THE CHEMISTRY OF HUMAN SKIN : IV. THE ELECTROKINETIC EFFECT OF VARIOUS IONS UPON SUSPENDED PARTICLES OF STRATUM CORNEUM

1. The electrophoretic activity of particles of human skin in distilled water and different concentrations of salt solutions has been studied. The electrokinetic potential and the charge density were determined and comparisons made with results obtained by electroendosmosis. 2. The electrokinetic potential is ultimately decreased if sufficient salt is added. The order of inhibition is Al > Ca > Ba > K > Na. 3. The lyotrophic series Li > Na > K > Rb and Cl > I > Br express respectively the comparative effect of the monovalent cations and anions upon the electrokinetic potential of the skin. 4. Since both electrophoresis and electroendosmosis are dependent upon the electrokinetic potential, it follows from the results obtained, that the greatest rate of flow through the human skin under the force of an applied electrical current would be given by concentrations of neutral salts between 0.0001 M and 0.0002 M.     

MEMBRANE POTENTIALS AND CATAPHORETIC POTENTIALS OF PROTEINS

1. It has been shown in preceding publications that the membrane potentials of protein solutions or gels are determined by differences in the concentration of a common ion (e.g. hydrogen ion) inside a protein solution or protein gel and an outside aqueous solution free from protein, and that the membrane potentials can be calculated with a good degree of accuracy from Donnan''s equation for membrane equilibria. 2. On the basis of the theory of electrical double layers developed by Helmholtz, we are forced to assume that the cataphoretic potentials of protein particles are determined by a difference in the concentration of the two oppositely charged ions of the same electrolyte in the two strata of an electrical double layer surrounding the protein particle but situated entirely in the aqueous solution. 3. The membrane potentials of proteins agree with the cataphoretic potentials in that the sign of charge of the protein is negative on the alkaline side and positive on the acid side of the isoelectric point of the protein in both membrane potentials and cataphoretic potentials. The two types of potential of proteins disagree, especially in regard to the action of salts with trivalent and tetravalent ions on the sign of charge of the protein. While low concentrations of these salts bring about a reversal of the sign of the cataphoretic potentials of protein particles (at least in the neighborhood of the isoelectric point), the same salts can bring the membrane potentials of proteins only to zero, but call bring about no or practically no reversal of the sign of charge of the protein. Where salts seem to bring about a reversal in the membrane potential of protein solutions, the reversal is probably in reality always due to a change in the pH. 4. We may state, as a result of our experiments, that the cataphoretic migration and the cataphoretic P.D. of protein particles or of suspended particles coated with a protein are the result of two groups of forces; namely, first, forces inherent in the protein particles (these forces being linked with the membrane equilibrium between protein particles and the outside aqueous solution); and second, forces inherent entirely in the aqueous solution surrounding the protein particles. The forces inherent in the protein particles and linked with the membrane equilibrium prevail to such an extent over the forces inherent in the water, that the sense of the cataphoretic migration of protein particles is determined by the forces resulting from the membrane equilibrium.     

THE COLLOIDAL BEHAVIOR OF EDESTIN

1. It has been shown by titration experiments that the globulin edestin behaves like an amphoteric electrolyte, reacting stoichiometrically with acids and bases. 2. The potential difference developed between a solution of edestin chloride or acetate separated by a collodion membrane from an acid solution free from protein was found to be influenced by salt concentration and hydrogen ion concentration in the way predicted by Donnan''s theory of membrane equilibrium. 3. The osmotic pressure of such edestin-acid salt solutions was found to be influenced by salt concentration and by hydrogen ion concentration in the same way as is the potential difference. 4. The colloidal behavior of edestin is thus completely analogous to that observed by Loeb with gelatin, casein, and egg albumin, and may be explained by Loeb''s theory of colloidal behavior, which is based on the idea that proteins react stoichiometrically as amphoteric electrolytes and on Donnan''s theory of membrane equilibrium.     

