Conjugation
of biologics with polymers modulates their pharmacokinetics,
with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the gold standard. We compared alternative
polymers and two types of cyclooctyne linkers (BCN/DBCO) for bioconjugation
of interferon-α2a (IFN-α2a) using 10 kDa polymers including
linear mPEG, poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx), and linear polyglycerol
(LPG). IFN-α2a was azide functionalized via amber codon expansion
and bioorthogonally conjugated to all cyclooctyne linked polymers.
Polymer conjugation did not impact IFN-α2a’s secondary
structure and only marginally reduced IFN-α2a’s bioactivity.
In comparison to PEtOx, the LPG polymer attached via the less rigid
cyclooctyne linker BCN was found to stabilize IFN-α2a against
thermal stress. These findings were further detailed by molecular
modeling studies which showed a modulation of protein flexibility
upon PEtOx conjugation and a reduced amount of protein native contacts
as compared to PEG and LPG originated bioconjugates. Polymer interactions
with IFN-α2a were further assessed via a limited proteolysis
(LIP) assay, which resulted in comparable proteolytic cleavage patterns
suggesting weak interactions with the protein′s surface. In
conclusion, both PEtOx and LPG bioconjugates resulted in a similar
biological outcome and may become promising PEG alternatives for bioconjugation.