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24 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
Bioconjugate Chem. 1990, 1, 24-31 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLK
ARTICLES
Preparation and Characterization of Conjugates of Recombinant CD4
and Deglycosylated Ricin A Chain Using Different Cross-Linkers zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfed
Victor Ghetie,t Mark A. Till,t Maria-Ana Ghetie,t Thomas Tucker,t Jim Porter,§ Eric J. Patzer,$
James A. Richardson," Jonathan W. Uhr,t and Ellen S. Vitetta*st
Department of Microbiology and Division of Comparative Medicine, Department of Pathology, University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235, and Department of Medicinal and Analytical Chemistry,
Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080. Received June 1, 1989
In a previous study, we have demonstrated that conjugates containing soluble, recombinant human
CD4 (rCD4) and the deglycosylated form of ricin A chain (dgA) (rCD4-dgA) effectively kill a human
T cell line infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro. In contrast, such conjugates are 100-1000-fold less toxic to uninfected cells. In order to use a rCD4-dgA conjugate effectively in vivo, it was important to demonstrate that (1) it binds to and kills HIV-infected, but not
uninfected, human cells, (2) it is stable in the circulation, and (3) it has an optimal therapeutic index
(toxicity to animals versus toxicity to target cells). A major factor affecting the efficacy of such conjugates in vitro and in vivo is the nature of the cross-linker between the ligand (rCD4) and the toxin
(dgA). In this report, we have prepared rCD4-dgA conjugates using three different cross-linkers.
Different methods of purification have been compared by determining the optimal yield, purity, and
retention of biological activity (i.e., binding to gp120 and dgA chain activity). The structure of these
conjugates as well as their cytotoxicity to target cells in vitro has been analyzed. Finally, we have
compared their pharmacokinetics, tissue localization, and toxicity in mice.
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Conjugates of human recombinant CD4 (rCD4) and
pared for optimal yields, purity, and gpl20-binding activity. In addition, the in vitro toxicity of the conjugates
deglycosylated ricin A chain (dgA) (1) or a genetically
engineered form of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE,) (2)repto the HIV-infected human H9 cell line has been deterresent potential new reagents for the therapy of patients
mined. Finally, their in vivo pharmacokinetics, tissue
infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
localization, and histopathology have been evaluated in
Such conjugates bind to HIV-infected cells by the intermice. The data indicate that the cross-linker can affect
action of rCD4 with the viral envelope glycoprotein, gp120.
in vivo tissue distribution, histopathology, and pharmaThe conjugate is then internalized and the A chain or
cokinetics as well as in vitro cytotoxicity of rCD4-dgA.
the Pseudomonas exotoxin inhibits protein synthesis. In
On the basis of these studies, the rCD4-dgA prepared
with SMPT was selected for further preclinical testing
this report, rCD4-dgA conjugates have been prepared with
three different cross-linkers (SATA, S-(N-succinimidyl)
since it is highly cytotoxic to HIV-l-infected cells in vitro,
thioacetate; SMCC, N-succinimidyl 4-(maleimidomethit is chemically stable, it has a long serum half-life, and
y1)cyclohexanecarboxylate; and SMPT, (N-succinimidmost importantly, it does not cause pathologic lesions in
yloxycarbonyl)-c~-methyl-c~-(2-pyridyldithio)toluene).
Conlife-sustaining organs.'
jugates prepared with two of the cross-linkers (i.e., SMPT
and SATA) contain disulfide bonds (hindered vs unhinEXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
dered, respectively) between the rCD4 and dgA. The third,
Recombinant CD4 (rCD4). Recombinant CD4 conSMCC, contains a thioether bond. Different methods of
taining
amino acids 1-368 of the native protein was prepurification using (i) affinity chromatography on BlueSepharose CL-4B and Sepharose-rgpl20, (ii) molecular
exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-BOOHR, and
' Abbreviations used in this paper: dgA, deglycosylated ricin
(iii) gel permeation on a TSK 3000 column for highA chain; DMF, dimethylformamide; DTNB, 5,5'-dithiobis(2performance liquid chromatography have been com- zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
nitrobenzoic acid); DTT, dithiothreitol; FACS, fluorescenceactivated cell sorter; FCS, fetal calf serum; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; LD,,, dose killing 50% of the animals; OVA,
* To whom correspondence should be addressed: Departovalbumin; PBE, 0.1 M phosphate buffer with 0.003 M EDTA,
ment of Microbiology, University of Texas SouthwestpH 7.5; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.2; PBSA, phosern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas
phate-bufferedsaline containing 1% bovine serum albumin and
75235.
0.02% sodium azide; PE,,, Pseudomonas exotoxin-40; rCD4,
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas
recombinant CD4 antigen; rCD4-dgA, conjugate of rCD4 with
Southwestern Medical Center.
dgA; rgpl20, recombinant HIV glycoprotein gp120; SATA, SDepartment of Medicinal and Analytical Chemistry,
(N-succinimidyl)thioacetate;SDS-PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulGenetech, Inc.
fate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; SMCC, N-succinimidyl 4-(maleimidomethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylate; SMPT,
Division of Comparative Medicine, Department of
(N-succinimidyloxycarbonyl)-a-methyl-&-(
2-pyridy1dithio)tolPathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Cenuene; T,,2, half-life.
ter.
1043-1802/90/2901-0024$02.50/0
zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
0 1990 American Chemical Society
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Bioconjugate Chem., Vol. 1, No. 1, 1990
Characterization of rCD4-dgA Conjugates zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
pared as previously described (3). The absorption coefficient ( A 170,1 cm/280 nm) and molecular mass used
for rCD4 were 15 and 45 kDa, respectively. rCD4 was
labeled with NalZ5I (Amersham, UK) and the IODOGEN reagent (Pierce, Rockville, IL) (4). The specific activity was approximately 1 pCi/pg. rCD4 was also biotinylated with a 50-fold molar excess of the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of biotin (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) (5).
