Chromatographic behavior of bivalent bispecific antibodies on cation exchange columns. II. Biomolecular perspectives

In Part I of this work we determined the experimental cation exchange behavior of bivalent bispecific antibodies (BiSAb) comprising a pair of single chain variable fragment (scFv) domains flexibly linked to a framework immunoglobulin G (IgG), which exhibit a complex, three-peak elution pattern dependent on the residence time. A phenomenological model was developed assuming that the BiSAb molecules exist in multiple configurations that interact differently with the resin surface and interconvert at finite rates. In Part II of this work we provide relevant biomolecular perspectives that shed light on the underlying mechanisms. Firstly, we show that crosslinking the BiSAb molecules with a bifunctional reagent, which limits conformational flexibility, suppresses multiple peak elution. Secondly, we show that of the fragments obtained by enzymatic digestion of the BiSAb molecules only those that exhibit a pair of scFv domains show three-peak elution, while only two peaks are observed if a single scFv is present. Thirdly, we analyze the roles of electrostatic and hydrophobic surface properties of the BiSAb domains, identifying regions that are likely responsible for inter-domain and protein-surface interactions. The results demonstrate that the complex elution behavior catalyzed by the combination of surface charge and hydrophobicity of the stationary phase is associated with outstretched and collapsed configurations of the scFv domains relative to the framework IgG.