Selective separation of tryptic beta-casein peptides through ultrafiltration membranes: Influence of ionic interactions

Peptide separation by selective membrane filtration has numerous potential applications such as production of peptides with biological activities or spectific enrichment in compounds acting as flavoring agents or as growth factors required by the fermentation industry. The retention of peptides arising from tryptic hdroysis of beta-casein using an M5 Carbosep membrane (molecular wieght cutoll = 10,000 D) has been studied. The peptides with known sequences were characterized by their molecular weight, isoelectric point, and hydrophobicity. Our experiments highlighted that their transmission involves mechanisms other than size exclusion as developed elsewhere. The effect of ionic interactions between peptides and membrance has been investgated by vrying pH, ionic strength of bulk, and electric potential of filtering material. The charge of both peptides and membrane plays an important role in the transmission, particularly with small size and high or lkow isoelectric point. Then, peptides with the same sign as the membrane have lower transmission than expected from the size xclusion model, whereas peptides with opposite sign have higher trnsmission than expected, and even higher than 1 with some of them. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

THE INFLUENCE OF pH UPON THE CONCENTRATION POTENTIALS ACROSS THE SKIN OF THE FROG

The production of concentration P.D.''s across the skin of the frog is very intimately related to the pH of the applied solutions. On the alkaline side of an isoelectric point the dilute solution is electropositive; on the acid side this solution becomes electronegative. When the pH is suddenly lowered from a value more alkaline than this isoelectric point to one considerably more acid the change in polarity may occur within a few seconds. The effect is reversible. When a series of unbuffered solutions at different pH values are applied reversal curves may be obtained. When the concentration gradient is .1 N-.001 N KCl the reversal points lie between pH 4.1 and 4.8. When studied in acetate buffers this electromotive reversal is found to be closely correlated with the electrical charge upon the membrane, as determined by electroendosmosis through it. Reversal occurs between pH 4.9 and 5.2. It is concluded that the electromotive behavior of this material is controlled by some ampholyte, or group of ampholytes, within the membrane. This ampholyte is probably a protein. On both sides of their isoelectric point these membranes, in common with protein membranes, behave as if they retarded or prevented the movement through them of ions of the same electrical sign as they themselves bear, while permitting the movement of ions of the opposite sign. It is suggested that this correlation arises because of electrostatic effects between the charged surfaces and ions in the solution.     

THE ELIMINATION OF DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN OBSERVED AND CALCULATED P.D. OF PROTEIN SOLUTIONS NEAR THE ISOELECTRIC POINT WITH THE AID OF BUFFER SOLUTIONS

1. It had been noticed in the previous experiments on the influence of the hydrogen ion concentration on the P.D. between protein solutions inside a collodion bag and aqueous solutions free from protein that the agreement between the observed values and the values calculated on the basis of Donnan''s theory was not satisfactory near the isoelectric point of the protein solution. It was suspected that this was due to the uncertainty in the measurements of the pH of the outside aqueous solution near the isoelectric point. This turned out to be correct, since it is shown in this paper that the discrepancy disappears when both the inside and outside solutions contain a buffer salt. 2. This removes the last discrepancy between the observed P.D. and the P. D. calculated on the basis of Donnan''s theory of P.D. between membrane equilibria, so that we can state that the P.D. between protein solutions inside collodion bags and outside aqueous solutions free from protein can be calculated from differences in the hydrogen ion concentration on the opposite sides of the membrane, in agreement with Donnan''s formula.     

ELECTRICAL CHARGES OF COLLOIDAL PARTICLES AND ANOMALOUS OSMOSIS : II. INFLUENCE OF THE RADIUS OF THE ION.

1. When solutions of KCl, NaCl, or LiCl are separated from water without salt by a collodion-gelatin membrane and when the pH of both salt solution and water are on the acid side of the isoelectric point of gelatin, water diffuses from the side of pure water into the salt solution at a rate increasing inversely with the radius of the cations. 2. The adsorption theory would lead us to assume that this influence of the cations is due to an increase of the P.D. between the liquid and the membrane inside the pores of the gelatin film of the membrane, but direct measurements of this P.D. contradict such an assumption, since they show that the influence of the three salts on this P.D. is identical at pH 3.0. 3. It is found, however, that the P.D. across the membrane is affected in a similar way by the three cations as is the transport of water through the membrane. 4. This P.D. across the membrane varies inversely as the relative mobility of the three cations which suggests that the influence of the three cations on the diffusion of liquid through the membrane is partly if not essentially due to a diffusion potential.     

