Bovine serum albumin partitioning in an aqueous two-phase system: Effect of pH and sodium chloride concentration

The partitioning of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a polyethylene glycol 3350 (8% w/w)–dextran 37 500 (6% w/w)–0.05 M phosphate aqueous two-phase was investigated at different pHs, at varying concentrations of sodium chloride at 20°C. The effect of NaCl concentration on the partition coefficient of BSA was studied for the PEG–dx systems with initial pH values of 4.2, 5.0, 7.0, 9.0, and 9.8. The NaCl concentrations in the phase systems with constant pH value were 0.06, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.34 M. It was observed that the BSA partition coefficient decreased at concentrations smaller than 0.2 M NaCl and increased at concentrations greater than 0.2 M NaCl for all systems with initial pHs of 4.2, 5.0, 7.0, 9.0, and 9.8. It was also seen that the partition coefficient of BSA decreased as the pH of the aqueous two-phase systems increased at any NaCl salt concentration studied.     

Relative hydrophobicity of amino acid residues in homooligopeptides as measured by aqueous two-phase partitioning.

Partitioning of 17 amino acids and their homooligopeptides of different lengths in an aqueous dextran-PEG two-phase system containing 0.15 m NaCl in 0.01 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 and 0.11 m sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 was examined. The relative hydrophobicity of the amino acid residues was estimated and expressed in equivalent numbers of methylene units. Analysis of the data shows that the additivity principle does hold for the hydrophobicity of homooligopeptides. The relative hydrophobicity of essentially all amino acid residues is noticeably affected by the ionic composition of aqueous media.     

Partitioning of xylanolitic complex from Penicillium janthinellum by an aqueous two-phase system

This work evaluates the influences of five parameters (pH, PEG molecular mass, PEG concentration, concentration of buffer K₂HPO₄–KH₂PO₄ and NaCl concentration) on xylanolitic complex partitioning produced by P. janthinellum in aqueous two-phase systems, using a 2⁵ factorial experimental design. A mathematical model to quantify the influence of these parameters was attained and statistically tested. The optimum point for total protein extraction was obtained under the following conditions: pH 7.0, PEG 10 000, 3.67% PEG, 10% potassium phosphate and 12.4% NaCl. The partition coefficient (K) value experimentally obtained was 5.25 and that predicted by the model was 5.89.     

Extractive fermentation for enhanced gellan-hydrolysing enzyme production by Bacillus thuringiensis H14

A new extractive fermentation process using PEG and potassium phosphate aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) was developed for enhanced production of gellan-hydrolysing enzyme by Bacillus thuringiensis H14. Five different Bacillus sp. were tested for their ability to synthesize gellan-hydrolysing enzyme. Bacillus thuringiensis H14 was found to be the best organism for gellan-hydrolysing enzyme production. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 7.5 and 40 °C. The partition studies of gellan-hydrolysing enzyme in the system using PEG X (X = 9000, 6000, 4000) and potassium phosphate–water and PEG–sodium citrate–water system indicated at PEG (4000)– potassium phosphate–water is the best system for partitioning of gellan-hydrolysing enzyme into the PEG phase (K = 4.99). Gellan-hydrolysing enzyme production by Bacillus thuringiensis H14 was studied in ATPSs composed of PEG X (X = 9000, 6000, 4000) and potassium phosphate. The top phase is continuous and rich in PEG while the bottom phase is dispersed and is rich in phosphate, microbial cells being mainly retained in the bottom phase. The gellan-hydrolysing enzyme produced during fermentation partitioned into the upper PEG phase and total gellan-hydrolysing enzyme produced was 2.12, 2.29 and 2.40 times higher than that of homogeneous fermentation when the fermentations were carried out using PEG 9000–potassium phosphate–water, PEG 6000–potassium phosphate–water, PEG 4000–potassium phosphate–water systems respectively.     

Cutinase purification on poly(ethylene glycol)–hydroxypropyl starch aqueous two-phase systems

The partition behaviour of cutinase on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)–hydroxypropyl starch aqueous two-phase systems was characterized. The effect of molecular mass of PEG, the pH of the system and tie-line length on cutinase partition coefficient and cutinase yield to the top phase was investigated for systems prepared with a purified hydroxypropyl starch (Reppal PES 100) and a crude one (HPS). The effect of the presence of different salts, such as sodium chloride, sodium sulphate and ammonium sulphate, on cutinase partition was also studied. The results lead to the conclusion that aqueous two-phase systems composed of PEG and hydroxypropyl starch are not efficient in the purification of cutinase. In the majority of cases, the partition coefficients were very close to 1, with pH being the factor which affects most cutinase partition. Partition coefficients were significantly improved when salts were added to the systems. For PEG 4000–Reppal PES 100 [at pH 4.0; 0.5 M (NH₄)₂SO₄], the partition coefficient for cutinase was 3.7, while a value of 12 was obtained for PEG 4000–HPS (at pH 4.0; 1 M NaCl). An isoelectric point (pI) of 7.8 was confirmed for cutinase by constructing a cross partition graphic from the results obtained in the experiments with different salts.     

Purification and Characterization of Polyphenol Oxidase From Waste Potato Peel by Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction

Potato peel from food industrial waste is a good source of polyphenol oxidase (PPO). This work illustrates the application of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for the extraction and purification of PPO from potato peel. ATPS was composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and potassium phosphate buffer. Effect of different process parameters, namely, PEG, potassium phosphate buffer, NaCl concentration, and pH of the system, on partition coefficient, purification factor, and yield of PPO enzyme were evaluated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized as a statistical tool for the optimization of ATPS. Optimized experimental conditions were found to be PEG1500 17.62% (w/w), potassium phosphate buffer 15.11% (w/w), and NaCl 2.08 mM at pH 7. At optimized condition, maximum partition coefficient, purification factor, and yield were found to be 3.7, 4.5, and 77.8%, respectively. After partial purification of PPO from ATPS, further purification was done by gel chromatography where its purity was increased up to 12.6-fold. The purified PPO enzyme was characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), followed by K_m value 3.3 mM, and V_max value 3333 U/mL, and enzyme stable ranges for temperature and pH of PPO were determined. These results revealed that ATPS would be an attractive option for obtaining purified PPO from waste potato peel.     

Purification of lipase produced by a new source of Bacillus in submerged fermentation using an aqueous two-phase system

This work discusses the application of an aqueous two-phase system for the purification of lipases produced by Bacillus sp. ITP-001 using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and potassium phosphate. In the first step, the protein content was precipitated with ammonium sulphate (80% saturation). The enzyme remained in the aqueous solution and was dialyzed against ultra-pure water for 18 h and used to prepare an aqueous two-phase system (PEG/potassium phosphate). The use of different molecular weights of PEG to purify the lipase was investigated; the best purification factor (PF) was obtained using PEG 20,000g/mol, however PEG 8000 was used in the next tests due to lower viscosity. The influence of PEG and potassium phosphate concentrations on the enzyme purification was then studied: the highest FP was obtained with 20% of PEG and 18% of potassium phosphate. NaCl was added to increase the hydrophobicity between the phases, and also increased the purification factor. The pH value and temperature affected the enzyme partitioning, with the best purifying conditions achieved at pH 6.0 and 4°C. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was determined to be approximately 54 kDa by SDS-PAGE. According to the results the best combination for purifying the enzyme is PEG 8000g/mol and potassium phosphate (20/18%) with 6% of NaCl at pH 6.0 and 4°C (201.53 fold). The partitioning process of lipase is governed by the entropy contribution.     

Yeast RNA partition accompanying adsorption in salt/PEG two-phase system

Summary Partitioning of yeast total RNA in a salt/PEG two-phase system, i.e., a potassium phosphate/PEG system and a ammonium sulfate/PEG system, was characterized with regard to the dependence on the molecular weights of PEG and RNA. The shift in RNA partitioning was investigated for a PEG molecular weight range from 300 to 20000. RNA was partitioned mainly to the top phase in the system with PEG of a molecular weight up to 1000, mainly at the interface or almost equally to both phases in the system with PEG of a molecular weight 1000–2000, and mainly to the bottom phase in the system with PEG of more than 2000 in a molecular weight . The effect of PEG molecular weight on partitioning of low molecular weight RNA, less than 5.8S molecule, was qualitatively similar to that of high molecular weight RNA, more than 17S molecule. However, partitioning of high molecular weight RNA was more one-sided than that of low molecular weight RNA. In the system with PEG1000–2000, remarkable adsorption of high molecular weight RNA at the interface was investigated; more than 90% of the high molecular weight RNA added was concentrated. Adsorption of RNA at the interface was quantitatively demonstrated as a novel example of adsorption of a soluble macromolecule in an aqueous two-phase system.     

