Frontal Affinity Chromatography Research Articles

Interactions between polysialic acid and dopamine-lead compounds as revealed by biochemical and in silico docking simulation analyses.

Polysialic acid is an important glyco-epitope in vertebrate brains, while altered expressions of polySia and biosynthetic enzyme have been reported in brain diseases such as schizophrenia and depression. Recently, the binding between polySia and dopamine and the involvement of this in Akt signaling has been demonstrated. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the binding of polySia and dopamine remains unknown. Therefore, here, we demonstrated the interaction between dopamine and polySia using frontal affinity chromatography alongside docking simulations. In addition, we prepared dopamine-lead compounds to understand the detailed molecular basis of polySia binding by frontal affinity chromatography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and docking simulations.

Weak Affinity Chromatography Using Organic Solvents on Cyanopropyl- and Arene-Modified Silica-Gel Columns—Structural Demands for Host and Guest Moieties and Effect of Solvents

Abstract Weak affinity chromatography (WAC) is effective for isolating target compounds from analogous compounds with similar functional groups. Previously, a few chromatographic behaviors based on WAC using organic solvents were observed in a series of cyclic multiporphyrin systems on cyanopropyl-modified silica gel (CN-MS). Here, three cyclic porphyrin trimers with various rigidity were examined on CN-MS to understand the mechanism of the specific interactions between porphyrin derivatives and functional groups on modified silica gel. In addition to CN-MS, six modified silica-gel columns were tested to compare their retention abilities for a cyclic nickel porphyrin dimer (C4Ni2MsCP2). We examined the cosolvent effects of the pyridine eluents for C4Ni2MsCP2. Apparent dissociation constants of C4Ni2MsCP2 with functional groups on the MS columns and effective amounts of the functional groups were estimated by frontal affinity chromatography (FAC). 1H NMR titrations of acetonitrile and nitrobenzene to C4Ni2MsCP2 were conducted to compare their association constants with movable guest molecules to the dissociation constants with immobilized functional groups obtained in FAC. We found rigidity of cyclic porphyrin derivatives and immobilization of functional groups on silica gel is necessary for significant retentions using WAC. The affinity interaction does not occur at the center of C4Ni2MsCP2, but probably occurs on the surface composed of a bipyridyl moiety and the adjacent edges of the two porphyrins. Polar solvents, such as nitrobenzene, acetonitrile, and methanol, weakened the interaction. Although C4Ni2MsCP2 dissolves well in chloroform, the interactions between C4Ni2MsCP2 and the MS columns are considerably strengthened in the presence of chloroform. The competitiveness of solvents and cosolvents with the interaction of the porphyrin on WAC is independent of the solubility of the analyte.

Preparation of miniaturized hydrophilic affinity monoliths: Towards a reduction of non-specific interactions and an increased target protein density

In affinity chromatography, non-specific interactions between the ligands and the affinity column may affect the results, leading to misinterpretations during the investigation of protein-ligand interactions (detection of false positives in ligand screening, lack of specificity in purification). Such non-specific interactions may arise both from the underlying support or from the target protein itself. If the second ones are protein-dependent (and cannot be studied in a general framework), the first ones occur in the same way regardless of the immobilized target. We propose a methodology to identify the origin of such non-specific interactions with the underlying material of the affinity column. This methodology relies on the systematic investigation of the retention behavior of a set of 41 low-molecular weight compounds covering a wide chemical space (net charge, log D, functionality). We first demonstrate that the main source of non-specific interactions on the most commonly used GMA-co-EDMA monolith comes from hydrophobic effects. To reduce such non-specific interactions, we developed a new hydrophilic glycidyl methacrylate-based monolith by replacing the EDMA crosslinker by the more hydrophilic NN’ Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA). Optimization of the synthesis parameters (monomer content, initiation type, temperature) has focused on the reduction of non-specific interaction with the monolithic support while maximizing the amount of protein that can be grafted onto the monolith at the issue of its synthesis. The retention data of the 41 test solutes on the new poly(GMA-co-MBA) monolith shows a drastic reduction of non-specific interactions except for cationic compounds. The particular behavior of cationic compounds is due to their electrostatic interactions with carboxylic groups resulting from the partial acidic hydrolysis of amide groups of MBA during the epoxide ring opening step. So, the ring opening step in acidic media was replaced by a hot water treatment to avoid side reaction on MBA. The new monolith poly(GMA-co-MBA) not only has improved hydrophilic surface properties but also a higher protein density (16 ± 0.8 pmol cm−1 instead of 8 ± 0.3 pmol cm−1). To highlight the benefits of this new hydrophilic monolith for affinity chromatographic studies, frontal affinity chromatography experiments were conducted on these monoliths grafted with con A.

