Immunoglobulin specificity of TG19318: a novel synthetic ligand for antibody affinity purification

A synthetic ligand [TG19318], able to mimic protein A in the recognition of the immunoglobulin Fc portion, has been previously identified in our laboratory through the synthesis and screening of multimeric combinatorial peptide libraries. In this study we have fully characterized its applicability in affinity chromatography for the downstream processing of antibodies, examining the specificity and selectivity for polyclonal and monoclonal immunoglobulins derived from different sources. Ligand specificity was broader than protein A, since IgG deriving from human, cow, horse, pig, mouse, rat, rabbit, goat and sheep sera, IgY obtained from egg yolk, and IgM, IgA and IgE were efficiently purified on TG19318 affinity columns. Adsorbed antibodies were conveniently eluted by a buffer change to 0.1 M acetic acid or 0.1 M sodium bicarbonate pH 9, with full retention of immunological properties. Monoclonal antibodies deriving from cell culture supernatants or ascitic fluids were also conveniently purified on TG19318 affinity columns, even from very diluted samples. The affinity constant for the TG19318-IgG interaction was 0.3 microM, as determined by optical biosensor measurements. Under optimized conditions, antibody purity after affinity purification was close to 95%, as determined by densitometric scanning of SDS-PAGE gels of purified fractions, and maximal column capacity reached 25 mg Ig/ml support. In vivo toxicity studies in mice indicated a ligand oral toxicity greater than 2000 mg kg-1 while intravenous toxicity was close to 150 mg kg-1. Validation of antibody affinity purification processes for therapeutic use, a very complex, laborious and costly procedure, is going to be simplified by the use of TG19318, which could reduce considerably the presence of biological contaminants in the purified preparation, a very recurrent problem when using recombinant or extractive biomolecules as affinity ligands.     

Modified hydroxyalkyl methacrylate gel as a support for immobilization of yeast cells

Summary Whole cells of Zygosaccharomyces lactis have been covalently linked to fine-grained hydroxyalkyl methacrylate gel Spheron P 1000 E which was prepared by treatment with epichlorhydrin and modified by an amine spacer. Experiments on the coupling of permeabilized and non-permeabilized cells to this gel support have shown that immobilized cell agregates may be obtained by the immobilization of thermally permeabilized cells. Cell clustering can be bypassed by immobilizing non-permeabilized cells. This immobilization procedure makes additional permeabilization possible.     

Evaluation of different linker regions for multimerization and coupling chemistry for immobilization of a proteinaceous affinity ligand

Alkaline conditions are generally preferred for sanitization of chromatography media by cleaning-in-place (CIP) protocols in industrial biopharmaceutical processes. The use of such rigorous conditions places stringent demands on the stability of ligands intended for use in affinity chromatography. Here, we describe efforts to meet these requirements for a divalent proteinaceous human serum albumin (HSA) binding ligand, denoted ABD*dimer. The ABD*dimer ligand was constructed by genetic head-to-tail linkage of two copies of the ABD* moiety, which is a monovalent and alkali-stabilized variant of one of the serum albumin-binding motifs of streptococcal protein G. Dimerization was performed to investigate whether a higher HSA-binding capacity could be obtained by ligand multimerization. We also investigated the influence on alkaline stability and HSA-binding capacity of three variants (VDANS, VDADS and GGGSG) of the inter-domain linker. Biosensor binding studies showed that divalent ligands coupled using non-directed chemistry demonstrate an increased molar HSA-binding capacity compared with monovalent ligands. In contrast, equal molar binding capacities were observed for both types of ligands when using directed ligand coupling chemistry involving the introduction and recruitment of a unique C-terminal cysteine residue. Significantly higher molar binding capacities were also detected when using the directed coupling chemistry. These results were confirmed in affinity chromatography binding capacity experiments, using resins containing thiol-coupled ligands. Interestingly, column sanitization studies involving exposure to 0.1 M NaOH solution (pH 13) showed that of all the tested constructs, including the monovalent ligand, the divalent ligand construct containing the VDADS linker sequence was the most stable, retaining 95% of its binding capacity after 7 h of alkaline treatment.     

Production of antibody against T-2 toxin.

