Characterization of IgG1 Fc Deamidation at Asparagine 325 and Its Impact on Antibody-dependent Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity and FcγRIIIa Binding

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) is an important mechanism of action for many therapeutic antibodies. A therapeutic immunoglobulin (Ig) G(1) monoclonal antibody lost more than half of its ADCC activity after heat stress at 40 °C for 4 months. Size-exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography were used to fractionate various size and charge variants from the stressed IgG(1). Physicochemical characterization of these fractions revealed that a rarely seen crystallizable fragment (Fc) modification, N325 deamidation, exhibited a positive correlation with the loss of ADCC activity. A further surface plasmon resonance study showed that this modification disrupted the binding between the IgG(1) Fc and Fcγ receptor IIIa, resulting in decreased ADCC activity of the IgG(1) antibody. Mutants of N325/D and N325/Q were made to confirm the effect of N325 deamidation on ADCC. We hypothesize that N325 deamidation altered the local three-dimensional structure, which might interfere with the binding and interaction with the effector cell. Because of its impact on biological activity, N325 deamidation is a critical quality attribute for products whose mechanism of action includes ADCC. A thorough understanding of the criticality of N325 deamidation and appropriate monitoring can help ensure the safety and efficacy of IgG(1) or Fc-fusion products.