Isoelectric focusing in continuous-flow electrophoresis. I. Separation of mixed red blood cells of different species.

A noncommercial continuous-flow isoelectric focusing (CIF) apparatus which was formerly applied to separate mixtures of proteins was used to study the separation of red blood cells (RBC's) of different species. A mixture of human, mouse and rabbit erythrocytes, a good model for demonstration of cell separation by CIF, was completely separated into the three components. The separation was performed by isoelectric focusing in pH gradients, 3–10 and 5–7, using Ampholine carrier ampholytes at a field strength of 110 V/cm and a flow-through time of RBC's of 7 min. The isoionic points of human RBC's both determined by CIF and calculated from electrophoretic mobility measurements by extrapolation to zero electrophoretic mobility and zero ionic strength were found at pH 5.6–5.7. The method of CIF which is presently used to isolate a pure lysosomal fraction seems to be a valuable method for the separation of mixtures of cells or cell organelles.     

Factors Influencing Conformation Changes in a 7S Protein of Soybean Globulins by Ultracentrifugal Investigations

Effects of pH, ionic strength, kind of salts and disulfide bond cleaving agent (2-mercaptoethanol) on conformation changes revealed on ultracentrifugal patterns of a 7S protein in soybean globulins were investigated. In the solution with lower pH than isoelectric point, this protein dissociated into two components in low ionic strength, but showed a 7S sedimentation pattern in higher ionic strength than 0.1. On the other hand, in the solution with higher pH than isoelectric point, this protoin showed aggregation to a 9S isomer in lower ionic strength than 0.1. Between ionic strength of 0.1 and 0.5, the mixture of 7S and 9S forms existed and in higher ionic strength than 0.5, the protein kept a 7S form stablely. These reactions were reversible and effect of 2-mercaptoethanol was scarcely observed but those of salts were observed.

The molecular weight of the 9S isomer was approximately 370,000 and the s_20,w value was 12.30S. Therefore, the 9S isomer was considered to be a dimer of the 7S protein.     

ELECTROKINETIC PHENOMENA : XIII. A COMPARISON OF THE ISOELECTRIC POINTS OF DISSOLVED AND CRYSTALLINE AMINO ACIDS

1. Although the isoelectric points of dissolved cystine, tyrosine, and aspartic acid molecules lie at widely differing pH values, the isoelectric points of the surfaces of these substances in the crystalline state are all near pH 2.3. This was found to be true in solutions of hydrochloric acid and in acetate buffers of approximately constant ionic strength. 2. When suspended in gelatin, tyrosine and cystine crystals adsorb the protein and attain a surface identical in behavior with gelatin-coated quartz or collodion particles. 3. Aluminum ions at low concentrations reduce the electric mobilities of tyrosine crystals to zero in a manner analogous to their effect on other surfaces. 4. Alkyl benzene droplets also have their electric mobility reduced to zero at low pH values but, unlike the amino acids, a change in sign was never noticed. 5. The mobility of tyrosine crystals is independent of crystal length between 2–100µ. Below this size the mobilities are decreased. 6. These results are discussed in connection with the concept of the general definition of the isoelectric point and the behavior of certain insoluble proteins such as wool and silk fibroin.     

Comparative Studies of NAD+-Dependent Maltose Dehydrogenase and d-Glucose Dehydrogenase Produced by Two Strains of Alkalophilic Corynebacterium Species

Glycinin was dialyzed against low ionic strength buffer (μ = 0.01) and centrifuged in sucrose density gradient. Two major components with the sizes of 7S and 1 IS were obtained. When each component was separately recentrifuged, the intrinsic peak of each was predominantly given. This indicates that there were two molecular species in the glycinin, one being dissociable and the other undissociable at low ionic strength. The dissociable species reversibly associated to the size of 11S at high ionic strength. The conformation of each species was different, the dissociable species being more random and unstable than the undissociable species at low ionic strength. The dissociable species contained more ASIV and less ASIII than the undissociable species.     

