An HPLC-MALDI MS method for N-glycan analyses using smaller size samples: application to monitor glycan modulation by medium conditions.

Existing HPLC methods can provide detailed structure and isomeric information, but are often slow and require large initial sample sizes. In this study, a previously established two-dimensional HPLC technique was adapted to a two-step identification method for smaller sample sizes. After cleavage from proteins, purification, and fluorescent labeling, glycans were analyzed on a 2-mm reverse phase HPLC column on a conventional HPLC and spotted onto a MALDI-TOF MS plate using an automated plate spotter to determine molecular weights. A direct correlation was found for 25 neutral oligosaccharides between the 2-mm Shim-Pack VP-ODS HPLC column (Shimadzu) and the 6-mm CLC-ODS column (Shimadzu) of the standard two- and three-dimensional methods. The increased throughput adaptations allowed a 100-fold reduction in required amounts of starting protein. The entire process can be carried out in 2-3 days for a large number of samples as compared to 1-2 weeks per sample for previous two-dimensional HPLC methods. The modified method was verified by identifying N-glycan structures, including specifying two different galactosylated positional isomers, of an IgG antibody from human sera samples. Analysis of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) from CHO cell cultures under varying culture conditions illustrated how the method can identify changes in oligosaccharide structure in the presence of different media environments. Raising glutamine concentrations or adding ammonia directly to the culture led to decreased galactosylation, while substituting GlutaMAX-I, a dipeptide of L-alanine and L-glutamine, resulted in structures with more galactosylation. This modified system will enable glycoprofiling of smaller glycoprotein samples in a shorter time period and allow a more rapid evaluation of the effects of culture conditions on expressed protein glycosylation.

CHO-Omics Review: The Impact of Current and Emerging Technologies on Chinese Hamster Ovary Based Bioproduction.

CHO cells are the most prevalent platform for modern bio-therapeutic production. Currently, there are several CHO cell lines used in bioproduction with distinct characteristics and unique genotypes and phenotypes. These differences limit advances in productivity and quality that can be achieved by the most common approaches to bioprocess optimization and cell line engineering. Incorporating omics-based approaches into current bioproduction processes will complement traditional methodologies to maximize gains from CHO engineering and bioprocess improvements. In order to highlight the utility of omics technologies in CHO bioproduction, the authors discuss current applications as well as limitations of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, fluxomics, glycomics, and multi-omics approaches and the potential they hold for the future of bioproduction. Multiple omics approaches are currently being used to improve CHO bioprocesses; however, the application of these technologies is still limited. As more CHO-omic datasets become available and integrated into systems models, the authors expect significant gains in product yield and quality. While individual omics technologies provide incremental improvements in bioproduction, the authors will likely see the most significant gains by applying multi-omics and systems biology approaches to individual CHO cell lines.

Characterization of a missense mutation at histidine-44 in a pyruvate dehydrogenase-deficient patient.

Genetic defects in pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) cause lactic acidosis, neurological deficits, and often early death. Most mutations of PDC are localized in the alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. We have kinetically characterized a patient's missense mutation alphaH44R in E1alpha by creating and purifying three recombinant human E1s (alphaH44R, alphaH44Q, and alphaH44A). Substitutions at histidine-15 resulted in decreased V(max) values (6% alphaH44R; 30% alphaH44Q; 90% alphaH44A) while increasing K(m) values for thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) compared to wild-type (alphaH44R, 3-fold; alphaH44Q, 7-fold; alphaH44A, 10-fold). This suggests that the volume of the residue at site 15 is important for TPP binding and substitution by a residue with a longer side chain disrupts the active site more than the TPP binding site. The rates of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of alphaH44R E1 by E1-kinase and phospho-E1 phosphatase, respectively, were similar to that of the wild-type E1 protein. These results provide a biochemical basis for altered E1 function in the alphaH44R E1 patient.