Deglycosylated Ricin A Chain (dgA). Deglycosylated ricin A chain was purchased from Inland Laboratories (Austin, TX) and was prepared and characterized
as previously described (6). The absorption coefficient
and molecular mass of dgA are 7.7 and 32 kDa, respectively. Some dgA preparations were reduced with 5 mM
dithiothreitol (DTT; Sigma, St. Louis, MO, final concentration) for 30 min a t room temperature in the dark. The
DTT was removed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-25M
equilibrated with 0.1 M phosphate buffer containing 3
mM Na,EDTA, pH 7.5 (PBE). The reduced dgA was
further treated with Ellman’s reagent [5,5’-dithiobis(2nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB); Pierce, Rockville, IL] dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF; Pierce, Rockville,
IL), at a final concentration of 2 mM for 30 min a t room
temperature. The Ellmanized dgA was separated from
the reaction mixture by gel filtration on Sephadex G25M in PBE. The Ellmanized dgA was labeled with
NalZ5Iusing the IODO-GEN reagent as described previously (7) and the specific activity was approximately 1
FCi/Ccg.
dgA consists of two isomers, dgA, and dgA, (6). The
separation of these isomers was accomplished with a BlueSepharose CL-4B column (20 X 0.8 cm; Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ) equilibrated with 0.05 M PBE at pH 7.5.
The bound dgA, + dgA, proteins were eluted with a continuous NaCl gradient (up to 0.5 M). Both dgA, and
dgA, were eluted in two distinct chromatographic peaks;
the last peak contained pure dgA,.
Preparation of rCD4-dgA with the S-(N-Succinimidyl) Thioacetate (SATA) Cross-Linker. rCD4 (1
mL) dissolved in PBE, pH 7.5, at 4 mg/mL was mixed
with 10 pL, of SATA (Calbiochem, La Jolla, CA) (8) dissolved in DMF a t 4.7 mg/mL (molar ratio SATA/rCD4
= 2.3) and the mixture was incubated at room temperature for 30 min. The derivatized rCD4 was separated
from small molecules by gel filtration on Sephadex G25M equilibrated with PBE. The thioacetylated rCD4
was deacetylated by treatment with 50 mM hydroxylamine (Sigma, St. Louis, MO; final concentration) at
pH 7.5 and immediately mixed with the Ellmanized dgA
solution at pH 7.5 in a molar ratio of dgA/rCD4 of 2.
The protein concentration of both dgA and thiolated rCD4
solutions ranged between 2 and 3 mg/mL. After an incubation of 2 h at room temperature, the mixture was purified. In some experiments, one of the two proteins was
labeled with NalZ5I.
Preparation of rCD4-dgA with the (N-Succinimidyloxycarbony1)-a-methyl-&-(2-pyridyldithio)toluene (SMPT) Cross-Linker. rCD4 (1mL) dissolved in
PBE, pH 7.5, a t 4 mg/mL was mixed with 10 pL of SMPT
(9) dissolved in DMF at 10 mg/mL (molar ratio SMPT/
rCD4 = 2.9) and the mixture was incubated a t room temperature for 30 min. The derivatized rCD4 was separated from small molecules by gel filtration on Sephadex G-25M equilibrated with PBE and immediately mixed
with freshly reduced dgA (non-Ellmanized) a t pH 7.5 in
a molar ratio of dgA/rCD4 of 2. The protein concentration of both reactants ranged between 1 and 2 mg/mL.
After sterilization by passage through a 0.22-pm filter,
25
the mixture was incubated a t room temperature for 48 h
before purification. In some experiments, one of the two
proteins was labeled with Na1251.
Preparation of rCD4-dgA with the N-Succinimidyl 4-(Maleimidomethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylate
(SMCC)Cross-Linker. rCD4 (1mL) dissolved in PBE,
pH 7.0, a t 2 mg/mL was mixed with 10 pL of SMCC
(Pierce, Rockville, IL) (10) dissolved in DMF a t 10 mg/
mL (molar ratio SMCC/rCD4 = 6.8) and the mixture
was incubated a t room temperature for 60 min. The
derivatized rCD4 was separated from small molecules by
gel filtration on Sephadex G-25M equilibrated with PBE,
pH 6.0, and immediately mixed with freshly reduced dgA
(non-Ellmanized) a t pH 6.0 in a molar ratio of dgA/
rCD4 of 2. The protein concentration of both reactants
was 2 mg/mL. After 1 h of incubation a t room temperature and 16 h at 4 “C, the mixture was purified.
Preparation and Purification of Conjugates Using
Chicken Ovalbumin (OVA) and dgA. Control conjugates consisting of OVA (molecular mass 43 kDa; Sigma,
St. Louis, MO) and dgA were prepared with SATA or
SMPT by using procedures identical with those described
for rCD4. The OVA-dgA mixtures were purified by chromatography on Blue-Sepharose CL-4B and Con ASepharose-4B (Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ). The Con ASepharose-4B column (5 X 0.8 cm) was equilibrated with
0.02 M Tris-HC1 buffer with 1 mM CaCl,, MgCl,, and
MnCl,, pH 7.0, and the OVA-dgA conjugate was eluted
with 0.25 M methyl a-D-mannoside in Tris-HC1 buffer.
These conjugates were used as controls in the in vitro
cytotoxicity assay.
Molar Ratios of rCD4ldgA. The molar ratios of dgA
chain to rCD4 were calculated from the specific radioactivities of [lZ5I]dgAor of [ 1251]rCD4,respectively, and
the following absorption coefficients: 7.7 for dgA, 15 for
rCD4, and 12.0 for rCD4-dgA.
Chromatography on Blue-Sepharose CL-4B Columns. A 20 X 0.8 cm column containing 10 mL of gel
with a binding capacity of 20 mg of dgA was used to purify
rCD4-dgA. The column was equilibrated with 0.05 M
PBE and eluted with a continuous NaCl gradient (up to
0.5 M) and a Pharmacia gradient maker filled with 50
mL of 0.05 M PBE and 50 mL of 0.5 M NaC1.
Affinity Chromatography on Sepharose-rgpl20.
The recombinant form of the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 (rgpl20; Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA) was coupled to activated CH-Sepharose-4B
(Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ) according to the manufacturer‘s protocol at a final concentration of 0.8 mg of rgpl20/
mL of packed gel. The Sepharose-rgpl20 bound 0.125
mg of rCD4/mg of rgpl20. The rCD4 and rCD4-dgA
conjugates bound to a Sepharose-rgpl20 column (4 X
1.8 cm) were eluted with 0.1 M glycine buffer containing
0.15 M NaCl at pH 3.0.
Gel-Permeation High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Samples were applied either to
an analytical 7.5 X 600 mm TSK 3000SW column (Spherogel, LKB, Bromma, Sweden) or to a preparative 21.5 X
600 mm TSK G3000SWG column (Ultropac, LKB, Bromma, Sweden) and separation was performed in PBE,
pH 7.5, at a flow rate of 1 mL/min (Spherogel) and 3
mL/min (Ultropac). The retention times for the peaks
were compared to those of standard protein of known
molecular weight (Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ).
