Selection of pH-related parameters in ion-exchange chromatography using pH-gradient operations

This work demonstrates that the type of ion-exchanger (anion or cation), the mode of operation (bind-and-elute or flow-through), and the operational pH of ion-exchange chromatography (IEX) can be selected in a fast and rational way by analytical pH-gradient IEX operations, thereby eliminating the need for pH scouting or high-throughput screening. The developed approach was applied for the selection of an IEX process for the capture of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) from hybridoma cell culture supernatant (CCS). It was found within a day that MAb can optimally be captured by bind-and-elute mode cation-exchange chromatography (CEX) at pH 4.5 or anion-exchange chromatography (AEX) at pH 7.2 without lowering the salt concentration in the CCS. The performance of both CEX and AEX was predicted to be equal for this particular MAb capture.     

Isoelectric point separation of proteins by capillary pH-gradient ion-exchange chromatography

In the present work, isoelectric point (pl) separation of proteins by pH-gradient ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) on packed capillary columns is demonstrated. The development of a miniaturized flow-through pH probe for reliable pH monitoring of the column effluent, which was an important technical challenge for adapting this technique to capillary dimensions, was solved by designing a low microliter per minute flow rate housing to a commercially available micro pH probe. Highly linear outlet pH-gradients within the pH range 8.5-4.0 were obtained when applying simple inexpensive buffers consisting solely of piperazine, N-methylpiperazine and imidazole on 10 cm x 0.32 mm i.d. fused silica capillaries packed with anion-exchange poly(styrene divinylbenzene)-based macroporous materials, i.e. 10 microm Mono P from Amersham Biosciences and 10 microm PL-SAX from PolymerLabs. Furthermore, when using a pH-gradient from 6.8 to 4.3, both columns were able to baseline separate the A and B genetic variants of beta-lactoglobulin, which differ with two amino acid residues only, but the PL-SAX column provided almost a two-fold decrease in peak widths compared to the Mono P column. The influence of varying the buffer concentration, injection volume and column temperature on the peak widths and resolution of the beta-lactoglobulins was investigated, e.g. a 100 microl sample of dilute beta-lactoglobulins was injected directly on the column with practically no increase in peak width as compared to what obtained with conventional injection volumes. Finally, a pH-gradient from 6.8 to 4.3 was used to separate proteins in skimmed bovine milk on the PL-SAX column. The milk was simply diluted 1:10 (v/v) with water and filtrated before injection.     

Separation of protein mixtures using pH-gradient cation-exchange chromatography

Historically, separation of a protein mixture after adsorption to a cation-exchange column is effected by alteration in ionic strength. An alternative separation method using pH induced gradient in the range of 4–7.5 was studied. A cation-exchange column with large particle beads containing excessive carboxyls was employed. A pH gradient across the column was generated by a step change at the column entrance using a non-retained buffer system. Consistency and accuracy of pH values in timed intervals were demonstrated in three different batches. In development of the application, we found a correlation coefficient of >0.9 between the elution pH values of six acidic proteins and their isoelectric points. One case study showed the resolution between a monoclonal antibody and non-retained protein species from a protein A column. Another case study showed the feasibility of separating polyethylene glycol conjugated protein from native protein.     

Optimization of azeotropic protein separations in gradient and isocratic ion-exchange simulated moving bed chromatography

The separation of dilute binary mixtures of proteins by salt aided ion-exchange simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography is optimized with respect to throughput, desorbent consumption and salt consumption. The optimal flow-rate ratios are analytically determined via an adopted "triangle theory". Azeotropic phenomena are included in this procedure. The salt concentrations in the feed and recycled liquid are subsequently determined by numerical optimization. The azeotropic separation of bovine serum albumin and a yeast protein is used to illustrate the procedure. Gradient operation of the SMB is generally preferred over isocratic operation. A feed of azeotropic salt concentration can only be separated in a gradient SMB. Desorbent and salt consumption are always lower in gradient than in isocratic SMB chromatography.     

Forced flow paper chromatography: A simple tool for separations in short time

In the proposed simple, disposable forced flow paper chromatographic device the main features of the separation like the analysis of time, separation power were improved. The chromatographic paper strips embedded into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) block can be considered as an adsorption column, on which the liquid can be pumped. In a single device numerous separations can be performed in multiplex mode. On-capillary spectrophotometric detection is capable to detect the separated zones with good sensitivity.     

