Integrated Solid-Phase Synthesis and Purification of PEGylated Protein

Abstract

We describe an integrated method for solid-phase protein PEGylation and the purification of mono-PEGylated protein thus synthesized. Lysozyme was used as model protein in this study. Methoxy-polyethyleneglycol propionaldehyde (or m-PEG propionaldehyde) was first immobilized on a stack of microporous hydrophobic interaction membranes housed in a module. The membrane-bound m-PEG propionaldehyde was then contacted with lysozyme solution, which also contained sodium cyanoborohydride as a reducing agent. The PEGylated lysozyme thus synthesized remained attached to the membrane, whereas unreacted protein could easily be removed from the module. PEGylated protein was then eluted from the membrane in a partially purified form using salt-free buffer. Two separate steps were thus integrated into a single process: protein PEGylation, followed by purification of mono-PEGylated protein. This solid-phase method is likely to be suitable for PEGylating any protein because it is based on the immobilization of the activated PEG and not the protein being PEGylated.