Miniaturized antithrombin III affinity monolithic columns coupled to TOF-MS for the selective capture and release of fondaparinux a high affinity antithrombin III ligand.

This work explores the capability of antithrombin III-functionalized capillary monolithic columns (in-line coupled with MS detection) to selectively capture, release and detect high affinity binders of antithrombin III (AT III) from oligosaccharides mixtures. The in-situ characterization of home-made AT III affinity columns was done by frontal affinity chromatography coupled to MS detection using fondaparinux as model ligand. Three different preparation methods of miniaturized antithrombin III monolithic affinity columns were optimized and compared. Immobilization of antithrombin III onto Concanavalin A functionalized column is the simplest method but leads to lowest protein density. The two other methods, direct grafting on aldehyde preactivated monoliths and immobilization of biotinylated antithrombin III to streptavidin-functionalized columns, require the presence of fondaparinux to protect the heparin binding site during the grafting process. Up to 1.3±0.3pmolcm-1 of antithrombin III were immobilized with both methods. The direct coupling of such miniaturized affinity columns to MS-detection was made possible by optimization of the elution step. Ammonia (0.1M) was chosen as an efficient and MS compatible solvent to elute fondaparinux. Finally, the complete analytical workflow (capture/elution/detection) was demonstrated to allow the selective capture and elution of fondaparinux initially contained in a complex oligosaccharide mixture with a limit of detection of 1pmol.

Quantitative evaluation of glycan-binding specificity of recombinant concanavalin A produced in lettuce (Lactuca sativa).

Concanavalin A (ConA), a mannose (Man)-specific leguminous lectin isolated from the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) seed extracts, was discovered over a century ago. Although ConA has been extensively applied in various life science research, recombinant mature ConA expression has not been fully established. Here, we aimed to produce recombinant ConA (rConA) in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression system. rConA could be produced as a fully active form from soluble fractions of lettuce leaves and purified by affinity chromatography. From 12 g wet weight of lettuce leaves, 0.9 mg rConA could be purified. The glycan-binding properties of rConA were then compared with that of the native ConA isolated from jack bean using glycoconjugate microarray and frontal affinity chromatography. rConA demonstrated a glycan-binding specificity similar to nConA. Both molecules bound to N-glycans containing a terminal Man residue. Consistent with previous reports, terminal Manα1-6Man was found to be an essential unit for the high-affinity binding of rConA and nConA, while bisecting GlcNAc diminished the binding of rConA and nConA to Manα1-6Man-terminated N-glycans. These results demonstrate that the fully active rConA could be produced using the A. tumefaciens-mediated transient expression system and used as a recombinant substitute for nConA.

Two Original Experimental Setups for Staircase Frontal Affinity Chromatography at the Miniaturized Scale.

Frontal affinity chromatography is a powerful, underappreciated technique for the qualitative (screening) and quantitative (Kd determination) evaluation of biological interactions. Its development has been previously hampered by its sample consumption, limited throughput, and lack of dedicated instrumentation especially at a miniaturized scale. This work describes two original experimental devices allowing nano-frontal affinity chromatography titrations (nano-FAC) to be automatically implemented in the time-saving staircase mode. The first nano-FAC system utilizes a capillary electrophoresis device (7100 CE Agilent system) in the pressurization mode with in situ UV detection. The second nano-FAC experimental setup implements a nano-LC device (Ultimate 3000 Thermo) modified with a 10-port valve equipped with two superloops (loop volume, 5 μL) operating alternatively and automatically in a single run. The benefits and drawbacks of each approach are exemplified using two model protein-ligand interactions (concanavalin A-mannose and concanavalin A-glucose). The two methods result in concordant dissociation constants (Kd) and number of active site (Bact) values, obtained in a fully automated manner, with low sample consumption and good throughput.

Molecular recognition and interaction between human plasminogen Kringle 5 and voltage-dependent anion channel-1 by biological specificity technologies and molecular dynamic simulation

Voltage-dependent anion channel-l (VDAC-1) can bind with plasminogen Kringle 5 as the cell surface receptor and induce cell apoptosis, but the detailed information of binding is not clear yet. Thus, the mutual recognition and binding were investigated here utilizing frontal affinity chromatography, surface plasma resonance, mutation analysis combining molecular dynamics simulation. The results showed that Kringle 5 binds with VDAC-1 in equimolar driven mainly by electrostatic force, with 15 amino acid residues participating in Kringle 5 and 21 in VDAC-1. The observed conformational changes indicated the automatic structure regulation providing these two proteins suitable conformations and spatial surroundings for the tighter and stabler binding. Moreover, Glu29 in Kringle 5 was speculated as the key residue maintaining the largest energy contribution. Therefore, this work provided precise information for the recognition and binding of Kringle 5 with VDAC-1 that is valuable for the corresponding treatment of tumours or other angiogenic diseases.

Diversified Biomineralization Roles of Pteria penguin Pearl Shell Lectins as Matrix Proteins.

Previously, we isolated jacalin-related lectins termed PPL2, PPL3 (PPL3A, 3B and 3C) and PPL4 from the mantle secretory fluid of Pteria penguin (Mabe) pearl shell. They showed the sequence homology with the plant lectin family, jacalin-related β-prism fold lectins (JRLs). While PPL3s and PPL4 shared only 35%–50% homology to PPL2A, respectively, they exhibited unique carbohydrate binding properties based on the multiple glycan-binding profiling data sets from frontal affinity chromatography analysis. In this paper, we investigated biomineralization properties of these lectins and compared their biomineral functions. It was found that these lectins showed different effects on CaCO3 crystalization, respectively, although PPL3 and PPL2A showed similar carbohydrate binding specificities. PPL3 suppressed the crystal growth of CaCO3 calcite, while PPL2A increased the number of contact polycrystalline calcite composed of more than one crystal with various orientations. Furthermore, PPL4 alone showed no effect on CaCO3 crystalization; however, PPL4 regulated the size of crystals collaborated with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and chitin oligomer, which are specific in recognizing carbohydrates for PPL4. These observations highlight the unique functions and molecular evolution of this lectin family involved in the mollusk shell formation.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in Protein Chromatography: Development of an Affinity Adsorbent from Waste Paper and Its Application for the Purification of Proteases from Fish By-Products.

In the present study, we report the development of a cellulose-based affinity adsorbent and its application for the purification of proteases from fish by-products. The affinity adsorbent was synthesized using cellulose microfibers as the matrix, isolated from recycled newspapers using the acid precipitation method. As an affinity ligand, the triazine dye Cibacron Blue 3GA (CB3GA) was used and immobilized directly onto the cellulose microfibers. Absorption equilibrium studies and frontal affinity chromatography were employed to evaluate the chromatographic performance of the adsorbent using as model proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYS). Absorption equilibrium studies suggest that the adsorption of both proteins obeys the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetics of adsorption obey the pseudo-second-order model. The affinity adsorbent was applied for the development of a purification procedure for proteases from Sparus aurata by-products (stomach and pancreas). A single-step purification protocol for trypsin and chymotrypsin was developed and optimized. The protocol afforded enzymes with high yields suitable for technical and industrial purposes.

