What is deamidation?

Deamidation is a chemical reaction in which the amide group of an amino acid is converted into an acid group, resulting in the removal of an ammonia molecule. This process can occur spontaneously over time, particularly under conditions of high temperature, alkaline pH, or oxidative stress. Deamidation can also be catalyzed by enzymes known as deamidases.

In proteins, deamidation can lead to structural changes and alterations in protein function. It is a common form of protein degradation and can impact the stability, solubility, and bioactivity of the protein. Deamidation can also affect the antigenicity of proteins, leading to changes in immunogenicity.

Deamidation is an important consideration in the biopharmaceutical industry, as it can affect the quality and efficacy of therapeutic proteins. Therefore, it is important to monitor and control deamidation during protein production and storage to ensure product quality and stability.