High-performance liquid chromatography of proteins on deformed nonporous agarose beads. Affinity chromatography of dehydrogenases based on cibacron blue-derivatized agarose

Nonporous agarose beads, prepared by shrinkage and cross-linking in organic solvents, were derivatized with Cibacron Blue F3G-A. A compressed bed of these beads was used for purification of dehydrogenases (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase). The chromatographic conditions for the purification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were optimized by varying the pH of the buffer; the concentrations of eluting agents, i.e. NADP (specific elution) and sodium chloride (nonspecific elution); flow rate; residence time of the protein on the column bed; and protein load. Specific elution with NADP (2 mM in 0.025 M Tris-HCl, pH 8.0) gave the highest recovery (140%) and highest purification factor (200-fold) of the enzyme. The ability of the compressed bed of nonporous agarose beads to tolerate high flow rates was essential, since the recovery of the enzyme activity increased with an increase in flow rate.