The effect of structure and conformation on the relative hydrophobicity of dinucleosidephosphates and their analogs

Partition of a number of dinucleosidephosphates, their (2'-5')-isomers and a series of their analogues, in which the ribose ring was replaced by acyclic hydroxyalkyl substituents, in an aqueous biphasic ficoll--dextran system has been studied. Effect of the ionic composition of the biphasic system on partitioning of the compounds was examined. The relative hydrophobicity of the compounds in the presence of 0.11 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, and in the presence of 0.15 M NaCl in 0.01 M buffer, pH 7.4, was estimated. The results obtained are considered in regard to the effect of structure and conformation of a molecule on its affinity for an aqueous environment.     

An aqueous hydroxypropylstarch-poly(ethylene glycol) two-phase system for extraction of alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin from bovine whey.

The partitioning of alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin from bovine whey has been studied in an aqueous poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-hydroxypropylstarch two-phase system. The influence of several parameters including concentrations of polymers, sodium phosphate buffer, KSCN, and of PEG palmitate, with and without the presence of Ca2+, on the partitioning of the proteins has been investigated. The separation of the two proteins was demonstrated by counter-current distribution. A purification procedure for both proteins has been developed by using PEG-hydroxypropylstarch two-phase system. This system is compared with the more costly standard system based on PEG and dextran. The possible use of the aqueous two-phase systems for batch extraction for large scale purification of these whey proteins is discussed.     

Use of chemically modified proteins to study the effect of a single protein property on partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems: Effect of surface hydrophobicity

Two different series of hydrophobically modified proteins were partitioned in a number of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) to investigate the effect of hydrophobicity as a single property on partitioning. The modified proteins were derived from beta-lactoglobulin and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Measurement of the surface hydrophobicity of the proteins is important; hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) was used for this purpose. The resolution of the systems (R) in terms of protein surface hydrophobicity and the intrinsic hydrophobicity (log P(0)) of the systems was established. The effect of the addition of NaCl to PEG/phosphate and PEG/dextran systems was analyzed in terms of the hydrophobicity difference between the phases and their ability to promote hydrophobic interactions between the protein surface and the PEG molecules. The values for R and log P(0) differed somewhat depending on which group of modified proteins was used for partitioning. The addition of NaCl to PEG/phosphate systems promoted an increase in the values of R, showing an important effect on the resolution of the systems for protein surface hydrophobicity (twice as high when compared with systems without NaCl). For PEG/dextran systems, the addition of 9% NaCl (w/w) promoted an improvement in the resolution toward surface hydrophobicity with an increase of 60% on the value of R. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Variation of penicillin acylase partition coefficient with phase volume ratio in poly(ethylene glycol)–sodium citrate aqueous two-phase systems

The influence of phase volume ratio on partition and purification of penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli on poly(ethylene glycol)–sodium citrate aqueous two-phase systems was studied. In PEG 1000 systems both partition coefficients of the enzyme and total protein increased with decreasing phase volume ratio. However, in PEG 3350 containing NaCl, penicillin acylase follows a reverse trend, while total protein behaves in the same way. Implications for protein purification designs are discussed.     

Effect of salt additives on protein partition in polyethylene glycol–sodium sulfate aqueous two-phase systems

Partitioning of 15 proteins in polyethylene glycol (PEG)–sodium sulfate aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) formed by PEG of two different molecular weights, PEG-600 and PEG-8000 in the presence of different buffers at pH 7.4 was studied. The effect of two salt additives (NaCl and NaSCN) on the protein partition behavior was examined. The salt effects on protein partitioning were analyzed by using the Collander solvent regression relationship between the proteins partition coefficients in ATPS with and without salt additives. The results obtained show that the concentration of buffer as well as the presence and concentration of salt additives affects the protein partition behavior. Analysis of ATPS in terms of the differences between the relative hydrophobicity and electrostatic properties of the phases does not explain the protein partition behavior. The differences between protein partitioning in PEG-600–salt and PEG-8000–salt ATPS cannot be explained by the protein size or polymer excluded volume effect. It is suggested that the protein–ion and protein–solvent interactions in the phases of ATPS are primarily important for protein partitioning.     

