Size-exclusion Chromatography Procedure Research Articles

Isolation of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles by High-Performance Size-Exclusion Chromatography.

Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) are gaining increased attention as carriers of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Blood contains EVs from different cell sources that constitute an attractive target for biomarker studies. However, there is no consensus on the best approach to isolate EVs from blood. Non-EV proteins and lipoproteins in plasma/serum tend to contaminate isolated EVs and confound functional experiments. Here we describe a single-step, high-performance size-exclusion chromatography procedure for separation of EVs from most lipoproteins and non-EV proteins, and compare it to ultracentrifugation, still the most commonly used method for EV isolation.

Protein-Binding Affinity of Leucaena Condensed Tannins of Differing Molecular Weights

Depending on their source, concentration, chemical structure, and molecular weight, condensed tannins (CTs) form insoluble complexes with protein, which could lead to ruminal bypass protein, benefiting animal production. In this study, CTs from Leuceana leucocephala hybrid were fractionated into five fractions by a size exclusion chromatography procedure. The molecular weights of the CT fractions were determined using Q-TOF LC-MS, and the protein-binding affinities of the respective CT fractions were determined using a protein precipitation assay with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the standard protein. The calculated number-average molecular weights (M(n)) were 1348.6, 857.1, 730.1, 726.0, and 497.1, and b values (the b value represents the CT quantity that is needed to bind half of the maximum precipitable BSA) of the different molecular weight fractions were 0.381, 0.510, 0.580, 0.636, and 0.780 for fractions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The results indicated that, in general, CTs of higher molecular weight fractions have stronger protein-binding affinity than those of lower molecular weights. However, the number of hydroxyl units within the structure of CT polymers also affects the protein-binding affinity.

Bridging the gap: A GFP‐based strategy for overexpression and purification of membrane proteins with intra and extracellular C‐termini

Low expression and instability during isolation are major obstacles preventing adequate structure-function characterization of membrane proteins (MPs). To increase the likelihood of generating large quantities of protein, C-terminally fused green fluorescent protein (GFP) is commonly used as a reporter for monitoring expression and evaluating purification. This technique has mainly been restricted to MPs with intracellular C-termini (C(in)) due to GFP's inability to fluoresce in the Escherichia coli periplasm. With the aid of Glycophorin A, a single transmembrane spanning protein, we developed a method to convert MPs with extracellular C-termini (C(out)) to C(in) ones providing a conduit for implementing GFP reporting. We tested this method on eleven MPs with predicted C(out) topology resulting in high level expression. For nine of the eleven MPs, a stable, monodisperse protein-detergent complex was identified using an extended fluorescence-detection size exclusion chromatography procedure that monitors protein stability over time, a critical parameter affecting the success of structure-function studies. Five MPs were successfully cleaved from the GFP tag by site-specific proteolysis and purified to homogeneity. To address the challenge of inefficient proteolysis, we explored expression and purification conditions in the absence of the fusion tag. Contrary to previous studies, optimal expression conditions established with the fusion were not directly transferable for overexpression in the absence of the GFP tag. These studies establish a broadly applicable method for GFP screening of MPs with C(out) topology, yielding sufficient protein suitable for structure-function studies and are superior to expression and purification in the absence GFP fusion tagging.

On the effect of polymer fractionation on phase equilibrium in CO 2+poly(ethylene glycol)s systems

Phase equilibrium ratios of poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEG) of average molar masses 200, 400 and 600 with supercritical CO 2, were measured at 20 MPa and 313 K. Additional measurements with the monomer, ethylene glycol and with PEG 400 at 293 K were also performed. Three different methods of analysing the PEG amounts in each phase were used. Using a size exclusion chromatography procedure (SEC/GPC) we have observed a relevant fractionation of the polymer in the case of the system CO 2+PEG 600. Some of the results obtained differ significantly from previously published values on the same systems.

Human Milk K-Casein and Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori Adhesion to Human Gastric Mucosa

Readily digested caseins, which account for almost half of the protein content in human milk, are important as nutritional protein for breast-fed infants. It has also been advocated that part of the antimicrobial activity of human milk resides in the caseins, most likely the glycosyated K-casein. Top explore this possibility, we purified K-casein from human milk to homogeneity by a two-step size-exclusion chromatography procedure. Purified human K-casein, in contrast to K-casein purified from bovine milk, effectively inhibited the cell lineage-specific adhesion of fluoroisothiocyanate-labeled Helicobacter pylori to human gastric surface mucous cells. The inhibitory activity was abolished by metaperiodate oxidation and considerably reduced by preincubation with alpha-L-fucosidase but not with alpha-N-acetylneuraminidase or endo-beta-galactosidase. These results strongly support the view that fucose containing carbohydrate moieties of human K-casein are important for inhibition of H. pylori adhesion and, thus, infection. They also suggest that breastfeeding may protect from infection by H. pylori during early life and that species-specific glycosylation patterns, as illustrated by human bovine K-casein, partly determine both the narrow host spectrum of this human gastric pathogen and the capacity to resist infection.

Purification of murine immunoglobulin M from spent tissue culture supernatant by one-step gel filtration chromatography procedure.

Optimal purification of immunoglobulin M (IgM) grown as spent tissue culture supernatant can be achieved by a straightforward size-exclusion chromatography procedure. Preparative isolation of IgM was achieved by precipitation with saturated ammonium sulphate to achieve a 45% solution. IgM was then purified by gel filtration chromatography with a solution of 100 mM Tris + 150 mM NaCl at pH 8. Denaturing electrophoresis and Western immunoblotting revealed two prominent bands at 80 and 25 kDa, indicative of the heavy and light chains of IgM respectively. The specific immunoreactivity of this IgM was assessed by a modified enzyme antigen capture assay. In contrast to affinity and ion-exchange chromatographies, gel filtration allows retention of IgM immunoreactivity.

Implementation of an HPLC polystyrene divinylbenzene column for separation of activated sludge exopolymers

A high-pressure size-exclusion chromatography procedure for separation of activated sludge exopolymers was investigated and implemented in order to achieve a documented and faster separation procedure than the conventional low-pressure size-exclusion chromatography methods previously suggested in studies of activated sludges from a traditional and an advanced from activated sludges from a traditional and an advanced activated sludge treatment plant performing biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal were used. For both types of exopolymers the separation was largely dependent on the mobile-phase. Using NaCl and ortho-phosphate in the molar proportion 10:1 it was shown that for a mobile-phase ionic strength of 0.011 and pH in the range 7.0–10.0 no irreversible column adsorption occurred. For a standard procedure a mobile-phase pH of 7.0 was selected in order to separate the exopolymers into the maximal number of peaks. Alterations in the mobile-phase, i.e. using a pH below 7.0 or a mobile-phase ionic strength above 0.011, changed the separation for both types of exopolymers and caused irreversible column adsorption. Similarly, using deionized water as the mobile-phase irreversible column adsorption was introduced and the separation was strongly affected. The method applicability for qualitative characterization of exopolymers was demonstrated. The method was found to be successful in showing differences and similarities between exopolymers from two different activated sludge treatment plants, showing degradation of exopolymer compounds due to exoenzymes in the exopolymers and showing that snow melting and subsequent high conductivity in the inlet to the waste-water treatment plant had an impact on the chromatographic fingerprint of the extracted exopolymers.

Chromatographic investigations of macromolecules in the critical range of liquid chromatography: 3. Analysis of polymer blends

Polymer blends of various compositions were analysed by liquid chromatography at the critical point of adsorption. By operating at the critical point of one blend component, it is possible to separate the blend regardless of the chemical structure and the molar mass of the second blend component. In addition, the molar mass and the molar-mass distribution of the second blend component may be determined via a conventional size exclusion chromatography procedure. It is shown that, in addition to homopolymer blends, blends comprising a copolymer as one component may be separated.

Macromolecular prodrugs : V. Simultaneous determination of high-molecular-weight dextran metronidazole monosuccinate ester prodrugs and the hydrolysis products metronidazole and the corresponding monosuccinate ester on nucleosil diol

A high-performance size-exclusion chromatography procedure using Nucleosil Diol has been developed which provides the simultaneous determination of macromolecular dextran metronidazole monosuccinate ester prodrugs and the hydrolysis products metronidazole and metronidazole monosuccinate. Various factors influencing the chromatographic behaviour of the compounds are discussed. Baseline separation of the three substances was achieved within 8 min by using a 0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 7.5 eluent at a flow-rate of 2 ml min −1. The detection limit at 320 nm for a conjugate with a degree of substitution of 4.61 was found to be 3.5 μg ml −1.