Co-translational modification of nascent immunoglobulin heavy and light chains

We have investigated the in vivo co-translational covalent modification of nascent immunoglobulin heavy and light chains. Nascent polypeptides were separated from completed polypeptides by ion-exchange chromatography of solubilized ribosomes on QAE-Sephadex. First, we have demonstrated that MPC 11 nascent heavy chains are quantitatively glycosylated very soon after the asparaginyl acceptor site passes through the membrane into the cisterna of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Nonglycosylated completed heavy chains of various classes cannot be glycosylated after release from the ribosome, due either to rapid intramolecular folding and/or intermolecular assembly, which cause the acceptor site to become unavailable for the glycosylation enzyme. Second, we have shown that the formation of the correct intrachain disulfide loop within the first light chain domain occurs rapidly and quantitatively as soon as the appropriate cysteine residues of the nascent light chain pass through the membrane into the cisterna of the endoplasmic reticulum. The intrachain disulfide loop in the second or constant region domain of the light chain is not formed on nascent chains, because one of the cysteine residues involved in this disulfide bond does not pass through the endoplasmic reticulum membrane prior to chain completion and release from the ribosome. Third, we have demonstrated that some of the initial covalent assembly (formation of interchain disulfide bonds) occurs on nascent heavy chains prior to their release from the ribosome. The results are consistent with the pathway of covalent assembly of the cell line, in that completed light chains are assembled onto nascent heavy chains in MPC 11 cells (IgG₂b), where a heavy-light half molecule is the major initial covalent intermediate; and completed heavy chains are assembled onto nascent heavy chains in MOPC 21 cells (IgG₁), where a heavy chain dimer is the major initial disulfide linked intermediate.     

Full validation of therapeutic antibody sequences by middle-up mass measurements and middle-down protein sequencing

The regulatory bodies request full sequence data assessment both for innovator and biosimilar monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Full sequence coverage is typically used to verify the integrity of the analytical data obtained following the combination of multiple LC-MS/MS datasets from orthogonal protease digests (so called “bottom-up” approaches). Top-down or middle-down mass spectrometric approaches have the potential to minimize artifacts, reduce overall analysis time and provide orthogonality to this traditional approach. In this work we report a new combined approach involving middle-up LC-QTOF and middle-down LC-MALDI in-source decay (ISD) mass spectrometry. This was applied to cetuximab, panitumumab and natalizumab, selected as representative US Food and Drug Administration- and European Medicines Agency-approved mAbs. The goal was to unambiguously confirm their reference sequences and examine the general applicability of this approach. Furthermore, a new measure for assessing the integrity and validity of results from middle-down approaches is introduced – the “Sequence Validation Percentage.” Full sequence data assessment of the 3 antibodies was achieved enabling all 3 sequences to be fully validated by a combination of middle-up molecular weight determination and middle-down protein sequencing. Three errors in the reference amino acid sequence of natalizumab, causing a cumulative mass shift of only ?2 Da in the natalizumab Fd domain, were corrected as a result of this work.     

Comprehensive characterization of monoclonal antibody by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The pharmaceutical industry’s interest in monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their derivatives has spurred rapid growth in the commercial and clinical pipeline of these effective therapeutics. The complex micro-heterogeneity of mAbs requires in-depth structural characterization for critical quality attribute assessment and quality assurance. Currently, mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods are the gold standard in mAb analysis, primarily with a bottom-up approach in which immunoglobulins G (IgGs) and their variants are digested into peptides to facilitate the analysis. Comprehensive characterization of IgGs and the micro-variants remains challenging at the proteoform level. Here, we used both top-down and middle-down MS for in-depth characterization of a human IgG1 using ultra-high resolution Fourier transform MS. Our top-down MS analysis provided characteristic fingerprinting of the IgG1 proteoforms at unit mass resolution. Subsequently, the tandem MS analysis of intact IgG1 enabled the detailed sequence characterization of a representative IgG1 proteoform at the intact protein level. Moreover, we used the middle-down MS analysis to characterize the primary glycoforms and micro-variants. Micro-variants such as low-abundance glycoforms, C-terminal glycine clipping, and C-terminal proline amidation were characterized with bond cleavages higher than 44% at the subunit level. By combining top-down and middle-down analysis, 76% of bond cleavage (509/666 amino acid bond cleaved) of IgG1 was achieved. Taken together, we demonstrated the combination of top-down and middle-down MS as powerful tools in the comprehensive characterization of mAbs.     

Alternative splicing of smooth muscle myosin heavy chains and its functional consequences

The aim of our study was to determine the relation between alternatively spliced myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms and the contractility of smooth muscle. The relative amount of MHC with an alternatively spliced insert in the 5′ (amino terminal) domain was determined on the protein level using a peptide-directed antibody (a25K/50K) raised against the inserted sequence (QGPSFAY). Smooth muscle MHC isoforms of both bladder and myometrium but not nonmuscle MHC reacted with a25/50K. Using a quantitative Western-blot approach the amount of 5′-inserted MHC in rat bladder was detected to be about eightfold higher than in normal rat myometrium. The amount of heavy chain with insert was found to be decreased by about 50% in the myometrium of pregnant rats. Although bladder contained significantly more 5′-inserted MHC than myometrium, apparent maximal shortening velocities (Vmax) were comparable, being 0.138 ± 0.012 and 0.114 ± 0.023 muscle length per second of skinned bladder and normal myometrium fibers, respectively. Phosphorylation of myosin light chain 20 induced by maximal Ca²⁺/calmodulin activation was the same in bladder and myometrial fibers. These results suggest that the amount of 5′-inserted MHC is not necessarily associated with contractile properties of smooth muscle. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Native mass spectrometry and ion mobility characterization of trastuzumab emtansine,a lysine-linked antibody drug conjugate

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are biochemotherapeutics consisting of a cytotoxic chemical drug linked covalently to a monoclonal antibody. Two main classes of ADCs, namely cysteine and lysine conjugates, are currently available on the market or involved in clinical trials. The complex structure and heterogeneity of ADCs makes their biophysical characterization challenging. For cysteine conjugates, hydrophobic interaction chromatography is the gold standard technique for studying drug distribution, the naked antibody content, and the average drug to antibody ratio (DAR). For lysine ADC conjugates on the other hand, which are not amenable to hydrophobic interaction chromatography because of their higher heterogeneity, denaturing mass spectrometry (MS) and UV/Vis spectroscopy are the most powerful approaches. We report here the use of native MS and ion mobility (IM-MS) for the characterization of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1, Kadcyla®). This lysine conjugate is currently being considered for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, and combines the anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin®), with the cytotoxic microtubule-inhibiting maytansine derivative, DM1. We show that native MS combined with high-resolution measurements and/or charge reduction is beneficial in terms of the accurate values it provides of the average DAR and the drug load profiles. The use of spectral deconvolution is discussed in detail. We report furthermore the use of native IM-MS to directly determine DAR distribution profiles and average DAR values, as well as a molecular modeling investigation of positional isomers in T-DM1.     

Expression of cardiac myosin light chain 2 during embryonic heart development in medaka fish,Oryzias latipes,and phylogenetic relationship with other myosin light chains

Cardiac myosin light chain 2 (MLC‐2) plays a key role in heart development, contraction, and embryo and adult heart maintenance. In some animals, defects in the function of cardiac MLC‐2 cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. To illuminate the functions of cardiac MLC‐2 in embryonic heart formation and contraction, and into the evolution of MLC‐2, we characterized the expression and requirement for medaka cardiac MLC‐2 gene in the developing heart. Medaka cardiac MLC‐2 cDNA (mcmlc2) was isolated and its gene expression pattern was determined. The mcmlc2 was found to be expressed in the bilateral cardiac mesoderm, the formed heart tube, and in both the differentiated ventricle and atrium. Knockdown of mcmlc2 function caused severe cardiac disorders, including edema in the atrium and sinus venosus. Using phylogenetic analysis, we found that physiological variations in the MLC‐2 molecules evolved due to amino acid changes in the Ca²⁺ binding domain during molecular evolution. Our findings concerning the function and expression of mcmlc2 are nearly identical with those of other MLC‐2 genes, and our phylogenetic analysis suggests that during evolution, the variations in physiological function within the MLC‐2 gene family have arisen from a change in the amino acids in the Ca²⁺ binding domain in the MLC‐2 molecule.     

