NMR-based structural validation of therapeutic antibody produced in Nicotiana benthamiana

Plant Cell Rep. 2015 Jun;34(6):959-68. doi: 10.1007/s00299-015-1757-1. Epub 2015 Feb 18.

Abstract

We successfully developed a method for metabolic isotope labeling of recombinant proteins produced in transgenic tobacco. This enabled assessment of structural integrity of plant-derived therapeutic antibodies by NMR analysis. A variety of expression vehicles have been developed for the production of promising biologics, including plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, and mammals. Glycoprotein biologics often experience altered folding and post-translational modifications that are typified by variant glycosylation patterns. These differences can dramatically affect their efficacy, as exemplified by therapeutic antibodies. However, it is generally difficult to validate the structural integrity of biologics produced using different expression vehicles. To address this issue, we have developed and applied a stable-isotope-assisted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy method for the conformational characterization of recombinant antibodies produced in plants. Nicotiana benthamiana used as a vehicle for the production of recombinant immunoglobulin G (IgG) was grown in a (15)N-enriched plant growth medium. The Fc fragment derived from the (15)N-labeled antibody thus prepared was subjected to heteronuclear two-dimensional (2D) NMR measurements. This approach enabled assessment of the structural integrity of the plant-derived therapeutic antibodies by comparing their NMR spectral properties with those of an authentic IgG-Fc derived from mammalian cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adalimumab / genetics
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Glycosylation
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / chemistry
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / isolation & purification
  • Immunoglobulin G / chemistry
  • Immunoglobulin G / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin G / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nicotiana / genetics*
  • Nicotiana / metabolism
  • Nitrogen Isotopes
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / methods*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics*
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Nitrogen Isotopes
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Adalimumab