Antibody against T-2 toxin was obtained after immunization of rabbits with bovine serum albumin-T-2 hemisuccinate conjugate. The antibody had greatest binding efficiency for T-2 toxin, less efficiency for HT-2, and least for T-2 triol. Cross-reaction of antibody with neosolaniol, T-2 tetraol, and 8-acetyl-neosolaniol was very weak. Diacetoxyscirpenol, trichodermin, vomitoxin, and verrucarin A essentially gave no cross-reaction with the antibody. The sensitivity of the binding assay for T-2 toxin detection was in the range of 1 to 20 ng per assay. Detailed methods for the preparation of the conjugate and the production of immune serum and methods for antibody determination are described.     

A green approach toward antibody purification: a sustainable biomimetic ligand for direct immobilization on (bio)polymeric supports

This paper presents a sustainable strategy for improving the capture of antibodies by affinity chromatography. A novel biomimetic ligand (4‐((4‐chloro‐6‐(3‐hydroxyphenoxy)‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)oxy)naphthalen‐1‐ol) (TPN‐BM) was synthesized using a greener and simple protocol to overcome solubility limitations associated with ligand 22/8, known as artificial protein A. Furthermore, its subsequent immobilization on chitosan‐based monoliths induced by plasma surface activation allowed the design of a fast and efficient chromatographic platform for immunoglobulin G (IgG) purification. The TPN‐BM functionalized monoliths exhibited high‐binding capacity (160 ± 10 mg IgG per gram of support), and a selective capture of monoclonal antibodies directly from mammalian crude extracts in 85 ± 5% yield and 98% of purity. The synthesis of ligand TPN‐BM and the routes followed for monoliths preparation and functionalization were inspired in the green chemistry principles allowing the reduction of processing time, solvents and purification steps involved, turning the integrated system attractive from an economical and chemical point of view. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The human multicatalytic proteinase: affinity purification using a monoclonal antibody

A monoclonal antibody, coupled to Sepharose CL-4B, was used for the rapid purification of the human multicatalytic proteinase in a single chromatographic step under mild conditions. The enzyme was homogeneous as judged by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis under dissociating and reducing conditions revealed at least ten components with molecular masses in the range 22-34 kDa. Affinity-purified enzyme was identical to conventionally purified enzyme with respect to enzymatic properties, molecular mass and subunit composition.     

Optimization of a ligand immobilization and azide group endcapping concept via "Click-Chemistry" for the preparation of adsorbents for antibody purification

This report describes and compares different strategies to deactivate (endcap) epoxide groups and azide groups on bio-chromatographic support surfaces, before and after ligand attachment. Adsorbents possessing epoxide groups were deactivated using acidic hydrolysis or were endcapped with 2-mercaptoethanol or 2-ethanolamine. The influence of surface-bound 2-ethanolamine was demonstrated for the triazine-type affinity adsorbent B14-2LP-FractoAIMs-1, which was tested in combination with the weak anion exchange material 3-aminoquinuclidine-FractoAIMs-3 (AQ-FA3). Azide groups were modified with 2-propargylalcohol using Click-Chemistry. Besides the conventional one-pot Click reaction, an alternative approach was introduced. This optimized Click protocol was employed (i) for the preparation of the weak anion exchange material AdQ-triazole-Fractogel (AdQ-TRZ-FG) and (ii) for the endcapping of residual azide groups with 3-propargyl alcohol. Using the new Click reaction protocol the ligand immobilization rate was doubled from 250 to 500 μmol/g dry adsorbent. Furthermore, the modified support surface was proven to be inert towards the binding of immunoglobulin G (IgG) as well as feed impurities. A thorough evaluation of modified surfaces and adsorbents was performed with dynamic binding experiments using cell culture supernatant containing monoclonal human immunoglobulin G (h-IgG-1). Besides SDS-Page, a recently introduced Protein A-size exclusion HPLC method (PSEC-HPLC) was used to visualize the feed impurity composition and the IgG content of all collected sample fractions in simple PSEC-Plots. A surprising outcome of this study was the irreversible binding of IgG to azide modified surfaces. It was found that organic azide compounds, e.g. 1-azide-3-(2-propen-1-yloxy)-2-propanol (AGE-N3) promote antibody aggregation to a slightly higher extent than the inorganic sodium azide. The possibility that the Hofmeister Series of salt anions may be applicable to predict the properties of the corresponding organic compounds is discussed.     