ELECTROKINETIC PHENOMENA : X. ELECTRIC MOBILITY AND CHARGE OF PROTEINS IN ALCOHOL-WATER MIXTURES

1. The electrophoretic velocities of gelatin-, egg-albumin-, and gliadin-covered quartz particles in various alcohol-water solutions are, within the limits employed in usual experimental procedures, proportional to the field strength. 2. The electrophoretic mobilities of small, irregularly shaped quartz particles covered with an adsorbed film of protein in alcohol-water solutions are equal to the electroosmotic mobilities of the liquid past similarly coated flat surfaces. Hence the size and shape of such particles does not influence their mobilities, which depend entirely on the protein film. 3. The corrected mobility and hence presumably the charge of gelatin-covered quartz particles in solutions containing 35 per cent ethyl alcohol is proportional to the combining power of the gelatin; therefore the gelatin is adsorbed with the active groups oriented toward the liquid. The same is true in 60 per cent alcohol. 4. The charge calculated by means of the Debye-Henry approximation from the mobility of gelatin in solutions containing up to 35 per cent ethyl alcohol is, in the neighborhood of the isoelectric point, proportional to the combining power of the gelatin. Therefore the dielectric constant and the viscosity of the bulk of the medium may be used in the Debye-Henry approximation Q = 6 π η r v_m (1 + κ r) to predict changes in charge from mobility. 5. In the neighborhood of the isoelectric point gelatin is probably completely ionized in buffered ethyl alcohol-water mixtures up to 60 per cent alcohol. 6. In the presence of ethyl alcohol the isoelectric point of gelatin is shifted toward smaller hydrogen ion activities. This shift, like that caused by alcohol in the isoelectric points of certain amino acids, is approximately linearly related to the dielectric constant of the medium.     

Separation of membrane proteins in an undenatured form by isoelectric focusing

Conditions are described which allow good resolution of membrane proteins in an undenatured form by isoelectric focusing in thin polyacrylamide gels in Triton X-100. High voltages and deionization of the acrylamide are essential. Streaking is grossly reduced by sample application in Bio-Gel P-60, by deionization of the Triton, and dialysis of membrane samples against low ionic strength buffer at slightly alkaline pH. The latter step also greatly improves solubilization of the membrane components. Reproducible isoelectric focusing patterns of proteins from red cell, thyroid, and lymphocyte membrane are presented.     

THE N-ACETYL-β-d-HEXOSAMINIDASES OF CALF AND HUMAN BRAIN

Abstract— Multiple forms of calf brain N -acetyl-β-hexosaminidases (β-2-acetamido-2- deoxy- d -glucoside acetamidodeoxyglucohydrolase EC 3.2.1.30) were separated on starch gel electrophoresis at pH 5.8. The organ specific electrophoretic patterns did not depend on the cell fraction studied. Much of the activity is only separated with difficulty from particulate matter. Two major and one minor component were separated on DEAE-cellulose chromatography at pH 5.8. Each component had both N -acetyl-β-galactosaminidase and N -acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activity. The ratio of these two activities was unaffected by the presence of N -ethylmaleimide or dithiothreitol. The forms were also examined by isoelectric focusing when at least four components were recognized: isoelectric at 4.9, 6.0, 6.3 and 6.8. Interconversion of the 4.9 form to that isoelectric at pH 6.0 was noted during vacuum dialysis. Samples from normal human brain and from cases of Tay-Sachs disease were also examined and the results compared.     

Influence of Pretreatment and Experimental Conditions on Electrophoretic Mobility and Hydrophobicity of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts

Surface properties of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts were investigated by using electrophoretic mobility and hydrophobicity measurements. Oocysts purified from calf feces by several sucrose flotation steps and deionized water (DI) washes (DIS method) had an electrophoretic mobility (neutral surface charge) near 0.0 m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ over a pH range of 2 to 10. The mean electrophoretic mobility of oocysts stored in DI containing a mixture of antibiotics had a lower standard deviation (ς = 0.36) than that of oocysts stored in DI without antibiotics (ς = 0.53); their electrophoretic mobility remained unchanged up to 121 days after collection. The electrophoretic mobility of oocysts purified on a cold Percoll-sucrose gradient after the feces was defatted with ethyl acetate (EAPS method) varied linearly with pH from 0.0 m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ at pH 2.4 to −3.2 × 10⁻⁸ m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ at pH 10 (ς = 0.52), thus displaying the negative surface charge at neutral pH observed by other researchers. The hydrophobicity of oocysts and two types of polystyrene beads was measured as a function of ionic strength by adhesion to polystyrene. Oocysts were purified by the DIS method. The ionic strength of the suspending solution was varied from 0 to 95 mmol liter⁻¹. Two-week-old oocysts exhibited strong adhesion (~85%) at ionic strengths of 0 to 10 mmol liter⁻¹ and moderate adhesion (~20%) at ionic strengths of 20 to 95 mmol liter⁻¹. Two-month-old oocysts exhibited high adhesion (~60 to 80%) at all ionic strengths. These results show that adhesion properties governed by the electrophoretic mobility of purified C. parvum oocysts can be altered by the method of purification and that hydrophobicity can change as oocysts age.     

ELECTROPHORETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF BASIC PROTEINS IN ACID EXTRACTS OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TISSUE

A technique has been outlined for identification of myelin basic proteins in mixtures of CNS proteins. Myelin basic proteins can be recognized easily by high cathodic mobility at low pH, a unique electrophoretic pattern exhibited at high pH and a characteristic colour when complexed with Amido black. The major protein extracted at pH 3·0 from either brain or spinal cord is myelin basic protein. In the low pH electrophoretic pattern of these extracts it is the most conspicuous component and the component migrating farthest cathodically; it does not appear in comparable electrophoretic patterns of liver extracts. Guinea pig myelin basic protein appears as a single dense blue-green band in low pH electrophoretic patterns, in contrast to the other proteins which are stained greyish-blue or greyish-purple by Amido black. The pattern of rat myelin basic protein is similar except that it consists of a pair of dense blue-green bands. A third characteristic which facilitates the identification of myelin basic proteins in mixtures is a considerable cathodic mobility and electrophoretic heterogeneity at pH 10·6. Most other basic CNS proteins barely penetrate the gel at this pH. We have also examined in detail the behaviour of two other components of pH 3·0 extracts which migrate close to myelin basic protein at low pH. Both are present in pH 3·0 extracts of liver and brain but not of spinal cord, and both stain grey instead of blue-green, a characteristic which readily distinguishes them from myelin basic protein. Neither of these components affects the characteristic pattern of microheterogeneity observed in high pH electrophoretograms of myelin basic proteins. One of these components has been purified and tentatively identified as lysine-rich histone F1.     

Polyethyleneimine phosphate and citrate systems act like pseudo polyampholytes as a starting method to isolate pepsin

The aqueous solution behaviour of polyethyleneimine (a cationic synthetic polymer) in the presence of anions (such as citrate and phosphate) was studied by means of turbidimetry. The variation of the absorbance at 420 nm of dilute mixture with pH, the polymer concentration and the ionic strength were examined. The mixture of polyethyleneinine citrate or polyethyleneinine phosphate behaves as a pseudo polyampholyte with an isoelectric point of 5.5 and 6.2 for phosphate and citrate respectively and a precipitation pH range between 3.5 and 8.0. Pepsin was completely precipitated with the polymer anion complex within this pH interval. Citrate showed a better precipitation effect than phosphate did. The precipitate was reversibly dissolved in NaCl (for concentrations higher than 0.2 M) and pepsin kept its biological activity. Studies of pepsin thermal stability (by differential scanning calorimetry) revealed that the polyethyleneimine presence increased the enzyme denaturation temperature. The circular dichroism spectrum of pepsin showed a non-significant loss of secondary and tertiary enzyme structure by the polyethyleneimine. However, the polymer presence increased the biological activity of pepsin.     

ELECTROPHORETIC STUDIES ON HUMAN RED BLOOD CELLS

1. The electrophoretic mobility of unhemolyzed human red cells has been determined as a function of ionic strength at approximately constant pH in isotonic mixtures of glucose solution and saline-phosphate buffer solution. 2. Above an ionic strength of about 0.02 the cells behave as particles with a smooth surface of large radius of curvature. Below an ionic strength of about 0.02, changes of the surface occur, probably involving a decrease of charge density and perhaps connected with injury of the surface. 3. The mobility as a function of pH at an ionic strength of 0.172 has been determined for human red cells, for the lipid extract of the cells, and for the stroma protein of the cells. The isoelectric points of cells, lipid, and protein have been found to be about 1.7, 2.6, and 4.7 respectively. 4. The pH-mobility data lead to the conclusion that a red cell surface is composed largely of lipid and dominated by strong acid groups, possibly the phosphoric acid groups of cephalin molecules.     

The passive permeability of the red blood cell in cations

The efflux of salt from human red blood cells suspended in isotonic sucrose plus low concentrations of salt, was measured under steady-state conditions. The relationship between the efflux and the log of the salt concentration can be fitted by two straight lines with a sharp inflection point, the steeper slope occurring at concentrations below 0.2 mM NaCl. The determining factor in the rate of efflux is the ionic strength rather than the specific monovalent cations or anions and the effects are completely reversible. With an increase in temperature, the effects of reduced ionic strength are more pronounced and the inflection point is shifted toward higher salt concentrations. An increase in pH leads to an increased efflux at a given ionic strength, but the size of the pH effect is small at low ionic strength. At a given pH, the data can be fitted by a simplified form of the Goldman equation suggesting that with reduction in ionic strength, the permeability remains constant until the inflection point is reached. At that ionic strength, a sharp reversible transition to a new permeability state occurs. The permeability increases with an increase in the external but not the internal pH.     