Electrokinetic membrane processes in relation to properties excitable tissues. II. Some theoretical considerations

A quantitative theory is presented for the behavior of a membrane-electrolyte system subject to an electric current flow (the "membrane oscillator"). If the membrane is porous, carries "fixed charges," and separates electrolyte solutions of different conductances, it can be the site of repetitive oscillatory changes in the membrane potential, the membrane resistance, and the hydrostatic pressure difference across the membrane. These events are accompanied by a pulsating transport of bulk solutions. The theory assumes the superposition of electrochemical and hydrostatic gradients and centers round the kinetics of resistance changes within the membrane, as caused by effects from diffusion and electro-osmotic fluid streaming. The results are laid down in a set of five simple, basic expressions, which can be transformed into a pair of non-linear differential equations yielding oscillatory solutions. A graphical integration method is also outlined (Appendix II). The agreement between the theory and previous experimental observations is satisfactory. The applied electrokinetic concepts may have importance in relation to analyses of the behavior of living excitable cells or tissues.     

Electro-membrane filtration for the selective isolation of bioactive peptides from an alpha(s2)-casein hydrolysate

For the isolation of the ingredients required for functional foods and nutraceuticals generally membrane filtration has too low a selectivity and chromatography is (too) expensive. Electro-membrane filtration (EMF) seems to be a breakthrough technology for the isolation of charged nutraceutical ingredients from natural sources. EMF combines the separation mechanisms of membrane filtration and electrophoresis. In this study, positively charged peptides with antimicrobial activity were isolated from an alpha(s2)-casein hydrolysate using batch-wise EMF. alpha(s2)-Casein f(183-207), a peptide with strong antimicrobial activity, predominated in the isolated product and was enriched from 7.5% of the total protein components in the feed to 25% in the permeate product. With conventional membrane diafiltration using the same membrane (GR60PP), isolation of this and other charged bioactive peptides could not be achieved. The economics of EMF are mainly governed by the energy costs and the capital investment, which is affected by the flux of the desired peptide. A maximum average transport rate of alpha(s2)-casein f(183-207) during batch-wise EMF of 1.2 g/m2. h was achieved. Results indicate that an increase in the hydrolysate (feed) concentration, the applied potential difference and the conductivity of the permeate and electrode solutions, and a reduction in the conductivity of the feed result in a higher transport rate of alpha(s2)-casein f(183-207). This is in line with the expectation that the transport rate is improved when the concentration, the electrical field strength, or the electrophoretic mobility is increased, provided that the electrophoretic transport predominates. The expected energy consumption of the EMF process per gram of peptide transported was reduced by approximately 50% by applying a low overall potential difference and by processing desalinated hydrolysate. Considerable improvements in transport rate, energy efficiency, and process economics seem to be attainable by additional optimization of the process parameters and the EMF module design.     

Protein fractionation using electrostatic interactions in membranel filtration

One of the critical factors limiting the development of membrane systems for protein fractionation has been the poor selectivity that has generally been obtained with these membrane devices. We have demonstrated that it is possible to dramatically improve the selectivity of available membrane systems by exploiting the different electrostatic interactions between the two proteins and the membrane. The separation factor for the albumin-hemoglobin system could be increased to more than 70 simply by reducing the salt concentration and adjusting the pH to around 7 (near the isoelectric point of hemoglobin). This very high selectivity was a direct result of the strong electrostatic exclusion of the charged albumin from the membrane pores under these conditions. This high selectivity makes it possible to very effectively separate these albumin-hemoglobin mixtures using membrane filtration, and this was demonstrated experimentally using both a simple batch filtration process and a continuous diafiltration system. The hemoglobin recovery in the diafiltration experiment was greater than 70% after a 3-diavolume filtration, with the Hb purification factor being around 100 under these conditions. These results clearly demonstrate the potential of membrane systems for the fractionation of proteins even with very similar molecular weights. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

THE COLLOIDAL BEHAVIOR OF SERUM GLOBULIN

1. The globulin prepared from ox serum by dilution and precipitation with carbon dioxide has been found, by electrometric titration experiments, to behave like an amphoteric electrolyte, reacting stoichiometrically with acids and bases. 2. The potential difference developed between a solution of globulin chloride, phosphate, or acetate and a solution of the corresponding acid, free from protein, separated from the globulin by a collodion membrane, was found to be influenced by hydrogen ion concentration and salt concentration in the way predicted by Donnan''s theory of membrane equilibrium. In experiments with sodium globulinate and sodium hydroxide it was found that the potential difference could be similarly explained. 3. The osmotic pressure of such solutions could be qualitatively accounted for by the Donnan theory, but exhibited a discrepancy which is explicable by analogy with certain experiments of Loeb on gelatin. 4. The application of Loeb''s theory of colloidal behavior, which had previously been found to hold in the case of gelatin, casein, egg albumin, and edestin, has thus been extended to another protein, serum globulin.     

