Solubility behavior of enzymes after addition of polyethylene glycol to erythrocyte hemolysates

The addition of polyethylene glycol to a hemolysate of rat erythrocytes reduces the solubility of phosphofructokinase and glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases in an exponential manner with respect to polymer concentration. Analyses of the solubility curves (log solubility versus polymer concentration) obtained at different pH values suggest that the solubility can be related to both the aggregation state and the intrinsic solubility of the proteins promoted by solution conditions. These findings suggest the possibility of using polyethylene glycol in a rational way for the fractional precipitation of a mixture.     

Oxygen availability in polyethylene glycol solutions and its implications in plant-water relations

The solubility of O₂ in polyethylene glycol 4000 and 6000 solutions of varying concentrations was determined iodimetrically (titrimetrically) and electrochemically using a rotating glassy carbon electrode and a PAR Model 174 Polarograph. The titrimetric determination resulted in the formation of an unexpected precipitate at 2% (w/v) polyethylene glycol corresponding to the approximate critical micelle concentration of the two polyethylene glycol homologs. Beyond 5% polyethylene glycol, O₂ concentration was inversely proportional to polyethylene glycol concentration, and was higher in polyethylene glycol 4000 solutions than in polyethylene glycol 6000. The electrochemical data are a direct measure of O₂ transport to the electrode surface, rather than O₂ activity or concentration. Results indicate that even at relatively high H₂O potentials, the transport of O₂ to the root surface might be insufficient to meet the plant's respiratory requirements.     

Solubility of lysozyme in polyethylene glycol-electrolyte mixtures: the depletion interaction and ion-specific effects

The solubility of aqueous solutions of lysozyme in the presence of polyethylene glycol and various alkaline salts was studied experimentally. The protein-electrolyte mixture was titrated with polyethylene glycol, and when precipitation of the protein occurred, a strong increase of the absorbance at 340 nm was observed. The solubility data were obtained as a function of experimental variables such as protein and electrolyte concentrations, electrolyte type, degree of polymerization of polyethylene glycol, and pH of the solution; the last defines the net charge of the lysozyme. The results indicate that the solubility of lysozyme decreases with the addition of polyethylene glycol; the solubility is lower for a polyethylene glycol with a higher degree of polymerization. Further, the logarithm of the protein solubility is a linear function of the polyethylene glycol concentration. The process is reversible and the protein remains in its native form. An increase of the electrolyte (NaCl) concentration decreases the solubility of lysozyme in the presence and absence of polyethylene glycol. The effect can be explained by the screening of the charged amino residues of the protein. The solubility experiments were performed at two different pH values (pH = 4.0 and 6.0), where the lysozyme net charge was +11 and +8, respectively. Ion-specific effects were systematically investigated. Anions such as Br⁻, Cl⁻, F⁻, and (all in combination with Na⁺), when acting as counterions to a protein with positive net charge, exhibit a strong effect on the lysozyme solubility. The differences in protein solubility for chloride solutions with different cations Cs⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺ (coions) were much smaller. The results at pH = 4.0 show that anions decrease the lysozyme solubility in the order (the inverse Hofmeister series), whereas cations follow the direct Hofmeister series (Cs⁺ < K⁺ < Na⁺) in this situation.     

Effects of polyethylene glycol and dextrans on immunoprecipitations: a two-cross immunodiffusion study

Precipitating titers and immunochemical titers obtained in a wide range of antigen-to-antibody concentration ratios by the two-cross immunodiffusion technique are compared with the corresponding laser light scatter precipitin curves. The two-cross immunodiffusion technique has also been applied to investigate whether polyethylene glycol of molecular mass 6000 and dextrans of molecular masses from 10,000 to 2,000,000 enhance the immunoprecipitation processes of the system human serum IgG-rabbit immune serum at pH 5.5 and 8.1 at 20 degrees C. It was found that the significant increase of precipitating titers of both precipitating components in the presence of polyethylene glycol is a consequence of a strong decrease of solubility of the primary antigen-antibody complex. The decrease of solubility does not affect the immunochemical titer of the immune serum, indicating stoichiometrical invariance of the precipitate at the equivalence. The apparent strong decrease of diffusion coefficients of both antigen and antibody in 20- and 40-g/liter polyethylene glycol solution is attributed to increase of viscosity of the solutions and to a partial self-association of protein molecules due to steric exclusion. In 40-g/liter polyethylene glycol solutions at pH 5.5 every fourth molecular entity of antigen and every third molecular entity of antibody are present in the form of a two-molecular self-associate, whereas in 20-g/liter polyethylene glycol solutions only 1% of antigen molecules and 8% of antibody molecules are associated. With the increase of pH to 8.1 the self-association of protein molecules is strongly further enhanced. Dextrans in 20-g/liter solutions, without regard to their relative molecular masses, do not influence precipitating titers and solubility of the antigen-antibody system at equivalence and do not enhance self-association of protein molecules. The strong decrease of diffusion coefficients of immunoglobulin G antigen and antibodies in dextran solutions is solely attributed to the increase of viscosity of the dextran solutions; hence there was no evidence of interaction of dextrans with serum IgG proteins.     

