Preparation and characterization of paramagnetic polychelates and their protein conjugates

The gadolinium complexes of poly-L-lysine-poly(diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N",N"-pentaacetic acid) (Gd-PL-DTPA) and poly-L-lysine-poly(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetr aacetic acid) (Gd-PL-DOTA) and their conjugates with human serum albumin (HSA) have been prepared and characterized. Poly-L-lysine (PL, degree of polymerization approximately 100) was N-acylated with a mixed anhydride of the chelating ligand (DTPA or DOTA). Sixty to ninety chelating groups per molecule of PL could be attached in this way. Following purification of the polychelate by size-exclusion chromatography, the gadolinium complexes were prepared by standard methods and conjugated to HSA with heterobifunctional cross-linking reagents. The molar relaxities of these macromolecular species were 2-3-fold higher than those of the corresponding monomeric metal complexes [( Gd(DTPA)] and [Gd(DOTA)]). The conjugation conditions were optimized to produce conjugates containing 60-90 metal centers per molecule of HSA (ca. one polychelate per protein).     

The static head method for determining the charge stoichiometry of coupled transport systems Applications to the sodium-coupled d-glucose transporters of the renal proximal tubule

The static head method for determining the charge stoichiometry (the number of moles of charge translocated per mole of substrate) of a coupled transport system is presented. The method involves establishing experimental conditions under which a membrane potential exactly balances the thermodynamic driving force of a known substrate gradient. The charge stoichiometry can then be calculated from thermodynamic principles. In contrast to the usual steady-state method for determining charge stoichiometry in cell suspensions and vesicle preparations, the static head method is applicable to systems which are not capable of maintaining a constant membrane potential over time. The charge stoichiometries of two renal sodium coupled d-glucose transporters previously identified in brush-border membrane vesicle preparations from the outer cortex (early proximal tubule) and outer medulla (late proximal tubule) are determined. The charge stoichiometries of these transporters are in good agreement with their sodium/glucose coupling ratios arguing against the possibility that glucose transport is coupled to ions other than sodium in these membranes.     

The static head method for determining the charge stoichiometry of coupled transport systems. Applications to the sodium-coupled D-glucose transporters of the renal proximal tubule

The static head method for determining the charge stoichiometry (the number of moles of charge translocated per mole of substrate) of a coupled transport system is presented. The method involves establishing experimental conditions under which a membrane potential exactly balances the thermodynamic driving force of a known substrate gradient. The charge stoichiometry can then be calculated from thermodynamic principles. In contrast to the usual steady-state method for determining charge stoichiometry in cell suspensions and vesicle preparations, the static head method is applicable to systems which are not capable of maintaining a constant membrane potential over time. The charge stoichiometries of two renal sodium coupled D-glucose transporters previously identified in brush-border membrane vesicle preparations from the outer cortex (early proximal tubule) and outer medulla (late proximal tubule) are determined. The charge stoichiometries of these transporters are in good agreement with their sodium/glucose coupling ratios arguing against the possibility that glucose transport is coupled to ions other than sodium in these membranes.     

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.     

Coupling of DTPA to proteins: a critical analysis of the cyclic dianhydride method in the case of insulin modification.

The reaction between the cyclic dianhydride of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), a bifunctional reagent, and proteins under various conditions was studied using porcine insulin as a model protein. The reaction was compared with that between citraconic anhydride, a monofunctional reagent, and insulin. Products were characterized chromatographically and electrophoretically before and after deesterification by hydroxylamine. A DTPA-conjugated product was further characterized by proteolytic fragmentation. The reaction with citraconic anhydride yielded the expected number of products exclusively acylated on amino groups. In contrast, the reaction with the cyclic dianhydride of DTPA under all conditions examined yielded a much higher number of products than expected. Among the products formed were O-acylated ones and products of intermolecular cross-linking. It is concluded that the use of the cyclic dianhydride of DTPA does not allow the reliable preparation of proteins or other macromolecules conjugated with a high number of DTPA molecules in which each molecule of DTPA is linked to one amino group of the macromolecule through a single amide bond.     