The origin of electrokinetic potentials in bone tissue: the organic phase

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contributions of the organic and mineral phases of cow cortical bone to its electrokinetic response at room temperature. The technique of particle electrophoresis permitted electrokinetic (zeta) potentials to be calculated and plotted as a function of pH. Control and demineralized bone particles exhibited similar isoelectric points at pH approximately 5.1 (pH at which the zeta potential is zero), well below the isoelectric point of the bone mineral (pH approximately 8.6). In addition, the use of phosphate-containing buffers resulted in a zeta potential sign reversal of the bone mineral but had no effect on both the control and demineralized bone. These key results form the basis from which we suggest that the bone mineral lies within the organic phase (e.g., the mineral is not exposed to the fluid phase) and that the electrokinetic behavior of bone tissue is dominated by its organic ultrastructure.     

THE COLLOIDAL BEHAVIOR OF PROTEINS

1. It is well known that neutral salts depress the osmotic pressure, swelling, and viscosity of protein-acid salts. Measurements of the P.D. between gelatin chloride solutions contained in a collodion bag and an outside aqueous solution show that the salt depresses the P.D. in the same proportion as it depresses the osmotic pressure of the gelatin chloride solution. 2. Measurements of the hydrogen ion concentration inside the gelatin chloride solution and in the outside aqueous solution show that the difference in pH of the two solutions allows us to calculate the P.D. quantitatively on the basis of the Nernst formula See PDF for Equation if we assume that the P.D. is due to a difference in the hydrogen ion concentration on the two sides of the membrane. 3. This difference in pH inside minus pH outside solution seems to be the consequence of the Donnan membrane equilibrium, which only supposes that one of the ions in solution cannot diffuse through the membrane. It is immaterial for this equilibrium whether the non-diffusible ion is a crystalloid or a colloid. 4. When acid is added to isoelectric gelatin the osmotic pressure rises at first with increasing hydrogen ion concentration, reaches a maximum at pH 3.5, and then falls again with further fall of the pH. It is shown that the P.D. of the gelatin chloride solution shows the same variation with the pH (except that it reaches its maximum at pH of about 3.9) and that the P.D. can be calculated from the difference of pH inside minus pH outside on the basis of Nernst''s formula. 5. It was found in preceding papers that the osmotic pressure of gelatin sulfate solutions is only about one-half of that of gelatin chloride or gelatin phosphate solutions of the same pH and the same concentration of originally isoelectric gelatin; and that the osmotic pressure of gelatin oxalate solutions is almost but not quite the same as that of the gelatin chloride solutions of the same pH and concentration of originally isoelectric gelatin. It was found that the curves for the values for P.D. of these four gelatin salts are parallel to the curves of their osmotic pressure and that the values for pH inside minus pH outside multiplied by 58 give approximately the millivolts of these P.D. In this preliminary note only the influence of the concentration of the hydrogen ions on the P.D. has been taken into consideration. In the fuller paper, which is to follow, the possible influence of the concentration of the anions on this quantity will have to be discussed.     

