Methods comparison of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis for host cell protein characterization

Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) is a gel-based protein separation method based on size and charge which is commonly used for the characterization of host cell proteins (HCPs) during drug development in biotech and pharmaceutical companies. HCPs are a heterogenous mixture of proteins produced by host cells during a biologics drug manufacturing process. Different gel electrophoresis methods including traditional 2D SDS-PAGE with silver and SYPRO Ruby fluorescent dye staining as well as two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) were compared for their relative abilities to characterize HCPs. SYPRO Ruby was shown to be more sensitive than silver stain in the traditional 2D gels both with and without product protein present. Silver stain also displayed a significant preference for staining acidic proteins over basic ones while SYPRO Ruby was more consistent in imaging proteins across different isoelectric points. The non-traditional method of 2D-DIGE provides high resolution and reproducibility when comparing samples with similar protein profiles but was limited in imaging HCP spots due to its narrow dynamic range. Overall, 2DE is a powerful tool to separate and characterize HCPs and is optimized by choosing the best stain or method for each specific application. Using a combination of two or more different 2DE staining methods, when possible, provides the most comprehensive coverage to support the characterization of a complex mixture like HCPs. However, in instances where only one staining method can be used, SYPRO Ruby is shown to be the more reliable, more sensitive, and easier to use traditional staining method for most HCP-based applications.