Thiolations, 99mTc labelings, and animal in vivo biodistributions of divalent monoclonal antibody fragments.

A number of divalent monoclonal antibody fragments have been derivatized with a bifunctional reagent containing a latent thiol group, and the conjugates were thiol-deprotected by exposure to aqueous hydroxylamine. This two-step procedure enabled convenient 99mTc labeling of thiolated MAb divalent fragments, using either performed 99mTc-glucoheptonate or [99mTc] pertechnetate and single-vial lyophilized formulations of the conjugate and tin. Nonspecific incorporation of radiolabel was negligible, if any, when using nonthiolated antibodies. In animal biodistributions, in nude mice bearing LS174T human colon carcinoma xenografts, the 99mTc-labeled MAb divalent fragments studied were found to result in a 3-fold reduction in the kidney uptake of radioactivity at 24 h, compared to a 99mTc-Fab, and also to lead to improvements in other tumor:nontumor ratios.

Effect of VK framework-1 glycosylation on the binding affinity of lymphoma-specific murine and chimeric LL2 antibodies and its potential use as a novel conjugation site.

A potential asparagine (Asn)-linked glycosylation site was identified in the VK FRI sequence of an anti-B lymphoma monoclonal antibody (MAb), LL2.SDS-PAGE analysis and endo-F treatment of both murine and chimeric LL2 antibodies indicated that this site was glycosylated; however, no differences in the binding affinity to Raji cells were observed between the native murine LL2 and the endo-F-deglycosylated murine LL2 antibodies. Elimination of the glycosylation site from the chimeric LL2 antibody was accomplished by an Asn to Gln mutation in the tri-acceptor site found in the light chain. The resultant aglycosylated chimeric LL2 exhibited a similar Raji cell binding affinity to that of the glycosylated form. The results are in agreement with computer modeling studies which suggested the lack of interactions between the oligosaccharide moiety and the CDRs. The finding is interesting because it enables a wider choice of human framework sequences, which in most cases do not have a corresponding glycosylation site, for the humanization of the LL2 VK domain, as well as a greater latitude of host expression systems. Most importantly, the LL2 VK carbohydrate moiety might be used as a novel conjugation site for drugs and radionuclides without compromising the immunoreactivity of the antibody.

Characterization of second-generation monoclonal antibodies against carcinoembryonic antigen.

BACKGROUND: A second-generation panel of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) has been generated, and the specificity has been compared with that of the first panel of MoAb used to differentiate meconium antigen (MA) from CEA. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four of the MoAb had similar specificities to the first-generation panel of NP MoAb. MN-15, like its first-generation equivalent, NP-1, reacts with normal cross-reactive antigen (NCA), MA, and CEA; both MN-15 and NP-1 react strongly with granulocytes. MN-2 has properties similar to Class II NP-2, being reactive with MA and CEA, cross-blocking binding to CEA by NP-1, and having low reactivity with granulocytes; both NP-2 and MN-2 stain granulocytes in frozen tissue sections but show minimal staining of granulocytes in sections fixed in formaldehyde solution and embedded in Paraplast (Fischer Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA). MN-14 demonstrates properties similar to the Class III anti-CEA-specific MoAb, NP-4, being unreactive with NCA and MA. MN-14, as compared with NP-4, demonstrated significantly superior tumor targeting in a human colon tumor xenograft model and consistently stronger staining of frozen sections of colon cancer. A fifth MoAb, MN-3, had properties uniquely different from the NP series of MoAb, reacting strongly with granulocytes but not demonstrating the liquid-phase ion-sensitivity binding of CEA exhibited by MN-15 and NP-1. CONCLUSIONS: MN-14 is being evaluated for radioimmunodetection of and radioimmunotherapy for CEA-containing cancers, whereas MN-3 is being studied for the radioimmunodetection of occult infections and sites of inflammation.

Microheterogeneity of a purified IgG1 due to asymmetric Fab glycosylation.

A murine monoclonal anti-granulocyte IgG1, IMMU-MN3, was seen to exhibit heterogeneity. On reduced SDS-PAGE, the purified antibody appeared as two heavy-chain bands of unequal intensity, and only one light-chain band. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) also resolved two populations of the IMMU-MN3 antibody. Based on Concanavalin A affinity chromatography, enzymatic digestion with Endoglycosidase F and carbohydrate analysis, it was found that the heterogeneity detected by SDS-PAGE and HIC was due to differences in glycosylation. Furthermore, sequential gel analysis (non-reduced/reduced) demonstrated that the upper heavy-chain band was asymmetrically glycosylated.

Preclinical evaluation of an "instant" 99mTc-labeling kit for antibody imaging.

