title: Studies on the microheterogeneity and in vitro activity of glycosylated and nonglycosylated recombinant human prolactin separated using a novel purification process.
abstract: Recombinant human PRL was produced in a murine C127 cell expression system and purified to greater than 97% homogeneity using anion and cation exchange chromatography. This material was biologically equivalent to pituitary-derived PRL in both an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the Nb2 lymphoma cell proliferation assay. The predominant PRL forms were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting as being 23 and 25 kilodaltons (kDa). These mass values were confirmed by electrospray mass spectroscopy. Glycosidase digestions indicated that the 25-kDa PRL is N-glycosylated and sialylated, whereas 23-kDa PRL is nonglycosylated. Glycosylated and nonglycosylated forms of the hormone were individually purified to greater than 95% homogeneity using novel cation exchange chromatography. Isoelectric focusing demonstrated that both forms consist of multiple charge isomers, with the charge heterogeneity of the glycosylated form primarily due to differences in sialylation. Monosaccharide analysis of the glycosylated form suggested a minimal complex oligosaccharide chain that may be fucosylated and partially sialylated. Oligosaccharide mol wt were determined by electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy. Analysis of the oligosaccharides by fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis indicated that bi- and triantennary oligosaccharide forms are predominant and have multiple combinations of terminal sialylation. Both forms of PRL were active in the Nb2 lymphoma cell proliferation assay; however, the 23-kDa nonglycosylated form was 3-4 times more active in this assay than the 25-kDa glycosylated form.
authors.affiliation: Therapeutic Protein Development Department, Genzyme Corp., Framingham, Massachusetts 01701, USA.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Logvinenko
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange / Q000379:methods*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D011388:Prolactin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012794:Sialic Acids; D011388:Prolactin; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid