Advancement of microfluidic modulation spectroscopy as a highly sensitive protein characterization technique for the detection of small structural changes.

The higher order structure (HOS) of a protein is vital to its function and activity, making it a critical component in the development of protein-based therapeutics. Characterization of HOS can be performed using various biophysical techniques, but many of these methods have limitations such as low throughput, complicated workflow, narrow concentration range, and low sensitivity. Microfluidic Modulation Spectroscopy (MMS) is an emerging technology that addresses these limitations, offering high sensitivity and automated analysis for protein secondary structure. This study evaluates and compares the different well plate formats and scan modes of two MMS instruments. The newer Apollo system features a high throughput 96-well plate format and sweep scan mode that allows a 50% reduction in sample volume consumption and measurement time compared to the previous system. By measuring two proteins with drastically different secondary structures, the results demonstrated that the measurements were highly repeatable (>99% repeatability by area of overlap) regardless of the well plate formats or the scan modes. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for determining structural impurity using the sweep scan mode was 3.2% and significantly better than that of FTIR at 23% from previous studies. This work highlighted the advancement of MMS as a highly sensitive technique to detect small changes of protein structures due to aggregation or misfolding.

Advancing secondary structure characterization of monoclonal antibodies using Microfluidic Modulation Spectroscopy.

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is rapidly gaining traction for monitoring biotherapeutic critical quality attributes. Microfluidic Modulation Spectroscopy (MMS), a novel automated IR technology, has been shown to be an effective technique for generating high quality, reproducible secondary structure data for protein therapeutics including monoclonal antibodies. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 50 mg/mL were analyzed and high-quality data was obtained by optimizing two critical acquisition parameters (a) sample modulation frequency and (b) detector dwell time settings. The ability to generate reproducible data with high sensitivity at low formulation concentrations indicates that MMS is a reliable method for evaluating the secondary structure of low concentration biotherapeutic formulations and modalities.

Determination of the experimental extinction coefficient of therapeutic proteins using the Edelhoch method.

The objective of this study was to determine how the theoretical values of the extinction coefficient (EC) compares to the experimentally determined extinction coefficient for a large set of biotherapeutic proteins measured by the Edelhoch method. We have performed extensive analysis based on over 176 observations covering 19 different types of molecules from different structural classes covering mAbs, bispecific antibodies, fusion proteins and BiTE molecules. Precision was measured by assessing the repeatability of the measurements for each molecule and determining the relative standard deviation (%RSD). The maximum RSD observed for any given molecule was 1.7% with an average RSD of 0.9%. Deviation from the theoretical extinction coefficient was determined by calculating the experimental bias first, which is the difference between the mean experimental extinction coefficient and the theoretical extinction coefficient. The percent bias (%bias) was then calculated as (bias ÷ theoretical EC) × 100. The maximum %bias observed for any given molecule was 5.3% with an average %bias of 2.6%. Our results indicate that the Edelhoch method is highly reliable with significant improvement in execution efficiency with reduction in cost, time and improvements in safety when compared to the commonly used methods such as amino acid analysis (AAA) technique.

Use of the 2D 1H-13C HSQC NMR Methyl Region to Evaluate the Higher Order Structural Integrity of Biopharmaceuticals.

The higher-order structure (HOS) of protein therapeutics is directly related to the function and represents a critical quality attribute. Currently, the HOS of protein therapeutics is characterized by methods with low to medium structural resolution, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD), intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy (FLD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods have now been introduced, representing powerful approaches for HOS characterization (HOS by NMR). NMR is a multi-attribute method with unique abilities to give information on all structural levels of proteins in solution. In this study, we have compared 2D 1H-13C HSQC NMR with two established biophysical methods, i.e., near-ultraviolet circular dichroism (NUV-CD) and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, for the HOS assessments for the folded and unfolded states of two monoclonal antibodies belonging to the subclasses IgG1 and IgG2. The study shows that the methyl region of the 1H-13C HSQC NMR spectrum is sensitive to both the secondary and tertiary structure of proteins and therefore represents a powerful tool in assessing the overall higher-order structural integrity of biopharmaceutical molecules.

Proton Relay Network in the Bacterial P450s: CYP101A1 and CYP101D1.

Cytochrome P450s are among nature's most powerful catalysts. Their ability to activate molecular dioxygen to form high-valent ferryl intermediates (Compounds I and II) enables a wide array of chemistries ranging from simple epoxidations to more complicated C-H bond oxidations. Oxygen activation is achieved by reduction of the ferrous dioxygen complex, which requires the transfer of an electron from a redox partner and subsequent double protonation to yield a water molecule and a ferryl porphyrin π-cation radical (Compound I). Previous studies of the CYP101 family of cytochrome P450s demonstrated the importance of the conserved active site Asp25X residue in this protonation event, although its precise role is yet to be unraveled. To further explore the origin of protons in oxygen activation, we analyzed the effects of an Asp to Glu mutation at the 25X position in P450cam and in CYP101D1. This mutation inactivates P450cam but not CYP101D1. A series of mutagenic, crystallographic, kinetic, and molecular dynamics studies indicate that this mutation locks P450cam into a closed, inactive conformation. In CYP101D1, the D259E mutant changes the rate-limiting step to reduction of the P450-oxy complex, thus opening a window into the critical proton-coupled electron transfer step in P450 catalysis.

Unexpected Differences between Two Closely Related Bacterial P450 Camphor Monooxygenases.

The bacterial cytochrome P450cam catalyzes the oxidation of camphor to 5-exo-hydroxycamphor as the first step in the oxidative assimilation of camphor as a carbon/energy source. CYP101D1 is another bacterial P450 that catalyzes the same reaction. A third P450 (P450tcu) has recently been discovered that has ≈86% sequence identity to P450cam as well as very similar enzymatic properties. P450tcu, however, exhibits three unusual features not found in P450cam. First, we observe product in at least two orientations in the X-ray structure that indicates that, unlike the case for P450cam, X-ray-generated reducing equivalents can drive substrate hydroxylation in crystallo. We postulate, on the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, that greater flexibility in P450tcu enables easier access of protons to the active site and, together with X-ray driven reduction, results in O2 activation and substrate hydroxylation. Second, the characteristic low-spin to high-spin transition when camphor binds occurs immediately with P450cam but is very slow in P450tcu. Third, isothermal titration calorimetry shows that in P450cam substrate binding is entropically driven with a ΔH of >0 while in P450tcu with a ΔH of <0 with a more modest change in -TΔS. These results indicate that despite nearly identical structures and enzymatic properties, these two P450s exhibit quite different properties most likely related to differences in conformational dynamics.

Conformational selectivity in cytochrome P450 redox partner interactions.

The heme iron of cytochromes P450 must be reduced to bind and activate molecular oxygen for substrate oxidation. Reducing equivalents are derived from a redox partner, which requires the formation of a protein-protein complex. A subject of increasing discussion is the role that redox partner binding plays, if any, in favoring significant structural changes in the P450s that are required for activity. Many P450s now have been shown to experience large open and closed motions. Several structural and spectral studies indicate that the well-studied P450cam adopts the open conformation when its redox partner, putidaredoxin (Pdx), binds, whereas recent NMR studies indicate that this view is incorrect. Given the relevance of this discrepancy to P450 chemistry, it is important to determine whether Pdx favors the open or closed form of P450cam. Here, we have used both computational and experimental isothermal titration calorimetry studies that unequivocally show Pdx favors binding to the open form of P450cam. Analyses of molecular-dynamic trajectories also provide insights into intermediate conformational states that could be relevant to catalysis.

Inhibition Mechanisms of Human Indoleamine 2,3 Dioxygenase 1.

Human indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (hIDO1) and tryptophan dioxygenase (hTDO) catalyze the same dioxygenation reaction of Trp to generate N-formyl kynurenine (NFK). They share high structural similarity, especially in the active site. However, hIDO1 possesses a unique inhibitory substrate binding site (Si) that is absent in hTDO. In addition, in hIDO1, the indoleamine group of the substrate Trp is H-bonded to S167 through a bridging water, while that in hTDO is directly H-bonded to H76. Here we show that Trp binding to the Si site or the mutation of S167 to histidine in hIDO1 retards its turnover activity and that the inhibited activity can be rescued by an effector, 3-indole ethanol (IDE). Kinetic studies reveal that the inhibited activity introduced by Trp binding to the Si site is a result of retarded recombination of the ferryl moiety with Trp epoxide to form NFK and that IDE reverses the effect by preventing Trp from binding to the Si site. In contrast, the abolished activity induced by the S167H mutation is primarily a result of ∼5000-fold reduction in the O2 binding rate constant, possibly due to the blockage of a ligand delivery tunnel, and that IDE binding to the Si site reverses the effect by reopening the tunnel. The data offer new insights into structure-based design of hIDO1-selective inhibitors.

Effect of Redox Partner Binding on Cytochrome P450 Conformational Dynamics.

Previous crystal structures of cytochrome P450cam complexed with its redox partner, putidaredoxin (Pdx), shows that P450cam adopts the open conformation. It has been hypothesized that the Pdx-induced shift toward the open state frees the essential Asp251 from salt bridges with Arg186 and Lys178 so that Asp251 can participate in a proton relay network required for O2 activation. This in part explains why P450cam has such a strict requirement for Pdx. One problem with this view is that looser substrate-protein interactions in the open state may not be compatible with the observed regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation. In the present study, molecular dynamics simulations show that Pdx binding favors a conformation that stabilizes the active site and decreases camphor mobility yet retains a partially open conformation compatible with the required proton relay network. The R186A mutant which frees Asp251 in the absence of Pdx retains good enzyme activity, and the crystal structure shows that product, 5-exo-hydroxycamphor, is bound. This indicates that rupture of the Asp251-Arg186 relaxes selectivity with respect to source of electrons and enables X-ray generated reducing equivalents to support substrate hydroxylation. These combined computational and experimental results are consistent with the proposed role of Pdx in assisting the release of Asp251 from ion pairs so that it can participate in proton-coupled electron transfer.

A Comparative Analysis of the Effector Role of Redox Partner Binding in Bacterial P450s.

The camphor monooxygenase, cytochrome P450cam, exhibits a strict requirement for its own redox partner, putidaredoxin (Pdx), a two-iron-sulfur ferredoxin. The closest homologue to P450cam, CYP101D1, is structurally very similar, uses a similar redox partner, and exhibits nearly identical enzymatic properties in the monooxygenation of camphor to give the same single 5-exo-hydroxy camphor product. However, CYP101D1 does not strictly require its own ferredoxin (Arx) for activity because Pdx can support CYP101D1 catalysis but Arx cannot support P450cam catalysis. We have further examined the differences between these two P450s by determining the effect of spin equilibrium, redox properties, and stability of oxygen complexes. We find that Arx shifts the spin state equilibrium toward high-spin, which is the opposite of the effect of Pdx on P450cam. In both P450s, redox partner binding destabilizes the oxy-P450 complex but this effect is much weaker with CYP101D1. In addition, resonance Raman data show that structural perturbations observed in P450cam upon addition of Pdx are absent in CYP101D1. These data indicate that Arx does not play the same effector role in catalysis as Pdx does with P450cam. The most relevant structural difference between these two P450s centers on a catalytically important Asp residue required for proton-coupled electron transfer. We postulate that with P450cam larger Pdx-assisted motions are required to free this Asp for catalysis while the smaller number of restrictions in CYP101D1 precludes the need for redox partner-assisted structural changes.

Spectroscopic and mutagenesis studies of human PGRMC1.

Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) is a 25 kDa protein with an N-terminal transmembrane domain and a putative C-terminal cytochrome b5 domain. Heme-binding activity of PGRMC1 has been shown in various homologues of PGRMC1. Although the general definition of PGRMC1 is as a progesterone receptor, progesterone-binding activity has not been directly demonstrated in any of the purified PGRMC1 proteins fully loaded with heme. Here, we show that the human homologue of PGRMC1 (hPGRMC1) binds heme in a five-coordinate (5C) high-spin (HS) configuration, with an axial tyrosinate ligand, likely Y95. The negatively charged tyrosinate ligand leads to a relatively low redox potential of approximately -331 mV. The Y95C or Y95F mutation dramatically reduces the ability of the protein to bind heme, supporting the assignment of the axial heme ligand to Y95. On the other hand, the Y95H mutation retains ∼90% of the heme-binding activity. The heme in Y95H is also 5CHS, but it has a hydroxide axial ligand, conceivably stabilized by the engineered-in H95 via an H-bond; CO binding to the distal ligand-binding site leads to an exchange of the axial ligand to a histidine, possibly H95. We show that progesterone binds to hPGRMC1 and introduces spectral changes that manifest conformational changes to the heme. Our data offer the first direct evidence supporting progesterone-binding activity of PGRMC1.

Mapping conformational changes on bispecific antigen-binding biotherapeutic by covalent labeling and mass spectrometry.

Biotherapeutic's higher order structure (HOS) is a critical determinant of its functional properties and conformational relevance. Here, we evaluated two covalent labeling methods: diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC)-labeling and fast photooxidation of proteins (FPOP), in conjunction with mass spectrometry (MS), to investigate structural modifications for the new class of immuno-oncological therapy known as bispecific antigen-binding biotherapeutics (BABB). The evaluated techniques unveiled subtle structural changes occurring at the amino acid residue level within the antigen-binding domain under both native and thermal stress conditions, which cannot be detected by conventional biophysical techniques, e.g., near-ultraviolet circular dichroism (NUV-CD). The determined variations in labeling uptake under native and stress conditions, corroborated by binding assays, shed light on the binding effect, and highlighted the potential of covalent-labeling methods to effectively monitor conformational changes that ultimately influence the product quality. Our study provides a foundation for implementing the developed techniques in elucidating the inherent structural characteristics of novel therapeutics and their conformational stability.

Crystal structures and functional characterization of wild-type CYP101D1 and its active site mutants.

Although CYP101D1 and P450cam catalyze the same reaction at similar rates and share strikingly similar active site architectures, there are significant functional differences. CYP101D1 thus provides an opportunity to probe what structural and functional features must be shared and what features can differ but maintain the high catalytic efficiency. Crystal structures of the cyanide complex of wild-type CYP101D1 and it active site mutants, D259N and T260A, have been determined. The conformational changes in CYP101D1 upon cyanide binding are very similar to those of P450cam, indicating a similar mechanism for proton delivery during oxygen activation using solvent-assisted proton transfer. The D259N-CN- complex shows a perturbed solvent structure compared to that of the wild type, which is similar to what was observed in the oxy complex of the corresonding D251N mutant in P450cam. As in P450cam, the T260A mutant is highly uncoupled while the D259N mutant gives barely detectable activity. Despite these similarities, CYP101D1 is able to use the P450cam redox partners while P450cam cannot use the CYP101D1 redox partners. Thus, the strict requirement of P450cam for its own redox partner is relaxed in CYP101D1. Differences in the local environment of the essential Asp (Asp259 in CYP101D1) provide a strucutral basis for understanding these functional differences.

Synergistic effects of mutations in cytochrome P450cam designed to mimic CYP101D1.

A close orthologue to cytochrome P450cam (CYP101A1) that catalyzes the same hydroxylation of camphor to 5-exo-hydroxycamphor is CYP101D1. There are potentially important differences in and around the active site that could contribute to subtle functional differences. Adjacent to the heme iron ligand, Cys357, is Leu358 in P450cam, whereas this residue is Ala in CYP101D1. Leu358 plays a role in binding of the P450cam redox partner, putidaredoxin (Pdx). On the opposite side of the heme, about 15-20 Å away, Asp251 in P450cam plays a critical role in a proton relay network required for O2 activation but forms strong ion pairs with Arg186 and Lys178. In CYP101D1 Gly replaces Lys178. Thus, the local electrostatic environment and ion pairing are substantially different in CYP101D1. These sites have been systematically mutated in P450cam to the corresponding residues in CYP101D1 and the mutants analyzed by crystallography, kinetics, and UV-vis spectroscopy. Individually, the mutants have little effect on activity or structure, but in combination there is a major drop in enzyme activity. This loss in activity is due to the mutants being locked in the low-spin state, which prevents electron transfer from the P450cam redox partner, Pdx. These studies illustrate the strong synergistic effects on well-separated parts of the structure in controlling the equilibrium between the open (low-spin) and closed (high-spin) conformational states.