Mobility of adsorbed proteins: a Brownian dynamics study

We simulate the adsorption of lysozyme on a solid surface, using Brownian dynamics simulations. A protein molecule is represented as a uniformly charged sphere and interacts with other molecules through screened Coulombic and double-layer forces. The simulation starts from an empty surface and attempts are made to introduce additional proteins at a fixed time interval that is inversely proportional to the bulk protein concentration. We examine the effect of ionic strength and bulk protein concentration on the adsorption kinetics over a range of surface coverages. The structure of the adsorbed layer is examined through snapshots of the configurations and quantitatively with the radial distribution function. We extract the surface diffusion coefficient from the mean square displacement. At high ionic strengths the Coulombic interaction is effectively shielded, leading to increased surface coverage. This effect is quantified with an effective particle radius. Clustering of the adsorbed molecules is promoted by high ionic strength and low bulk concentrations. We find that lateral protein mobility decreases with increasing surface coverage. The observed trends are consistent with previous theoretical and experimental studies.     

Carbohydrate composition of rat hepatocyte nuclear membrane as compared to normal, Morris hepatoma 7800, and phenobarbital-induced microsomal membranes

The composition of the nonhistone nuclear proteins of rat liver, brain, thymus, and kidney has been analyzed by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel. Approximately 20–30 components were separated with a wide range of isoelectric points (pl) in the 3- to 10-pH region.Different extraction procedures applied to liver nuclei removed protein mixtures with similar components present in varying amounts. 8 m Urea 50 mm phosphate, pH 7.6, was the most successful and removed most of the nonhistone protein.The thiol groups of proteins extracted from the nuclei of liver, brain, thymus, and kidney with 8 M urea, 50 mM phosphate were labeled with [¹⁴C]N-ethylmaleimide. Although there was a slight variation in the overall thiol content of these tissue proteins, separation of the mixture by isoelectric focusing and SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed complex patterns indicating greater heterogeneity than was apparent from the Coomassie blue dye binding.     

Analysis of the isomeric composition of the proline peptide bond in an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor using capillary electrophoresis

The cis and trans isomeric composition of a proline peptide bond can be determined by routine free-solution capillary electrophoresis measurements provided that one isomeric form is preferentially stabilized by a dissociable ionic group. This capability is illustrated using the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (S)-1-N-[1-(ethoxycarbonyl)-3-phenylpropyl]-L-ala-L-pro, which has the trade name enalapril. Electropherograms indicate that the two isomeric forms of enalapril can be separated with baseline resolution at 15 degrees C using capillary buffers having pH values in the dissociation ranges of the enalapril carboxyl group, pK(cis) and pK(trans) of 2.6 and 3.1, and of the enalapril amine group, pK(cis) and pK(trans) of 5.9 and 5.6. Such baseline resolution indicates that the isomeric composition does not change during analysis, facilitating measurement of the isomer composition of a sample prior to its injection into the capillary. Thus the effect of pH, ionic strength, or an aprotic solvent on the isomeric composition of enalapril can be measured under uniform analytical conditions. The trans isomer composition changes from 68% in the cationic form, pH <2, to 50% in the isoelectric form, pH approximately 4.5, to 60% in the anionic form, pH >7. Addition of salt to the isoelectric form or addition of an aprotic solvent to any form prior to analysis increases the trans isomer composition. Similar analyses can be made using the alternative ACE inhibitors captopril and enalaprilat.     

The interaction of histone H3 with histone H4 and with other histones studied by 19F nuclear magnetic resonance.

The behaviour, upon variations in ionic strength, pH and temperature of 19F nuclear nuclear magnetic resonance signals of the trifluoroacetonylated derivative of histone H3 is compared with those of the H3-H4 complex and of the Hv fraction (an equimolar mixture of H2A, H2B, H3 and h4). The line width of the 19F-labelled histone H3 signals increases with ionic strength or pH, an effect consistent with aggregation of the protein. In the case of H3-H4 complex or Hv the line width decreases at intermediate ionic strengths (0.1-0.25 M NaCl). This effect is interpreted as the consequence of the formation of a well defined structure with ionic strength. At high salt concentrations the line width increases as a consequence of the final rigid quaternary structure or of the formation of higher aggregates.     

