Separation of complex branched polymers by size-exclusion chromatography probed with multiple detection

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) separates polymers by hydrodynamic volume (the universal calibration principle). Molecular weights can be determined using viscometry (relying on universal calibration) and light scattering (independent of universal calibration). In the case of complex branched polyacrylates with tetrahydrofuran as eluent, universal calibration is valid, although the separation in term of molecular weight is incomplete: a given elution slice contains a range of molecular weights, described in terms of a 'local polydispersity'. The local polydispersity index decreases when the number of branches per chain increases and complete separation is reached for highly branched chains.     

Characterisation of complex amphiphilic cyclodextrin mixtures by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

It is established that amphiphilic beta-cyclodextrins chemically modified with alkyl chains on the secondary face exhibit self-organisation properties yielding stable nanospheres or nanoparticles. The ability of these promising colloidal drug carriers to encapsulate drugs being partly related to the internal structure of nanosystems, precise characterisation methods are required to control their synthesis procedure. The present work describes the development of complementary analytical methods based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RPLC) coupled to evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD) and electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to characterize various beta-cyclodextrins enzymatically transesterified by vinyl-acyl fatty esters (the number of carbon atom in the acyl chain varying from 4 to 12). LC-ELSD has been used in a preliminary step to optimize the separation on a monolithic octadecylsiloxane-bonded silica stationary phase. A complex fingerprint was achieved for each mixture, revealing the presence of isomers unnoticed by the sole spectrometric (NMR and MS) techniques.     

Identification and isolation of human insulin A and B chains by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method for the isolation, identification and quantification of human insulin A and B chains by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. These chains were isolated from a peptide mixture produced by E. coli with modified genes obtained by genetic engineering. The method is based on the use of hydrophilic reagents, forming ion pairs in a reversed-phase column. Because some undesirable effects resulting from the use of phosphoric acid were observed, especially with the B chain, a new HPLC method was developed for each of the two human insulin chains. The use of trifluoroacetic acid as a counter ion for the A chain and of formic acid for the B chain led to the rapid isolation and purification of each chain by HPLC. The advantage of this method is that it provides a highly pure product, which was identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid analysis.     

High-performance ion-exchange chromatography of myosin using a DEAE-5PW column

High-performance ion-exchange chromatography of myosin using a DEAE-5PW packing was used to purify myosin from skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle. This method produces high-speed resolution (30-min analysis) of myosin from contaminating myofibrillar proteins. The column has a high capacity for binding myosin (up to 1 g) and can be used for small-scale preparation of highly purified myosin. Gel analysis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate showed recovery of myosin with very little contamination of other myofibrillar proteins. Myosin was also recovered from small biopsy samples (0.1 g) by a direct extraction technique with recovery of biological ATPase activity.     

Analysis of reduced monoclonal antibodies using size exclusion chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) has been widely used to detect antibody aggregates, monomer, and fragments. SEC coupled to mass spectrometry has been reported to measure the molecular weights of antibody; antibody conjugates, and antibody light chain and heavy chain. In this study, separation of antibody light chain and heavy chain by SEC and direct coupling to a mass spectrometer was further studied. It was determined that employing mobile phases containing acetonitrile, trifluoroacetic acid, and formic acid allowed the separation of antibody light chain and heavy chain after reduction by SEC. In addition, this mobile phase allowed the coupling of SEC to a mass spectrometer to obtain a direct molecular weight measurement. The application of the SEC-MS method was demonstrated by the separation of the light chain and the heavy chain of multiple recombinant monoclonal antibodies. In addition, separation of a thioether linked light chain and heavy chain from the free light chain and the free heavy chain of a recombinant monoclonal antibody after reduction was also achieved. This optimized method provided a separation of antibody light chain and heavy chain based on size and allowed a direct measurement of molecular weights by mass spectrometry. In addition, this method may help to identify peaks eluting from SEC column directly.     

Dietary genistein enhances phosphorylation of regulatory myosin light chain in the myocardium of ovariectomized mice

There is evidence that isoflavones, such as genistein, can directly or indirectly improve lipid profile and lower blood pressure and hence exert cardiovascular protection. It is further believed, that genistein attenuates vascular contraction and thus vascular tone and blood pressure through altering the phosphorylation of the regulatory myosin light chain (MLC) probably via the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) or the RhoA pathway. However, the direct role of genistein in the myocardium is poorly reviewed. In this study, we investigated the impact of genistein on the cardiac proteome in ovariectomized female mice using a 2DE-MS approach. Dietary genistein intake considerably changed the abundance of several cytoskeletal and contractile proteins and enhanced the phosphorylation of MLC. The MLC phosphorylation was mediated through increased abundance of MLCK and inhibition of myosin light chain phosphatase latest known to be inversely regulated by RhoA. Contrary to others, in our model genistein did neither inhibit the cardiac MLCK, nor the cardiac RhoA pathway in vivo.     

