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Exposure of three native IgG1 monoclonal antibodies to 100mM acetate, pH 3.5 had no significant effect on their hydrodynamic size (11.5±0.5nm), while elution from protein A with the same buffer created a conformation of 5.5±1.0nm. Formation of the reduced-size conformation was preceded by the known destabilization of the second constant domain of the heavy chain (Cγ2) by contact with protein A, then compounded by exposure to low pH, creating extended flexibility in the hinge-Cγ2 region and allowing the Fab region to fold over the Fc region. The reduced-size conformation was necessary for complete elution. It persisted unchanged for at least 7 days under elution conditions. Physiological conditions restored native size, and it was maintained on re-exposure to 100mM acetate, pH 3.5. Protein A-mediated destabilization and subsequent restoration of native size did not create aggregates, but the reduced-size conformation was more susceptible to aggregation by secondary stress than native antibody. Protein A-mediated formation of the reduced-size conformation is probably universal during purification of human IgG1 antibodies, and may occur with other subclasses and IgG from other species, as well as Fc-fusion proteins.

Monoclonal IgG at pH 3.5 expressed a tendency to self-associate and associate non-specifically with surfaces, including the surfaces of precipitated chromatin heteroaggregates. The tendency was elevated with protein A-eluted IgG still in elution buffer (100mM acetate, pH 3.5). Association of IgG with chromatin elements under protein A elution conditions amplified host protein contamination of the elution fraction about 15-fold, caused formation of aggregates that persisted after pH neutralization, and imposed an approximate 5% loss on IgG recovery. Neutralization released eluted IgG from its low pH associations with chromatin and caused heteroaggregate remnants to associate into large particles easily removed by microfiltration. Most effective host contaminant clearance was achieved by filtration after neutralization to pH 5.5. All chromatin-mediated liabilities were suspended by extraction of chromatin heteroaggregates in advance of protein A.

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Single step elution of a protein A column with 100mM acetate pH 3.5 produced a curvilinear gradient with pH dropping steeply at first then more gradually as it approached endpoint. IgG with a native hydrodynamic diameter of 11.5 nm began to elute at pH 6.0 with a size of 9.4 nm. IgG size continued to decrease across the peak, reaching a minimum of 2.2 nm at pH 3.9. Secondary structure of early eluting IgG was only mildly affected but later eluting fractions became increasingly non-native with the 2.2 nm population exhibiting the highest proportion of β-sheet and lowest random coil of all conformations. Size reduction and structural change of IgG through this portion of the elution peak were attributed dominantly to a pre-existing tendency of highly concentrated IgG to adopt reduced size conformations at low pH and conductivity, facilitated by the known conformational relaxation of IgG by its interaction with protein A. IgG size increased to 10.4 nm as elution pH approached 3.5 across the tailing fractions. Major loss of β-sheet and increase of α-helix and random coil were observed in parallel. Late elution of this population was attributed to it being eluted from interactions with 2 distinct protein A domains, one bound to each side of the Fc region, creating a higher dissociation constant than single-site Fc-protein A interactions, and requiring more severely disruptive conditions for elution. The high degree of conformational disruption was attributed to simultaneous interaction of both heavy chains with protein A.