Robust manufacturing processes resulting in consistent glycosylation are critical for the efficacy and safety of biopharmaceuticals. Information on glycosylation can be obtained by conventional bottom–up methods but is often limited to the glycan or glycopeptide level. Here, we apply high-resolution native mass spectrometry (MS) for the characterization of the therapeutic fusion protein Etanercept to unravel glycoform heterogeneity in conditions of hitherto unmatched mass spectral complexity. Higher spatial resolution at lower charge states, an inherent characteristic of native MS, represents a key component for the successful revelation of glycan heterogeneity. Combined with enzymatic dissection using a set of proteases and glycosidases, assignment of specific glycoforms is achieved by transferring information from subunit to whole protein level. The application of native mass spectrometric analysis of intact Etanercept as a fingerprinting tool for the assessment of batch-to-batch variability is exemplified and may be extended to demonstrate comparability after changes in the biologic manufacturing process.

Background: Serine proteases KLK2 and KLK3 clear the way for spermatozoa before impregnation.Results: Enzymatic assays and structures of KLK2 elucidate its catalytic action, especially when compared with conformations of similar proteases.Conclusion: Flexible loops around the active site of serine proteases open concertedly upon substrate binding.Significance: This mechanistic model will stimulate the design of pharmaceutical inhibitors.

Hybrid mass spectrometry (MS) is an emerging technique for characterizing glycoproteins, which typically display pronounced microheterogeneity. Since hybrid MS combines information from different experimental levels, it crucially depends on computational methods. Here, we describe a novel software tool, MoFi, which integrates hybrid MS data to assign glycans and other post-translational modifications (PTMs) in deconvoluted mass spectra of intact proteins. Its two-stage search algorithm first assigns monosaccharide/PTM compositions to each peak and then compiles a hierarchical list of glycan combinations compatible with these compositions. Importantly, the program only includes those combinations which are supported by a glycan library as derived from glycopeptide or released glycan analysis. By applying MoFi to mass spectra of rituximab, ado-trastuzumab emtansine, and recombinant human erythropoietin, we demonstrate how integration of bottom-up data may be used to refine information collected at the intact protein level. Accordingly, our software reveals that a single mass frequently can be explained by a considerable number of glycoforms. Yet, it simultaneously ranks proteoforms according to their probability, based on a score which is calculated from relative glycan abundances. Notably, glycoforms that comprise identical glycans may nevertheless differ in score if those glycans occupy different sites. Hence, MoFi exposes different layers of complexity that are present in the annotation of a glycoprotein mass spectrum.

Human kallikrein-related peptidase 2 (KLK2) is a key serine protease in semen liquefaction and prostate cancer together with KLK3/prostate-specific antigen. In order to decipher the function of its potential N-glycosylation site, we produced pro-KLK2 in Leishmania tarentolae cells and compared it with its non-glycosylated counterpart from Escherichia coli expression. Mass spectrometry revealed that Asn-95 carries a core glycan, consisting of two GlcNAc and three hexoses. Autocatalytic activation was retarded in glyco-pro-KLK2, whereas the activated glyco-form exhibited an increased proteolytic resistance. The specificity patterns obtained by the PICS (proteomic identification of protease cleavage sites) method are similar for both KLK2 variants, with a major preference for P1-Arg. However, glycosylation changes the enzymatic activity of KLK2 in a drastically substrate-dependent manner. Although glyco-KLK2 has a considerably lower catalytic efficiency than glycan-free KLK2 toward peptidic substrates with P2-Phe, the situation was reverted toward protein substrates, such as glyco-pro-KLK2 itself. These findings can be rationalized by the glycan-carrying 99-loop that prefers to cover the active site like a lid. By contrast, the non-glycosylated 99-loop seems to favor a wide open conformation, which mostly increases the apparent affinity for the substrates (i.e. by a reduction of Km). Also, the cleavage pattern and kinetics in autolytic inactivation of both KLK2 variants can be explained by a shift of the target sites due to the presence of the glycan. These striking effects of glycosylation pave the way to a deeper understanding of kallikrein-related peptidase biology and pathology.

HighlightsHistidine-tagged bovine enterokinase was refolded from bacterial inclusion bodies.Refolding yields satisfy high demands of protein crystallography projects.Enterokinase specifically cleaved artificial propeptides from target proteins.