Evaluation of equilibrium constants by affinity chromatography

Theoretical expressions are derived for affinity chromatography of systems comprising an acceptor A with one binding site for attachment to a functional group X on the column matrix and one site for interaction with a small ligand B that specifically affects its elution. From a general relationship covering all possible interactions between A, B and X simpler expressions are derived for affinity systems in which only two equilibria operate. Methods are suggested whereby these simpler systems may be characterized in terms of the two pertinent equilibrium constants and the concentration of matrix-bound constituent. The means by which the theory may be adapted to affinity chromatography of acceptors with multiple binding sites for ligand is also illustrated. Results of partition experiments on the Sephadex G-100-lysozyme-d-glucose system in acetate-chloride buffer (I=0.17m), pH5.4, are used to demonstrate the feasibility of evaluating quantitatively affinity-chromatography interactions. Values of 30m(-1) and 1.2x10(6)m(-1) are obtained for the equilibrium constants for the reactions of lysozyme with glucose and Sephadex respectively, there being only an occasional binding site in the polysaccharide matrix (approximately 1 in 10(5) glucose residues). In a second experimental study the phytohaemagglutinin from Ricinus communis is subjected to frontal chromatography on Sepharose 4B in the presence of different concentrations of d-galactose, the results illustrating some of the difficulties and limitations that are likely to be encountered in quantitative studies of affinity-chromatographic systems.     

Soft ionization mass spectral methods for lipid analysis

Chemical ionization (CI), field ionization (FI) and field desorption (FD) are sometimes preferable to electron impact (EI) mass spectrometry as methods for obtaining abundant high-mass ions from lipids. FD often provides mass spectral information which is unobtainable by other methods, and is the best method for obtaining molecular weight information. Fragment ions are observed in the spectra from all the ionization methods, which provide structural information complementing that obtainable from an EI spectrum. Using CI, high-mass ions carrying a large proportion of the total ionization current can be monitored by selected ion monitoring, resulting in enhanced sensitivity for quantitative studies in some cases.     

Alkaline phosphatase: affinity chromatography and inhibition by phosphonic acids.

Five phosphonic acid derivatives were synthesized, coupled to agarose, and tested for affinity chromatographic binding of alkaline phosphatase from bovine intestine. Agarose coupled to L-histidyldiazobenzylphosphonic acid was found to be a highly effective adsorbent. In order to understand the large differences in binding capacity observed with derivatized agaroses, inhibition of alkaline phosphatase by phosphonic acid ligands, and related phosphonic acids, was measured. The results of affinity chromatography and inhibition studies were in good agreement, demonstrating that phosphonic acids with large aromatic/hydrophobic, carboxylate substituents bind strongly and competitively to the enzyme active site.     

Hydrophobic affinity chromatography of nucleic acids and proteins.

5' tritylated oligonucleotides binding hydrophobically to low trityl cellulose/sepharose (< 15 microMTr/ml) retain their hydrogen-bonding specificities for complementary sequences. This, constitutes a novel mode of attaching affinity ligands to solid supports, is more convenient than existing methods, and proceeds with 100% yield. The salt, dielectric constant and temperature dependence of these non-covalently anchored ligands permits the isolation of a variety of RNAs including fibroin mRNA. Medium trityl sepharose (15-40 microM Tr/ml) has a high binding specificity for poly A and poly A containing mRNA, equivalent to dT cellulose. Most proteins, including nucleic acid enzymes, bind to these columns and retain enzymatic activity, thus mimicking enzymes attached covalently to solid phases. A number of in vivo counterparts to this hydrophobically determined specificity are noted, as are homologies to nitro-cellulose filters.     

Salt-independent adsorption chromatography: new broad-spectrum affinity methods for protein capture.

The role of chromatography in capture is reviewed in terms of the special requirements imposed by the processing of very crude feedstocks. Adsorption methods which are not significantly affected by variations of feedstock ionic strength are highlighted. Methods are compared in terms of simplicity, robustness, selectivity and ease of elution. The application of such methods to enzyme and antibody purifications is summarised. Particular emphasis is placed on high ligand density methods, which have potential for broad-spectrum application.     