Heterologous expression and molecular binding properties of AofleA, a fucose-specific lectin from nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora

Lectins are the primary recognition macromolecules for various types of fucosylation, a common eukaryotic post-translational modification. In this study, we report the heterologous expression and molecular binding properties of a fucose-specific lectin, AofleA, isolated from Arthrobotrys oligospora. This is the first reported fucose-specific lectin found in nematophagous fungi. The recombinant AofleA (r-AofleA) was expressed in Escherichia coli with high efficiency, yielding at least 500 mg of soluble and functional r-AofleA per liter of broth. Using hemagglutination inhibition assay and glycan microarray analysis, r-AofleA was found to be broadly specific for fucosylated glycans or oligosaccharides including Fucα(1–2), Fucα(1–3), Fucα(1–4) and Fucα(1–6) linkages, similar to Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL). Frontal affinity chromatography showed that r-AofleA has high affinity towards PA-L-fucose with an average Kd value of 15 nM. These findings provide a basis for improved understanding of the structure and functions of AofleA during recognition and capture of prey nematodes by nematophagous fungus A. oligospora.

Frontal Affinity Chromatography: A Highly Suitable Retardation Phenomenon-Based Research Tool for Analyzing Weak Interactions Between Biomolecules.

The greatest advantage of frontal affinity chromatography (FAC) is that the analyte concentration does not need to be taken into consideration, and this renders FAC an extremely favorable analytical tool for weak interactions. In this short review, we propose a straightforward explanation of the underlying mechanism. When FAC is performed using analyte solutions at relatively high concentrations, concentration-dependent retardation is observed due to competition among analyte molecules, and the elution volume changes depending on the degree of saturation of the immobilized ligand.However, when the analyte concentration is very low, no competition occurs among the analytes, and the elution volume reaches a constant value, which reflects the proportion of bound state to free state of a single analyte molecule. Therefore, the binding strength can be determined using a minimum analyte concentration.

Glycan Binding Profiling of Jacalin-Related Lectins from the Pteria Penguin Pearl Shell.

We determined the primary structures of jacalin-related lectins termed PPL3s (PPL3A, 3B, and 3C, which are dimers consisting of sequence variants α + α, α + β, β + β, respectively) and PPL4, which is heterodimer consisting of α + β subunits, isolated from mantle secretory fluid of Pteria penguin (Mabe) pearl shell. Their carbohydrate-binding properties were analyzed, in addition to that of PPL2A, which was previously reported as a matrix protein. PPL3s and PPL4 shared only 35–50% homology to PPL2A, respectively; they exhibited significantly different carbohydrate-binding specificities based on the multiple glycan binding profiling data sets from frontal affinity chromatography analysis. The carbohydrate-binding specificity of PPL3s was similar to that of PPL2A, except only for Man3Fuc1Xyl1GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide, while PPL4 showed different carbohydrate-binding specificity compared with PPL2A and PPL3s. PPL2A and PPL3s mainly recognize agalactosylated- and galactosylated-type glycans. On the other hand, PPL4 binds to high-mannose-and hybrid-type N-linked glycans but not agalactosylated- and galactosylated-type glycans.

Study the effect of trypsin enzyme activity on the screening of applying frontal affinity chromatography

Frontal affinity chromatography (FAC) combined with enzyme has been widely used for drug screening. In this paper, the effect of target enzyme activity on screening of bioactive compounds was studied through applying FAC. Trypsin with different degree of inactivation were prepared as target enzyme by thermal denaturation. Their primary structure was identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and use Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy to detect group structure. Ultimately, it was found that the main structure of enzyme with decreased activity remained unchanged. The oxymatrine and matrine which can interact with trypsin were selected to study their binding to trypsin with different activities in FAC. The results showed that oxymatrine and matrine had a significant difference in the breakthrough volume among seven kinds of columns prepared by trypsins with different activities, at the different concentration. It indicated that trypsins with different activities in FAC could combine with oxymatrine and matrine. The binding constant (Kd) variation between oxymatrine, matrine and trypsin with different activities are 5.520 ± 0.038 and 3.577 ± 0.071, within error range, which indicated that the activity of target enzyme with primary unchanged structure has no effect on screening of bioactive components by FAC.

