Dataset Information

Exploring the Chemical Space of Protein Glycosylation in Noncovalent Protein Complexes: An Expedition along Different Structural Levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin by Employing Mass Spectrometry.

ABSTRACT: Modern analytical approaches employing high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) facilitate the generation of a vast amount of structural data of highly complex glycoproteins. Nevertheless, systematic interpretation of this data at different structural levels remains an analytical challenge. The glycoprotein utilized as a model system in this study, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), exists as a heterodimer composed of two heavily glycosylated subunits. In order to unravel the multitude of glycoforms of recombinant hCG (drug product Ovitrelle), we combine established techniques, such as released glycan and glycopeptide analysis, with novel approaches employing high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) to characterize protein subunits and native MS to analyze the noncovalent hCG complex. Starting from the deconvoluted mass spectrum of dimeric hCG comprising about 50 signals, it was possible to explore the chemical space of hCG glycoforms and elucidate the complexity that hides behind just 50 signals. Systematic, stepwise integration of data obtained at the levels of released glycans, glycopeptides, and subunits using a computational annotation tool allowed us to reveal 1031 underlying glycoforms. Additionally, critical quality attributes such as sialylation and core fucosylation were compared for two batches of Ovitrelle to assess the potential product variability.

SUBMITTER: Lebede M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8340079 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Immunopathological outcomes in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE; or lupus) are believed to be autoantibody-mediated. Conditions which promote a Th2 skew (such as pregnancy) should encourage antibody production, worsening antibody-mediated diseases while ameliorating Th1/Th17-mediated diseases. Although an increased propensity toward autoreactivity can be observed in pregnant lupus patients and in pregnant lupus-prone mice, whether a unique human pregnancy-specific factor can contribute to such effects is unknown. This study assessed whether human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, a pregnancy-specific hormone of diverse function) at physiological concentrations could mediate stimulatory influences on immune parameters in non-pregnant, lupus-prone mice, in light of the hormone's ameliorating effects on Th1-mediated autoimmunity in murine models. Results demonstrate that administration of hCG heightened global autoreactivity in such mice; antibodies to dsDNA, RNP68, Protein S, Protein C, β2-glycoprotein 1, and several phospholipids were enhanced, and hormone administration had adverse effects on animal survival. Specifically in splenic cell cultures containing cells derived from lupus-prone mice, hCG demonstrated synergistic effects with TLR ligands (up-modulation of costimulatory markers on B cells) as well as with TCR stimuli (enhanced proliferative responses, enhanced levels of cytokines, and the phosphorylation of p38). In both instances, enhanced synthesis of lupus-associated cytokines was observed, in addition to the heightened generation of autoantibodies reactive toward apoptotic blebs. These results suggest that selective transducive, proliferative, and differentiative effects of hCG on adaptive immune cells may drive autoreactive responses in a lupus environment, and may also potentially provide insights into the association between the presence of higher hCG levels (or the administration of hCG) with the presence (or appearance) of humoral autoimmunity.

Project description:With the rapid growth of complex heterogeneous biological molecules, effective techniques that are capable of rapid characterization of biologics are essential to ensure the desired product characteristics. To address this need, we have developed a method for analysis of intact glycoproteins based on high-resolution capillary electrophoretic separation coupled to an LTQ-FT mass spectrometer. We evaluated the performance of this method on the alpha subunit of mouse cell line-derived recombinant human chorionic gonadotrophin (r-alpha hCG), a protein that is glycosylated at two sites and is part of the clinically relevant gonadotrophin family. Analysis of r-alpha hCG, using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with a separation time under 20 min, resulted in the identification of over 60 different glycoforms with up to nine sialic acids. High-resolution CE-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FT-MS) allowed separation and analysis of not only intact glycoforms with different numbers of sialic acids but also intact glycoforms that differed by the number and extent of neutral monosaccharides. The high mass resolution of the FT-MS enabled a limited mass range to be targeted for the examination of the protein glycoforms, simplifying the analysis without sacrificing accuracy. In addition, the limited mass range resulted in a fast scan speed that enhanced the reproducibility of the relative quantitation of individual glycoforms. The intact glycoprotein analysis was complemented with the analysis of the tryptic glycopeptides and glycans of r-alpha hCG to enable the assignment of glycan structures to individual sites, resulting in a detailed characterization of the protein. Samples of r-alpha hCG obtained from a CHO cell line were also analyzed and briefly shown to be significantly different from the murine cell line product. Taken together, the results suggest that the CE coupled to high-resolution FT-MS can be one of the effective tools for in-process monitoring as well as for final product characterization.

Project description:During histiotrophic nutrition of the embryo, maternal platelets may be the first circulating maternal cells that find their way into the placental intervillous space through narrow intertrophoblastic gaps within the plugs of spiral arteries. Activation of platelets at the maternal-fetal interface can influence trophoblast behavior and has been implicated in serious pregnancy pathologies. Here, we show that platelet-derived factors impaired expression and secretion of the human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit (?hCG) in human first trimester placental explants and the trophoblast cell line BeWo. Impaired ?hCG synthesis was not the consequence of hampered morphological differentiation, as assessed by analysis of differentiation-associated genes and electron microscopy. Platelet-derived factors did not affect intracellular cAMP levels and phosphorylation of CREB, but activated Smad3 and its downstream-target plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 in forskolin-induced BeWo cell differentiation. While TGF-? type I receptor inhibitor SB431542 did not restore impaired ?hCG production in response to platelet-derived factors, Smad3 inhibitor SIS3 interfered with CREB activation, suggesting an interaction of cAMP/CREB and Smad3 signaling. Sequestration of transcription co-activators CBP/p300, known to bind both CREB and Smad3, may limit ?hCG production, since CBP/p300 inhibitor C646 significantly restricted its forskolin-induced upregulation. In conclusion, our study suggests that degranulation of maternal platelets at the early maternal-fetal interface can impair placental ?hCG production, without substantially affecting morphological and biochemical differentiation of villous trophoblasts. KEY MESSAGES: Maternal platelets can be detected on the surface of the placental villi and in intercellular gaps of trophoblast cell columns from gestational week 5 onwards. Platelet-derived factors impair hCG synthesis in human first trimester placenta. Platelet-derived factors activate Smad3 in trophoblasts. Smad3 inhibitor SIS3 interferes with forskolin-induced CREB signaling. Sequestration of CBP/p300 by activated Smad3 may limit placental hCG production.

Dataset Information

Exploring the Chemical Space of Protein Glycosylation in Noncovalent Protein Complexes: An Expedition along Different Structural Levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin by Employing Mass Spectrometry.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets