Separation of Proteins by Electrophoretic Affinity Chromatography

A new kind of electrophoretic affinity chromatography (EAC) for bioseparation was proposed. Separation by EAC was conducted in a multicompartment electrolyzer in which the affinity gel media were packed in one of the central compartments. The presence of an electric field accelerated the migration of proteins inside the gel matrix during adsorption and desorption processes. This led to the increase of the overall speed of separation. The present study was focused on the effect of the strength of the electric field on adsorption and desorption processes.

Quantitative analysis of hepatoma-specific α-fetoprotein(HS-AFP) by a new mini-column affinity chromatography and its clinical value in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective： To establish a convenient and economic method to determine hepatoma-specific α-fetoprotein （HS- AFP） for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. Methods： HS-AFP from serum of HCC patients was separated by a mini-column Lens culinaris agglutinin （LCA）-affinity chromatography. The levels of serum total AFP and separated HS-AFP were detected by radioimmunoassay （RIA）. Results： Circulating AFP was separated into three peaks （AFP-1, AFP-2, and AFP-3） by LCA-affinity chromatography. Dunng the elution course, the AFP-1 and AFP-2 could be eluted with TE buffer. HSAFP （AFP-3） from sera of HCC patients was eluted clearly on the LCA-sepharose gel mini-column with a solution containing α-methyI-D-mannoside. It was a part of total AFP and only found in sera of HCC patients. A ratio of more than 15% for HS-AFP to total AFP in serum was considered as a specific marker for HCC diagnosis with higher sensitivity （92.7%） and specificity （88.2%）. Conclusion： The new assay for circulating HS-AFP analysis is more sensitive, repeatable, and convenient. Its clinical application would be useful to early diagnosis of HCC.

Isolation of Human Antibodies Against Hepatitis E Virus From Phage Display Library by Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography

Objective To isolate human antibodies against hepatitis E virus from phage display library by a new method of panning phage antibody library based on immobilized metal affinity chromatography （1MAC）. Methods Phage antibody library was allowed to mix with hex-His tagged expressed HEV specific antigen, NE2, in solution for adequate binding before affinity resin for hex-His was added. The non-specific phage antibodies were removed by extensive washing and the specific bound phage antibodies could then be eluted to infect TG1 or repeat the binding process for subsequent rounds of purification. The specificity of the selected human antibodies were tested by antigen competitive ELISA, human sera blocking ELISA, scFv expression, and sequence analysis. Results His-NE2 specific recombinant phages were successfully enriched after panning procedure. Two individual phage clones, 126 and 138, showed 50% inhibition in NE2 antigen competition ELISA and obvious blocking effect by HEV positive serum in blocking ELISA. Soluble scFv of 126, 138 bound to NE2 specifically. Conclusion Two specific human phage antibodies against hepatitis E virus （HEV） from phage display library were isolated by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. The immobilized metal affinity chromatography applied to phage antibody selection was a helpful supplement to the selection in solution.

Affinity Purification of Insulin by Peptide-Ligand Affinity Chromatography

The affinity heptapeptide(HWWWPAS)for insulin,selected from phage display library,was coupled to EAH Sepharose 4B gel and packed to a 1-mL column.The column was used for the affinity purification of insulin from protein mixture and commercial insulin preparation.It was observed that the minor impurity in the commercial insulin was removed by the affinity chromatography.Nearly 40 mg of insulin could be purified with the 1-mL affinity column.The results revealed the high specificity and capacity of the affinity column for insulin purification.Moreover,based on the analysis of the amino acids in the peptide sequence,shorter peptides were designed and synthesized for insulin chromatography.As a result,HWWPS was found to be a good alternative to HWWWPAS,while the other two peptides with three or four amino acids showed weak affinity for insulin.The results indicated that the peptide sequence of HWWWPAS was quite conservative for specific binding of insulin.

High Performance Affinity Chromatography of Antithrombin III Based on Monodisperse Poly (glycidyl methacrylate) Beads

A new approach for the separation of antithrombin III with high performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) was described. A novel monodisperse, non-porous, cross-linked poly (glycidyl methacrylate) beads (PGMA) were used as the affinity support. With the water-soluble carbodiimide, heparin was linked covalently to amino-PGMA-beads, which was prepared by amination of PGMA. The adsorbent obtained exhibits high binding activity to antithrombin III (ATIII), good resolution and excellent mechanical properties and can be used under high flow rate.