Direct measurement of dissolved gases in microbiological systems using membrane inlet mass spectrometry

Membrane inlet mass spectrometry is a novel technique that has been used to measure concentrations of dissolved gases and volatile compounds of microbiological interest. This technique is compared with other methods of measuring dissolved gases. Applications to some microbiological processes (respiration, photosynthesis, fermentation, nitrogen fixation and methanogenesis) are discussed in greater detail. The advantages of the technique and possible future developments are presented; its major attraction is that a number of different gases can be simultaneously and continuously monitored directly and non-invasively in cell suspensions.     

Schistosoma spp.: Isolation of microtubule associated proteins in the tegument and the definition of dynein light chains components

Schistosomes are parasitic blood flukes that reside in human mesenteric veins or urinary bladder veins, depending on species of the parasite. The syncytial tegument of these parasites represents a dynamic interface that regulates nutritional and immunological interactions between the parasite and the host. It is known that the components for biogenesis and maintenance of the tegument are supplied via vesicles from the nucleated cell bodies beneath the syncytium and muscle layer. To investigate the common motor components of vesicular transport in the tegument of schistomes, we extracted Schistosoma mansoni tegumental microtubule associated proteins utilizing detergent/high-salt procedure and raised antiserum against these proteins. The antiserum was applied to screen Schistosoma haematobium λgt11 expression library and some of the isolated clones were sequenced. Blast search for the sequences against NCBI database identified clones that are dynein light chains and myosin genes. Further analysis of schistosome dynein genes in the databases identified three families of dynein light chains (Dlcs). The Tctex family protein sequences are significantly different from the mammalian homologs and, therefore, offer a potential vaccine/drug target against schistosomes.     

Electron-capture dissociation and ion mobility mass spectrometry for characterization of the hemoglobin protein assembly

Native spray has the potential to probe biophysical properties of protein assemblies. Here we report an investigation using both ECD top-down sequencing with an FTICR mass spectrometer and ion mobility (IM) measurements on a Q-TOF to investigate the collisionally induced unfolding of a native-like heterogeneous tetrameric assembly, human hemoglobin (hHb), in the gas phase. To our knowledge, this is the first report combining ECD and ion-mobility data on the same target protein assembly to delineate the effects of collisional activation on both assembly size and the extent and location of fragmentation. Although the collision-induced unfolding of the hemoglobin assembly is clearly seen by both IMMS and ECD, the latter delineates the regions that increasingly unfold as the collision energy is increased. The results are consistent with previous outcomes for homogeneous protein assemblies and reinforce our interpretation that activation opens the structure of the protein assembly from the flexible regions to make available ECD fragmentation, without dissociating the component proteins.     

Isolation and mass spectrometry characterization of molecular species of lactosylceramides using liquid chromatography-electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry

Reverse-phase liquid chromatography/electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MSn) was established for identification of the molecular species of lactosylceramides. Lactosylceramides derived from porcine blood cells were separated on a CapcellPak C8 column using a mixture of methanol and 1 mM ammonium formate from the C16 to C26 fatty acyl chains based on the length of total carbon chains and the nature of sphingoid bases (w') and fatty acyl chains (Y0'-w') was identified by MS3 as their [M+H]+ ions. The same number of fatty acyl moieties appeared in the order of unsaturated, (2-)hydroxylated, and saturated components. The molecular species of lactosylceramides derived from porcine blood cells totaled more than 33 and included mainly C24:0-d18:1, Ch24:0-d18:1, Ch24:1-d18:1, C24:1-d18:1, and C22:0-d18:1 in addition to 28 minor species from C16:0 to C26:0 fatty acyl moieties. The molecular species of lactosylceramides in the membrane microdomain fraction of HL-60 cells (70% were differentiated into macrophage-lineage cells) were identified as C24:0-d18:1, C24:1-d18:1, C22:0-d18:1, C16:0-d18:1, and more than 21 other minor species. Our results suggest that reverse-phase LC-ESI-MSn is a useful and simple method for identification of lactosylceramide molecular species.     