Evidence for a ferryl intermediate in a heme-based dioxygenase.

In contrast to the wide spectrum of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, there are only 2 heme-based dioxygenases in humans: tryptophan dioxygenase (hTDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (hIDO). hTDO and hIDO catalyze the same oxidative ring cleavage reaction of L-tryptophan to N-formyl kynurenine, the initial and rate-limiting step of the kynurenine pathway. Despite immense interest, the mechanism by which the 2 enzymes execute the dioxygenase reaction remains elusive. Here, we report experimental evidence for a key ferryl intermediate of hIDO that supports a mechanism in which the 2 atoms of dioxygen are inserted into the substrate via a consecutive 2-step reaction. This finding introduces a paradigm shift in our understanding of the heme-based dioxygenase chemistry, which was previously believed to proceed via simultaneous incorporation of both atoms of dioxygen into the substrate. The ferryl intermediate is not observable during the hTDO reaction, highlighting the structural differences between the 2 dioxygenases, as well as the importance of stereoelectronic factors in modulating the reactions.

Role of histidine 932 of the human mitochondrial DNA polymerase in nucleotide discrimination and inherited disease.

The human mitochondrial DNA polymerase (pol γ) is nuclearly encoded and is solely responsible for the replication and repair of the mitochondrial genome. The progressive accumulation of mutations within the mitochondrial genome is thought to be related to aging, and mutations in the pol γ gene are responsible for numerous heritable disorders including progressive external opthalmoplegia, Alpers syndrome, and parkinsonism. Here we investigate the kinetic effect of H932Y, a mutation associated with opthalmoplegia. Mutations H932Y and H932A reduce the specificity constant governing correct nucleotide incorporation 150- and 70-fold, respectively, without significantly affecting fidelity of incorporation or the maximum rate of incorporation. However, this leads to only a 2-fold reduction in rate of incorporation at a physiological nucleotide concentration (∼100 µm). Surprisingly, incorporation of T:T or C:T mismatches catalyzed by either H932Y or H932A mutants was followed by slow pyrophosphate release (or fast pyrophosphate rebinding). Also, H932Y readily catalyzed incorporation of multiple mismatches, which may have a profound physiological impact over time. His-932 is thought to contact the ß-phosphate of the incoming nucleotide, so it is perhaps surprising that H932Y appears to slow rather than accelerate pyrophosphate release.

The first step of the dioxygenation reaction carried out by tryptophan dioxygenase and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase as revealed by quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical studies.

Tryptophan dioxygenase (TDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) are two heme-containing enzymes which catalyze the conversion of L: -tryptophan to N-formylkynurenine (NFK). In mammals, TDO is mostly expressed in liver and is involved in controlling homeostatic serum tryptophan concentrations, whereas IDO is ubiquitous and is involved in modulating immune responses. Previous studies suggested that the first step of the dioxygenase reaction involves the deprotonation of the indoleamine group of the substrate by an evolutionarily conserved distal histidine residue in TDO and the heme-bound dioxygen in IDO. Here, we used classical molecular dynamics and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods to evaluate the base-catalyzed mechanism. Our data suggest that the deprotonation of the indoleamine group of the substrate by either histidine in TDO or heme-bound dioxygen in IDO is not energetically favorable. Instead, the dioxygenase reaction can be initiated by a direct attack of heme-bound dioxygen on the C(2)=C(3) bond of the indole ring, leading to a protein-stabilized 2,3-alkylperoxide transition state and a ferryl epoxide intermediate, which subsequently recombine to generate NFK. The novel sequential two-step oxygen addition mechanism is fully supported by our recent resonance Raman data that allowed identification of the ferryl intermediate (Lewis-Ballester et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:17371-17376, 2009). The results reveal the subtle differences between the TDO and IDO reactions and highlight the importance of protein matrix in modulating stereoelectronic factors for oxygen activation and the stabilization of both transition and intermediate states.