Spatial organization of CaATPase molecules in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Fluorescence intensity, polarization, and (Ca2+-Mg2+)-ATPase (CaATPase) activity were measured for sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) CaATPase with varying amounts of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) attached at a specific site at or near the ATP binding site. The stoichiometry of attached FITC was proportional to the inhibition of ATPase activity, consistent with the independent labeling of one FITC site per CaATPase molecule. Polarization measurements on vesicular CaATPase indicated the occurrence of energy-transfer depolarization that increased as the fraction of binding sites labeled by FITC increased. Addition of the nonionic detergent dodecyl nonaoxyethylene alcohol (C12E9) eliminated the energy-transfer depolarization for all degrees of labeling with little direct effect on the attached FITC molecule. Fluorescence polarization measurements on sizing-column-purified FITC-labeled CaATPase in the presence of 30 mM C12E9 indicated that the sample consisted of homogeneous monomeric CaATPase. The attached FITC molecule was not sensitive to the bulk viscosity for either the vesicular or the detergent-solubilized CaATPase. The midpoints of the transition from vesicular to monomeric CaATPase as a function of increasing detergent concentration were determined from fluorescence polarization and light-scattering measurements. The dependence of these midpoints on the CaATPase concentration indicated a stoichiometry of 262 +/- 35 molecules of C12E9 per CaATPase in the detergent-protein complex. Both measurements gave the same result. The decrease of fluorescence polarization with increasing saturation of the FITC binding sites for vesicular and detergent-solubilized CaATPase was analyzed in terms of energy-transfer depolarization to determine the spatial arrangements of CaATPase molecules.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

5-Aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase: structure, function, and mechanism.

delta-Aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase catalyses the synthesis of porphobilinogen. The enzyme has a molecular mass of 285000 and is composed of eight similar subunits of molecular mass 35000. The N-terminal amino acid is acylated, and the number of peptides found on tryptic digestion equals the number of lysine and arginine residues per mass of 35000. The eight subunits are apparently arranged at the corners of a cube and therefore have dihedral (D4) symmetry. The bovine liver enzyme which has been cystallized contains 4--6 atoms of zinc per mole of enzyme. The apo-enzyme obtained on prolonged hydrolysis can be reactivated by the addition of zinc or cadmium ions. The dialysed enzyme must be first treated with dithiothreitol. There are two very active SH groups in a total of 6--7-SH groups per subunit. The substrate forms a Schiff base with the epsilon-amino group of a lysine residue. Reduction of the Schiff base with NaBH4 should reveal the number of active sites per mole of enzyme. It appears that only four of the eight subunits form a Schiff base with the substrate indicating that the enzyme exhibits the phenomenon of either half-site reactivity or negative cooperativity. The enzyme appears to have a strong subunit-subunit interaction for an immobilized preparation remained stable for at least a month. An immobilized enzyme preparation was treated in a manner so that it dissociated into tetramers. Both the eluate and protein still attached to the Sepharose on a column were enzymically active. The bound enzyme could not reassociate under assay conditions but still contained about 50% of the original enzyme activity. It would seem that the enzyme is active when composed with less than eight subunits.     

PEGylation enhances the therapeutic potential of peptide antagonists of the neonatal Fc receptor, FcRn

Peptides targeting the human neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) were conjugated to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers to study their effect on inhibition of the IgG:FcRn protein-protein interaction both in vitro and in mice. Both linear (5-40kDa) and branched (20, 40kDa) PEG aldehydes were conjugated to an amine-containing linker of a homodimeric anti-FcRn peptide using reductive alkylation chemistry. It was found that conjugation of PEG to the peptide compromised the in vitro activity, with larger and branched PEGs causing the most dramatic losses in activity. The conjugates were evaluated in transgenic mice for their ability to accelerate the catabolism of human IgG. Optimal pharmacodynamic properties were observed with PEG-peptide conjugates that contained 20-40kDa linear PEGs and a 20kDa branched PEG. The optimal PEG-peptide conjugates were more effective in vivo than the unconjugated peptide control on a mole:mole and mg/kg basis, and represent potential new longer-acting peptide therapeutics for the treatment of humorally-mediated autoimmune disease.     

High-level conjugation of chelating agents onto immunoglobulins: use of an intermediary poly(L-lysine)-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid carrier

Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), a strong chelating agent, was covalently linked to murine monoclonal anti-HLA IgG1 antibody (H-1) with the use of poly(L-lysine) (Mr 14,000) as a multivalent, intermediary carrier, via thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. The conjugates contained up to 42.5 mol DTPA per mol antibody, and retained over 90% of their antibody activity in vitro. The conjugates incorporated gadolinium (Gd) through an exchange reaction with Gd-EDTA, used to prevent colloid formation and nonspecific binding of the free metal. The IgG-poly(L-lysine)-DTPA-Gd had a greater effect per mol on proton relaxation rates than DTPA-Gd itself. Use of poly(L-lysine) as an intermediary carrier for attachment of chelating agents to IgG thus offers great potential for achieving high-specific-activity conjugates, particularly for use as biologically specific contrast agents in nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.     