Temperature-responsive chromatography for the separation of biomolecules

Temperature-responsive chromatography for the separation of biomolecules utilizing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and its copolymer-modified stationary phase is performed with an aqueous mobile phase without using organic solvent. The surface properties and function of the stationary phase are controlled by external temperature changes without changing the mobile-phase composition. This analytical system is based on nonspecific adsorption by the reversible transition of a hydrophilic-hydrophobic PNIPAAm-grafted surface. The driving force for retention is hydrophobic interaction between the solute molecules and the hydrophobized polymer chains on the stationary phase surface. The separation of the biomolecules, such as nucleotides and proteins was achieved by a dual temperature- and pH-responsive chromatography system. The electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions could be modulated simultaneously with the temperature in an aqueous mobile phase, thus the separation system would have potential applications in the separation of biomolecules. Additionally, chromatographic matrices prepared by a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) exhibit a strong interaction with analytes, because the polymerization procedure forms a densely packed polymer, called a polymer brush, on the surfaces. The copolymer brush grafted surfaces prepared by ATRP was an effective tool for separating basic biomolecules by modulating the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Applications of thermally responsive columns for the separations of biomolecules are reviewed here.     

The use of ATR-IR to identify the components separated by paper chromatography

Summary A modified procedure for the identification of separated components in paper chromatography using attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy is described. This combined method, though inferior in sensitivity and resolution to the modern separation systems interfaced with sophisticated analytical instruments, is simple, relatively less expensive and suitable for routine analysis of components like polymer additives.     

Sensitive determination of buspirone in serum by solid-phase extraction and two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography

A selective and sensitive determination of buspirone in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography is described. The procedure is based on separation on a C18 column. A solid-phase extraction procedure is used for sample clean-up. The retention on the first column is based on the hydrophobic interaction of buspirone with the stationary phase, and the retention on the second column is based on ionic interactions due to the presence of sodium lauryl sulphate in the mobile phase as well as hydrophobic interaction. This allows for good separation of buspirone from impurities and consequently allows lower detection limits than previously reported for liquid chromatographic methods. Detection by ultraviolet absorbance gives a detection limit of 0.2 ng/ml.     

Selective purification of cardiac myosin by a high-performance salicylate affinity column

The cardiac muscle proteins, myosin and actin, were purified in one step using a salicylate-silica affinity column. The affinity columns were prepared by coupling sodium salicylate via its hydroxyl group to an Altex Ultraffinity-EP column. Crude detergent extracts from guinea pig hearts were passed through the column and the myosin-actin complex was then eluted with excess free salicylate or high salt. The affinity of cardiac myosin for immobilized salicylate was unique as myosin heavy chain from guinea pig leg muscle detergent extracts could not be purified by this procedure. Commercially purified rabbit leg muscle myosin also appeared to have no interaction with the salicylate affinity column, suggesting that the column is specific for cardiac myosin.     

Retention behavior of aromatic hydrocarbons and dansylamino acids in reversed-phase liquid chromatography with cation-exchange-induced stationary phases

The retention behavior of aromatic hydrocarbons and dansylamino acids on cation-exchangers modified with alkylammonium ions has been examined by microcolumn liquid chromatography. Several parameters affected the retention of analytes, involving concentration of the modifier in the mobile phase, its alkyl chain length and mobile phase composition. Stationary phases modified with a reagent having longer alkyl chains achieved better column efficiency.     

Electrophoretic and computer analysis of skeletal muscle used for cardiac assistance.

Skeletal muscle has an inherent plasticity which allows it to undergo fibre type transformation when induced by a specific stimulus. Electrical stimulation has been used here to induce transformation of a predominantly fast type skeletal muscle towards a slow, more fatigue-resistant phenotype, which is more suitable for use in long-term cardiac assistance. Muscle samples from animals electrically stimulated for periods up to 6 months have been analysed by electrophoresis for myosin heavy chain (MHC) and myosin light chain (MLC) fast and slow isoforms. Densitometry and computer analysis have been used to determine the pattern of transformation of the different myosin subunits over this time period. MHC and MLC 2 fast to slow isoform switching preceded that of the alkali light chains (MLC1 and MLC3). After 3 months of stimulation the MHC slow isoform was found to have doubled in concentration relative to the unstimulated control muscle and by 4 months accounted for almost 50% of the total MHC content. The slow isoform accounted for 75% of the MLC2 after 4 months of stimulation. The protein products of mRNA isolated from stimulated muscle samples, translated in vitro and separated by electrophoresis, showed that transformation at the mRNA level preceded that at the protein level. By 2-4 weeks of stimulation MLC2 slow isoform mRNA represented over 60% of the total MLC2 mRNA population. An understanding of the molecular structure of muscle during transformation provides insight into its haemodynamic performance in cardiac assistance.     

Preconcentration of petroleum organic acids and ketones by two-stage chromatography using a modified adsorbent

A procedure was developed for preconcentrating organic acids and ketones present in oils from Western Siberia, petroleum products, and hydrocarbon mixtures. The procedure is based on two-stage chromatography in a system containing a precolumn with silica gel modified with 10% potassium silicate and a separation column packed with untreated silica gel. Elution was performed using solvents with an increasing polarity. The efficiency of isolation was tested using standard compounds.     

