Disulfide antibody molecules

IgG antibody molecules are composed of two light chains and two heavy chains joined together by disulfide bonds. Each light chain has one variable domain and one constant domain, while each heavy chain has one variable and three constant domains. All of the domains have a similar three-dimensional structure known as the immunoglobulin fold. The Fc stem of the molecule is formed by constant domains from each of the heavy chains, while two Fab arms are formed by constant and variable domains from both heavy and light chains. The hinge region between the stem and the arms is flexible and allows the arms to move relative to each other and to the stem. 

In a comparative study of disulfide reducing agents, it was determined that use of the relatively strong reductants DTT and TCEP required only 3.25 and 2.75 mole equivalents per mole equivalent of antibody molecule to achieve the reduction of two interchain disulfide bonds between the heavy chains of a monoclonal IgG (Sun et al., 2005). This limited reduction strategy retains intact bispecific antibody molecules while providing discrete sites for conjugation to thiols. 

Figure 1.77 Disulfide reducing agents such as 2-mercaptoethylamine can be used to cleave the disulfide bonds in the hinge region of antibody molecules. Either intact IgG molecules or F(ab )2 fragments may be reduced in this manner to yield monofunctional antigen binding fragments.

Figure 10.3 Antibody molecules oxidized with sodium periodate to create aldehyde groups on their polysaccharide chains can be modified with PDPH to produce thiols after reduction of the pyridyl disulfide. Direct labeling of the sulfhydryls with "Tc produces a radioactive complex.

Figure 18.14 NHS-SS-PEG4-biotin can be used to label a primary antibody molecule that has specificity for a protein or interest. Incubation of the biotinylated antibody with a sample, such as a cell lysate, allows the antibody to bind to its target. Capture of the antibody-antigen complex on an immobilized streptavidin reagent effectively isolates the targeted protein from the other proteins in the sample. The disulfide linkage in the spacer arm of the biotin tag permits elution of the immune complex from the streptavidin support using DTT and without using the strong denaturing condition typically required to break the streptavidin-biotin interaction.

Figure 21.6 SPDP can be used to activate an antibody molecule through its available amine groups to form a sulfhydryl-reactive derivative. Toxin molecules containing disulfide-linked A-B chains may be reduced with DTT to isolate the A-chain component containing a free thiol. The SPDP-activated antibody is then mixed with the reduced A chain to effect the final conjugate by disulfide bond formation.

Figure 21.10 Cystamine may be used to make immunotoxin conjugates by a disulfide interchange reaction. Modification of antibody molecules using an EDC-mediated reaction creates a sulfhydryl-reactive derivative. A-chain toxin subunits containing a free thiol can be coupled to the cystamine-modified antibody to form disulfide crosslinks.

Palmer, J.L., and Nissonoff, A. (1963) Reduction and reoxidation of a critical disulfide bond in the rabbit antibody molecule./. Biol. Chem. 238, 2393-2398. 

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