SYNTHESIS OF INTERFERON-α_A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY PACKING MATERIAL IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE AFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY AND PURIFICATION OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN INTERFERON-α_A

A new way for the synthesis of human interferon—α_A monoclonal antibody (IFN-α_A-McAb) bound to silica gel packing material in high-performance affinity chromatography (HPAFC) has been developed. The high coupling efficiency and specific activity of IFN—α_A-McAb can be obtained by activated diol-silica gel with activating agent. After purification using this packing material in HPAFC, the specific activity of recombinant human interferon-α_A (rIFN-α_A) rose up to 1.03×10~7IU/mg protein and the purification efficiency is appoximately 100 times.

On-column Refolding of Diphtheria Toxin Variant CRM197 by Different Metal-Chelating Affinity Chromatography Matrices

We have previously shown that the diphtheria toxin variant CRM 197 （cross-reacting material 197） can be overexpressed in Escherichia coli at high levels, yielding insoluble aggregates, which were solubilized using urea. This study reports a comparison of three matrices suitable for the purification and refolding of recombinant CRM197 by metal-chelating affinity chromatography, Moreover, we show that refolded CRM197 features enzymatic activity.

PREPARATION OF CHITOSAN COATED METAL AFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY ADSORBENT

A new and an inexpensive adsorbent of chitosan coated silica for immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMIC) was studied. After a double coating, the chitosan coated on silica beads could be up to 53. 4 mg/g silica beads.When pH＞3. 8, the metal ligand Cu2+ was chelated on the coated chitosan witha bound capacity of 14. 6 mg/g chitosan without introducing iminodiacetic acid(IDA).

Adsorption and Step Elution of Urokinase Using Affinity Chromatography-Comparison of Data with Rate Model Simulation

A non-equilibrium chromatographic rate model was employed to simulate the affinity chromatography of urokinase. The chromatography process was developed to a yield of high purity product of urokinase from crude materials. The affinity gel used in the process was prepared by an epichlorohydrin-activation method using epichlorohydrin activated Sepharose 4B as a matrix and p-aminobenzamidine as a ligand. The chromatographic process were numerically simulated and analyzed with the aid of VERSE-LC computer simulator. Considering the basic principles, rate model with the back mixing in column inlet was utilized in simulating and studying the effect of the column inlet pattern on other parameters. Comparison of the simulation results with the experimental data showed that the rate model can be used to describe the affinity chromatography of urokinase in a fixed bed column with satisfactory accuracy.

In situ synthesis and unidirectional insertion of membrane proteins in liposome-immobilized silica stationary phase for rapid preparation of microaffinity chromatography

Cell membrane affinity chromatography has been widely applied in membrane protein(MP)-targeted drug screening and interaction analysis.However,in current methods,the MP sources are derived from cell lines or recombinant protein expression,which are time-consuming for cell culture or purification,and also difficult to ensure the purity and consistent orientation of MPs in the chromatographic stationary phase.In this study,a novel in situ synthesis membrane protein affinity chromatography(iSMAC)method was developed utilizing cell-free protein expression(CFE)and covalent immobilized affinity chromatography,which achieved efficient in situ synthesis and unidirectional insertion of MPs into liposomes in the stationary phase.The advantages of iSMAC are:1)There is no need to culture cells or prepare recombinant proteins;2)Specific and purified MPs with stable and controllable content can be obtained within 2 h;3)MPs maintain the transmembrane structure and a consistent orientation in the chromatographic stationary phase;4)The flexible and personalized construction of cDNAs makes it possible to analyze drug binding sites.iSMAC was successfully applied to screen PDGFRβinhibitors from Salvia miltiorrhiza and Schisandra chinensis.Micro columns prepared by in-situ synthesis maintain satisfactory analysis activity within 72 h.Two new PDGFRβinhibitors,salvianolic acid B and gomisin D,were screened out with KD values of 13.44 and 7.39μmol/L,respectively.In vitro experiments confirmed that the two compounds decreasedα-SMA and collagen Ⅰ mRNA levels raised by TGF-βin HSC-T6 cells through regulating the phosphorylation of p38,AKT and ERK.In vivo,Sal B could also attenuate CCl_(4)-induced liver fibrosis by downregulating PDGFRβdownstream related protein levels.The iSMAC method can be applied to other general MPs,and provides a practical approach for the rapid preparation of MP-immobilized or other biological solid-phase materials.