Direct measurement of apolipoprotein B synthesis in human very low density lipoprotein using stable isotopes and mass spectrometry

Stable isotope methodology has been adapted to the study of lipoprotein turnover in human subjects. Using endogenous [15N]glycine labeling and gas-liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis, synthesis of apolipoprotein B in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) was measured directly in five normal and two hyperlipidemic subjects. An isotopic precursor steady state was achieved during the studies by utilizing a priming dose and constant infusion containing [15N]glycine. Measurement of the plateau in 15N enrichment in the urinary hippurate produced during each study was used to estimate the 15N enrichment of the hepatic glycine precursor pool. The range of values for the fractional synthetic rate of VLDL apoB in the normal subjects obtained by this method was 5.9 to 11.5 day-1, with a mean of 9.2 +/- 2.4 (SD). This value agrees with the results of previous investigations which have utilized other methods. The method was also tested in two hypertriglyceridemic subjects and gave fractional synthetic rates of VLDL apoB that were significantly lower than in normals (1.5 and 2.8 day-1). This stable isotope method allows calculation of the fractional synthetic rate of VLDL apoB by maintaining an isotopic steady state throughout the study. It makes possible repeated studies in the same individual since no risk of exposure to radioisotopes is involved.     

Rapid quantitation of monoclonal antibody N-glyco-occupancy and afucosylation using mass spectrometry

N-glyco-occupancy and afucoslyation level are two important quality attributes associated with N-glycosylation of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). We report here a fast mass spectrometry-based workflow for quantification of N-glycan site-occupancy and afucoslyation level of mAbs with improved throughput, precision, sensitivity and robustness. This method uses the deglycosylation after the first GlcNAc and inter-chain reduction of the mAbs, followed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The entire process can be completed within one hour, which provides a rapid quantitation of N-glyco-occupancy and afucosylation to support high-throughput cell line selection and process development for mAb biopharmaceuticals.     

Conformational characterization of the charge variants of a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody using H/D exchange mass spectrometry

MAb1, a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody produced in a NS0 cell line, exhibits charge heterogeneity because of the presence of variants formed by processes such as N-terminal glutamate cyclization, C-terminal lysine truncation, deamidation, aspartate isomerization and sialylation in the carbohydrate moiety. Four major charge variants of MAb1 were isolated and the conformations of these charge variants were studied using hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, including the H/D exchange time course (HX-MS) and the stability of unpurified proteins from rates of H/D exchange (SUPREX) techniques. HX-MS was used to evaluate the conformation and solution dynamics of MAb1 charge variants by measuring their deuterium buildup over time at the peptide level. The SUPREX technique evaluated the unfolding profile and relative stability of the charge variants by measuring the exchange properties of globally protected amide protons in the presence of a chemical denaturant. The H/D exchange profiles from both techniques were compared among the four charge variants of MAb1. The two techniques together offered extensive understanding about the local and subglobal/global unfolding of the charge variants of MAb1. Our results demonstrated that all four charge variants of MAb1 were not significantly different in conformation, solution dynamics and chemical denaturant-induced unfolding profile and stability, which aids in understanding the biofunctions of the molecules. The analytical strategy used for conformational characterization may also be applicable to comparability studies done for antibody therapeutics.     

Detection and quantification of free sulfhydryls in monoclonal antibodies using maleimide labeling and mass spectrometry

The detection of free sulfhydryls in proteins can reveal incomplete disulfide bond formation, indicate cysteine residues available for conjugation, and offer insights into protein stability and structure. Traditional spectroscopic methods of free sulfhydryl detection, such as Ellman’s reagent, generally require a relatively large amount of sample, preventing their use for the analysis of biotherapeutics early in the development cycle. These spectroscopic methods also cannot accurately determine the location of the free sulfhydryl, further limiting their utility. Mass spectrometry was used to detect free sulfhydryl residues in intact proteins after labeling with Maleimide-PEG₂-Biotin. As little as 2% cysteine residues with free sulfhydryls (0.02 mol SH per mol protein) could be detected by this method. Following reduction, the free sulfhydryl abundance on antibody heavy and light chains could be measured. To determine free sulfhydryl location at peptide-level resolution, free sulfhydryls and cysteines involved in disulfide bonds were differentially labeled with N-ethylmaleimide and d₅-N-ethylmaleimide, respectively. Following enzymatic digestion and nanoLC-MS, the abundance of free sulfhydryls at individual cysteine residues was quantified down to 2%. The method was optimized to avoid non-specific labeling, disulfide bond scrambling, and maleimide exchange and hydrolysis. This new workflow for free sulfhydryl analysis was used to measure the abundance and location of free sulfhydryls in 3 commercially available monoclonal antibody standards (NIST Monoclonal Antibody Reference Material (NIST), SILu?Lite SigmaMAb Universal Antibody Standard (Sigma-Aldrich) and Intact mAb Mass Check Standard (Waters)) and 1 small protein standard (β-Lactoglobulin A).     