Flavin affinity chromatography: General methods for purification of proteins that bind riboflavin

Analogs of riboflavin that were altered at positions N(3), 8α, and N(10) of the 7,8-dimethylisoalloxazine ring were immobilized by covalent attachment to aminoalkylated agarose and polyacrylamide beads. These materials were used for affinity chromatographic purification of the riboflavin-carrier protein from egg white, egg yolk, and blood from laying hens, of flavokinase from rat liver, and of partially purified flavodoxin from Azotobacter vinelandii (FMN). The apo-carrier protein, which tightly complexes riboflavin (K_d ≈ 2 nm), was bound by the N(3)-, 8α-, and N(10)-flavinyl beads and was selectively displaced in moderate to high yield by 10 μm riboflavin or 1 m NaCl at pH 3.5. Flavokinase, which complexes less tightly with riboflavin (K_m ≈ 12 μm), was bound by the 8α- and N(10)-flavinyl beads. Binding to the latter was sufficiently tight that the addition of riboflavin was needed to displace flavokinase from the beads. The A. vinelandii flavodoxin, which normally complexes riboflavin 5′-phosphate (K₃ ≈ 5 nm) but less avidly complexes riboflavin (K_d ≈ 0.6 μm), was bound by the N(10)-flavinyl beads and eluted in low yield upon addition of FMN; most of the apoprotein denatured on the column despite the inclusion of thiol-protecting reagents. These flavin affinity materials may be generally useful for isolating a variety of other proteins that bind riboflavin.     

Biotinylated lithocholic acids for affinity chromatography of mammalian DNA polymerases alpha and beta

Biotinylated lithocholic acids have been synthesized. The compounds inhibited mammalian DNA polymerases alpha and beta with dose-dependent manner. The streptavidine columns conjugated with the synthetic biotinylated compounds chromatographed both two enzymes eluted by KCl solution at the different concentrations.     

Boronic acids as inhibitors of steroid sulfatase

Steroid sulfatase (STS) catalyzes the hydrolysis of steroidal sulfates such as estrone sulfate (ES1) to the corresponding steroids and inorganic sulfate. STS is considered to be a potential target for the development of therapeutics for the treatment of steroid-dependent cancers. Two steroidal and two coumarin- and chromenone-based boronic acids were synthesized and examined as inhibitors of purified STS. The boronic acid analog of estrone sulfate bearing a boronic acid moiety at the 3-position in place of the sulfate group was a good competitive STS inhibitor with a K_i of 2.8 μM at pH 7.0 and 6.8 μM at pH 8.8. The inhibition was reversible and kinetic properties corresponding to the mechanism for slow-binding inhibitors were not observed. An estradiol derivative bearing a boronic acid group at the 3-position and a benzyl group at the 17-position was a potent reversible, non-competitive STS inhibitor with a K_i of 250 nM. However, its 3-OH analog, a known STS inhibitor, exhibited an almost identical affinity for STS and also bound in a non-competitive manner. It is suggested that these compounds prefer to bind in a hydrophobic tunnel close to the entrance to the active site. The coumarin and chromenone boronic acids were modest inhibitors of STS with IC₅₀s of 86 and 171 μM, respectively. Surprisingly, replacing the boronic acid group of the chromenone derivative with an OH group yielded a good reversible, mixed type inhibitor with a K_i of 4.6 μM. Overall, these results suggest that the boronic acid moiety must be attached to a platform very closely resembling a natural substrate in order for it to impart a beneficial effect on binding affinity compared to its phenolic analog.     

Two affinity chromatography methods for the purification of glyoxalase I from rabbit liver

The purification of Glyoxalase I from rabbit liver using Blue Dextran-Sepharose-4B and S-hexyl Glutathione Sepharose-6B is described. Elution of Glyoxalase I from both the columns was accomplished with S-hexyl glutathione, a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. The purified enzyme gave two bands on disc electrophoresis. After treatment with glutathione, only one band was found. Except for these interconvertible forms, the purified enzyme was homogeneous as shown by disc electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Interaction of poly(A) with different adsorbents for affinity chromatography of nucleic acids

Chromatography on adsorbents for separation of mRNA containing poly(A) has given interesting results, even if the nature of the occurring interaction was not always well understood. In the present study we report the chromatographic behaviour of poly(A) homopolynucleotides on different substituted matrices: poly(U)-: poly(A)-: phenyl-, octyl-, ethanolamine-, acriflarin- and DNA-Sepharose: oligo-dT and MN-cellulose. Using different experimental conditions as ionic strength, neutral salt, pH, temperature, buffer composition it was possible to evaluate the participation of electrostatic, hydrophobic hydrogen-bonding, and/or charge-transfer interaction. Furthermore, it is shown that poly(A) interacts non-specifically with matrices like acriflavin or DNA-Sepharose, as well as with oligo-dT cellulose or poly(U)-Sepharose.     