Glyoxalase I, a zinc metalloenzyme of mammals and yeast.

Glyoxalase I from human and porcine erythrocytes, rat liver, and yeast was shown to contain zinc in a stoichiometry of about 1 mole per mole of enzyme subunit. Removal of zinc by means of a chelator caused elimination of the catalytic activity. The mammalian apoenzymes could be partially reactivated by addition of Zn²⁺.     

Isolation of a heme crevice peptide from affinity-labeled horseradish peroxidase

Apo-horseradish peroxidase was affinity-labeled with the monosulfuric anhydride derivative of mesoheme. The stoichiometry of heme anhydride binding was 1.1 moles of the anhydride per mole of apo-peroxidase.Tryptic digestion of the affinity-labeled peroxidase yielded a major lysine peptide which corresponded in composition to peptides T8 and T9a in the sequence of horseradish peroxidase (Welinder, K. G., Eur. J. Biochem. 96: 483–502, 1979) which contained one mole of histidine (histidine 170) per mole of peptide.     

Approaches to determine stoichiometry of viral assembly components.

Due to the rapidity of biological reactions, it is difficult to isolate intermediates or to determine the stoichiometry of participants in intermediate reactions. Instead of determining the absolute amount of each component, this study involved the use of relative parameters, such as dilution factors, percentages probabilities, and slopes of titration curves, that can be more accurately quantified to determine the stoichiometry of components involved in bacteriophage phi29 assembly. This work takes advantage of the sensitive in vitro phage phi29 assembly system, in which 10(8) infectious virions per ml without background can be assembled from eight purified components. It provides a convenient assay for quantification of the stoichiometry of packaging components, including the viral procapsid, genomic DNA, DNA-packaging pRNA, and other structural proteins and enzymes. The presence of a procapsid binding domain and another essential functional domain within the pRNA makes it an ideal component for constructing lethal mutants for competitive procapsid binding. Two methods were used for stoichiometry determination. Method 1 was to determine the combination probability of mutant and wild-type pRNAs bound to procapsids. The probability of procapsids that possess a certain amount of mutant and a certain amount of wild-type pRNA, both with an equal binding affinity, was predicted with the binomial equation [EQUATION IN TEXT] where Z is the total number of pRNAs per procapsid, M is the number of mutant pRNAs bound to one procapsid, and (ZM) is equal to [FORMULA IN TEXT]. With various ratios of mutant to wild-type pRNA in in vitro viral assembly, the percent mutant pRNA versus the yield of virions was plotted and compared to a series of predicted curves to find a best fit. It was determined that five or six copies of pRNA were required for one DNA-packaging event, while only one mutant pRNA per procapsid was sufficient to block packaging. Method 2 involved the comparison of slopes of curves of dilution factors versus the yield of virions. Components with known stoichiometries served as standard controls. The larger the stoichiometry of the component, the more dramatic the influence of the dilution factor on the reaction. A slope of 1 indicates that one copy of the component is involved in the assembly of one virion. A slope larger than 1 would indicate multiple-copy involvement. By this method, the stoichiometry of gp11 in phi29 particles was determined to be approximately 12. These approaches are useful for the determination of the stoichiometry of functional units involved in viral assembly, be they single molecules or oligomers. However, these approaches are not suitable for the determination of exact copy numbers of individual molecules involved if the functional unit is composed of multiple subunits prior to assembly.     

