Antiparallel Conformation of Knob and Hole Aglycosylated Half-Antibody Homodimers Is Mediated by a CH2-CH3 Hydrophobic Interaction.

Abstract Bispecific antibody and antibody-like molecules are of wide interest as potential therapeutics that can recognize two distinct targets. Among the variety of ways such molecules have been engineered is by creating “knob” and “hole” heterodimerization sites in the CH3 domains of two antibody heavy chains. The molecules produced in this manner maintain their biological activities while differing very little from the native human IgG sequence. To better understand the knob-into-hole interface, the molecular mechanism of heterodimerization, and to engineer Fc domains that could improve the assembly and purity of heterodimeric reaction products, we sought crystal structures of aglycosylated heterodimeric and homodimeric “knob” and “hole” Fc fragments derived from bacterial expression. The structure of the knob-into-hole Fc was determined at 2.64 A. Except for the sites of mutation, the structure is very similar to that of the native human IgG1 Fc, consistent with a heterodimer interaction kinetic K D of