Abstract
Antibody (Ab) discovery research has accelerated as monoclonal Ab (mAb)-based biologic strategies have proved efficacious in the treatment of many human diseases, ranging from cancer to autoimmunity. Initial steps in the discovery of therapeutic mAb require epitope characterization and preclinical studies in vitro and in animal models often using limited quantities of Ab. To facilitate this research, our Shared Resource Laboratory (SRL) offers microscale Ab conjugation. Ab submitted for conjugation may or may not be commercially produced, but have not been characterized for use in immunofluorescence applications. Purified mAb and even polyclonal Ab (pAb) can be efficiently conjugated, although the advantages of direct conjugation are more obvious for mAb. To improve consistency of results in microscale (<100ug) conjugation reactions, we chose to utilize several different varieties of commercial kits. Kits tested were limited to covalent fluorophore labeling. Established quality control (QC) processes to validate fluorophore labeling either rely solely on spectrophotometry or utilize flow cytometry of cells expected to express the target antigen. This methodology is not compatible with microscale reactions using uncharacterized Ab. We developed a novel method for cell-free QC of our conjugates that reflects conjugation quality, but is independent of the biological properties of the Ab itself. QC is critical, as amine reactive chemistry relies on the absence of even trace quantities of competing amine moieties such as those found in the Good buffers (HEPES, MOPS, TES, etc.) or irrelevant proteins. Herein, we present data used to validate our method of assessing the extent of labeling and the removal of free dye by using flow cytometric analysis of polystyrene Ab capture beads to verify product quality. This microscale custom conjugation and QC allows for the rapid development and validation of high quality reagents, specific to the needs of our colleagues and clientele.