Effect of Freeze-Thaw and Urea in Solubility of GPC3-Csub Protein Expressed in Escherichia coli

Glypican-3 is a protein encoded by the Glypican-3 gene located on human X chromosome (Xq26), composed of two subunits, a 40 kDa N-terminal subunit, and a 30 kDa C-terminal subunit. Glypican-3 is a currently potential target molecule for liver cancer treatments because of its over-expression and growth effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study examined the expression and purification of a C-terminal subunit of Glypican-3 protein (GPC3-Csub) due to its application in both diagnosis and therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. The gene encoding for GPC3-Csub was successfully cloned into plasmid pET28a fused with an affinity tag composed of six consecutive histidine residues (His-tag). Recombinant protein GPC3-Csub was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) in the condition of adding 3% ethanol with IPTG induction. GPC3-Csub was extracted using repeated freeze-thaw cycles with lysozyme, and inclusion bodies were solubilized by 8M Urea, SDS 10% in pH 12. His-tag fused GPC3-Csub proteins allowed it to be purified by affinity chromatography method using the Nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) column. High expression of GPC3-Csub was confirmed by Coomassie staining and western-blot. GPC3-Csub could be isolated with a Ni-NTA column and have a purity of about 90%.

Implications from protein uptake kinetics onto dextran-grafted Sepharose FF coupled with ion exchange and affinity ligands

Our previous studies have reported the presence of "chain delivery" effects of protein adsorption onto ion exchangers with polymer-grafted ion-exchange groups, such as dextran-grafted and poly(ethylenimine)-modified Sepharose gels. However, it is unclear if the "chain delivery" occurs on affinity adsorption with specific interactions. This work is designed to address this issue. A dextran-grafted Sepharose gel was prepared, and then the matrix was modified using diethylaminoethyl, a typical ion-exchange group, or octapeptide(FYCHWQDE), an affinity ligand for human immunoglobulin G(h Ig G) to prepare ion-exchange or affinity adsorbents, respectively.Results of h Ig G adsorption showed that the uptake rate represented by the effective diffusivity of h Ig G onto the dextran-grafted ion exchangers was obviously enhanced by the dextran grafting, indicating the presence of"chain delivery" of the bound proteins on the charged groups on the dextran chains. By contrast, the effective diffusivity of h Ig G changed little as ligand density increased on the dextran-grafted FYCHWQDE adsorbents.Their adsorption capacities decreased and effective diffusivities were not accelerated by the dextran grafting.Thus, this work clarified that grafted dextran could not accelerate h Ig G uptake rate on the affinity resins, or in other words, chain delivery did not occur on the specific interaction-based affinity adsorption.

Separation and Purification of Thrombin-like Enzymes by Affinity Adsorbents

An affinity adsorbent, benzamidine Sepharose 4B, was used to separate and purify thrombin like enzymes. The p aminobenzamidine as a specific ligand was coupled to the matrix-Sepharose 4B. The recombinant thrombin like enzyme-defibrase was used as a model in order to evaluate the efficiency of this biospecific affinity adsorbent. The homogeneity of the enzyme preparation was comfirmed as one band on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Studies on the homogeneity between high-and lowaffinity glucocorticoid receptor

The homogeneity between the high-and low-affinity glucocorticoid receptors(GR_H and GR_L)was testified by immunoaffinity chromatography using Mab N250(recognizing the immunogenic domain at the N terminal of GR_H)and Mab BuGR1(recognizing the DNA binding domain of GR_H).The specific binding peak of 0.98μmol/L[~3H]triamcinolone acetonide(TA)was higher than that of 52.50nmol/L[~3H]TA.The re-sult suggests that the antigenic determinants of GR_L are similar to those of GR_H.ThecDNA of rat liver GR_H was introduced into GR_H-and GR_L-negative mouse fibroblast cellline E82.A3 by calcium phosphate coprecipitation.A number of clones which expressGR_H were selected with G418(400μg/ml).The results of radioligand binding assay indicatethat GR_H gene is expressed successfully and GR_L also may be encoded by GR_H gene.