Gel Filtration on Sephacryl S-2OOHR. Gel filtration was performed on a 80 X 1.8 cm column equilibrated with PBE. The column was calibrated with mouse
F(ab’), (100 kDa), rCD4 (45 kDa), and dgA (32 kDa).
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26 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
Bioconjugate Chem., Vol. 1, No. 1, 1990 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
Ghetie et al.
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). rCD4, dgA, and rCD4-dgA
conjugates were analyzed under both reducing and nonreducing conditions by SDS-PAGE using the Pharmacia
Phast system with 8-25% gel gradient. The gels were
stained with either 0.1% Phast gel blue R or with 0.4%
silver nitrate according to the manufacturer's directions.
The proportion of radioactivity present in the electrophoretic bands was determined by scanning densitometry of the autoradiograph following SDS-PAGE with a
Bio-Rad (Model 620) videodensitometer (7). The following proteins were used as standards for the estimation
of molecular weight (Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ): alactalbumin (14.4 kDa), soybean trypsin inhibitor (20.1
kDa), carbonic anhydrase (30 kDa), OVA (43 kDa), bovine
serum albumin (67 kDa), and phosphorylase b (94 kDa).
Determination of Sulfhydryl Groups. The number of S H groups introduced into rCD4 as well as the
number of free S H groups in the rCD4-dgA conjugates
were determined with DTNB (11).
Binding of rCD4 to Daudi Cells. The binding of
rCD4 to Daudi cells was evaluated by a direct-binding
assay using radiolabeled rCD4 or by an indirect assay
with biotinylated rCD4 and fluorescein-avidin. Cells
(lOs/O.l mL) were treated with various amounts of
['251]rCD4 (1-500 ng/O.l mL) or biotinylated rCD4 (0.125 pg/O.1 mL) for 3 h or 30 min, respectively, a t 4 OC.
After washing twice with cold phosphate-buffered saline
(PBS) containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and 0.1%
sodium azide, the radioactivity of the cell pellet was measured (when radiolabeled rCD4 was used) or the cell suspension was treated with fluorescein-avidin (1-5 pglO.1
mL; Pierce, Rockville, NJ) for 15 min in ice. The cells
were washed and analyzed on a fluorescence-activated
cell sorter (FACS; Becton-Dickinson, Oxnard, CA).
rCD4 Competitive Binding Assay. The particle concentration fluorescence immunoassay utilized the instrumentation of the Pandex Screen Machine (Pandex Laboratories, Inc.) for the evaluation of solution-phase binding of rgpl20 to rCD4. The assay was performed with
0.03 mL per well of rCD4 or conjugates of rCD4 titered
in a separate 96-well plate from 50 to 2 pg/mL in PBS,
pH 7.5; 1% BSA; and 0.02% azide (PBSA). rCD4biotin (3 mL) a t a concentration of 9 pg/mL in PBSA
was added followed by 0.03 mL of rgpl20 a t a concentration of 15 pg/mL in PBSA. The reaction mixture was
incubated for 3 h a t room temperature with mixing. Free
and bound rgpl20 were immunoprecipitated from the reaction mixture with anti-rgpl20 monoclonal antibodies
(MoAbs) adsorbed to polystyrene beads. For the immunoprecipitation, 0.02 mL of these anti-rgpl20 MoAbcoated beads were first added to a Pandex plate by the
instrument. The reaction mixture (3 mL) was then transferred to the particles in the Pandex plate. Following a
15-min incubation, 0.02 mL of a streptavidin-phycoerytrin conjugate was added at a 1/50 dilution in PBSA.
The plate was incubated in the dark for 15 min and then
washed with PBS and 0.05% Tween 20, and the fluorescence intensity was determined.
In Vivo Elimination of rCD4-dgA Conjugates. The
procedure previously described was used (7). Briefly, the
conjugates were labeled with Na12,1 by the IODO-GEN
technique and were injected into the retroorbital sinus
of mice (approximately 4 x lo6 cpm/5 pg per animal).
The '1 levels were determined in heparinized samples
(75 pL) of blood at 5, 10, and 30 min and 1, 2, 4,and 8
h. The total radioactivity remaining in the blood was
determined by counting aliquots in a y-counter and as-
suming a total blood volume of 7% of the body weight (7).
Acid-precipitable radioactivity was determined by precipitation of plasma aliquots with 10% trichloroacetic
acid. The percentage of the injected radioactivity remaining in circulation was calculated as the percentage of acidprecipitable radioactivity injected. The half-lives ( Tl,J
for both the a- (30 min) and @-phase(8 h) of clearance
were determined graphically by extrapolation to zero of
the percentage of acid-precipitable radioactivity vs time
curves (12).
Organ Distribution of rCD4-dgA Conjugates. The
organ distribution of radioiodinated proteins were determined following perfusion of anesthetized mice with PBS
as previously described (7). Organs were removed, weighed,
and counted in a y-counter. A sample of the organs was
minced with scissors and extracted with 0.5% Nonidet P40, and the clarified extract was precipitated with 10%
trichloroacetic acid. The percentages of acidprecipitable radioactivity were determined and the values were used to calculate the protein-bound radioactivity in various tissues. The capacity of the organ to accumulate the radiolabeled proteins was calculated by dividing
the percent of the injected radioactive dose retained in
the organ by the wet weight (g) of the organ.
In Vivo Stability of rCD4-dgA Conjugates. Radiolabeled conjugates (approximately 10' cpm/animal) were
injected into mice and after 4 h the animals were exsanguinated with the heparinized blood was collected. The
free and conjugated dgA in the plasma were precipitated
with immunocomplexes prepared with rabbit anti-ricin
A chain and goat anti-rabbit Ig (13). The precipitate was
boiled in 1% SDS and electrophoresed on 12% SDSpolyacrylamide gel. Autoradiograms of the dried gels were
scanned by using a Bio-Rad videodensitometer. The areas
under the dgA and rCD4-dgA peaks were divided by the
total area under both peaks to determine the percentage
of radioactivity that corresponds to the released dgA. This
value was used as a means of evaluating the in vivo splitting of the rCD4-dgA conjugates.
The functional activity of rCD4-dgA conjugates recovered from the blood was determined by performing a cytotoxicity assay on HIV-infected H9 cells. Mice were injected
with radiolabeled SATA- or SMPT-linked conjugates with
known specific radioactivity (approximately 5 X lo4 cpm/
pg). After 3 h, the animals were exsanguinated and the
heparinated plasma containing a known amount of conjugate was compared in the in vitro cytotoxic assay to
freshly thawed conjugates.
