Nanospray analysis of the venom of the tarantula Theraphosa leblondi: a powerful method for direct venom mass fingerprinting and toxin sequencing

Mass spectrometric methods, including matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), on-line liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS), and nanospray ionisation/hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (nanoESI-QqTOFMS), were applied to characterize by mass fingerprinting the venom of the French Guyanese tarantula Theraphosa leblondi. Of these techniques direct nanoESI-QqTOFMS, which allowed the detection of 65 protonated molecules with high mass accuracy, appeared to give the best results. Three major peptides, TlTx1, TlTx2 and TlTx3, were sequenced using a combination of nanoESI-MS/MS and enzyme digestion/MS and MS/MS experiments. Each sequence was confirmed by automated Edman sequencing. In patch-clamp experiments these peptides were found to have a specific inhibitory effect on the voltage-dependent potassium channel, Kv4.2.     

Fractionation of Bulgarian viper (Vipera ammodytes) venoms. Relation of venom content and subspecies affiliation of the snakes

Summary A cation-exchange procedure has been developed for fractionation of venom from Bulgarian snakes (Vipera ammodytes), using a 75×7.5 mm TSK SP-5 PW column for gradient elution of venom components with NH₄OAc and UV-detection at 280 nm. The procedure developed was applied for venom component separation and especially to assay the vipoxin content—a previously studied and described toxic protein complex—in the venom of various subspecies of Bulgarianvipera ammodytes. Chromatographic profiles obtained show that venom fromVipera ammodytes ssp.montandoni Boulenger, 1904 andVipera ammodytes ssp.meridionalis Boulenger, 1903 contain vipoxin (content higher in venom ofVipera ammodytes ssp.meridionalis), while in the venom ofVipera ammodytes ssp.ammodytes Linnaeus, 1758 vipoxin is absent. All data obtained show that the procedure developed can be successfully used for reliable subspecies affiliation by venom analysis and assay of vipoxin (in analytical mode) and its purification (in semipreparative mode) also.     

Fractionation of Humic Substances by Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation

Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation was used to investigate the effects of pH and ionic strength of the buffer, and the binding of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the particle sizes of humic substances (HSs). Particle sizes were greater when HSs were present in acidic medium with phosphate buffer than when they were present in alkaline medium or in acidic medium with acetate buffer. The association of PAH did not lead to increase sizes of HSs. Bivalent calcium ion had a greater effect on the size than did monovalent sodium ion. Particle sizes in river water and seawater were mostly of the same magnitude of the standards HSs. Some larger particles (30–70 nm) were also found.Dedicated to Professor K. Jinno on the occasion of his 60^th birthday     

Fractionation and proteomic analysis of the Walterinnesia aegyptia snake venom using OFFGEL and MALDI‐TOF‐MS techniques

Animal venoms are complex mixtures of more than 100 different compounds, including peptides, proteins, and nonprotein compounds such as lipids, carbohydrates, and metal ions. In addition, the existing compounds show a wide range of molecular weights and concentrations within these venoms, making separation and purification procedures quite tedious. Here, we analyzed for the first time by MS the advantages of using the OFFGEL technique in the separation of the venom components of the Egyptian Elapidae Walterinnesia aegyptia snake compared to two classical methods of separation, SEC and RP‐HPLC. We demonstrate that OFFGEL separates venom components over a larger scale of fractions, preserve respectable resolution with regard to the presence of a given compound in adjacent fractions and allows the identification of a greater number of ions by MS (102 over 134 total ions). We also conclude that applying several separating techniques (SEC and RP‐HPLC in addition to OFFGEL) provides complementary results in terms of ion detection (21 more for SEC and 22 more with RP‐HPLC). As a result, we provide a complete list of 134 ions present in the venom of W. aegyptia by using all these techniques combined.     

Fractionation of Cellulose

Cellulose samples with molecular weight distributions that are considerably narrower than those of the natural products can be obtained by at least three fundamentally different routes. (i) Synthesis of easily soluble derivatives, fractionation by means of well-established methods and subsequent regeneration, (ii) selective extraction of short chains from activated cellulose, using solvents of suitable marginal quality, and (iii) partition of the homologs between two coexisting phases formed by the demixing of homogeneous solutions. All three methods can be applied successfully. However, the efforts in terms of labor and required solvent differ considerably. Most of the experiments were performed with the following three cellulose samples: Avicel (M _w = 30 kg mol^–1, U = (M _w/M _n)–1 = 2.0), Solucell (M _w = 230 kg mol^–1, U = 1.8), and Stockstadt (M _w = 320 kg mol^–1, U = 5.7). Options (ii) and (iii) emerged most promising for large scale fractionation. The mixed solvent consisting of DMAc and LiCl turned out to be particularly versatile in both cases. In the pure state it can be used for incremental extraction (yielding quick access to orienting information on the width of the molecular weight distribution) as well as for one-step extraction. In combination with suitable precipitants (like acetone) it enables the realization of the coexistence of two liquid phases required with route (iii). One obstacle for fractionation that all methods share is the high viscosity of cellulose solutions. With the last method it is possible to mitigate this limitation considerably by the use of spinning nozzles for the mixing of feed and extracting agent.     

