Size-exclusion chromatography protein separation

Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) separates molecules based on differences in their hydrodynamic volume (or size). For this reason, SEC has become a standard technique for determining molecular weight distributions of polymer samples. Common separation applications include polymer, protein, and nucleic... 

Examples of the application of size-exclusion chromatography to the analysis of proteins. The separation in (a) uses a single column that in (b) uses three columns, providing a wider range of size selectivity. (Chromatograms courtesy of Alltech Associates, Inc. Deerfield, IL). 

Column Si. Size-exclusion chromatography columns are generally the largest column on a process scale. Separation is based strictly on diffusion rates of the molecules inside the gel particles. No proteins or other solutes are adsorbed or otherwise retained owing to adsorption, thus, significant dilution of the sample of volume can occur, particularly for small sample volumes. The volumetric capacity of this type of chromatography is determined by the concentration of the proteins for a given volume of the feed placed on the column. 

For the classical form of size exclusion chromatography in organic solvents, packings based on highly cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene are used. For SEC of polar polymers using polar or aqueous solvents, packings based on a polar methacrylate polymer are used. Diol-derivatized silica is used for the separation of proteins and other polar polymers. The different packings will be discussed in sections dedicated to their different application areas. 

Separation methods based on size include size exclusion chromatography, ultra-filtration, and ultracentrifugation (see Chapter Appendix). The ionic properties of peptides and proteins are determined principally by their complement of amino acid side chains. Furthermore, the ionization of these groups is pH-dependent. 

A. V. Lemmo and J. W. Jorgenson, Two-dimensional protein separation by mictocolumn size-exclusion chromatography-capillary zone electrophoresis , 7. Chromatogr. 633 213-220(1993). 

Detection in 2DLC is the same as encountered in one-dimensional HPLC. A variety of detectors are presented in Table 5.2. The choice of detector is dependent on the molecule being detected, the problem being solved, and the separation mode used for the second dimension. If MS detection is utilized, then volatile buffers are typically used in the second-dimension separation. Ultraviolet detection is used for peptides, proteins, and any molecules that contain an appropriate chromophore. Evaporative light scattering detection has become popular for the analysis of polymers and surfactants that do not contain UV chromophores. Refractive index (RI) detection is generally used with size exclusion chromatography for the analysis of polymers. 

It was in this context that the first true comprehensive online LC x LC separation was reported (Bushey and Jorgenson, 1990). Mixtures of intact proteins were analyzed using cation-exchange chromatography (CEX) as the first dimension and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) as the second. This research demonstrated that the practical difficulties of coupling two dissimilar LC modes for a comprehensive 2D separation are relatively easy to overcome when instrumentation is properly configured. 

Hutchens, T. W., Gibbons, W. E., Besch, P. K. (1984). High-performance chromatofocusing and size-exclusion chromatography - separation of human uterine estrogen-binding proteins. J. Chromatogr. 297, 283-299. 

These systems rely on various combinations of size-exclusion chromatography, reversed-phase chromatography, and zone electrophoresis to characterize amines, peptides, and proteins (Yamamoto etal., 1989 Bushey and Jorgenson 1990 Larmann et al., 1993, Moore and Jorgenson, 1995 Optick and Jorgenson, 1997). Haleem Issaq reviews these separations in Chapter 16 of this book. 

Size-exclusion chromatography, also termed gel-permeation or gel-filtration chromatography, separates proteins on the basis of their size and shape. As most proteins fractionated by this technique are considered to have approximately similar molecular shape, separation is often described as being on the basis of molecular mass, although such a description is somewhat simplistic. 

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