Incubation of rCD4-dgA Conjugates with Human
Plasma. Conjugates were incubated at 50 pg/mL with
undiluted fresh human plasma or PBS for 16 h at 37 "C
and then used in the cytotoxicity assay in parallel with
freshly thawed conjugates.
In Vivo Toxicity Assay. Increasing amounts of rCD4dgA conjugates were injected ip into three groups of four
C3H/HEJ mice weighing 15 g and the LD,, was calculated on the basis of deaths occurring within 10 days.
For SMPT-linked rCD4-dgA conjugates, the assay was
repeated twice with three groups of four BALB/c mice
weighing 20 g. An average value for both C,H/HEJ and
BALB/c mice was calculated.
Cell-Free Rabbit Reticulocyte Assay. This assay
was carried out according to the procedure described by
Press et al. as modified by Fulton et al. (6).
Pathology of Mice Injected with SATA- and
SMPT-Derived Conjugates. Treatment groups consisted of four 25-32-g CAF, male mice which were inoculated intraperitoneally with a 1-mL solution contain-
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Bioconjugate Chem., Vol. 1, No. 1, 1990
Characterization of rCD4-dgA Conjugates zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
27
Table I. Comparison among SATA-, SMPT-, and SMCCI '. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
Derived rCD4-dgA Conjugates
00.4
6
02
g
0.2
(0
20
01
30 40
50
60
Elutlon Volum (ml)
70
parameter
SATA
SMPT
19.5
17.5
90 yield"
90.0
90.0
% purityb
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molecular composition 1.0
1.25 f 0.15
20 40 60 80 100
(dgA/rCD4 ratio)
4.4 f 0.5
4.9 f 0.2
affinity'for gp120
Elution Volume (ml)
Retentlon Tlme (min)
Figure 1. Purification of rCD4-dgA conjugates: (a) BlueSepharose CL-4B (SMPT-derived conjugate) (1) rCD4, (2)
dgA,, (3) rCD4-dgA, (4) dgA,; (b) Sephacryl S-2OOHR (SATAderived conjugate) (1) aggregated rCD4-dgA, (2) rCD4-dgA
(molecularmass 80 kDa), (3)dgA; (c) Sepharose-rgpl20 (SMPTderived conjugate) (1)nonbound (dgA), (2) bound and eluted
at pH 3.0 (rCD4-dgA); (d) TSK 3000SW (SMPT-derivedconjugate) (1)aggregated rCDli-dgA, (2) rCD4-dgA (molecular mass
82 kDa), (3) rCD4, (4) dgA.
ing 5%, lo%, and 20% of the LD50 of either SMPTlinked rCD4-dgA, SATA-linked rCD4-dgA, 20% of the
LD,, of dgA, or saline. Mice were sacrificed after 7 days
by intraperitoneal injection of pentobarbital. Tissues were
examined grossly and fixed in 10% buffered formalin.
Liver, spleen, kidneys, lung, heart, brain, and appendicular and diaphragmatic muscle were embedded in paraffin, sectioned a t 5 pm and stained with hematoxylin
and eosin. Lesions were scored subjectively as absent,
minimal, mild, or marked and assigned grades of 0, 1,2,
or 3 and averaged for each group.
The Cytotoxicity of rCD4-dgA to HIV-Infected
Human H9 Cells. This assay was performed as previously described (1). Briefly, serial dilutions of conjugates were plated in triplicate in 96-well microtiter plates
in complete medium (RPMI, 12% FCS, and antibiotics). Cells were then added to a final concentration of 4
X lo5 cells/mL and the plates were incubated for 36 h
at 37 OC ( 5 % CO,). Cells were then pulsed for 6-8 h
with 1 pCi of [3H]thymidine and harvested on a Titertek automatic harvester. [3H]thymidine incorporation
was determined on an LKB /3-counter. Results are
expressed as a percentage of control (untreated cells).
Thirteen separate experiments were performed, each using
infected and uninfected human H9 cells.
lo*
M)'
90 stability in vitrod
% stability of vivo'
(X
half-life, f min
a-phase
@-phase
LD,; r g / g (mouse)
inhibition of protein
synthesis (ICboX
lo-" M)J
cytotoxicity on HIVinfected H9 cells
(IC, x 1O-lo M)
SMCC
20.8
80.8
ND"
ND
53.0 f 7.0
18.6
36.0 f 6.0
4.4
ND
45.0 f 10.08
177.0 f 24.08
100.0
1.6
60.0 f 11.08
209.0 f 21.08
116.0 f 25.9
40.0"
1.7 f 1.0"
2.0 f 1.0'
>5000
1.2
1.0
225.0"
ND
>loo0
" The amount of rCD4 in the conjugates (60% of the total protein) is expressed as the percentage of the initial amount of rCD4
used for preparation. Mean of four experiments. bAfter BlueSepharose CL-4B and Sephacryl S-200HR. Calculated by densitometry of silver-stained SDS-PAGE (nonreduced). The affinity
of rCD4 for gp120 was 4.1 f 0.5 X
M (mean of three experiments). Cytotoxic activity after 16-h incubation at 37 "C. The
IC, of freshly thawed conjugate used in the same assay was taken
as 100%. Mean of three experiments. e Percentage of free dgA
chain released at 4 h after injection of the radiolabeled conjugate.
'The a-phase is the first 30 min and the @-phaseis the next 8 h.
For dgA, a = 20 min; @ = 228 min. For rCD4, a = 10 min; 0 = 105
min. Mean of three experiments. Mean of two experiments.
'The LD, of dgA was 30 r g / g (mouse). 'Mean of three experiments. Mean of five experiments. Mean of eight experiments.
" ND = Not determined.
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RESULTS
Purification of rCD4-dgA Conjugates. For the purification of the crude conjugates, three methods were
applied (a) Blue-Sepharose/SephacrylS-ZOOHR, (b) Blue
Sepharose/Sepharose-rgpl20, and (c) gel permeation by
HPLC on TSK 3000 columns. By gradient chromatography on Blue Sepharose (which binds dgA), the majority of the rCD4 was removed from the rCD4-dgA conjugate (rCD4 does not bind to Blue-Sepharose) (Figure 1).
