Sequencing a Bispecific Antibody by Controlling Chain Concentration Effects When Using an Immobilized Nonspecific Protease

Anal Chem. 2020 Aug 4;92(15):10470-10477. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01126. Epub 2020 Jul 13.

Abstract

Complete sequence coverage of monospecific antibodies was previously achieved using immobilized aspergillopepsin I in a single LC-MS/MS analysis. Bispecific antibodies are asymmetrical compared to their monospecific antibody counterparts, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of individual subunits. Four standard proteins were used to characterize the effect of a decrease in concentration when using this immobilized enzyme reactor. Low concentration samples resulted in the elimination of large peptide products due to a greater number of enzymatic cleavages. A competitive inhibitor rich in arginine residues reduced the number of enzymatic cleavages to the protein and retained large molecular weight products. The digestion of a bispecific antibody with competitive inhibition of aspergillopepsin I maintained large peptide products better suited for sequence reconstruction, resulting in complete sequence coverage from a single LC-MS/MS analysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antibodies, Bispecific / chemistry*
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / chemistry
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Base Sequence
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / chemistry
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / metabolism*
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein / methods*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bispecific
  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • aspergillopepsin I