Evaluation of equilibrium constants for the interaction of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes with reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide by affinity chromatography.

Rabbit muscle lactate dehydrogenase was subjected to frontal affinity chromatography on Sepharose-oxamate in the presence of various concentrations of NADH and sodium phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 6.8) containing 0.5 M-NaCl. Quantitative interpretation of the results yields an intrinsic association constant of 9.0 x 10 (4)M-1 for the interaction of enzyme with NADH at 5 degrees C, a value that is confirmed by equilibrium-binding measurements. In a second series of experiments, zonal affinity chromatography of a mouse tissue extract under the same conditions was used to evaluate assoication constants of the order 2 x 10(5)M-1, 3 x 10(5)M-1, 4 x 10(5)M-1, 7 x 10(5)M-1 and 2 x 10(6)M-1 for the interaction of NADH with the M4, M3H, M2H2, MH3 and H4 isoenzymes respectively of lactate dehydrogenase.     

Design and selection of ligands for affinity chromatography

Affinity chromatography is potentially the most selective method for protein purification. The technique has the purification power to eliminate steps, increase yields and thereby improve process economics. However, it suffers from problems regarding ligand stability and cost. Some of the most recent advances in this area have explored the power of rational and combinatorial approaches for designing highly selective and stable synthetic affinity ligands. Rational molecular design techniques, which are based on the ability to combine knowledge of protein structures with defined chemical synthesis and advanced computational tools, have made rational ligand design feasible and faster. Combinatorial approaches based on peptide and nucleic acid libraries have permitted the rapid synthesis of new synthetic affinity ligands of potential use in affinity chromatography. The versatility of these approaches suggests that, in the near future, they will become the dominant methods for designing and selection of novel affinity ligands with scale-up potential.     

Frontal affinity chromatography: sugar-protein interactions

Frontal affinity chromatography using fluorescence detection (FAC-FD) is a versatile technique for the precise determination of dissociation constants (Kd) between glycan-binding proteins (lectins) and fluorescent-labeled glycans. A series of glycan-containing solutions is applied to a lectin-immobilized column, and the elution profile of each glycan (termed the 'elution front', V) is compared with that (V0) for an appropriate control. Here we describe our standard protocol using an automated FAC system (FAC-1), consisting of two isocratic pumps, an autosampler, a column oven and two miniature columns connected to a fluorescence detector. Analysis time for 100 sugar-protein interactions is approximately 10 h, using as little as 2.5 pmol of pyridylaminated (PA) oligosaccharide per analysis. Using FAC-FD, we have so far obtained quantitative interaction data of >100 lectins for >100 PA oligosaccharides.     

Electrophoretic affinity chromatography: method validation

A new method for preparative-scale separation of biomolecules, electrophoretic affinity chromatography (EAC), is proposed in this paper. Separation by EAC is carried out in a long and ribbon-like multicompartment electrolyser separated by membranes, in which the two central compartments are used for packing the gel matrix and for sample loading respectively. Next to the central compartments are the elution compartments and electrode compartments. The electric field is applied perpendicular to the fluid flow in the compartments. Adsorption and desorption steps may both be carried out in the presence of an electric field, which transports the target components into the gel compartment for adsorption and the impurities into the elution compartments for washing. After the adsorption step an elution solution is introduced and the product is released from the gel matrix and washed out. Separation of human serum albumin (HSA) from human serum gives HSA product of high purity, as demonstrated by isoelectric focusing analysis. The characteristics of electrophoretic binding of HSA on Blue Sepharose Fast Flow are examined. The preliminary results show that this new method has advantages in terms of high rate of mass transfer and ease of scaling up, which are of particular interest when large-scale separation of biomolecules is considered.     

Antibody-directed liposomes Determination of affinity constants for soluble and liposome-bound antifluorescein

We have used the binding of liposomes conjugated with antifluorescein antibody specific for fluorescein isothiocyanate-modified erythrocytes as a model for multivalent antigen-antibody interactions. We examined a series of liposome preparations which were conjugated to between 0 and 332 active antibodies per liposome. The antigen binding capacity and mean intrinsic affinity of the soluble and conjugated antibody were determined by fluorescence quenching of carboxyfluorescein. Liposome-cell interaction data were fitted with a Scatchard-type equation. Functional affinity of liposomes for cells was up to 1000-fold greater than the intrinsic affinity of the antibody for soluble ligand. Analysis for binding at high cell concentrations revealed that liposome-induced cell agglutination reduces the number of available binding sites per cell.