Site Directed Disulfide PEGylation of Interferon-β-1b with Fork Peptide Linker

Bioconjug Chem. 2020 Mar 18;31(3):708-720. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00839. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

Abstract

The attachment of PEG to biopharmaceuticals has been applied for enhancement of bioavailability and improved stability. The PEG polymer is highly hydrated; thus effective attachment to inaccessible sites could be hindered. We have devised a scheme to address this issue by introducing a considerable distance between PEG and protein by addition of a linear peptide, appended to long chained reactive linkers. Second, the position of PEG conjugation directly affects biological activity. Accordingly, a disulfide bond could be considered as an ideal choice for site directed PEGylation; but reactivity of both thiol moieties to bridging reagent is critical for maintenance of protein structure. In our design, a forked structure with two arms provides essential flexibility to account for dissociation of reduced cysteines. An efficient yield for disulfide PEGylation of IFN-β1b was attained and specificity, biophysical characterization, biological activity, and pharmacokinetics were surveyed.

MeSH terms

  • Disulfides / chemistry*
  • Interferon beta-1b / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical

Substances

  • Disulfides
  • Peptides
  • Interferon beta-1b
  • Polyethylene Glycols