Three-dimensional structures of a humanized anti-IFN-gamma Fab (HuZAF) in two crystal forms

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2004 Oct;60(Pt 10):1761-9. doi: 10.1107/S0907444904018670. Epub 2004 Sep 23.

Abstract

Three-dimensional structures were determined for two crystal forms (orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2(1) and monoclinic C2) of the Fab from the humanized version of a murine monoclonal antibody (AF2) that possesses binding and potent neutralizing activity against human interferon gamma (IFN-gamma). This humanized antibody (HuZAF; USAN name fontolizumab) is currently in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Crohn's disease. HuZAF exhibits binding and IFN-gamma neutralizing capacities that closely approximate those of the original antibody. It is shown that HuZAF, whose VH domain was designed using a best-sequence-fit approach, is closer structurally to its mouse precursor than is a version whose VH was constructed using a human sequence with lower homology to the original mouse sequence. This work thus offers direct structural evidence in support of the best-sequence-fit approach and adds to previous results of biological and biochemical evaluations of distinctly engineered antibodies that also favored the use of a best-sequence-fit strategy. A second crystal type appeared during attempts to crystallize the Fab-IFN-gamma complex. The antibody-antigen complex that existed in solution dissociated in the crystallization mixture. A conformationally altered but unliganded HuZAF protein crystallized in a different space group (C2), with two Fab molecules in the asymmetric unit. In this crystal lattice, no space was available for accommodating the IFN-gamma antigen. Thus, there are currently three slightly different structures of the HuZAF Fab.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / chemistry*
  • Crystallization
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Fragments / chemistry*
  • Interferon-gamma / chemistry*
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Ligands
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • X-Ray Diffraction
  • X-Rays

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Immunoglobulin Fragments
  • Ligands
  • Interferon-gamma