A branched monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) for protein modification

Procedures are described for linking monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) to both epsilon and alpha amino groups of lysine. The lysine carboxyl group can then be activated as a succinimidyl ester to obtain a new mPEG derivative (mPEG2-COOSu) with improved properties for biotechnical applications. This branched reagent showed in some cases a lower reactivity toward protein amino groups than the linear mPEG from which it was derived. A comparison of mPEG- and mPEG2-modified enzymes (ribonuclease, catalase, asparaginase, trypsin) was carried out for activity, pH and temperature stability, Km and Kcat values, and protection to proteolytic digestion. Most of the adducts from mPEG and mPEG2 modification presented similar activity and stability toward temperature change and pH change, although in a few cases mPEG2 modification was found to increase temperature stability and to widen the range of pH stability of the adducts. On the other hand, all of the enzymes modified with the branched polymer presented greater stability to proteolytic digestion relative to those modified with the linear mPEG. A further advantage of this branched mPEG lies in the possibility of a precise evaluation of the number of polymer molecules bound to the proteins; upon acid hydrolysis, each molecule of mPEG2 releases a molecule of lysine which can be detected by amino acid analysis. Finally, dimerization of mPEG by coupling to lysine provides a needed route to monofunctional PEGs of high molecular weight.