Characterization of the heterogeneous adsorption of three drugs on immobilized bovine serum albumin by adsorption energy distribution

Characterization of the heterogeneity of a protein surface is important for understanding the binding mechanism of a drug to the protein. A systematic methodology of integrated adsorption energy distribution (AED) calculation with the Scatchard plot was used to characterize the heterogeneous binding of drugs to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Frontal affinity chromatography (FAC) was applied to generate the adsorption data of three drugs on the immobilized BSA column. The concave Scatchard plots cannot distinguish the heterogeneous model between Toth and bi-Langmuir. The calculation of AED profiles allowed the accurate selection of adsorption models to reveal the physical sense of the drugs. Warfarin-BSA complex proved to be the bi-Langmuir model with association constants of 6.6 × 105 M−1 and 2.4 × 103 M−1, respectively. These results were highly consistent with traditional frontal analysis, ultrafiltration, and dynamic dialysis. Applying the AED related method, we achieved multiple and single kinds of binding sites for ephedrine-BSA and L-tryptophan-BSA complexes. Site-specific competitive studies exhibited non-competitive binding of ephedrine with warfarin or L-tryptophan on BSA, underlining that the location of ephedrine binding sites in the subdomain IIIB of BSA. This method permits an accurate heterogeneous characterization of drugs on a protein surface and has great potential in the reliable drug-protein interaction analysis.

Galectin-2 suppresses nematode development by binding to the invertebrate-specific galactoseβ1-4fucose glyco-epitope.

Galactoseβ1-4Fucose (GalFuc) is a unique disaccharide found in invertebrates including nematodes. A fungal galectin CGL2 suppresses nematode development by recognizing the galactoseβ1-4fucose epitope. The Caenorhabditis elegans galectin LEC-6 recognizes it as an endogenous ligand and the Glu67 residue of LEC-6 is responsible for this interaction. We found that mammalian galectin-2 (Gal-2) also has a comparable glutamate residue, Glu52. In the present study, we investigated the potential nematode-suppressing activity of Gal-2 using C. elegans as a model and focusing on Gal-2 binding to the GalFuc epitope. Gal-2 suppressed C. elegans development whereas its E52D mutant (Glu52 substituted by Asp), galectin-1 and galectin-3 had little effect on C. elegans growth. Lectin-staining using fluorescently-labeled Gal-2 revealed that, like CGL2, it specifically binds to the C. elegans intestine. Natural C. elegans glycoconjugates were specifically bound by immobilized Gal-2. Western blotting with anti-GalFuc antibody showed that the bound glycoconjugates had the GalFuc epitope. Frontal affinity chromatography with pyridylamine-labeled C. elegans N-glycans disclosed that Gal-2 (but not its E52D mutant) recognizes the GalFuc epitope. Gal-2 also binds to the GalFuc-bearing glycoconjugates of Ascaris and the GalFuc epitope is present in the parasitic nematodes Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Brugia pahangi. These results indicate that Gal-2 suppresses C. elegans development by binding to its GalFuc epitope. The findings also imply that Gal-2 may prevent infestations of various parasitic nematodes bearing the GalFuc epitope.

Stepwise frontal affinity chromatography model for drug and protein interaction.

Frontal affinity chromatography is an efficient technique that combines affinity interaction and high-performance liquid chromatography, and frontal analysis has been used in studying the interaction between drugs and proteins. Based on frontal analysis, stepwise frontal analysis has been established. The present study aimed to use the Lineweaver-Burk plot in stepwise frontal analysis by taking the weighted average of time data. Commercial human serum albumin (HSA) and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) columns were used as an affinity column. Warfarin and digitoxin were chosen as model drugs for the HSA column, whereas verapamil and tamsulosin were selected as model drugs for the AGP column. The time data obtained by frontal analysis and stepwise frontal analysis were compared, and the results revealed good correlation (r2 = 0.9946-0.9998). Frontal analysis and stepwise frontal analysis were also used to analyze the equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) of model drugs on the HSA and AGP columns. The Kd values were compared with literature values, which revealed the same order of magnitude. These results illustrate that conversion of the time data is reasonable and feasible. The Lineweaver-Burk plot can be used in the stepwise frontal analysis model to study the characteristics of the interaction between drugs and proteins. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Evaluation of boronate affinity solid-phase extraction coupled in-line to capillary isoelectric focusing for the analysis of catecholamines in urine

