Structural and functional differences between glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms of human interferon-beta (IFN-beta).

Two recombinant IFN-beta products have been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a glycosylated form with the predicted natural amino acid sequence (IFN-beta-1a) and a non-glycosylated form that has a Met-1 deletion and a Cys-17 to Ser mutation (IFN-beta-1b). The structural basis for activity differences between IFN-beta-1a and IFN-beta-1b, is determined. In vitro antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory assays were used to directly compare the two IFN-beta products. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC), SDS-PAGE, thermal denaturation, and X-ray crystallography were used to examine structural differences. IFN-beta-1a was 10 times more active than IFN-beta-1b with specific activities in a standard antiviral assay of 20 x 10(7) IU/mg for IFN-beta-1a and 2 x 10(7) IU/mg for IFN-beta-1b. Of the known structural differences between IFN-beta-1a and IFN-beta-1b, only glycosylation affected in vitro activity. Deglycosylation of IFN-beta-1a produced a decrease in total activity that was primarily caused by the formation of an insoluble disulfide-linked IFN precipitate. Deglycosylation also resulted in an increased sensitivity to thermal denaturation. SEC data for IFN-beta-1b revealed large, soluble aggregates that had reduced antiviral activity (approximated at 0.7 x 10(7) IU/mg). Crystallographic data for IFN-beta-1a revealed that the glycan formed H-bonds with the peptide backbone and shielded an uncharged surface from solvent exposure. Together these results suggest that the greater biological activity of IFN-beta-1a is due to a stabilizing effect of the carbohydrate on structure.