AQUEOUS TWO-PHASE EXTRACTION FOR THE PURIFICATION OF ALKALINE AGARASES FROM CULTURE EXTRACTS OF Pseudomonas aeruginosa AG LSL-11

The agarases were purified for the first time an using aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) consisting of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and phosphate salt. The three extracellular, alkaline agarases produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa AG LSL-11 were efficiently extracted into the top PEG-rich layer. The influencing factors on the partition of agarases—molecular weight of the PEG, system pH, system temperature, and NaCl concentration—were investigated. All the factors were found to have a significant effect on the partition of agarases except NaCl. The optimal ATPS parameters for the partitioning and purification of agarases were found to be 12% PEG 600 and 11.9% (w/w) phosphate salt at pH 8.0 and 4°C. All three agarases were concentrated in the top PEG phase with 6.19-fold purity and 71.21% recovery. The ATPS was found to be more convenient and economical than the conventional ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) method for extraction of three agarases and could be significantly employed for the purification of agarases from fermentation broth.     

Partitioning of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) from plant cell suspension culture in PEG/sodium phosphate aqueous two-phase systems

Partitioning of human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) was achieved in the aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) using a crude extract of transgenic tobacco cell suspension culture. This study examined the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular weight and concentration and the effects of sodium phosphate concentration in different PEG/sodium phosphate systems on the partition coefficient,K. The best ATPS system was 5% PEG 8,000/1.6 M sodium phosphate after 2 h of incubation at room temperature. In this system, hGM-CSF was partitioned in the PEG-rich phase with a yield of 57.99% andK _hGM-CSF of 8.12. In another system, 3% PEG 10,000/1.6 M sodium phosphate, hGM-CSF was also partitioned primarily in the top phase with a yield of 45.66% andK _hGM-CSF of 7.64 after 2 h of incubation at room temperature.     

On-line sample preparation of paraquat in human serum samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with column switching

A new ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatographic method with column-switching has been developed for the determination of paraquat in human serum samples. The diluted serum sample was injected onto a precolumn packed with LiChroprep RP-8 (25-40 μm) and polar serum components were washed out by 3% acetonitrile in 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 2.0) containing 5 mM sodium octanesulfonate. After valve switching to inject position, concentrated compounds were eluted in the back-flush mode and separated on an Inertsil ODS-2 column with 17% acetonitrile in 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 2.0) containing 10 mM sodium octanesulfonate. The total analysis time per sample was about 30 min and mean recovery was 98.5±2.8% with a linear range of 0.1–100 μg/ml. This method has been successfully applied to serum samples from incidents by paraquat poisoning.     

Automated determination of tramadol enantiomers in human plasma using solid-phase extraction in combination with chiral liquid chromatography

A sensitive and automated method for the separation and individual determination of tramadol enantiomers in plasma has been developed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) on disposable extraction cartridges (DECs) in combination with chiral liquid chromatography (LC). The SPE operations were performed automatically by means of a sample processor equipped with a robotic arm (ASPEC system). The DEC filled with ethyl silica (50 mg) was first conditioned with methanol and phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 A 1.0-ml volume of plasma was then applied on the DEC. The washing step was performed with the same buffer. The analytes were eluted with 0.15 ml of methanol, and 0.35 ml of phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, containing sodium perchlorate (0.2 M) were added to the extract before injection into the LC system. The enantiomeric separation of tramadol was achieved using a Chiralcel OD-R column containing cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) as chiral stationary phase. The mobile phase was a mixture of phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, containing sodium perchlorate (0.2 M) and acetonitrile (75:25). The mobile-phase pH and the NaClO₄ concentration were optimized with respect to enantiomeric resolution. The method developed was validated. Recoveries for both enantiomers of tramadol were about 100%. The method was found to be linear in the 2.5–150 ng/ml concentration range [r²=0.999 for (+)- and (−)-tramadol]. The repeatability and intermediate precision at a concentration of 50 ng/ml were 6.5 and 8.7% for (+)-tramadol and 6.1 and 7.6% for (−)-tramadol, respectively.     

Purification of acetohydroxy acid synthase by separation in an aqueous two-phase system

Extraction in a polyethylene glycol (PEG)–phosphate aqueous two-phase system was considered as a primary step in purification of the acetohydroxy acid synthase III large catalytic subunit from an E. coli extract. Extraction optimization was achieved by varying the system parameters. Two systems with the following weight compositions were chosen for purification: PEG-2000 (16%)–phosphate (6%) and PEG-4000 (14%)–phosphate (5.5%)–KCl (8%), both at pH 7.0 and 1 mg total protein per 1 g system. Significant purification was achieved by a single extraction step with 70% recovery of the enzyme. After an additional ion-exchange chromatography step, pure enzyme was obtained in a 50% overall yield.