Field flow fractionation for assessing neonatal Fc receptor and Fcγ receptor binding to monoclonal antibodies in solution

Analysis of the strength and stoichiometry of immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding to neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) and Fcγ receptor (FcγR) is important for evaluating the pharmacokinetics and effector functions of therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) products, respectively. The current standard for assessing FcγR and FcRn binding is composed of cell-based and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays. In this work, asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (AF4) was evaluated to establish the true stoichiometry of IgG binding in solution. AF4 and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) were applied to directly observe IgG/FcγR and IgG/FcRn complexes, which were not observed using nonequilibrium size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis. Human serum albumin (HSA), an abundant component of human blood and capable of binding FcRn, was studied in combination with FcRn and IgG. AF4 demonstrated that the majority of large complexes of IgG/FcRn/HSA were at an approximate 1:2:1 molar ratio. In addition, affinity measurements of the complex were performed in the sub-micromolar affinity range. A significant decrease in binding was detected for IgG molecules with increased oxidation in the Fc region. AF4 was useful in detecting weak binding between full-length IgG/Fc fragments and Fc receptors and the effect of chemical modifications on binding. AF4 is a useful technique in the assessment of mAb product quality attributes.     

Determination of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity by liquid chromatography/electrochemistry

An assay method is presented for the determination of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in biological samples. The procedure is rapid and requires little sample. Multiple components of the enzyme system are determined and therefore serve as internal checks of the assay system. Liquid chromatography/electrochemistry is employed to follow the oxidation of the tetrahydropterin cofactor to the dihydropterin and to follow the formation of tyrosine. The KM and Vmax values of both phenylalanine and 6-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin were determined for mouse liver phenylalanine hydroxylase. Determination of the stoichiometry of the reaction showed that 1 mol of dihydropterin and 1 mol of tyrosine are formed per mole of tetrahydropterin that is oxidized. The reaction rate was linear for several minutes and over a wide range of enzyme (protein) concentrations.     

De novo synthesis of a new diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) bifunctional chelating agent

Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) has been in extensive use as a metal chelator in the development of radiopharmaceuticals and contrast agents. The former application uses DTPA mostly as a bifunctional chelating agent (BCA) conjugated to tumor-targeting vehicles (TTVs) such as monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and receptor-directed peptides. A new bifunctional DTPA derivative was synthesized by a fully organic scheme. This compound, N(4),N(alpha),N(alpha),N(epsilon),N(epsilon)-[pentakis(carboxymethyl)]-N(4)-(carboxymethyl)-2,6-diamino-4-azahexanoic hydrazide (20) was prepared by a convergent synthesis strategy using N(alpha)-benzyloxycarbonyl-2,3-diaminopropionic acid as the starting compound. This commercially available material was used to build a functionalized triamine which served as the molecular core template for assembling the target molecule. To evaluate the conjugation and radiolabeling capabilities of this new molecule, it was covalently attached to the anti-TAG-72 MAb, Delta CH2HuCC49, and the conjugate was radiolabeled in near-quantitative yields with yttrium-90 ((90)Y) and lutetium-177 ((177)Lu). Biodistribution of the (177)Lu-labeled DTPA-Delta CH2HuCC49 in tumor-bearing nude mice demonstrated preservation of the immunoreactivity of the MAb as indicated by high tumor uptake. In addition to the introduction of a new bifunctional DTPA, this work reports on a novel synthetic approach for preparation of this useful metal chelator and introduces a new conjugation protocol.     

Efficient conjugation of DTPA to an IgM monoclonal antibody in ascites fluid

We have developed a simple, rapid, and reproducible method for conjugating the bifunctional metal chelator diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) to an IgM monoclonal antibody (MoAb) without first isolating the MoAb from the ascites fluid. Treatment of the protein mixture in the ascites fluid with cyclic DTPA anhydride (cDTPAA) followed by HPLC purification on a size exclusion column allowed isolation of the DTPA-IgM conjugate which could then be labeled with ¹¹¹ In ⩾80% yield. Over the range of total protein concentrations used (11–44 mg/mL), the number of DTPA molecules per molecule of IgM was approximately one-half the molar ratio of cDTPAA to total protein. We have used this method to prepare an ¹¹¹In labeled anti-Thy 1.2 IgM, a MoAb with specificity for a murine cell-surface antigen found on normal and malignant T cells and neuroectodertmal tissues. Analysis of the DTPA-IgM conjugate prior to and after ¹¹¹In labeling using indirect immunofluorescence flow cytometry and a target-cell binding assay showed that the antigen specificity of this anti-Thy 1.2 MoAb is not substantially altered by the presence of up to 8 DTPA molecules per IgM molecule.     