Hybridization between mitochondrial heavy strand tDNA and expressed light strand tRNA modulates the function of heavy strand tDNA as light strand replication origin

Mitochondrial heavy strand (HS) tDNA codes for tRNAs and frequently functions as the light strand (LS) replication origin (OL). During replication, HS sites remain single-stranded until their LS complement is synthesized, a state prone to hydrolytic deaminations of C → T and A → G, causing genome-wide deamination gradients starting at OLs and proportional to time spent single-stranded. Gradient strength is proportional to OL formation by HS tDNAs. Hypothetically, hybridization between HS tDNA and its expressed complement tRNA should decrease OL activity for LS-, but not HS-encoded tRNAs. Comparisons between primate genomes and between pathogenic and non-pathogenic human polymorphisms both confirm corresponding predictions on OL activity. In primates, strengths of deamination gradients starting at tDNAs functioning as OLs and coding for LS tRNAs decrease proportionally to stabilities of HS tDNA-LS tRNA hybridization; not so for HS tRNAs. Similarly, in mutants of human HS tDNAs coding for LS tRNAs, pathogenic mutants of tDNAs usually not forming OLs form weaker HS tDNA-LS tRNA duplexes than non-pathogenic ones; the opposite is true for tDNAs usually forming OLs. No trend was detected for HS tDNA coding for HS tRNA. tDNA-tRNA hybridization of the modal (most frequent) human tDNA sequence is more stable than of other, rarer non-pathogenic polymorphisms, suggesting similar but weaker mutational effects on tDNA/tRNA functions than in pathogenic mutants. HS tDNA-LS tRNA hybridization appears to compete with OL formation by HS tDNA self-hybridization.     

Epitope characterization of anti-JAM-A antibodies using orthogonal mass spectrometry and surface plasmon resonance approaches

Junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) is an adherens and tight junction protein expressed by endothelial and epithelial cells and associated with cancer progression. We present here the extensive characterization of immune complexes involving JAM-A antigen and three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), including hz6F4-2, a humanized version of anti-tumoral 6F4 mAb identified by a functional and proteomic approach in our laboratory. A specific workflow that combines orthogonal approaches has been designed to determine binding stoichiometries along with JAM-A epitope mapping determination at high resolution for these three mAbs. Native mass spectrometry experiments revealed different binding stoichiometries and affinities, with two molecules of JAM-A being able to bind to hz6F4-2 and F11 Fab, while only one JAM-A was bound to J10.4. Surface plasmon resonance indirect competitive binding assays suggested epitopes located in close proximity for hz6F4-2 and F11. Finally, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry was used to precisely identify epitopes for all mAbs. The results obtained by orthogonal biophysical approaches showed a clear correlation between the determined epitopes and JAM-A binding characteristics, allowing the basis for molecular recognition of JAM-A by hz6F4-2 to be definitively established for the first time. Taken together, our results highlight the power of MS-based structural approaches for epitope mapping and mAb conformational characterization.     

A strategy for the identification of protein architectures directly from ion mobility mass spectrometry data reveals stabilizing subunit interactions in light harvesting complexes

Biotechnological applications of protein complexes require detailed information about their structure and composition, which can be challenging to obtain for proteins from natural sources. Prominent examples are the ring‐shaped phycoerythrin (PE) and phycocyanin (PC) complexes isolated from the light‐harvesting antennae of red algae and cyanobacteria. Despite their widespread use as fluorescent probes in biotechnology and medicine, the structures and interactions of their noncrystallizable central subunits are largely unknown. Here, we employ ion mobility mass spectrometry to reveal varying stabilities of the PC and PE complexes and identify their closest architectural homologues among all protein assemblies in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Our results suggest that the central subunits of PC and PE complexes, although absent from the crystal structures, may be crucial for their stability, and thus of unexpected importance for their biotechnological applications.     