A Comparison Between Emerging and Current Biophysical Methods for the Assessment of Higher-Order Structure of Biopharmaceuticals.

The higher-order structure (HOS) of protein therapeutics is a critical quality attribute directly related to their function. Traditionally, the HOS of protein therapeutics has been characterized by methods with low to medium structural resolution such as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD), and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Recently, high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods have emerged as powerful tools for HOS characterization. NMR is a multi-attribute method with unique capabilities to provide information about all the structural levels of proteins in solution. We have in this study compared 1 D 1H Profile NMR with the established biophysical methods for HOS assessments using a set of blended samples of the monoclonal antibodies belonging to the subclasses IgG1 and IgG2. The study shows that Profile NMR can distinguish between most sample combinations (93%), DSC can differentiate 61% of the sample combinations, and near-ultraviolet CD spectroscopy can differentiate 52% of the sample combinations, whereas no significant distinction could be made between any samples using FTIR or intrinsic fluorescence. Our data therefore show that NMR has superior ability to address differences in HOS, a feature that could be directly applicable in comparability and similarity assessments.

Substrate-protein interaction in human tryptophan dioxygenase: the critical role of H76.

The initial and rate-limiting step of the kynurenine pathway in humans involves the oxidation of tryptophan to N-formyl kynurenine catalyzed by two hemeproteins, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (hTDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (hIDO). In hTDO, the conserved H76 residue is believed to act as an active site base to deprotonate the indole NH group of Trp, the initial step of the Trp oxidation reaction. In hIDO, this histidine is replaced by a serine. To investigate the role of the H76, we have studied the H76S and H76A mutants of hTDO. Activity assays show that the mutations cause a decrease in k(cat) and an increase in K(M) for both mutants. The decrease in the k(cat) is accounted for by the replacement of the active site base catalyst, H76, with a weaker base, possibly a water, whereas the increase in K(M) is attributed to the loss of the specific interactions between the H76 and the substrate as well as the protein matrix. Resonance Raman studies with various Trp analogs indicate that the substrate is positioned in the active site by the ammonium, carboxylate, and indole groups, via intricate H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions. This scenario is consistent with the observation that l-Trp binding significantly perturbs the electronic properties of the O(2)-adduct of hTDO. The important structural and functional roles of H76 in hTDO is underscored by the observation that the electronic configuration of the active ternary complex, l-Trp-O(2)-hTDO, is sensitive to the H76 mutations.

Effect of redox partner binding on CYP101D1 conformational dynamics.

We have compared the thermodynamics of substrate and redox partner binding of P450cam to its close homologue, CYP101D1, using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). CYP101D1 binds camphor about 10-fold more weakly than P450cam which is consistent with the inability of camphor to cause a complete low- to high-spin shift in CYP101D1. Even so molecular dynamics simulations show that camphor is very stable in the CYP101D1 active site similar to P450cam. ITC data on the binding of the CYP101D1 ferredoxin redox partner (abbreviated Arx) shows that the substrate-bound closed state of CYP101D1 binds Arx more tightly than the substrate-free open form. This is just the opposite to P450cam where Pdx (ferredoxin redox partner of P450cam) favors binding to the P450cam open state. In addition, CYP101D1-Arx binding has a large negative ΔS while the P450cam-Pdx has a much smaller ΔS indicating that interactions at the docking interface are different. The most obvious difference is that PDXD38 which forms an important ion pair with P450camR112 at the center of the interface is ArxL39 in Arx. This suggests that Arx may adopt a different orientation than Pdx in order to optimize nonpolar interactions with ArxL39.