Electrophoresis of colloidal biological particles

Microscope electrophoresis was used to measure the electrophoretic mobility of polystyrene latex particles and bacterial, and mammalian tissue cells. The submicroscopic hydrophilic colloids (gelatin, serum albumin, and staphylococcal enterotoxin B) were adsorbed on latex carrier particles to determine their electrophoretic mobility and the effect of concentration, pH, electrolyte addition, and buffer ionic strength. Mobility curves as a function of pH were established for latex particles at 1 ppm concentration indicating an isoelectric point (IEP) at pH 3.6. The IEP for Escherichia coli B cells was measured at pH 2.8, Serratia marcescens at pH 2.6, Bacillus subtilis var. niger at pH 2.9, and L strain mouse fibroblast cells at pH 4.4. Using an adsorption technique, isoelectric points were measured for proteins: gelatin (acid form) at pH 9.4, serum albumin at pH 4.9, and staphylococcal enterotoxin B at pH 6.3. Procefures for examining electrophoretic characteristics of microscopic and submicroscopic biological particles are described in order to standardize procedures and to generate results applicable to an understanding of parameters influencing concentration and purification of colloidal biological particles.     

Structural Stability of Streptococcal Serum Opacity Factor

Streptococcal serum opacity factor (SOF) is a protein that clouds the plasma of multiple mammalian species by disrupting high density lipoprotein (HDL) structure. Intravenous infusion of low dose SOF (4 µg) into mice reduces their plasma cholesterol concentrations?~?40% in 3 h. Here we investigated the effects of pH, ionic strength, temperature, and denaturation with guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) on SOF stability and its reaction vs HDL. SOF stability was tested by pre-incubation of SOF at various temperatures, pH’s, and GdmCl concentrations and measuring the SOF reaction rate at pH 7.4 and 37?°C. SOF retained activity at temperatures up to 58?°C, at pH 4 to 10, and in 8.5 M GdmCl after being returned to standard buffer conditions. The effects of GdmCl, pH, and ionic strength on the SOF reaction rates were also measured. SOF was inactive at GdmCl?≥?1 M; SOF was most active at pH 5, near its isoelectric point and at an ionic strength of 3 (in NaCl). These data reveal that SOF is a stable protein and suggest that its activity is determined, in part, by the effects of pH and ionic strength on its overall charge relative to that of its reaction target, HDL.     

The Influence of pH and Ionic Strength on the Electrokinetic Stability of the Human Erythrocyte Membrane

The electrokinetic stability of washed normal human erythrocytes is discussed from the point of view of pH, ionic strength, and composition of the suspending medium. Many of the electrophoretic characteristics at low ionic strengths (sorbitol to maintain the tonicity), such as the isopotential points, are shown to arise principally from adsorption of hemolysate. The concept of electrokinetically stable, metastable, and unstable states for the red cell at various ionic strengths is introduced in preference to the general term "cell injury." In the stable state which exists around pH 7.4 for ionic strengths >0.007, no adsorption of hemolysate occurs, in the metastable state reversible adsorption of hemolysate occurs, and in the unstable state, in which ionic strengths and pH ranges are outside the metastable range, the membrane undergoes irreversible hemolysate adsorption or more general hydrolytic degradation. It is deduced from the equivalent binding of CNS, I, Cl, and F, the pH mobility relationships, and the conformation of the ionic strength data in the stable state to a Langmuir adsorption isotherm, that the membrane of the human erythrocyte behaves as a macropolyanion whose properties are modified by gegen ion association and in some instances by hemolysate adsorption. The experimental results are insufficient to establish conclusively the nature of the ionogenic groupings present in the membrane interphase.     

Effect of the nature of proteins on their coupling to different epoxide-containing supports

Quantities of serum albumin, papain, chymotrypsin, trypsin and polyvalent natural trypsin inhibitor antilysin coupled to 3-(2′,3′-epoxypropoxy)propyl-glass, 3-(2′,3′-epoxypropoxy)propyl-silica, epoxyactivated Sepharose 6B, glycidyl methacrylate copolymer and oxirane-acrylic beads (Röhm Pharma) were determined as a function of pH of the reaction mixture. Optimal coupling pH and the amounts of attached individual proteins were considerably affected by both the nature of the coupled protein and the nature of the solid matrix. In some cases the effect of increased ionic strength was studied. Differences in plots of the dependence of the amount of the coupled protein on pH and ionic strength are discussed in respect to the differences of isoelectric points, hydrophobicity and charge distribution of proteins and supports.