In this study, a new miniaturized and integrated analytical system was developed based on the in-line coupling of boronate affinity solid phase extraction with capillary isoelectric focusing separation and UV detection. This original coupling takes advantage of the selective enrichment of cis-diol-containing compounds using a boronate affinity sorbent and the exceptional focusing features of isoelectric focusing process. Such coupling has been used for preconcentration/purification and separation of urinary catecholamines (dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline) as proof of concept. Poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolithic capillary column (8 cm) was chosen as solid phase extraction support due to its good chemical stability and its easy and versatile surface functionalization. Characterization of the miniaturized boronate affinity monolith column (μBAMC) was done by frontal affinity chromatography. An active-site amount of about 0.16 nmol cm−1 (75 μm i. d.) of phenyl boronic acid groups and Kd values ranging from 224 to 106 μM were obtained for catechol and catecholamines. A high loading volume (up to 15 times the affinity column volume) can be introduced with quantitative recovery yields. Optimization of the in-line coupling concerned the adaptation of (i) the μBAMC volume, (i.e. length and inner diameter of the monolithic column) for loading of large sample volumes and (ii) the CIEF experimental conditions. The ampholyte mixture was adapted (i.e. nature and concentration of carrier ampholytes, volume of sacrificial electrolytes) in order to ensure elution and separation of catecholamines and to decrease limit of detection down to 10–20 ng ml−1. The optimized method was applied to analyze urine samples.

Carbohydrate-Binding Specificity of Human Galectins: An Overview by Frontal Affinity Chromatography

Carbohydrate-Binding Specificity of Human Galectins: An Overview by Frontal Affinity Chromatography

Carbohydrate-Binding Specificity of Human Galectins: An Overview by Frontal Affinity Chromatography

Carbohydrate-Binding Specificity of Human Galectins: An Overview by Frontal Affinity Chromatography

Distinct roles for each N-glycan branch interacting with mannose-binding type Jacalin-related lectins Orysata and Calsepa.

Mannose-binding type Jacalin-related lectins (mJRLs) bind to branched N-glycans via conserved sugar-binding sites. Despite, significant 3D structural similarities, each mJRL is known to have a unique binding preference toward various N-glycans. However, the molecular basis of varying binding preference is substantially unknown. Here, we report a detailed comparison of N-glycan-binding preference for two mJRLs, Orysata and Calsepa using frontal affinity chromatography (FAC), X-ray and molecular modeling. The FAC analysis using a panel of N-glycans shows difference in N-glycan-binding preference between the lectins. Orysata shows broader specificity toward most high-mannose-type glycans as well as biantennary complex-type glycans bearing an extension on the Manα1-6 branch. Whereas, Calsepa shows narrow specificity to complex-type glycans with bisecting GlcNAc. The X-ray crystallographic structure reveals that two Orysata lectins bind to one biantennary N-glycan (2:1 binding) where one lectin binds to mannose of the α1-3 branch, while the other interacts with an N-acetylglucosamine of the α1-6 branch. In contrast, Calsepa shows 1:1 binding where α1-3 branch and core chitobiose region N-glycan interacts with lectin, while α1-6 branch is flipped-back to the chitobiose core. Molecular dynamics study of Orysata bound to N-glycans substantiate possibility of two-binding modes for each N-glycan. Binding free energies calculated separately for α1-3 and α1-6 branches of each N-glycan suggest both branches can bind to Orysata. Overall these results suggest that each branch of N-glycan has a distinct role in binding to mJRLs and the nonbinding branch can contribute significantly to the binding affinity and hence to the specificity.