Irrespective of the cross-linker used for its preparation,
the rCD4-dgA always eluted in the third peak and was
flanked by dgA, and dgA, (Figure la). Most of the heavy
molecular weight rCD4-dgA conjugates (molecular mass
> 100 kA) were tightly bound to the Blue-Sepharose and
therefore could only be eluted by a mixture of 0.05 M
NaOH and 0.5 M NaC1. Residual dgA remaining in the
rCD4-dgA preparations after Blue-Sepharose chromatography could be removed either by gel filtration on
Sephacryl S-2OOHR (Figure l b ) or by affinity chromatography on Sepharose-rgpl2O (Figure IC).As shown by
the chromatographic profiles (Figure lb), gel filtration
resulted in more extensive purification since some high
molecular weight material could be further separated from
the conjugate, which has an apparent molecular mass of
80 kDa. A partial purification (80% purity) can be
achieved by a single-step purification procedure using
HPLC with Spherogel TSK 3000SW column (Figure Id)
or Ultropac TSK G3000SWG column. If the HPLC separation was applied after the Blue-Sepharose chromatography, the rCD4-dgA conjugates have better purity than
by using Sephacryl S-2OOHR since the TSK 3000SW columns facilitate the separation of rCD4-dgA from the rCD4.
The yields and purity of the rCD4-dgA conjugates are
presented in Table I.
Molecular Mass and Composition of the rCD4dgA Conjugates. Irrespective of the cross-linker used
to construct the conjugates, the final purified preparations had a rCD4/dgA ratio of approximately 1.0 (Table
I) and molecular mass of 80-82 kDa as determined by
gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200HR and HPLC. By SDSPAGE analysis under nonreducing conditions, however,
two electrophoretic bands of 75 and 92 kDa were present
(Figure 2). The presence of rCD4 and dgA in each of
the two electrophoretic bands was confirmed by electrophoresing rCD4-SMPT-dgA labeled either in the rCD4
or the dgA moiety with 1251and preparing autoradiographs of the gels. Both electrophoretic species (75 and
92 kDa) were labeled irrespective of which moiety was
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E
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I
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B
C
D
E
20
Figure 2. SDS-PAGE of rCD4-dgA and its protein components: (A) molecular weight standard, (B) rCD4-dgA prepared
with SMPT (or SATA) from dgA or dgA,, (C)rCD4-dgA reduced
with 5% 2-mercaptoethanol, (D) rCD4 derivatized with SMPT
(or SATA), (E) dgA.
labeled (data now shown). Both electrophoretic bands
contained biologically active rCD4 since both bands specifically bound to Sepharose-rgpl2O and eluted a t pH
3.0 (Figure IC).The simplest explanation for the existence of two forms of the rCD4-dgA is that one species
contained one molecule of dgA/molecule of rCD4 (75 kDa)
and the other contained two molecules of dgA/molecule
of rCD4 (105 kDa). However, this explanation is considered unlikely on the basis of the lack of concordance
between the measured (92 kDa) and calculated (105 kDa)
molecular mass of the slower electrophoretic band and,
more importantly, because the ratio of dgA to rCD4 in
both bands was 0.98 f 0.02. Another possible explanation for the existence of the protein doublet was that
one species contained rCD4-dgA1 (slow band) and the
other contained rCD4-dgA2 (fast band); however, this
explanation was shown not to be the case by the finding
that rCD4-SMPT-dgA prepared with purified dgA, also
contained the same electrophoretic doublet (Figure 2, lane
B). We, therefore, favor the explanation that there are
two different sites on rCD4 which can be conjugated to
dgA, leading to the formation of two types of conjugates,
which have different molecular shapes and Stokes radii
and run a t different rates on SDS-polyacrylamide gels.
Under reducing conditions, rCD4-dgA prepared with either
SMPT or SATA, yielded two bands corresponding to rCD4
and dgA (Figure 2, lane C). As expected, the SMCCderived conjugate was not reduced and maintained its
unmodified electrophoretic doublet (data not shown).
Binding of rCD4 and Derivatives to rgpl2O. We
have compared the binding of rCD4, SATA, or SMPT
conjugates to rgpl20 using an automated liquid-phase
competitive binding assay.
The inhibition curves of rCD4 and the SATA and SMPT
conjugates are illustrated in Figure 3. Although these
curves are displaced slightly from one another, differences between curves are not statistically significant. These
data also were used to calculate binding affinities ( K d )
of rCD4 and the conjugates by Scatchard analysis using
the software provided with the instrument (14). These
results indicate that there is a small loss in affinity due
to conjugation with SMPT, although this difference was
within experimental error (Table I).
Cytotoxicity of rCD4-dgA Conjugates to HIVInfected and Uninfected H9 Cells. In agreement with
our previous report (1) using the SATA-linked conjugate, both rCD4-SMPT-dgA and rCD4-SATA-dgA were
equally toxic to HIV-infected H9 cells in vitro (Figure 4
and Table I). In contrast, rCD4-SMCC-dgA was no more
toxic than the control conjugate OVA-dgA (Table I) as
predicted from previous reports that conjugates of anti-
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r CD4 CONCENTRATION(nglml)
Figure 3. rCD4/rgpl20 competitive binding assay. The percent inhibition of the fluorescent signal was calculated as 100%
(1- [(sample - background)/(total signal - background)]). The
competitors were rCD4-SATA-dgA (m), rCD4-SMPT-dgA (a),
and rCD4 (0).
The binding of each conjugate was based on its
rCD4 content. The bars indicate the SD for the rCD4 curve.
-12
-11
-10
-9
-8
-7
Log concentration ( M )
Figure 4. The toxicity of the three rCD4-dgA conjugates and
OVA-dgA (control)to HIV-infected H9 cells: (0)
rCD4-SMPTdgA, ( 0 )rCD4-SATA-dgA, (A)rCD4-SMCC-dgA, (A)OVASMPT-dgA. One representative experiment of eight (SMPT)
and five (SATA) trials is depicted.
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bodies and ricin A chain are only toxic when a disulfide
bond is present between the two components (15). None
of the conjugates was toxic to uninfected H9 cells.
Binding of rCD4 to Daudi Cells. No significant binding of 1251-labeled or biotinylated rCD4 t o MHC
class II+human Daudi cells was observed (K < lo4 M-l).
This indicates that neither rCD4 nor rCD4-dgA can bind
to the cell-surface MHC class I1 antigens (16). These
results are in agreement with our previous failure to kill
Daudi cells with rCD4-SATA-dgA (1).
Stability of the rCD4-dgA Conjugates. The stability of the SATA- and SMPT-derived rCD4-dgA conjugates was tested by incubating the conjugates in fresh
human plasma for 16 h a t 37 "C prior to performing toxicity tests on HIV-infected human H9 cells. As shown
in Table I, the cytotoxicity of both conjugates was reduced
approximately 50% by incubation in human plasma a t
37 "C for 16 h. The difference between the remaining
cytotoxicity of SATA- and SMPT-derived conjugates is
not statistically significant.