Peptide-polyethylene glycol conjugates: synthesis and properties of peptides bearing a C-terminal polyethylene glycol chain

The introduction of a polyethylene glycol chain has become a popular tool for increasing water solubility and bioavailability. Our interest in the development of catalytically active peptides and the selective recognition of peptides has led us to investigate strategies to increase the solubility of peptides in organic solvents. Specifically, we became interested in the introduction of solubilizing moieties at the C-terminus of two peptides. Here we present different synthetic strategies for the preparation of peptide-polyethylene glycol conjugates and discuss the effect of the polyethylene glycol chain on the solubility and other properties, such as the catalytic activity of these peptides.     

Effects of iodination on the distribution of peptide hormones in aqueous two-phase polymer systems

1. The effect of iodination on the distribution of peptide hormones into the aqueous two-phase dextran-polyethylene glycol system and on the solubility of these hormones in aqueous polyethylene glycol and in water was assessed. Hormones that were studied included insulin, glucagon and parathyroid hormone. 2. The partition coefficient of native insulin in the dextran-polyethylene glycol system showed a minimum (about 1) near the isoelectric point of the hormone (pH 5). Partial iodination of insulin (one atom per molecule) caused little change in the distribution of the hormone. More extensive iodination markedly decreased the partition coefficient in the region of the isoelectric point and displaced the pH value at which the partition coefficient was a minimum towards lower values. 3. The solubility of native insulin in aqueous polyethylene glycol and in water showed a pH-dependence similar to that observed for the distribution in the dextran-polyethylene glycol system. Iodination of insulin decreased the solubility of the hormone in polyethylene glycol and in water in parallel, and decreased the pH value at which solubility was a minimum. The changes in solubility correlated with the degree of iodination and accounted for the changes in distribution observed at high concentrations of insulin. 4. Comparable effects of iodination on distribution and solubility were also observed with glucagon. 5. At concentrations of insulin below its maximum solubility, serum proteins caused a decrease in the partition coefficient of iodinated hormone, but not of native hormone. These effects correlated with the degree of iodination and resulted from a co-precipitation of iodinated insulin with serum proteins.     

Phase separation in an aqueous quaternary system

(1) We have measured the incompatible phase separation that occurs in a polyethylene glycol-sodium dextran sulphate-sodium chloride-water system and have determined a critical point. (2) We have measured the activity coefficients of sodium chloride in critical-point concentrations of polyethylene glycol and sodium dextran sulphate respectively, and the osmotic coefficient of sodium dextran sulphate at the critical-point concentration. (3) With use of the relevant thermodynamic equations for a quaternary ionic system, we have determined the interaction coefficients between polyethylene glycol and dextran sulphate and between polyethylene glycol and sodium chloride. The former could be due mainly to volume exclusion, but the latter is too large to be explained on that basis.     

Conjugation of polyethylene glycol via a disulfide bond confers water solubility upon a peptide model of a protein transmembrane segment.

The aqueous insolubility of hydrophobic peptides has presented a barrier to the structural characterization of membrane protein transmembrane domains. Since the conjugation of polyethylene glycol is known to modulate the solubility of certain proteins and peptides, we have prepared PEG-a-Cys reagent, a polyethylene glycol derivative which reacts spontaneously with Cys residues to attach polyethylene glycol to polypeptides via a mixed disulfide bond. When desired, the PEG moiety can be readily removed by reduction with tricarboxyethylphosphine. The aqueous solubilizing power of PEG-a-Cys reagent is confirmed with a synthetic hydrophobic peptide model of a generic transmembrane segment-soluble carrier fusion protein.     

