Application of free-flow electrophoresis to the purification of trichosanthin from a crude product of acetone fractional precipitation

Electrophoresis. 1998 Jun;19(7):1097-103. doi: 10.1002/elps.1150190708.

Abstract

The application of free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) to the purification of trichosanthin (TCS) from a crude product of acetone fractional precipitation was investigated. An electrophoresis technique, combining field step electrophoresis (FSE) and zone electrophoresis (ZE) to a one-step procedure, was optimized until a satisfactory purification factor (1.35), high resolution, and purity (>99%) were achieved. Testing several separation buffer systems revealed that a throughput of 14.2 mg/h can be obtained when the very basic TCS (pI 10.1) was dissolved and electrophoresed in a phosphate buffer system of pH 4. The purity of electrophoresed trichosanthin was proved by a variety of analytical methods, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-gel electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF), and sequencing of N- and C-termini. The high purity and large throughput achieved at low cost by using FFE indicates that this method can be employed for TCS purification.

MeSH terms

  • Acetone / chemistry*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Buffers
  • Electrophoresis / instrumentation*
  • Electrophoresis / methods*
  • Electrophoresis, Capillary
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Ethanolamines
  • Fractional Precipitation
  • Peptide Fragments / isolation & purification
  • Phosphates
  • Plant Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
  • Trichosanthin / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Buffers
  • Ethanolamines
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Phosphates
  • Plant Proteins
  • Acetone
  • Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
  • Trichosanthin
  • triethanolamine