The dissociation of the rCD4-dgA conjugates in vivo
was further studied by measuring the release of free dgA
a t 4 h after injection of the radiolabeled conjugate into
normal mice. It should be noted that the mouse cells do
not bind to rCD4-dgA and, hence, represent a good model
for conjugate stability in a model where the conjugate is
not specifically taken up by cells in vivo. Hence, following injection of rCD4-dgA, serum samples were collected and immunoprecipitated with rabbit anti-ricin A
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Characterization of rCD4-dgA Conjugates zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
Bioconjugafe Chem., Vol. 1, No. 1, 1990 29 zyxwvutsrqpo
dgA could not be released by reduction. The LD, of
rCD4-SATA-dgA and rCD4-SMPT-dgA in mice were
similar (Table I). The LD,, of the nontoxic conjugate
rCD4-SMCC-dgA was not determined. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba
Tissue Reactivity in Mice. There were no gross lesions
in the organs of any of the mice injected with 5%, lo%,
or 20% of the LD,, dose. Microscopically, the liver, kidney, spleen, and brain from all animals were free of lesions.
Lesions were seen in the skeletal muscle of the proximal rear leg, diaphragm, and heart. The lesions varied
in degree rather than in morphology (Table 111). They
consisted of myofibers which were fragmented, hyalinized, and often infiltrated and surrounded with macrophages and small numbers of neutrophils. The inflammatory cells infiltrate into the endomysium surrounding adjacent normal fibers. The inflammatory response was
accompanied by proliferation of sarcoplasmic nuclei, and
regenerating strap cells were documented admixed with
the degenerating fibers in both the appendicular and diaphragmatic musculature. The lesions in the appendicular muscle were multifocal, frequently marked, and often
concentrated within scattered muscle bundles, leaving other
muscles unaffected. The lesions in appendicular skeletal muscle were consistently more prominent than those
in the diaphragm or heart.
Myocardial lesions were widely scattered and were found
in only four animals, two from each group treated with
rCD4-SATA-dgA and with dgA. Myocardial lesions were
minimal, usually focal, and restricted to one or two myofibers. The degenerated myofibers were hyalinized, stippled with basophilic granules, infiltrated with macrophages and neurophils, and, in some sections, obliterated
by infiltrates of macrophages. In none of the animals
was there any evidence of heart failure.
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Figure 5. The elimination curves of rCD4-dgA conjugates and
their protein components in mice (the results are from one experiment of three performed): (A)rCD4-SMPT-dgA, (0)rCD4SATA-dgA, ( 0 )rCD4-SMCC-dgA, ( 0 )dgA, (A)rCD4.
chain. Precipitates were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and
autoradiography (see the Experimental Procedures). The
results show that rCD4-SMPT-dgA broke down in vivo
4 times more slowly than rCD4-SATA-dgA (Table I) and
that, as expected, rCD4-SMCC-dgA was the most stable (less than 1%released dgA).
When tested in a cytotoxicity assay on HIV-infected
H9 cells, the plasma of mice collected 3 h (one half-life
period) after injection of radiolabeled SATA- or SMPTlinked conjugates showed IC5,,'s identical with those of
freshly thawed conjugates (2 X 10-l' M).
Half-Life and Tissue Distribution of rCD4-dgA.
Plasma levels of radiolabeled rCD4-dgA injected into mice
showed two major phases for elimination, namely, a rapid
initial a-phase, which approached completion within 30
min, and a slower &phase. Approximately 90% of all
three conjugates were cleared in 8 h (Figure 5). There
was no statistically significant differences among the T1,,P
of the three conjugates. However, the SMPT-derived
rCD4-dgA has a slightly longer half-life than the SATAderived conjugate (Table I). This difference was not as
great as would have been predicted from earlier studies
using SMPT conjugates prepared with IgG and dgA
(17). It should be noted that the half-life of rCD4 increases
markedly in both phases (from 2- to 5-fold) after conjugation with dgA.
The tissue distribution of the labeled conjugates as determined by acid precipitability of extracts of various organs
1h after injection of radiolabeled conjugates or their protein components is presented in Table 11. From the results
summarized in this table, the following conclusions could
be drawn: (a) The rCD4-SMPT-dgA and rCD4-SMCCdgA conjugates preferentially accumulated in the spleen
a t levels that were 3-fold higher than those of rCD4SATA-dgA. (b) rCD4-SMCC-dgA concentrated in the
liver, reaching levels approximately 3 times higher than
those of the SATA-linked conjugates. (c) The rCD4SATA-dgA conjugate showed lower accumulation in these
organs (liver and spleen) than the other two conjugates
but accumulated in the kidneys.
Toxicity of rCD4-dgA Conjugates. The capacity of
various rCD4-dgA conjugates t o inhibit protein
synthesis was tested in a cell-free assay. The IC,, was 10-l'
M for dgA, rCD4-SATA-dgA, and rCD4-SMPT-dgA and
>lo-' M for the SMCC-derived conjugate (Table I). The
SMCC conjugate was not toxic in the assay because free
DISCUSSION
The purpose of the present study was to generate and
evaluate conjugates between rCD4 and dgA as potential
therapeutic reagents for patients with HIV infections/
AIDS. To this end, conjugates utilizing three different
linkers were constructed and compared for their yield,
purity, biochemical structure, in vitro activity, and in vivo
behavior. Two of the conjugates were constructed with
a disulfide bond between the rCD4 and dgA with the
SATA or SMPT cross-linkers; the third was constructed
with a thioether bond, by utilizing SMCC. The three
cross-linkers derivatize the €-amino groups on the rCD4
and utilize the natural SH or the cysteine of the dgA.
For all three conjugates, the active group(s) were introduced by N-hydroxysuccinimide to establish an amide
bond between the primary amino group(s) of rCD4 and
the active group.
Biochemical analysis of the conjugates was performed
and the results indicate that they were similar in size
and content of rCD4 and dgA. Hence: (1)The three conjugates contained one molecule of rCD4 covalently linked
to one molecule of dgA. The conjugates had apparent
molecular masses of 80-82 kDa as determined by gel filtration and HPLC, but when analyzed by SDS-PAGE,
they consisted of two forms with masses of 75 and 92
kDa. The 75- and 92-kDa species each contained a single rCD4 and a single dgA. The possibility that the doublet represents two rCD4-dgA conjugates with different
amounts or types of dgA (dgA, and dgA,) was excluded
by appropriate experiments. This heteroclitic structure
might be generated if the derivatized rCD4 contains two
different populations of molecules. However, no heterogeneity of the rCD4 preparations was demonstrated by
any technique, including isoelectric focusing (unpub-
30
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Ghetie et al. zyxwvutsrqpo
Sioconjugate Chem., Vol. 1, No. 1 , 1990
Table 11. Retention of Acid-Precipitable Radioactivity in Various Organs of Mice Injected with rCD4-dgA Conjugates and
Their Components, rCD4 and dgA'
percent of injected acid-precipitable radioactivity retained per gram of organ (wet weight) 1 h after injection
organ
kidneys
liver
spleen
rCD4-SATA-dgA
8.9
3.7
2.8
rCD4-SMPT-dgA
6.4
5.4
8.9
Mean of two separate experiments.