Cytochemical and ultrastructural studies on the synaptonemal complex of rat spermatocytes

The effects of several dehydration treatments on the synaptonemal complex (SC), histone solubility in 2.0 M NaCl, and histone-DNA interaction in unfixed rat spermatocytes were evaluated. Freeze substitution with ethanol or dehydration with polyethylene glygol resulted in loss of the SC, preservation of histone solubility and DNA-histone salt linkages. Dehydration with ethylene glycol or hexylene glycol resulted in preservation of SC with a clear delineation of attachment of the chromatin fibrils to the lateral elements, but a loss of histone solubility and histone-DNA linkages. Dehydration to a fifty percent concentration with glycerol with completion of dehydration with ethylene glycol had the same effect but also resulted in an even distribution of chromatin fibrils. Dehydration with glycerol alone resulted in clumping of chromatin and loss of SC structure, histone solubility and histone-DNA linkages. Partial dehydration to a fifty percent concentration with these three solvents followed by freeze substitution with ethanol resulted in the loss of SC structure and histone solubility but the preservation of histone-DNA linkages. It is likely that these nonaqueous solvents affected the histone hydrophobic groups and thereby altered histone conformation and interactions. These alterations, depending on the treatment used, resulted in the loss or preservation of SC, histone solubility and histone-DNA interactions thereby indicating that the hydrophobic interactions of the histones are crucial for the preservation of these feature of meiotic chromosomes. These results also demonstrate that neither does the preservation of the histone-DNA salt linkages suffice for the preservation of the SC nor does their disruption necessarily result in its loss. The lysine-rich histones, particularly that one unique to meiotic cells, may through their interactions play a crucial role in SC structure.     

Lipid-polyethylene glycol interactions: I. Induction of fusion between liposomes

Summary Fusion between unilamellar vesicles of both egg phosphatidylcholine and bovine phosphatidylserine was induced by polyethylene glycol. Aggregation and fusion events were monitored by electron microscopy and turbidity measurements. The threshold concentration of polyethylene glycol for aggregation and fusion is found to be independent of lipid concentration. Typically, aggregation of phosphatidylcholine vesicles starts at 2.5% (wt/wt) polyethylene glycol, but fusion is not significant until the polyethylene glycol concentration reaches 35%. Multilamellar vesicles were formed as a result of fusion.Abbreviations PEG Polyethylene glycol - IMP Intramembranous particle - PC Phosphatidylcholine - PS Phosphatidylserine - SUV Small unilamellar vesicles - MLV Multilamellar vesicles - DPPC Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine - DSC Differential scanning calorimetry     

The Structure of a Novel Lignan,Phrymarolin-II from Phryma leptostachya L.

The ginsenosides in Panax ginseng have vast structural and pharmacological efficacies. We covalently conjugated polyethylene glycol on the surface of CK (PEG-CK) through an acid-labile ester-linkage that showed increased solubility of CK. HPLC analysis showed that the release of CK was enhanced at acidic pH 5, whereas it was dramatically decreased at physiological pH 7.4. This might enhance the efficacy of CK.     

Synthesis and evaluation of water-soluble paclitaxel prodrugs

A series of water-soluble 2'-paclitaxel prodrugs were synthesized by attaching paclitaxel to polyethylene glycol (PEG) through amino acid spacers. The prodrugs showed highly improved water solubility, enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor activity compared with the native drug, paclitaxel.     

Calcium-induced changes in thyroglobulin conformation

Polyethylene glycol solutions (10% w/v) were used to detect the effect of mono- and divalent cations on some properties of thyroglobulin. It is shown that in presence of 10% w/v polyethylene glycol in 0.01 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, calcium (less than 0.05 M) modifies the solubility, the sedimentation rate, and the Stokes' radius of thyroglobulin, while monovalent cations up to 0.6 M do not effect any of these properties. These findings can be explained by an increase in molecular compactness of thyroglobulin. Furthermore, it was shown that a synthetic polymer, polyethylene glycol, could be used to detect conformational changes.     

Oxidative renaturation of hen egg-white lysozyme in polyethylene glycol-salt aqueous two-phase systems.

Aqueous two-phase systems have been widely used for the separation and concentration of proteins. In this work we investigated the possibility of using aqueous two-phase system for the renaturation of inclusion body proteins by studying the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-salt systems on the oxidative renaturation of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) with guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) present in the system. To accomplish phase separation at moderately low concentrations of polymer and salt, the total GdmCl concentration had to be kept low (<1 M). The unfolded protein exhibited very low solubility under these conditions. In an attempt to increase the solubility of the protein, temperatures of 40, 50, and 60 degrees C were investigated. The effect of PEG molecular weight was also addressed. Best renaturation yields were obtained when using PEG 3400 and working at 50 degrees C. However, the total protein concentration had to be kept at a low level of 0.2 mg/mL. Lowering the total GdmCl concentration in the system resulted in increased aggregation.     

Effect of polyethylene glycol exclusion on the water potential of solution-saturated filter paper

Solutions of high molecular weight polyethylene glycol are often used to control water potential in seed germination studies. There is an implicit assumption that the seed support materials do not alter the water potential of the osmotic solution. Filter paper, however, contains a hydrophylic volume fraction that is inaccessible to high molecular weight polymers. Water absorbed by filter paper fibers was found to concentrate polyethylene glycol and lower water potential in solution-filter paper mixtures. The magnitude of this concentration effect is a function of the original concentration of polyethylene glycol and the ratio of solution volume to filter paper weight.     