T-2 toxin impairment of murine response to Salmonella typhimurium: a histopathologic assessment

T-2 toxin and other trichothecene mycotoxins experimentally impair normal immune function and may predispose humans and animals to infectious disease. In this study, the histopathologic effects of Salmonella typhimurium challenge concurrently with sublethal T-2 toxin exposure were examined in the Salmonella-resistant C3H/HeN mouse. Oral administration of T-2 toxin (1 mg/kg) every other day for 10 d had little effect on the tissues examined when compared to control animals. Mice challenged with S. typhimurium and then treated with T-2 toxin every other day for 10 d had markedly larger and more bacterial-related lesions in the spleens, kidneys, and livers than animals challenged with S. typhimurium alone. Differences in bone marrow, Peyer's patches and ileal tissues were less discernable between S. typhimurium and S. typhimurium plus T-2 toxin treated groups. These results were consistent with previous findings that T-2 toxin compromised murine resistance to S. typhimurium infection and ultimately caused death in animals challenged with a sublethal dose of the organism.     

Comparative effects of trichothecene mycotoxins on bovine platelet function: Acetyl T-2 toxin,a more potent inhibitor than T-2 toxin

The effects of the trichothecene mycotoxins (acetyl T-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, palmityl T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), deoxynivalenol (DON), and T-2 tetraol) on bovine platelet function were examined in homologous plasma stimulated with platelet activating factor (PAF). The mycotoxins inhibited platelet function with the following order of potency: acetyl T-2 toxin > palmityl T-2 toxin = DAS > HT-2 toxin = T-2 toxin. While T-2 tetraol was completely ineffective as an inhibitor, DON exhibited minimal inhibitory activity at concentrations above 10×10^?4M. The stability of the platelet aggregates formed was significantly reduced in all mycotoxin treated platelets compared to that of the untreated PAF controls. It is suggested that the increased sensitivity of PAF stimulated bovine platelets to the more lipophilic mycotoxins may be related to their more efficient partitioning into the platelet membrane compared to the more hydrophilic compounds.     

Avidin column as a highly efficient and stable alternative for immobilization of ligands for affinity chromatography

The avidin/biotin system was applied as a general mediator in the adsorption/desorption or immobilization of biologically active macromolecules to solid supports. In this context, model biotinylated proteins (lectins and antibodies) were attached to avidin-coupled Sepharose. As examples for affinity chromatography, peanut agglutinin and anti-transferrin antibody were used to isolate asialofetuin and transferrin, respectively. The capacity and product yields were significantly better than those achieved with conventional affinity chromatography on CNBr-activated Sepharose columns containing the same lectin or antibody. Moreover, the columns were characterized by improved stability properties exhibiting remarkably low levels of leakage.     

Laccase mediator system for activation of agarose gel: Application for immobilization of proteins

Cross-linked Sepharose beads were treated with laccase–TEMPO system for oxidation of the primary alcohol groups on the sugar moieties. Optimal activation conditions using Trametes versicolor laccase were at pH 5 and 22 °C, giving an aldehyde content of 55 μmol g⁻¹ Sepharose with 28 units g⁻¹ of laccase and 12.5 mM TEMPO. The activated Sepharose was used for immobilization of trypsin as model protein. Highest degree of immobilization was obtained at pH 10.5 but the activity yield was only 31% of that loaded on the gel. The yield of gel bound trypsin activity was increased to 76% (corresponding to about 43 U g⁻¹ Sepharose) when the immobilization was performed in the presence of trypsin inhibitor, benzamidine. The immobilization yields were comparable to that obtained on the matrix activated using sodium periodate (containing 72 μmol aldehyde per g Sepharose). Recycling and storage of the immobilized trypsin preparations showed high stability of the enzyme bound to laccase–TEMPO activated gel.     

Light-induced activation of an inert surface for covalent immobilization of a protein ligand.