Fractionation during crystallization

Extensive gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) results are presented which reveal in much more detail than hitherto the effects of fractionation during the crystallization of polyethylene from solution. It is suggested how these results may be used to assess the affects of fractionation on the production of single crystals. In addition the results are compared with the fractionation which would be expected assuming the crystals to be in equilibrium with the solution. It was found that the results can be explained very well on this basis. A discussion of this rather unexpected result is included.     

聚合物连续分级

本文较系统地介绍了聚合物连续分级的理论基础、实验室装置及其实际应用。     

Fractionation and Size Distribution of Water Soluble Polymers by Flow Field-Flow Fractionation

Abstract

Flow field-flow fractionation (flow FFF) is introduced as a chromatographic-like method with a potential for separating and characterizing water soluble polymers. The theory of the method is summarized, showing that one gets a size distribution curve based on the Stokes diameter, d. Problems in interpreting the elution profile in both flow FFF and gel permeation chromatography are discussed in the light of complications arising from electrostatic chain expansion in polyelectrolytes.

The experimental approach is described using a channel of 2.00 ml volume. Sulfonated polystyrenes of three different molecular weights are separated from one another with and without added salts. The dependence of retention on sample size is shown to be least in the salt solution, indicating that this is most suitable for analytical work.

The sodium salts of polyacrylic acid are also investigated. Distinct elution profiles are noted for two of these polydisperse polymers. Size distribution curves for the 2,000,000 MW sample curves are obtained from, the elution profiles and are shown to be independent of experimental variations. Finally, fractions are collected after separation and rerun through the coloumn, showing a reasonable confirmation of the expected fractionation effect.     

Cross Fractionation of Styrene-Butadiene Copolymer

A sample of styrene-butadiene copolymer was fractionated by successive precipitation (one-direction fractionation) in cyclohexane/isooctane and benzene/methyl ethyl ketone systems. The chemical composition and molecular weight distributions of the sample were constructed from the fractionation data. The results obtained in both systems were nearly identical for the chemical composition distribution, but were different for the molecular weight distribution. The same sample was fractionated by cross fractionation using both solvent/nonsolvent systems. Comparing the results of cross fractionation with the results of one-direction fractionation, the first gave broader molecular weight and chemical composition distribution curves than the second. However, only cross fractionation showed that the chemical composition distribution curve has a long tail not only at the right side but also at the left side of the distribution maximum.

The superiority of cross fractionation over one-direction fractionation seems clear from the present work. It is also clear that even if the chemical composition distribution curves obtained by one-direction fractionation in different systems are identical with one another, the curves do not always show the true distribution.     

Fractionation of styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer

Styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer was fractionated by the column elution and coacervate extraction techniques. Different solvent-nonsolvent combinations were used; both batchwise and continuous column elution fractionations were carried out. Successful resolution of fractions according to molecular weight was achieved. The effect of the solvent-precipitant pair on the fractionation efficiency, as tested by gel permeation chromatography, is discussed. The results of continuous column elution depend significantly on the elution rate.     

Tutorial: Field-Flow Fractionation

A simple model of a crystalline solid that leads to an electronic band structure is presented. The development requires no quantum mechanics beyond that taught in most physical chemistry courses and can be taught in a single one-hour lecture.     

场流分级进展

场流分级是一种比较新的分离技术,可用于大分子的分离,具有一定潜力,本文简述了场流分级的基本原理。除已得到应用的普通场流分级外还介绍了近来新发展的不同操作模式和一些新的综合场流分级。     

Fractionation of chitosan by ultrafiltration

It was shown that low-molecular chitosan could be fractioned by ultrafiltration. The types of membranes suitable for this purpose were determined. The effect of ionic strength and the solvent nature on the molecular weight and polydispersity of the obtained samples was studied. The possibility of obtaining chitosan with low polydispersity was shown.     

HPLC法分离工业品辛基二茂铁

采用气相色谱–质谱联用技术分析和表征工业品辛基二茂铁原料主要组成,以HPLC法对其进行分离。分别研究了流动相类型、组成、流量及色谱柱填料粒径大小对(2-辛基)-二茂铁、(3-辛基)-二茂铁和(4-辛基)-二茂铁3种辛基二茂铁分离效果的影响,获得最佳分离条件:5μm 12 nm C18烷基硅胶为填料,流动相为甲醇–水(88∶12),流量为0.8 m L/min。工业辛基二茂铁中3种异构体的含量分别为22.18%,24.15%,22.67%。