 60% of the anti-Ig as conjugated small defined enzyme-protein complexes. A suitably labelled conjugate reacted in a standardised way resulting in a reproducible dose-response curve when a positive serum was assayed in different dilutions.

Conjugation of enzymes to immunoglobulins using dimaleimides

A method is described for coupling enzymes to immunoglobulins using sulphydryl derivatives of the proteins and a dimaleimide which is relatively water-soluble. Parameters affecting the performance of the conjugates have been examined including level of sulphydryl incorporation, ratio of enzyme/immunoglobulin and nature of dimaleimide used. Peroxidase-immunoglobulin conjugates made by the dimaleimide method have been compared with those made by the periodate oxidation method and found to have a superior performance. Immunoglobulin has been linked to peroxidase (horseradish peroxidase, EC 1.11.1.7), glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger, (EC 1.1.3.4), penicillinase from Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I (EC 3.5.2.6), and beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli (EC 3.2.1.23).