UV/Vis-based process analytical technology to improve monoclonal antibody and host cell protein separation

Process analytical technology(PAT) is gaining more interest in the biomanufacturing industry because of its potential to improve operational control and compliance through real-time quality assurance.Currently, biopharmaceutical producers mainly monitor chromatographic processes with ultraviolet/visible(UV/Vis) absorbance. However, this measurement has a very limited correlation with purity and quantity. The current study aims to determine the concentration of monoclonal antibody(mAb) and host cell proteins(HCPs) using a build-in UV/Vis monitoring during Protein A affinity chromatography and to optimize the separation conditions for high purity of mAb and minimizing the HCPs content. The eluate was analyzed through in-line UV/Vis at 280 and 410 nm, representing mAb and HCPs concentration,respectively. Each 0.1 column volume(CV) fraction of UV/Vis chromatogram peak area were calculated,and different separation conditions were then compared. The optimum conditions of mAb separation were found as 12 CV loading, elution at pH 3.5, and starting the collection at 0.5 CV point, resulting in high m Ab recovery of 95.92% and additional removal of 49.98% of HCP comparing with whole elution pool. This study concluded that UV/Vis-based in-line monitoring at 280 and 410 nm showed a high potential to optimize and real-time control Protein A affinity chromatography for mAb purification from HCPs.

Exploring the attenuation mechanisms of Dalbergia odorifera leaves extract on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis

The attenuation function of Dalbergia odorifera leaves on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(I/R)is little known.The candidate targets for the Chinese herb were extracted from brain tissues through the high-affinity chromatography.The molecular mechanism of D.odorifera leaves on cerebral I/R was investigated.Methods:Serial affinity chromatography based on D.odorifera leaves extract(DLE)affinity matrices were applied to find specific binding proteins in the brain tissues implemented on C57BL/6 mice by intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion for 1 h and reperfusion for 24 h.Specific binding proteins were subjected to mass-spectrometry to search for the differentially expressed proteins between control and DLE-affinity matrices.The hub genes were screened based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA).Then,predictive biology and potential experimental verification were performed for the candidate genes.The protective role of DLE in blood-brain barrier damage in cerebral I/R mice was evaluated by the leakage of Evans blue,western blotting,immunohistochemistry,and immunofluorescent staining.Results:952 differentially expressed proteins were classified into seven modules based on WGCNA under soft threshold 6.Based on WGCNA,AKT1,PIK3CA,NOS3,SMAD3,SMAD1,IL6,MAPK1,TGFBR2,TGFBR1,MAPK3,IGF1R,LRG1,mTOR,ROCK1,TGFB1,IL1B,SMAD2,and SMAD518 candidate hub proteins were involved in turquoise module.TGF-β,MAPK,focal adhesion,and adherens junction signaling pathway were associated with candidate hub proteins.Gene ontology analysis demonstrated that candidate hub proteins were related to the TGF-βreceptor signaling pathway,common-partner SMAD protein phosphorylation,etc.DLE could significantly reduce the leakage of Evans blue in mice with cerebral I/R,while attenuating the expression of occludin,claudin-5,and zonula occludens-1.Western blotting demonstrated that regulation of TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway played an essential role in the protective effect of DLE.Conclusion:Thus,a number of candidate hub proteins were identified based on DLE affinity chromatography through WGCNA.DLE could attenuate the dysfunction of bloodbrain barrier in the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway induced by cerebral I/R.

