14 - Protein Purification Flashcards
What is protein purification?
Better fraction of protein (enrichment)
Why would someone purify proteins?
- Study them (activity, structure)
2. Use them (drugs, etc.)
How come human antibodies are hard to make in E. coli?
They need post translational modifications (glycosylation)
What is a major issue with protein purification?
The source, and how much you start with
How is molecular biology useful for protein purification?
Can overexpress a protein to make it more abundant
Using overexpression, how much of a protein product can be produced (relative to everything else)?
40-60%
What are issues with protein purification (getting to the lysate)?
Expression, lysis, solubilization, stabilization, etc.
What are some examples of expression systems?
E. coli, yeast, insects, and mammalian cells
What type of cells often use overexpression?
E. coli (not mammalian cells)
What are some strategies for protein purification?
Solubility, charge, polarity, size, and ligand-binding affinity
True or false: you can enrich a protein using either physical or chemical properties
True: these can both be utilized
What is solubility a function of?
Salt, pH, and temperature
For solubility, what is usually altered?
Salt content
What is the basis of solubility?
Multiple acid/base groups, which need favorable ionic bonds
What is an important parameter for solubility?
Ionic strength
What is the general shape of solubility in salt?
Initial rise, then a fall in solubility
True or false: all salts change solubility the same
False: each salt changes solubility differently
What is salting in?
Salt is added to increase solubility
How does salting in increase solubility?
More counterions shield residues, reducing protein/protein interactions
What is salting out?
Salt is added to decrease solubility
How does salting out decrease solubility?
Competition between salt ions and water molecules, leading to protein aggregation
How do (NH4)2SO4 cuts work?
Gradually increase ammonium sulfate concentration, and different proteins have different solubilities (can pick particular protein)
What is the advantage of ammonium sulfate cuts?
Cheap and easy to do (large quantities of proteins)
What is the disadvantage of ammonium sulfate cuts?
Not very high purity