Epidermal growth factor radiopharmaceuticals: 111In chelation, conjugation to a blood-brain barrier delivery vector via a biotin-polyethylene linker, pharmacokinetics, and in vivo imaging of experimental brain tumors.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a potential peptide radiopharmaceutical for detection of brain tumors, because many human gliomas overexpress the EGF receptor (EGFR). The transport of EGF to the brain, however, is restricted by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The purpose of the present study was to develop a vector-mediated brain delivery system for radiolabeled EGF. Human EGF was monobiotinylated with NHS-PEG3400-biotin, where NHS is N-hydroxysuccinimide and PEG3400 is poly(ethylene glycol) of 3400 Da molecular mass. EGF-PEG3400-biotin was radiolabeled with either 125I or 111In through the metal chelator, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). The radiolabeled EGF was then conjugated to a BBB delivery vector comprised of a complex of the OX26 monoclonal antibody (MAb) to the rat transferrin receptor, which was coupled to streptavidin (SA). Following intravenous injection in rats, the 125I conjugate was rapidly degraded in vivo, while the 111In conjugate was metabolically stable. The brain delivery of [111In]DTPA-EGF-PEG3400-biotin was enabled by conjugation with OX26/SA and was optimized by co-injection of unlabeled EGF to saturate EGF receptors in the liver. The specific binding of the [111In]DTPA-EGF-PEG3400-biotin conjugated to OX26/SA to the EGF receptor was confirmed in C6 rat glioma cells, which had been transfected with a gene encoding for the human EGF receptor under the regulation of a dexamethasone-inducible promoter. In vivo studies of C6-EGFR experimental tumors in Fischer 344 rats demonstrated successful brain imaging only when the peptide radiopharmaceutical was conjugated to the BBB delivery system, although the C6-EGFR tumors did not express EGFR in vivo. In conclusion, these studies describe the molecular formulation of a peptide radiopharmaceutical that can be used for imaging brain tumors behind the BBB.     

A new method for the screening of solid-phase combinatorial libraries for affinity chromatography

A new methodology for the rapid assessment of affinity ligands synthesized by combinatorial solid-phase chemistry is reported. This screening strategy utilizes the target protein conjugated to FITC, and represents an almost universal technique for the preliminary screening of solid-phase combinatorial libraries. The assessment of a triazine-scaffolded solid-phase combinatorial library of ligands, designed to bind to human IgG, was performed with FITC-human IgG, and the results compared with those obtained by conventional affinity chromatographic screening assays. The effect of different molar conjugation ratios of FITC-IgG (F/P) was evaluated. Independently of the F/P ratio, no false negative results were observed, although lower F/P ratios diminished non-specific interactions and the number of false positives. The nature of the substituents on the triazine scaffold was not related to the number of false positive IgG-binding ligands. The reproducibility of the FITC technique, using FITC-human IgG conjugates with low F/P ratio (F/P=2), was also evaluated. The FITC-based technique proved to be efficient and accurate in the identification of strongly binding ligands (binding >50% of loaded protein, by standard affinity chromatographic assays), and is envisaged as a versatile and cost-effective method to screen other systems, and evaluate several binding/elution conditions at small-scale, prior to scale-up to standard affinity chromatography.     

Mass Determination of Rous Sarcoma Virus Virions by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

The internal structural protein of retroviruses, Gag, comprises most of the mass of the virion, and Gag itself can give rise to virus-like particles when expressed in appropriate cells. Previously the stoichiometry of Gag in virions was inferred from indirect measurements carried out 2 decades ago. We now have directly determined the masses of individual particles of the prototypic avian retrovirus, Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), by using scanning transmission electron microscopy. In this technique, the number of scattered electrons in the dark-field image integrated over an individual freeze-dried virus particle on a grid is directly proportional to its mass. The RSV virions had a mean mass of 2.5 x 10(8) Da, corresponding to about 1,500 Gag molecules per virion. The population of virions was not homogeneous, with about one-third to two-thirds of the virions deviating from the mean by more than 10% of the mass in two respective preparations. The mean masses for virions carrying genomes of 7.4 or 9.3 kb were indistinguishable, suggesting that mass variability is not due to differences in RNA incorporation.     

Use of ion exchange chromatography for the study of RecA-DNA interaction

In vitro binding of RecA protein to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was studied using ion-exchange liquid chromatography. The method allowed quantification of both free DNA and free protein. The results unambiguously showed a binding stoichiometry of 3 base pairs per RecA monomer. The binding exhibited cooperativity, and the stoichiometry suggested that RecA does not form complexes with two molecules of dsDNA. More than 90% of RecA molecules in the sample were active for DNA binding.