Chemogenetic protein engineering: an efficient tool for the optimization of artificial metalloenzymes

Artificial metalloenzymes, based on the incorporation of a catalytically active organometallic moiety within a host protein, lie at the interface between organometallic and enzymatic catalysis. In terms of activity, reaction repertoire, substrate range and operating conditions, they take advantage of the versatility of the organometallic chemistry. In contrast, the enantioselectivity is determined by the biomolecular scaffold, which provides a well defined second coordination sphere to the organometallic moiety, reminiscent of enzymes. The attractive feature of such systems is their optimization potential, which combines chemical and genetic methods (i.e. chemogenetic) to screen diversity space. This feature article describes the implementation of such an optimization protocol for artificial transfer hydrogenases, for which we have the most detailed understanding.     

3D structure-based protein retention prediction for ion-exchange chromatography

The interest in understanding fundamental mechanisms underlying chromatography drastically increased over the past decades resulting in a whole variety of mostly semi-empirical models describing protein retention. Experimental data about the molecular adsorption mechanisms of lysozyme on different chromatographic ion-exchange materials were used to develop a mechanistical model for the adsorption of lysozyme onto a SP Sepharose FF surface based on molecular dynamic simulations (temperature controlled NVT simulations) with the Amber software package using a force-field based approach with a continuum solvent model. The ligand spacing of the adsorbent surface was varied between 10 and 20 Å. With a 10 Å spacing it was possible to predict the elution order of lysozyme at different pH and to confirm in silico the pH-dependent orientation of lysozyme towards the surface that was reported earlier. The energies of adsorption at different pH values were correlated with isocratic and linear gradient elution experiments and this correlation was used to predict the retention volume of ribonuclease A in the same experimental setup only based on its 3D structure properties. The study presents a strong indication for the validity of the assumption, that the ligand density of the surface is one of the key parameters with regard to the selectivity of the adsorbent, suggesting that a high ligand density leads to a specific interaction with certain binding sites on the protein surface, while at low ligand densities the net charge of the protein is more important than the actual charge distribution.     

Influence of column design on process-scale ion-exchange chromatography

The performance of two new designs of pump-packed axial flow process chromatography columns have been evaluated for the preparative anion-exchange chromatography of hen egg-white proteins using Whatman Express-Ion Exchanger Q. A 16 1 Side-Pack column and a 24 1 IsoPak column containing Express-Ion Q were used in this study. In each case ca. 20 1 feedstock containing 5-7 g protein/l, was applied per litre packed bed at flow-rates of ca. 150 and 300 cm/h. In each case the ovalbumin binding capacity was ca. 70 g/l packed bed with ca. 100% (w/w) recovery of applied protein. A clean-in-place procedure involving storage in 0.5 M NaOH was effective in maintaining chromatographic performance in all cases. These data were consistent with our previous work using the more traditionally configured slurry-packed axial flow columns. Each of these column designs were easy to use facilitating rapid packing with this adsorbent and in the case of IsoPak rapid pump unpacking. The introduction of these column designs significantly improves the task of column packing, hitherto a labour intensive, physically demanding and potentially unreproducible process.     

Theory of structure-based carbon nanotube separations by ion-exchange chromatography of DNA/CNT hybrids

Single-stranded DNA wrap helically around individual single-walled carbon nanotubes to form DNA/CNT hybrids, which are both stable and dispersible in aqueous solution. Subjected to ion-exchange chromatography, a hybrid elutes at an ionic strength that depends on the electronic character and diameter of the core nanotube, thus providing a mechanism for separating nanotubes by chirality. We present a theoretical model for this separation process that explains all the salient features observed experimentally to date, and provides accurate predictions for critical elution salt concentration. The competition between adsorption on the stationary phase and counterion condensation in the mobile phase is characterized by estimating the difference in free energy between the two states of the hybrid. Parametric study of the DNA wrapping geometry, SWNT dielectric properties, hybrid length, and diameter indicate that the elution is most sensitive to the hybrid's effective charge density, primarily governed by the DNA helical pitch. The model correctly predicts hybrids with metallic nanotubes are weaker binding than hybrids with semiconducting nanotubes and larger diameter nanotubes are eluted at later times.     