Effect of polyethylene glycol-400 at low concentrations on long-term growth of muscle phosphoglucomutase crystals from concentrated salt solutions.

Although rabbit muscle phosphoglucomutase occasionally deposits tetragonal crystals from solutions of ammonium sulfate at about 47% of saturation, low concentrations of polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG), 1 to 4.5% w/v, must be included to sustain crystal growth. A comparison of long-term growth rates for macroscopic crystals in the presence and absence of added PEG suggests that at high salt concentration this cosolute exerts its primary effect on disordered protein aggregates, either in the external medium or at the surface of the crystal, and thereby allows the growth of much larger crystals. Since the observed effects may arise from a PEG-induced increase in the "solubility" of the aggregate that exceeds the induced increase in solubility of the crystalline phase under these conditions, the physical basis for a cosolute-induced increase in solubility in the presence of a precipitant is considered. The applicability of such a rationale to the present system is supported by an assessment of the relative effects of polyethylene glycol and beta-octylglucoside on amorphous, salt-induced precipitates of phosphoglucomutase. PEG also produces what appears to be a differential effect on nucleation efficiency and crystal growth rate. Thus, seed crystals cannot be enlarged at a significant rate at high salt concentration without producing showers of extraneous nucleation centers when the concentration of added PEG is 3% or less. But PEG concentrations of 4.5% essentially eliminate the showering problem, ostensibly by increasing the supersaturation required for nucleation to a greater extent than that required for crystal growth. The same type of effect is observed during de novo growth. Again a solubility-based mechanism is posed. Hysteretic effects related to properties of amorphous aggregates of the protein also are described.     

Cryoprotection of purified rat kidney transamidinase by polyethylene glycol.

Polyethylene glycol is a water-soluble polymer which is widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and chemical industries. In this study, it is shown that polyethylene glycol is an effective cryoprotectant of rat kidney transamidinase purified from both the mitochondria and cytosol. Much of the activity is lost when the purified enzyme is frozen and thawed in sodium-potassium phosphate buffer in the absence of cryoprotectants. Polyethylene glycols with molecular weights of 4000 to 10,000 were effective cryoprotectants. However, polyethylene glycols with a molecular weight of 1000 or lower inhibited the purified enzyme. A concentration of only 0.01% polyethylene glycol 4000, 8000, or 10,000 was required for complete cryoprotection. In addition to polyethylene glycol, 0.5 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid was required in the phosphate buffer for complete cryoprotection. The stabilization of purified transamidinase by polyethylene glycol will facilitate characterization experiments designed to compare the properties of the mitochondrial and cytosolic isozymes.     

Development of a high-throughput solubility screening assay for use in antibody discovery

Poor solubility is a common challenge encountered during the development of high concentration monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations, but there are currently no methods that can provide predictive information on high-concentration behavior of mAbs in early discovery. We explored the utility of methodologies used for determining extrapolated solubility as a way to rank-order mAbs based on their relative solubility properties. We devised two approaches to accomplish this: 1) vapor diffusion technique utilized in traditional protein crystallization practice, and 2) polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced precipitation and quantitation by turbidity. Using a variety of in-house mAbs with known high-concentration behavior, we demonstrated that both approaches exhibited reliable predictability of the relative solubility properties of these mAbs. Optimizing the latter approach, we developed a format that is capable of screening a large panel of mAbs in multiple pH and buffer conditions. This simple, material-saving, high-throughput approach enables the selection of superior molecules and optimal formulation conditions much earlier in the antibody discovery process, prior to time-consuming and material intensive high-concentration studies.     

Porcine pancreatic lipase partition in potassium phosphate-polyethylene glycol aqueous two-phase systems

This research study examined porcine pancreatic lipase partition in aqueous two-phase systems formed by polyethylene glycol-potassium phosphate at pH 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0, the effect of polymer molecular mass, and NaCl concentration. The enzyme was preferentially partitioned into the polyethylene glycol rich phase in systems with molecular mass 4000-8000, while with polyethylene glycol of 10,000 molecular mass it was concentrated in the phosphate rich phase. The enthalpic and entropic changes found due to the protein partition were negative for all the polyethylene glycol molecular mass systems assessed. Both thermodynamic functions were shown to be associated by an entropic-enthalpic compensation effect suggesting that the water structure ordered in the ethylene chain of polyethylene glycol plays a role in the protein partition. The addition of NaCl increased the lipase affinity to the top phase and this effect was most significant in the system polyethylene glycol 2000-NaCl 3%. This system yielded an enzyme recovery more than 90% with a purification factor of approximately 3.4.