Table 111. Mean Scores for Myopathy in Mice Injected
with rCD4-SMPT-daA, rCD4-SATA-daA, and daA
inoculum
(7% of LD,)
heart
diaphragm
rCD4-SMPT-dgA"
0.000
0.00
0.00
0.25
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.25
1.75
5
10
20
rCD4-S ATA-dgA"
0.25
0.75
0.33'
0.25
0.25
0.25
2.25
2.25
1.25
20
control
0.33
0.00
dgAb
0.33
0.00
O Mean lesion score for four animals.
three animals.
rCD4
10.5
1.6
1.1
dgA
8.4
1.8
1.7
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appendicular
skeletal muscle
5
10
20
rCD4-SMCC-dgA
7.9
10.8
7.8
2.66
0.00
Mean lesion score for
lished observations), suggesting that there are no significant differences in the distribution of the electric charges
on the rCD4 molecules. (2) As determined by reduction
and analysis of the two disulfide linked conjugates in a cellfree rabbit reticulocyte lysate assay, the dgA chains in
the conjugates prepared with SATA and SMPT were as
active as the dgA used to prepare them. (3) With different methods of purification, the final yield of each conjugate was approximately 20% and all three conjugates
retained their rgpl20-binding activity. The purification
of rCD4-dgA conjugates involved chromatography on
Blue-Sepharose, a procedure previously used for the purification of ricin A chain containing immunotoxins (18).
In our experiments, we have modified this basic technique using longer columns and applying a salt gradient
with the aim of exploiting the ion-exchange property of
Blue-Sepharose at pH 7.5. The combined properties of
ion exchange and dgA-binding allowed the separation of
rCD4-dgA conjugates in reasonable yield and with an
acceptable degree of purity. A subsequent gel filtration
on Sephacryl S-200HR or affinity chromatography on
Sepharose-rgpl20, yielded rCD4-dgA preparations that
were approximately 90% pure with traces of free dgA
and rCD4 and some heavy molecular mass material. The
greatest purity of the rCD4-SMPT-dgA conjugate (>95%)
was achieved by combining Blue-Sepharose chromatography with HPLC on TSK G3000SWG.
Since these three rCD4-dgA conjugates were prepared for the purpose of killing HIV-infected cells, we
next compared their cytotoxic activity for HIV-infected
cells in vitro. The results indicate the following: (1)rCD4dgA prepared with either SMPT or SATA killed HIVinfected H9 cells with identical potency (ICho= 1.7-2.0
X lo-'' M). rCD4-SMCC-dgA was no more toxic than
an irrelevant conjugate (OVA-dgA) (>5 X
M) despite
the fact that it displayed gpl20-binding activity (data
not shown). The two active conjugates were 1000-fold
more toxic to HIV-infected cells than to uninfected cells
and the control conjugate, OVA-dgA was not toxic to
either infected or uninfected cells, confirming results of
our previous report (1). (2) As determined by binding
analyses, the rCD4 molecule and the conjugates prepared with it did not bind to class II+ Daudi cells. Since
class I1 molecules are the putative natural ligand for CD4,
this demonstrates that while cell-bound CD4 can bind
to cell-bound class I1 antigens (16), soluble rCD4 does
not bind to cell-bound class I1 molecules. This finding
is consistent with our previous report that rCD4-SATAdgA does not kill Daudi cells even though an anti-class IIdgA conjugate was toxic in the same assay (1). (3) Stability tests of the rCD4-dgA conjugates in vitro (in human
plasma) indicated that both the SATA- and SMPTderived rCD4-dgA conjugates have similar chemical stability and that both lose approximately 50% of their cytotoxic potency after 16 h a t 37 OC. However, in vivo (in
mouse blood), the SMPT-linked conjugate was more stable than the SATA-linked conjugate, releasing 4 times
less free dgA. This result is in agreement with a report
by Thorpe et al. (17),who showed that an immunotoxin
prepared with SMPT broke down in vivo 6 times more
slowly than the corresponding immunotoxin prepared with
2-iminothiolane, a cross-linker which produces an unhindered disulfide bond as does SATA. SMPT generates a
disulfide bond which is sterically hindered by the adjacent benzene ring and methyl groups, which protect the
disulfide bond from the attack of thiolate anions such as
glutathione, which can be present in tissues and blood.
Having determined that the SATA- and SMPTlinked conjugates were active in vitro, while the SMCClinked conjugate was not, the in vivo behavior of the three
conjugates was determined in mice. In these experiments, the SMCC-linked conjugate served as a control,
i.e., a conjugate lacking a disulfide bond, which might be
susceptible to thiol-mediated reduction. The results were
as follows: (1)As determined by in vivo clearance experiments in mice, rCD4 was readily cleared with a T , p
of 10 min. Only 7% remained in the serum at 30 min.
dgA also had a short Tl12aof 20 min. At 30 min, 26%
remained in the serum. In contrast, the rCD4-dgA conjugates had significantly longer T 1 , O a(40-60
~
min). At
30 minutes, more than 40% remained in the serum. Thus,
the coupling of rCD4 to dgA gives rCD4 a significantly
longer serum half-life. For all three conjugates, the percentage of protein remaining in circulation after 8 h was
slightly under 10%. At this time, virtually all the rCD4
was cleared. The difference between the 8-h @-phasehalflife of the SATA linked (177 min) and SMPT linked (209
min) conjugates is not statistically significant. (2) As determined by injecting the SATA- and SMPT-linked conjugates into mice and utilizing their sera 3 h later to kill HIVinfected H9 cells in vitro, there was no loss in activity of
the remaining conjugate. This result suggests that both
rCD4-dgA conjugates should maintain their cytotoxic activity for a period of time long enough to allow their reaction with circulating infected cells. (3) The LD,,s of the
two active conjugates, rCD4-SATA-dgA and rCD4SMPT-dgA, were 100 and 116 pg/g (mouse), respectively. This shows that, in comparison with the LD,, of
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Characterization of rCD4-dgA Conjugates
IgG-dgA conjugates [ 15-20 pg/g (mouse)] (17), the rCD4dgA conjugates are 6-fold less toxic on a protein basis
and 10-fold less toxic on a dgA basis. (4) Despite the
fact that rCD4-dgA does not react with mouse tissues,
both rCD4-SMPT-dgA and rCD4-SMCC-dgA localized in the spleen and liver while rCD4-SATA-dgA localized in the kidneys. It is unclear why the chemical linkage between rCD4 and dgA plays a role in the tissue localization of t h e conjugates, b u t irrespective of the
explanation, these observations suggest that tissue damage could result with all three conjugates. Despite the
fact that rCD4-SMPT-dgA localized in the spleen and
liver and rCD4-SATA-dgA localized in the kidney, these
organs showed no morphologic evidence of damage. Only
skeletal muscle was affected by dgA and its derivatives.