Characterisation of glucosinolates using electrospray ion trap and electrospray quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Twelve naturally occurring glucosinolates displaying alkenyl, hydroxylated, methylsulphinyl, aromatic and indole side chains were investigated by both negative and positive ion electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). In order to resolve the MS/MS spectra obtained from the anion and cation molecular ions of glucosinolates, the different fragments were investigated by MSn experiments using an ion trap spectrometer. The MS3 spectra obtained permitted possible fragmentation schemes to be proposed. These were supported by accurate mass measurements of some characteristic diagnostic ions with the help of a quadrupole time-of-flight instrument. The negative ion ESI-MS/MS behaviour of the different glucosinolates investigated in this study confirmed previously described patterns and revealed new interesting structural informative fragments. Some are common to all the glucosinolates and others are highly specific for a type of variable side chain. The positive ion ESI-MS/MS fragments obtained from the [MNa+Na]+ or [MK+K]+ molecular ions did not provide complementary specific diagnostic ions. Nevertheless, when compared with the negative ion mode, the daughter ions appeared more homogenous and with a better relative abundance for all of the 12 compounds studied. Moreover, the positive ion mode appeared to be more efficient than the negative mode for the study of methoxylated glucosinolates and should be useful to detect the glucosinolates present as organic salts in crude plant extracts.     

Proteome analysis of Escherichia coli using high-performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The basic problem of complexity poses a significant challenge for proteomic studies. To date two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by enzymatic in-gel digestion of the peptides, and subsequent identification by mass spectrometry (MS) is the most commonly used method to analyze complex protein mixtures. However, 2-DE is a slow and labor-intensive technique, which is not able to resolve all proteins of a proteome. To overcome these limitations gel-free approaches are developed based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). The high resolution and excellent mass accuracy of FT-ICR MS provides a basis for simultaneous analysis of numerous compounds. In the present study, a small protein subfraction of an Escherichia coli cell lysate was prepared by size-exclusion chromatography and proteins were analyzed using C4 reversed phase (RP)-HPLC for pre-separation followed by C18 RP nanoHPLC/nanoESI FT-ICR MS for analysis of the peptide mixtures after tryptic digestion of the protein fractions. We identified 231 proteins and thus demonstrated that a combination of two RP separation steps - one on the protein and one on the peptide level - in combination with high-resolution FT-ICR MS has the potential to become a powerful method for global proteomics studies.     

Systemic lupus erythematosus: molecular cloning and analysis of 22 individual recombinant monoclonal kappa light chains specifically hydrolyzing human myelin basic protein

Antibodies hydrolyzing myelin basic protein (MBP) can play an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). An immunoglobulin light chain phagemid library derived from peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with SLE was used. Small pools of phage particles displaying light chains with different affinities for MBP were isolated by affinity chromatography on MBP‐Sepharose, and the fraction eluted with 0.5 M NaCl was used for preparation of individual monoclonal light chains (MLChs, 26–27 kDa). Seventy‐two of 440 individual colonies were randomly chosen, expressed in Escherichia coli in a soluble form, and MLChs were purified by metal chelating chromatography. Twenty‐two of 72 MLChs have high affinity and efficiently hydrolyze only MBP (not other control proteins) demonstrating various pH optima in a 5.7–9.0 range and different substrate specificity in the hydrolysis of four different MBP oligopeptides. Four MLChs demonstrated serine protease‐like and three thiol protease‐like activities, while 11 MLChs were metalloproteases. The activity of three MLChs was inhibited by both phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), two other by EDTA and iodoacetamide, and one by PMSF, EDTA, and iodoacetamide. The ratio of relative activity in the presence of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺_, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Co²⁺ was individual for each of 22 MLCh preparations. It is the first examples of human MLChs, which probably can possess two or even three different proteolytic activities. These observations suggest an extreme diversity of anti‐MBP abzymes in SLE patients. The immune systems of individual SLE patients can generate a variety of anti‐MBP abzymes, which can attack MBP of myelin‐proteolipid sheath of axons and play an important role in MS and SLE pathogenesis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.