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography: a powerful and versatile analytical tool

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is a novel technique which is rapidly gaining importance for the analysis of complex samples. In the present review, attention is devoted to the principle and advantages, and main characteristics such as modulation, column combinations, detector requirements and data processing, of the technique. Specifically, GC×GC of a variety of real-life samples is discussed to demonstrate the applicability of the technique, with emphasis on the usefulness of the ordered-structure principle and on the analyte-identification power provided by a combination with time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection.     

Isotope effects of steroids during analytical separations by paper- and high-pressure liquid chromatography

Conclusions During HPLC (reversed phase), tritiated steroids elute earlier than the unlabeled and the [4-¹⁴C]-labeled analogues. On formamide impregnated paper [4-¹⁴C]-labeled steroids move faster than the tritiated analogues. Thus, in both systems the ³H-labeled compounds behave as if they were more polar [1]. In the case of sixfold labeled estradiol the highly efficient resolution of the paperchromatographic and HPLC-systems (Fig. 1 A) may be applied to obtain carrier-free steroids with high specific activities. On the other hand the analytical application of these systems may lead to great systematic errors if the isotope effects of tritiated steroids are not taken into consideration.

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Isotopieeffekte von Steroiden bei der Papier- und Hochdruckflüssigkeits-Chromatographie

     

Effects of chromatography conditions on intact protein separations for top-down proteomics

A chiral stationary phase (CSP) has been prepared by chemically bonding a chiral pseudo-18-crown-6 type host having a 1-phenyl-1,2-cyclohexanediol unit to 3-aminopropyl silica gel. The chiral column was prepared by the slurry-packing method in a stainless steel HPLC column. Normal mobile phases can be used with this CSP in contrast to conventional dynamic coating type CSPs. Enantiomers of 20 out of 30 amino compounds, including 20 amino acids, 2 amino acid methyl esters, 6 amino alcohols, and 2 lipophilic amines, were efficiently separated on columns with this CSP. It is noteworthy that 15 amino compounds out of 30 were separated with better separation factors and shorter retention times compared to the corresponding CSP having pseudo-18-crown-6 with 1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol as a chiral unit. In view of the correlation between the enantiomer selectivities observed in chromatography and those obtained in gas phase FABMS-EL methods and solution phase titrations, chiral recognition in the host-guest interaction likely contributes to enantiomer separation.     

Two-dimensional electrophoresis protein profiling as an analytical tool for human acute leukemia classification

Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to profile the proteins of leukemic cells from 61 cases of akute leukemia (AL) characterized by the French-American-British (FAB) classification. The differentially expressed protein spots were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and electrospray ionization-tandem MS (ESI-MS/MS). The distinct protein profiles (DPPs) of AL FAB subtypes were explored successfully, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), its subtypes (M2, M3, and M5), and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), which were homogeneous within different samples of the same subgroup but clearly differed from all other subgroups. We also found a group of proteins differentially expressed between AL cells and normal white blood cells. Among the DPPs of AL subtypes, some proteins have been reported, but most of them were first reported here to mark AML differentiation and to discriminate AML from ALL. These data show that 2-DE protein profiling could be used as an analytical tool for facilitating molecular definition of human AL classification and understanding the mechanism of leukemogensis, and the extension of the present analysis to the currently less well-defined AL will identify additional subgroups and may promote the identification of new targets for specific treatment approaches.     

Optimisation of flow schemes for ion-exchange separations by dynamic programming

Summary This article compares two operational research methods for the choice of the optimal flow scheme in separation chemistry. It is concluded that dynamic programming offers more advantages than the application of the theory of graphs.

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Optimierung von Fliediagrammen für Ionenaustauschtrennungen durch dynamische Programmierung

Zusammenfassung 2 Methoden zur Auswahl des optimalen Fließdiagramms für Trennungsverfahren werden verglichen, wobei gezeigt wird, daß die dynamische Programmierung mehr Vorteile bietet als die Anwendung der Graphentheorie.

Lecture presented at Euroanalysis I Conference, 28. 8.–1. 9. 1972 in Heidelberg.     