Prediction,optimization of separation,and identification of unknown compounds in capillary gas chromatography

A procedure for the identification and separation of unknown compounds by capillary gas chromatography is described. The procedure involves a live retention time database and optimization of the separation. After initial chromatography of the sample, a rough search lists all the possible compounds it might contain and the analyst then uses his experience to discard those compounds in the list which are unlikely to be present. The multi-component separation is then optimized over the whole range of defined starting temperatures and programming rates, in order to produce the best possible separation of the sample components, and the chromatography repeated using the results obtained from the optimization procedure. Further search operations within a given search window will then report the compound names, and related information, for each peak. Since the identification operation is performed at least twice during the procedure, and the optimization of the separation assists the identification by separating possibly overlapped peaks, the confidence of the qualitative analysis is higher than may be obtained using standards alone. If the reproducibility of isothermal indices measured on columns could be guaranteed, this procedure could be used instead of performing chromatography on standards of the compounds contained in the database, regardless of changes in column dimensions, phase ratio, and operating conditions in temperature programmed analysis.     

Comparison of microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography and solvent modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography on rapid separation of heroin, amphetamine and their basic impurities

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) and solvent modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) were investigated with the goal of the rapid separation of complex heroin and amphetamine samples. The rapid simultaneous separation of 17 species of heroin, amphetamine and their basic impurities and adulterants was performed within about 10 min using MEEKC for the first time, whereas solvent modified MEKCs were unable to resolve all the components. The comparisons between MEEKC and solvent modified MEKC proved internal lipophilic organic phase in microemulsions played an important role in improving the separation performance with respect to efficiency. However, the role of internal lipophilic organic phase in MEEKC was disgusted at high concentrations of cosurfactant, and the separations of MEEKC and 1-butanol modified MEKC became similar at high concentrations of 1-butanol. The evaluation of reproducibility, linearity and detection limit of optimized MEEKC method provided good results for all the analytes investigated, thus allowing its application to real controlled drug preparation analysis.     

Foam chromatography: solid foams as supports in column chromatography

Foamed polymer is loaded with tributyl phosphate as stationary phase and compressed into a Chromatographic column which will give flow rates of 1-4 ml min , has a high break-through capacity and gives sharp and symmetrical peaks in elution chromatography. It has been applied to separation of nickel and palladium.     

Vertical agarose gel electrophoresis and electroblotting of high-molecular-weight proteins

The electrophoretic separation of high-molecular-weight proteins (> 500 kDa) using polyacrylamide is difficult because gels with a large enough pore size for adequate protein mobility are mechanically unstable. A 1% vertical sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-agarose gel electrophoresis (VAGE) system has been developed that allows titin (a protein with the largest known SDS subunit size of 3000-4000 kDa) to migrate over 10 cm in a approximately 13 cm resolving gel. Such migration gives clear and reproducible separation of titin isoforms. Proteins ranging in size from myosin heavy chain ( approximately 220 kDa) up to titin can be resolved on this gel system. Electroblotting of these very large proteins was nearly 100% efficient. This VAGE system has revealed two titin size variants in rabbit psoas muscle, two N2BA bands in rabbit cardiac muscle, and species differences between titins from rat and rabbit muscle. Agarose electrophoresis should be the method of choice for separation and blotting of proteins with very large subunit sizes.     

The role of liquid chromatography in proteomics

Proteomics represents a significant challenge to separation scientists because of the diversity and complexity of proteins and peptides present in biological systems. Mass spectrometry as the central enabling technology in proteomics allows detection and identification of thousands of proteins and peptides in a single experiment. Liquid chromatography is recognized as an indispensable tool in proteomics research since it provides high-speed, high-resolution and high-sensitivity separation of macromolecules. In addition, the unique features of chromatography enable the detection of low-abundance species such as post-translationally modified proteins. Components such as phosphorylated proteins are often present in complex mixtures at vanishingly small concentrations. New chromatographic methods are needed to solve these analytical challenges, which are clearly formidable, but not insurmountable. This review covers recent advances in liquid chromatography, as it has impacted the area of proteomics. The future prospects for emerging chromatographic technologies such as monolithic capillary columns, high temperature chromatography and capillary electrochromatography are discussed.     

Measurement of polyunsaturated fatty acids of myocardial lipids by high performance liquid chromatography

Summary This report describes a modified method for the separation and analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as 20:4, 20:5, and 22:6, using HPLC. The results show that these fatty acids are well separated from the saturated acids. Since the unsaturated fatty acids elute earlier than saturated acids, and this method does not require the fractionation of free fatty acids using thin layer chromatography, a necessary step for the gas chromatographic analysis, the recoveries of polyunsaturated fatty acids were significantly higher as compared to those from gas chromatography. Furthermore, HPLC and gas chromatographic methods gave identical results for the acyl chain composition of phosphatidylserine. The advantages of using HPLC over gas chromatography in determining the acyl chain composition of free fatty acids and phospholipids are also discussed.