Sugar transport and potassium permeability in yeast plasma membrane vesicles

Plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from homogenised yeast cells by filtration, differential centrifugation and aggregation of the mitochondrial vesicles at pH 4. As judged by biochemical, cell electrophoretic and electron microscopic criteria a pure plasma membrane vesicle preparation was obtained.The surface charge density of the plasma membrane vesicles is similar to that of intact yeast cells with an isoelectric point below pH 3. The mitochondrial vesicles have a higher negative surface charge density in the alkaline pH range. Their isoelectric point is near pH 4.5, where aggregation is maximal.The yield of vesicles sealed to K⁺ was maximal at pH 4 and accounted for about one third of the total vesicle volume.The plasma membrane vesicles demonstrate osmotic behaviour, they shrink in NaCl solutions when loosing K⁺.As in intact yeast cells the entry and exit of sugars like glucose or galactose in plasma membrane vesicles is inhibited by UO₂²⁺.Counter transport in plasma membrane vesicles with glucose and mannose and iso-counter transport with glucose suggests that a mobile carrier for sugar transport exists in the plasma membrane.After galactose pathway induction in the yeast cells and subsequent preparation of plasma membrane vesicles the uptake of galactose into the vesicles increased by almost 100% over the control value without galactose induction. This increase is explained by the formation of a specific galactose carrier in the plasma membrane.     

Properties and topography of the major integral plasma membrane protein of a unicellular organism

The cellular distribution, membrane orientation, and biochemical properties of the two major NaOH-insoluble (integral) plasma membrane proteins of Euglena are detailed. We present evidence which suggests that these two polypeptides (Mr 68 and 39 kD) are dimer and monomer of the same protein: (a) Antibodies directed against either the 68- or the 39-kD polypeptide bind to both 68- and 39-kD bands in Western blots. (b) Trypsin digests of the 68- and 39-kD polypeptides yield similar peptide fragments. (c) The 68- and 39-kD polypeptides interconvert during successive electrophoresis runs in the presence of SDS and beta- mercaptoethanol. (d) The 39-kD band is the only major integral membrane protein evident after isoelectric focusing in acrylamide gels. The apparent shift from 68 to 39 kD in focusing gels has been duplicated in denaturing SDS gels by adding ampholyte solutions directly to the protein samples. The membrane orientation of the 39-kD protein and its 68-kD dimer has been assessed by radioiodination in situ using intact cells or purified plasma membranes. Putative monomers and dimers are labeled only when the cytoplasmic side of the membrane is exposed. These results together with trypsin digestion data suggest that the 39- kD protein and its dimer have an asymmetric membrane orientation with a substantial cytoplasmic domain but with no detectable extracellular region. Immunolabeling of sectioned cells indicates that the plasma membrane is the only cellular membrane with significant amounts of 39- kD protein. No major 68- or 39-kD polypeptide bands are evident in SDS acrylamide gels or immunoblots of electrophoresed whole flagella or preparations enriched in flagellar membrane vesicles, nor is there a detectable shift in any flagellar polypeptide in the presence of ampholyte solutions. These findings are considered with respect to the well-known internal crystalline organization of the euglenoid plasma membrane and to the potential for these proteins to serve as anchors for membrane skeletal proteins.     

Permeability parameters of the toad isolated stratum corneum.

A technique for isolating the stratum corneum from the subjacent layers of the epithelium was developed which permits studying the stratum corneum as an isolated membrane mounted between half-chambers. The method basically consists of an osmotic shock induced by immersing a piece of skin in distilled water at 50 degrees C for 2 min. When the membrane is bathed on each surface by NaCl-Ringer's solution, its electrical resistance is 14.1 +/- 1.3 omega cm2 (n=10). This value is about 1/100 of the whole skin resistance in the presence of the same solution. The hydraulic filtration coefficient (Lp) measured by a hydrostatic pressure method, with identical solutions on each side of the membrane, is 8.8 X 10(-5) +/- 1.5 X 10(-5) cm sec-1 atm-1 (n=10) in distilled water and 9.2 X 10(-5) +/- 1.4 X 10(-5) cm sec-1 atm-1 (n=10) in NaCl-Ringer's solution. These values are not statistically different and are within the range of 1/80 to 1/120 of the whole skin Lp. The stratum corneum shows an amphoteric character when studied by KCl diffusion potentials at different pH'S. The membrane presents an isoelectric pH of 4.6 +/- 0.3 (n=10). Above the isoelectric pH the potassium transport number is higher than the chloride transport number; below it, the reverse situation is valid. Divalent cations (Ca++ or Cu++) reduce membrane ionic discrimination when the membrane is negatively charged and are ineffective when the membrane fixed charges are protonated at low pH.     