This communication presents information on the quality and stability of a new conjugate of 99mTc to an anticancer antibody fragment and results of animal imaging and distribution studies. Clinical studies have proved that this labeled antibody can image tumors within 2 hours of i.v. injection. It is produced using an "instant kit," merely requiring addition of [99mTc]pertechnetate to a lyophilized vial containing the fragment and a pertechnetate-reducing agent. Within 5 min of addition of pertechnetate to the vial containing the fragment, [99mTc]pertechnetate is reduced and quantitatively bound to an intrinsic high-affinity receptor present in the Fab'. The Fab'-bound 99mTc is completely stable to challenge with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and human serum albumin. Minimal oxidation and release of 99mTc bound to the fragment were observed when the labeled fragment was incubated for 24 h at 37 degrees C. Animal biodistribution studies were consistent with the known metabolic elimination of a radiolabeled Fab' fragment by the kidney. Tumor localization studies in athymic nude mice bearing xenografts of human colonic carcinoma (GW-39) predicted the positive results later demonstrated in clinical studies.

Qualitative analysis of skeletal myosin as substrate of Ca2+-activated neutral protease: comparison of filamentous and soluble, native, and L2-deficient myosin.

Ca2+ -activated neutral protease (CAF) was capable of degrading myosin over a 200-fold range of protease concentrations. CAF selected the heavy chain of myosin, although either prolonged exposure to or high concentrations of the protease degraded the L1, but not the L2 or L3, light chains of myosin. The following results indicated that during the first hour of digestion, under conditions where native myosin was the substrate, CAF selected for the "head" region of the myosin heavy chain: (a) large heavy chain fragments of identical molecular weight were produced from filamentous and from soluble myosin; (b) light meromyosin was not a substrate; (c) agents known to bind to the head of myosin (actin, MgATP, and L2) had both a qualitative and quantitative effect on degradation; and (d) similar cleavage sites could be demonstrated for myosin and for heavy meromyosin (HMM) despite the fact that HMM was a much poorer substrate than myosin. This observation is interpreted as an indication that the conformation of myosin heavy chain is altered in the preparation of HMM. The principal cleavage sites on the heavy chain of myosin were 20,000, 35,000 and 50,000 D from the N-terminus, producing large fragments with molecular weights of 180,000, 165,000, and 150,000 which comprised a "nicked" species of myosin. This nicked species retained both normal solubility properties and normal hydrolytic activities. For this reason, it is concluded that "nicked myosin" is an important pathophysiological species.

Identification of ribophorins in rough microsomal membranes from different organs of several species.

Microsomes prepared from several animal sources were analyzed for the presence of proteins corresponding to the ribophorins (I and II) which have been previously characterized in rat liver rough microsomes and appear to be involved in the binding of polysomes to endoplasmic reticulum membranes. In rough microsomal membranes from rat lacrimal gland, rabbit liver, dog and chicken pancreas, and mouse myeloma, ribophorin-like polypeptides with similar electrophoretic mobilities were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In all cases the polypeptides remained associated with sedimentable polysomes after solubilization of the microsomal membranes with nonionic detergents. Ribophorin-like polypeptides were absent from smooth microsomes. Antibodies raised against each rat liver ribophorin, purified by preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoprecipitated only the corresponding polypeptide, indicating no crossreactivity between ribophorins I and II. These antibodies also immunoprecipitated the homologous ribophorins found in microsomal preparations from other organs and species.

Characterization of the ribosomal binding site in rat liver rough microsomes: ribophorins I and II, two integral membrane proteins related to ribosome binding.

Rat liver rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes (ER) contain two characteristic transmembrane glycoproteins which have been designated ribophorins I and II and are absent from smooth ER membranes. These proteins (MW 65,000 and 63,000 respectively) are related to the binding sites for ribosomes, as suggested by the following findings: i) The ribophorin content of the rough ER membranes corresponds stoichiometrically to the number of bound ribosomes; ii) ribophorins are quantitatively recovered with the bound polysomes after most other ER membrane proteins are dissolved with the nonionic detergent Kyro EOB; iii) in intact rough microsomes ribophorins can be cross-linked chemically to the ribosomes and therefore are in close proximity to them. Treatment of rough microsomes with a low Triton-X-100 concentration leads to the lateral displacement of ribosomes on the microsomal surface and to the formation of aggregates of bound ribosomes in areas of membranes which frequently invaginate into the microsomal lumen. Subfractionation of Triton-treated microsomes containing invaginations led to the recovery of smooth and "rough-inverted" vesicles. Ribophorins were present only in the latter fraction, indicating that both proteins are displaced together with the ribosomes when these aggregate without detaching. Measurements of the ribosome-binding capacity of rough and smooth microsomal membranes reconstituted after solubilization with detergents suggest that ribophorins are necessary for in vitro ribosome binding. Ribophorin-like proteins were found in rough microsomes obtained from secretory tissues of several animal species. The two proteins present in rat lacrimal gland microsomes have the same mobility as hepatocyte ribophorins and cross-react with antisera against them.