Myopathy was more prominent in the appendicular skeleton and diaphragm; the myocardium was least affected.
The reason for this difference is unknown, but could represent intrinsic variations in the metabolism of the skeletal muscle from the appendicular skeleton, diaphragm,
and heart.
Evidence of regeneration in sections of muscle from
diaphragm and from the appendicular skeleton indicates that the myopathy is reversible. Myocardium does
not regenerate after such damage, but the lesions in the
myocardium were minimal, widely scattered and did not
result in cardiac failure in any of the mice.
The use of SATA as opposed to SMPT to prepare the
conjugates exacerbates the myopathy documented in the
appendicular skeleton and diaphragm. In addition, the
SATA-linked conjugate produced lesions in the heart. No
cardiac lesions were detected in animals injected with
rCD4-SMPT-dgA.
The results suggest that the rCD4-dgA conjugate prepared with SMPT is not toxic to cardiac myofibers and
is less toxic to skeletal myofibers than rCD4-dgA prepared with SATA. No animal presented signs of cardiac
failure either clinically or at necropsy.
Taken together, the results suggest that rCD4-dgA prepared with SMPT would be the conjugate of choice for
further development as a therapeutic reagent for treating patients with AIDS.
Bioconjugate Chem., Vol. 1, No. 1, 1990
31
(2) Chaudhary, V. K., Mizukami, T., Fuerst, T. R., FitzGerlad,
D. J., Moss, B., Pastan, I., and Berger, E. A. (1988) Selective
killing of HIV-infected cells by recombinant human CD4Pseudomonas exotoxin hybrid protein. Nature 335, 369372.
(3) Smith, D. H., Bym, R. A., Marsters, S. A., Gregory, T., Groopman, J. E., and Capon, D. J. (1987)Blocking of HIV-1 infectivity by a soluble, secreted form of the CD4 antigen. Science 238, 1704-1707.
(4) Fraker, P. J., and Speck, J. C., Jr. (1978) Protein and cell
membrane iodinations with a sparingly soluble chloramide,
1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3a,6a-diphenylglycoluril.
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 80, 849-857.
( 5 ) Wojchowski, D. M., and Sytkowski, A. J. (1986) Hybridoma production by simplified avidin-mediated electrofusion. J. Immunol. Methods SO, 173-177.
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Thorpe, P. E., and Vitetta, E. S. (1986) Purification of ricin
A l , A2, and B chains and characterization of their toxicity.
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(7) Fulton, R. J., Tucker, T. F., Vitetta, E. S., and Uhr, J. W.
(1988)Pharmacokineticsof tumor-reactive immunotoxins in
tumor-bearingmice: effect of antibody valency and deglycosylation of the ricin A chain on clearance and tumor localization. Can. Res. 48, 2618-2625.
(8) Duncan, R. J., Weston, P. D., and Wrigglesworth, R. (1983)
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Brown, A. N. F., Watson, G. J., Knyba, R. E., Wawrzynczak,
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Hamaguchi,Y., and Ueno, T. (1983)Enzyme-labelingof antibodies and their fragments for enzyme immunoassay and
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(11) Ellman, G. L. (1959)Tissue sulfhydryl groups. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 82,70-77.
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L. E., Reynolds, W. E., Stogsdill,R., and Stemler, R. S. (1962)
I131-Albumin catabolism and distribution in normal males.
J. Clin. Inuest. 40, 1312-1332.
(13) Tolleshang,H., Goldstein, J. L., Schneider, W., and Brown,
M. S. (1982)Post-translational processing of the LDL receptor and its genetic disruption in familial hypercholesterACKNOWLEDGMENT
olemia. Cell 30, 715-724.
(14) Phillips, D. J., Wells, T. W., and Reimer, C. B. (1987)EstiWe thank R. Nisi, P. May, D. Jones, B. K. Morrison,
mation of association constants of 42 monoclonal antibodies
and Y. Chinn for technical assistance and G. A. Cheek,
to human IgG epitopes using a fluorescent sequentialN. Stephens, M. Perkins-Mendro, and C. Baselski for secsaturation assay. Immunol. Lett. 17, 159-160.
retarial assistance. We are grateful to Dr. S. Chamow
(15) Blakey, D. C., Wawrzynczak, E. J., Wallace, P. M., and
and L. Riddle for assistance with the purification of rCD4
Thorpe, P. E. (1988) Antibody toxin conjugates: A perspective. In Progress in Allergy (Monoclonal Antibody Therand Dr. P. E. Thorpe for his gift of the SMPT crossa p y ) (H. Waldmann, Ed.) pp 50-90, Karger, Basel, Switzerlinker and his invaluable suggestions for its use. We also
land.
thank Dr. Thorpe for his helpful comments concerning
(16) Doyle, C., and Strominger,J. L. (1987)Interaction between
the manuscript. This work is supported by NIH Grants
CD4 and class I1 MHC molecules mediates cell adhesion.
CA-28149, CA-41081, RR-00890, Texas Technologies Grant
Nature 330, 256-259.
18512 and a Grant from the Welch Foundation, Grant I(17) Thorpe, P. E., Wallace, P. M., Knowles, P. P., Relf, M. G.,
947. Mark A. Till is supported by Cancer Immunology
Brown, A. N. F., Watson, G. J., Blakey, D. C., and Newell,
Training Grant CA-09082. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA
D. R. (1988) Improved anti-tumor effects of immunotoxins
prepared with deglycosylated ricin A chain and hindered disulfide linkages. Can. Res. 48,6396-6403.
LITERATURE CITED
(18) Knowles, P. P., and Thorpe, P. E. (1987) Purification of
immunotoxins containingricin A-chain and abrin A-chain using
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