Characterization of Antibody Products Obtained through Enzymatic and Nonenzymatic Glycosylation Reactions with a Glycan Oxazoline and Preparation of a Homogeneous Antibody–Drug Conjugate via Fc N-Glycan

Glycan engineering of antibodies has received considerable attention. Although various endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase mutants have been developed for glycan remodeling, a side reaction has been reported between glycan oxazoline and amino groups. In this study, we performed a detailed characterization for antibody products obtained through enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions with the aim of maximizing the efficiency of the glycosylation reaction with fewer side products. The reactions were monitored by an ultraperformance liquid chromatography system using an amide-based wide-pore column. The products were characterized by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The side reactions were suppressed by adding glycan oxazoline in a stepwise manner under slightly acidic conditions. Through a combination of an azide-carrying glycan transfer reaction under optimized conditions and a bioorthogonal reaction, a potent cytotoxic agent monomethyl auristatin E was site-specifically conjugated at N-glycosylated Asn297 with a drug-to-antibody ratio of 4. The prepared antibody-drug conjugate exhibited cytotoxicity against HER2-expressing cells.