A simple and mild procedure is developed for the preparation of an activated polymer surface, used for immobilization of a protein ligand through a covalent linkage. Activation of the polymer surface is carried out by attaching an active functional group through 1-fluoro-2-nitro-4-azidobenzene (FNAB). UV irradiation of FNAB transforms its azido group into a highly reactive nitrene, which binds with the inert polymer surface, whereas the active fluoro group of FNAB, now part of the polymer, remains intact. Covalent linkage between the ligand and the inert surface is established through this active fluoro group in a thermochemical reaction. The photochemical step is carried out under dry conditions to exclude the possibility of undesirable reactions between the solvent and the highly reactive nitrene. The method can be used for activation of different inert polymer surfaces having carbon hydrogen bonds. The efficacy of our method is demonstrated by immobilizing horseradish peroxidase on an activated polystyrene surface. The enzyme, immobilized through the photolinker, is found to give a twofold increase in absorbance with the substrate as compared to the directly adsorbed enzyme. The method may have many applications in the preparation of bioreactors, biostrips, and biosensors, and in diagnostic tests involving the ELISA technique.     

Activation of Sepharose with epichlorohydrin and subsequent immobilization of ligand for affinity adsorbent.

The optimal conditions for the activation of Sepharose by epichlorohydrin and subsequent immobilization of ligands were investigated. Under the optimal conditions for activation, namely, 30% Sepharose-5% epichlorohydrin-0.4 M NaOH, 40 degrees C, 2 h, the maximum amount of epoxy group was introduced into Sepharose with low cross-linking. The absorbents obtained by using N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, tri-N-acetylchitotriose, and glycoprotein as a ligand exhibited no nonspecific adsorption and good permeability for the high molecular substance to be purified, and were stable in an alkaline solution. Solanum tuberosum agglutinin was specifically adsorbed on a tri-N-acetylchitotriose-Sepharose column and was quantitatively recovered by elution with 0.2 M ammonia solution. Furthermore, the column could be repeatedly used under these conditions without reduction of its capacity.     

Oriented antibody immobilization to polystyrene macrocarriers for immunoassay modified with hydrazide derivatives of poly(meth)acrylic acid

Background  

Hydrophobic polystyrene is the most common material for solid phase immunoassay. Proteins are immobilized on polystyrene by passive adsorption, which often causes considerable denaturation. Biological macromolecules were found to better retain their functional activity when immobilized on hydrophilic materials. Polyacrylamide is a common material for solid-phase carriers of biological macromolecules, including immunoreagents used in affinity chromatography. New macroformats for immunoassay modified with activated polyacrylamide derivatives seem to be promising.     

A high-capacity affinity gel for the purification of the testicular lutropin receptor

The lutropin (LH) receptor from porcine testes was solubilized with 1% Triton X-100. The final solution was centrifuged at 100,000 X g and the supernatant was concentrated on a PM30 Amicon membrane. The concentrate was then specifically retained on an affinity gel with human choriogonadotropin (hCG) covalently grafted by its sugar moiety. The agarose affinity gel bore adipic acid hydrazide spacer arms (6 carbon length). Prior to coupling, the subunits of hCG were crosslinked with 1-ethyl-3-(dimethylamino propyl) carbodiimide and the sialic acid residues were subjected to periodate oxidation to yield aldehyde groups which could react with the hydrazides of the gel. 90% of the receptor contained in the solution incubated with this gel was retained and eluted at pH 3.2 with a purification factor greater than 700, versus a 26% yield and a purification factor of 40 with an affinity gel bearing hCG linked through its lysine epsilon-amines.     

Affinophoresis in two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis: specific separation of biomolecules by a moving affinity ligand

Affinophoresis is an electrophoretic separation technique for biomolecules which uses an affinophore. An affinophore is a macromolecular polyelectrolyte bearing affinity ligands. It migrates rapidly in an electric field, and consequently the electrophoretic mobility of molecules having affinity for the ligand is specifically changed. This technique has now been incorporated in two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis in a procedure which utilizes normal electrophoresis in the first dimension and affinophoresis in the second dimension. Proteins which do not have affinity for the ligand migrate to locations along a diagonal line passing through the origin, whereas proteins which have affinity are carried away from the line by the affinophore. Accordingly, molecules having affinity for the ligand can be readily assigned. Trypsins contained in Pronase and pancreatin were separated by this procedure using an affinophore bearing a competitive inhibitor for trypsin, benzamidine, on a polyanionic molecule (a polyacrylic acid derivative).     

Production of T-2 toxin by a Fusarium resembling Fusarium poae

A Fusarium species with a micro morphology similar to F. poae and a metabolite profile resembling that of F. sporotrichioides has been identified. Like typical F. poae, the microconidia have a globose to pyriform shape, but the powdery appearance, especially on Czapek-Dox Iprodione Dichloran agar (CZID), less aerial mycelium and the lack of fruity odour on Potato Sucrose Agar (PSA) make it different from F. poae. The lack of macroconidia, polyphialides and chlamydospores differentiates it from F. sporotrichioides. All 18 isolates investigated, 15 Norwegian, two Austrian and one Dutch, produced T-2 toxin (25–400 μg/g) on PSA or Yeast Extract Sucrose agar (YES). In addition, neosolaniol, iso-neosolaniol, HT-2 toxin, 4- and 15-acetyl T-2 tetraol, T-2 triol and T-2 tetraol and4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol were formed in variable amounts. Neither nivalenol, 4- or 15-acetylnivalenolor 4,15-diacetylnivalenol were detected in any of the cultures, while these toxins were produced at least in small amounts by all the 12 typical F. poae isolates studied. The question of whether this Fusarium should be classified as F. poae or F. sporotrichioides or a separate taxon should be addressed. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The AviD-tag, a NeutrAvidin/avidin specific peptide affinity tag for the immobilization and purification of recombinant proteins

The widespread success of affinity tags throughout the biological sciences has prompted interest in developing new and convenient labeling strategies. Affinity tags are well-established tools for recombinant protein immobilization and purification. More recently these tags have been utilized for selective biological targeting towards multiplexed protein detection in numerous imaging applications as well as for drug-delivery. Recently, we discovered a phage-display selected cyclic peptide motif that was shown to bind selectively to NeutrAvidin and avidin but not to the structurally similar streptavidin. Here, we have exploited this selectivity to develop an affinity tag based on the evolved DRATPY moiety that is orthogonal to known Strep-tag technologies. As proof of principle, the divalent AviD-tag (Avidin-Di-tag) was expressed as a Green Fluorescent Protein variant conjugate and exhibited superior immobilization and elution characteristics to the first generation Strep-tag and a monovalent DRATPY GFP-fusion protein analogue. Additionally, we demonstrate the potential for a peptide based orthogonal labeling strategy involving our divalent AviD-tag in concert with existing streptavidin-based affinity reagents. We believe the AviD-tag and its unique recognition properties will provide researchers with a useful new affinity reagent and tool for a variety of applications in the biological and chemical sciences.     

Influence of the antibody purification method on immunoassay performance: hapten-antibody binding in accordance with the structure of the affinity column ligand.

The effects of ligands for immunoaffinity chromatography on the immunoassay were investigated with three goat anti-methamphetamine (anti-MA) antibodies (Abs). An N-4-aminobutyl derivative of methamphetamine (4-ABMA) was conjugated with proteins and used as immunogens. All the antisera produced were purified by affinity chromatography with various ligands of 4-ABMA-proteins and of haptens as well as protein G: 4-ABMA-bovine serum albumin (4-ABMA-BSA), 4-ABMA-keyhole limpet hemocyanine (4-ABMA-KLH), 4-ABMA-ovalbumin (4-ABMA-OVA), MA, 4-ABMA, and amphetamine were used as ligands. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to examine characteristics of the purified Abs with the 4-ABMA-OVA competitor coated. The results obtained revealed that characters of the purified Abs were closely related with chemical structures of ligands used. The Abs from the MA and the amphetamine columns showed better sensitivities than those from the others in each antiserum. Particularly, the Ab from the amphetamine column gave the best results in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The recognition or the affinity of the Ab selected was considered to be affected by the structure of the ligand concerned. These results suggest that the Ab purification method should be considered as an important parameter which has great influence on the performance of immunoassays with polyclonal Abs.