Expression and Purification of Human Coagulation Factor X in Mammalian CHO-DG44 Cells

[Objectives]This study was conducted to obtain a Chinese hamster ovary cell line that stably expresses recombinant human coagulation factor X(rhFX),and to induce efficient expression of the target gene with different concentrations of methotrexate(MTX).[Methods]PCR was performed to obtain the rhFX gene,and a recombinant expression plasmid pOptiVEC-rhFX was constructed and subjected to double restriction endonuclease digestion and sequencing identification.CHO-DG44(DHFR-)cells were transfected by the liposome method,and the target protein was purified by affinity chromatography and detected by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and Western blot.A cell line with efficient and stable expression of the target gene was obtained by increasing the concentration of MTX to select positive clones.[Results]PCR yielded a 1509 bp rhFX sequence,and the results of double digestion and sequencing showed that the constructed pOptiVEC-rhFX plasmid was correct.After transfection of cells,MTX significantly increased protein expression.When MTX reached 1.0μmol/L,the expression efficiency of the target protein was(9±0.27)μg/ml.The purity of the target protein purified by affinity chromatography was 93%,which could be used for subsequent experiments.The expression efficiency of rhFX in eukaryotic mammalian cells was improved by increasing MTX concentration,and an affinity chromatography purification process for the target protein was preliminarily established.[Conclusions]The results of this study provide data support for the expression and purification of rhFX,and will lay a solid foundation for the development of drugs related to rhFX.

Purification and Bioassay of Mouse β NGF Antibody

Anti β NGF antiserum was prepared by immunizing rabbits with purified mouse β NGF. It presented immunopositivity to β NGF on Western blot, resulting in a single band approximately at the molecular weight of 14 kDa. The antiserum was further purified into anti β NGF IgG by affinity chromatography. Chicken embryonic dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were cultured to test the biological activities of β NGF and its antibody.

Combined serum hepatoma-specific alpha-fetoprotein and circulating alpha-fetoprotein-mRNA in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, its prognosis is poor, and early detection is of utmost importance. Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a useful marker for detecting and monitoring HCC development, the false-negative or false-positive rates with AFP alone may be as high as 30%-40% for patients with small HCCs. To enhance the specificity and accuracy of AFP measurements for HCC, we analyzed AFP expression states in livers, detected the hepatoma-specific AFP (HS-AFP) fraction and AFP-mRNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and explored their clinical implications for HCC diagnosis. METHODS: AFP expression and hepatocyte distributions in liver specimens were investigated by an immunohistoche- mical assay. Total RNAs were extracted from circulating blood, synthesized to cDNA through random primers and reverse transcriptase, and fragments of the AFP gene were amplified by a nested-PCR assay. The HS-AFP fraction was separated by lectin-affinity chromatography and its level was detected by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The incidence of AFP was 73.3% in HCC tissues and its expression in HCCs with moderate or low differentiation was significantly stronger than that of HCCs with high differentiation (P<0.05). The incidence of AFP gene fragments was 100% in HCCs, and 60% in paracancerous tissues (P<0.01). In the HCC and liver cirrhosis groups, the incidence of HS-AFP was 91.7% and 18% (P<0.01), and of AFP-mRNA was 56.7% and 16% (P<0.01), respectively, and neither was found in controls.HS-AFP or AFP-mRNA was not significantly related to size or number of HCC, but to its differentiation, metastasis, and relapse (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Different AFP expression is present in different parts of HCC tissues. HS-AFP and AFP-mRNA fragments improve sensitivity and specificity, and both are useful markers to diagnose HCC or monitor metastasis and relapse.

Expression of Mouse MT-1 as a Fusion Protein in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

To produce mouse metallothionein-1 (mMT-I ) in cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, a novel Escherichia co/i-cyanobacterium shuttle fusion expression vector, pKG-MT, was constructed. Via this vector, mMT-I cDNA which was fused with a carboxyl terminal extension of the 26 kD glutathione-S-trans-ferase (GST) containing a thrombin specific site was expressed in Anabaena under the control of tac promoter. SDS-polyacrylamid gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that the fusion protein GST-MT was expressed in the transgenic Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 after induction with isopropylthio-β-D-galactoside (IPTG). Glutatione-S-transferase metallothionein (GST-MT) was purified from the crude extracts by affinity chromatography on immobilized glutathione and mMT- I was obtained by digesting the fusion protein with thrombin on column and gel filtration on Sephadex G-50. SDS-PAGE demonstrated that the purified mMT- I was the desired protein. The result of ELISA for the purified mMT-I showed that the recovery of mMT- I from the transgenic cyanobacterium was about 0.6 mg/g fresh weight. According to the data of atomic absorption assay, metal-binding activity of the purified mMT-I was almost the same as that of wild type MT.