Properties and performance of novel high-resolution/high-permeability ion-exchange media for protein chromatography

There is continued interest in the development of stationary phases for protein chromatography that can provide high resolution at elevated flow rates of the mobile phase. When using porous particles, resolution and dynamic binding capacity decline rapidly as the flow rate is increased. Monolithic columns have been developed to overcome these limitations. However, there are difficulties in manufacturing homogeneous larger scale monoliths. In this paper we investigate the morphology and performance characteristics of columns based on new ion exchangers obtained by mechanically disrupting continuous beds of acrylamido-based polymeric media. Near colloidal suspensions of loose particles obtained with this procedure can be flow-packed in ordinary chromatography columns resulting in beds of unexpectedly high hydraulic permeability. Columns up to 2.2 cm in diameter were studied with both Q and S functionalized media. The hydraulic permeability and interparticle porosity of these columns were rather high. The permeabilities of the S and Q media were 1.5 x 10(-13) and 2.4 x 10(-13) m2, respectively, while the corresponding porosities were 60 and 70%. These porosity values are similar to those of monoliths, suggesting that these particles assemble under flow to give high-porosity bridged structures. The structure of these packed beds was further characterized by embedding small packed columns in resins and obtaining sections for microscopic observation. The sections reveal the presence of small aggregates of non-porous 1-3 microm particles, surrounded by flow channels several micrometers in size. The height equivalent to a theoretical plate under isocratic and gradient elution conditions and the dynamic binding capacity were determined for several proteins and were found to be virtually independent of flow.     

Incorporating water-release and lateral protein interactions in modeling equilibrium adsorption for ion-exchange chromatography

The equilibrium adsorption of two albumin proteins on a commercial ion exchanger has been studied using a colloidal model. The model accounts for electrostatic and van der Waals forces between proteins and the ion exchanger surface, the energy of interaction between adsorbed proteins, and the contribution of entropy from water-release accompanying protein adsorption. Protein-surface interactions were calculated using methods previously reported in the literature. Lateral interactions between adsorbed proteins were experimentally measured with microcalorimetry. Water-release was estimated by applying the preferential interaction approach to chromatographic retention data. The adsorption of ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin on an anion exchanger at solution pH>pI of protein was measured. The experimental isotherms have been modeled from the linear region to saturation, and the influence of three modulating alkali chlorides on capacity has been evaluated. The heat of adsorption is endothermic for all cases studied, despite the fact that the net charge on the protein is opposite that of the adsorbing surface. Strong repulsive forces between adsorbed proteins underlie the endothermic heat of adsorption, and these forces intensify with protein loading. It was found that the driving force for adsorption is the entropy increase due to the release of water from the protein and adsorbent surfaces. It is shown that the colloidal model predicts protein adsorption capacity in both the linear and non-linear isotherm regions, and can account for the effects of modulating salt.     

Exact rotamer optimization for protein design

Computational methods play a central role in the rational design of novel proteins. The present work describes a new hybrid exact rotamer optimization (HERO) method that builds on previous dead-end elimination algorithms to yield dramatic performance enhancements. Measured on experimentally validated physical models, these improvements make it possible to perform previously intractable designs of entire protein core, surface, or boundary regions. Computational demonstrations include a full core design of the variable domains of the light and heavy chains of catalytic antibody 48G7 FAB with 74 residues and 10(128) conformations, a full core/boundary design of the beta1 domain of protein G with 25 residues and 10(53) conformations, and a full surface design of the beta1 domain of protein G with 27 residues and 10(60) conformations. In addition, a full sequence design of the beta1 domain of protein G is used to demonstrate the strong dependence of algorithm performance on the exact form of the potential function and the fidelity of the rotamer library. These results emphasize that search algorithm performance for protein design can only be meaningfully evaluated on physical models that have been subjected to experimental scrutiny. The new algorithm greatly facilitates ongoing efforts to engineer increasingly complex protein features.     

ArQiologist: an integrated decision support tool for lead optimization

This paper describes ArQiologist, a Web-based tool that integrates chemical, analytical, biological, and computational data to facilitate decision support for lead optimization at ArQule. It features an easy-to-use graphical query builder that allows queries to be saved, reused, and shared by researchers. Query results can be viewed with built-in data browsers or exported with structures to external applications such as Microsoft Excel or Spotfire for further analysis.