Pituitary protein lipolytic factor(s): Partial purification by isoelectric focusing (IEF)

Tests were made on highly purified bovine peptidal pituitary factors for lipolytic activity on rat adipose tissue. The lipolytic protein factor from bovine pituitary glands was isolated and characterized by ethanol precipitation, gel filtration, and isoelectric focusing. The supernatant of the homogenized tissue was precipitated with ethanol, the precipitate was lyophilized and resuspended in HCl 1 mmole/liter, the insoluble was discarded, and the supernatant lyophilized. A solution of the lyophilized fraction was fractionated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. The bands with lipolytic activity were pooled and lyophilized. Lipolytic activity was determined by incubation of epididimal rat adipose tissue and by successive measurements of free fatty acids and glycerol released in the incubation medium. The gel filtration with the highest lipolytic activity (20.4 µequiv/g per 4 hr and 17.0 µmole/g per 4 hr glycerol) was submitted to isoelectric focusing. The gel filtration still appeared highly heterogeneous, but most of the lipolytic activity was concentrated in the protein band at pH 8.6.     

Effect of solution pH on protein transmission and membrane capacity during virus filtration

Although virus filtration is now an integral part of the overall viral clearance strategy for the purification of many commercial therapeutic proteins, there is currently little understanding of the factors controlling the performance of the virus filters. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of solution pH on protein transmission and capacity during virus filtration. Data were obtained using bovine serum albumin as a model protein with Viresolve 180 membranes oriented with both the skin-side up and skin-side down. Membranes were also characterized using dextran sieving measurements both before and after protein filtration. Membrane capacity and protein yield were minimal at the protein isoelectric point, which was due to the greater degree of concentration polarization associated with the smaller protein diffusion coefficient at this pH. In contrast, the actual protein sieving coefficient was maximum at the protein isoelectric point due to the absence of any strong electrostatic exclusion under these conditions. The yield and capacity were both significantly greater when the membrane was oriented with the skin-side down. These results provide important insights into the effects of solution conditions on the performance of virus filtration membranes for protein purification.     

STUDIES ON THE FORMATION AND IONIZATION OF THE COMPOUNDS OF CASEIN WITH ALKALI : I. THE TRANSPORT NUMBERS OF ALKALI CASEINATE SOLUTIONS.

1. The deposition of casein on a platinum anode which takes place on the passage of a direct current through solutions of alkali caseinates was quantitatively studied, and it was found that: (a) the amount of casein which is deposited is directly proportional to the current, i.e. it obeys Faraday''s law; (b) the amount of casein deposited is inversely proportional (within the limits studied) to the amount of alkali which is combined with the casein. 2. A method of determining the transport numbers of proteins insoluble at their isoelectric point has been developed. 3. A titration method for determining the amount of alkali in a casein solution is given. 4. Data from the results of transference experiments on sodium caseinate, potassium caseinate, cesium caseinate, and rubidium caseinate solutions are given. It is shown that the data are best explained on the assumption that in these solutions the carriers of the current are alkali metal cations and casein anions. 5. On the basis of our transference results an explanation is given of the results which were obtained by Robertson and by Haas in their migration experiments.     

Understanding and modeling alternating tangential flow filtration for perfusion cell culture

Alternating tangential flow (ATF) filtration has been used with success in the Biopharmaceutical industry as a lower shear technology for cell retention with perfusion cultures. The ATF system is different than tangential flow filtration; however, in that reverse flow is used once per cycle as a means to minimize fouling. Few studies have been reported in the literature that evaluates ATF and how key system variables affect the rate at which ATF filters foul. In this study, an experimental setup was devised that allowed for determination of the time it took for fouling to occur for given mammalian (PER.C6) cell culture cell densities and viabilities as permeate flow rate and antifoam concentration was varied. The experimental results indicate, in accordance with D'Arcy's law, that the average resistance to permeate flow (across a cycle of operation) increases as biological material deposits on the membrane. Scanning electron microscope images of the post‐run filtration surface indicated that both cells and antifoam micelles deposit on the membrane. A unique mathematical model, based on the assumption that fouling was due to pore blockage from the cells and micelles in combination, was devised that allowed for estimation of sticking factors for the cells and the micelles on the membrane. This model was then used to accurately predict the increase in transmembane pressure during constant flux operation for an ATF cartridge used for perfusion cell culture. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:1291–1300, 2014