Protein Analysis Flashcards
It is a separation technique that exploits various properties of biomolecules.
Chromatography
Chromatographic separation may be based on the molecules’:
Size Shape Hydrophobicity / hydrophilicity Charge Affinity to a ligand
A form of adsorption chromatography in which charged molecules are exchanged for small ions of like charges.
Ion-Exchange Chromatography
These are chemical structures where ions are attached.
Attached to a variety of solid supports such as cellulose, agarose, and vinylbenzene
Ion exchangers
Ion exchangers Examples:
Anion exchangers
Cation exchangers
It exchange negatively charges ions.
Anion exchangers
It exchange positively charged ions or cations.
Cation exchangers
Ion-Exchange Chromatography
The amino acids are the following:
Glutamic acid
Glycine
Lysine
pI Value:
Glutamic acid
Glycine
Lysine
-
It is the content of the column used in ion-exchange chromatography where the sample was applied.
3.4 pH citrate buffer
The first 12 tubes were then labeled and filled with __ coming column.
3ml of the eluent
Which of the amino acids will you expect to come out of the column? Explain your answer
Glutamic acid will be the first amino acid to come out of the column. At this stage of the experiment, we are using the 3.4 pH citrate as our buffer. At this pH, the glutamic acid becomes deprotonated at its α–COOH group, loosing its net positive charge. As a consequence, the amino acid will not be adsorbed by the cation exchanger and will instead be washed by the eluate.(Recall that the isoelectric pH of glutamic acid is 3.22)
Another set of 12 tubes were prepared, some contents of first set (A) was transferred to this second (B) set.
The contents of the B set of tubes are to be tested.
Which of the following test is suitable for detecting amino acids? Explain the principle of the test.
A. Biuret test
B. Bromcresol purple dye binding test
C. Ninhydrin test
Ninhydrin test is the best suitable method for detecting amino acids. The first two techniques are only used to detect peptide bonds (or specific proteins).
This test is a general test and thus given by all amino acids.
This test is due to a reaction between a amino group of free amino acid and ninhydrin.
Ninhydrin test
It is a powerful oxidizing agent and its presence, amino acid undergo oxidative deamination liberating ammonia, CO2, a corresponding aldehyde and reduced form of ninhydrin (hydrindantin).
Ninhydrin
It is a blue substance formed when the NH3 formed from a amino group reacts with another molecule of ninhydrin and is reduced product (hydrindatin).
Diketohydrin (Ruhemanns complex
Ninhydrin Reaction
SEE anki
It is a test that allows chemists to chemically detect amino acids.
Ninhydrin Test
What are the possible clinical / forensic applications of this technique?
- Used by forensic personnel to visualize fingerprints on surfaces. This is possible due to the minute amounts of amino acids that collect in an individual’s unique fingerprint ridges.
- Detection and quantification of amino acids in clinical specimens such as cerebrospinal fluid, serum, urine after separation.
The tubes with the heaviest reactions were noted and their corresponding set A tubes are saved.
Now with the first 12 tubes are done, it is now time to shift to the 2nd buffer.
For better resolution of the procedure, which of the following buffers should be used? Explain your answer.
A. Citrate buffer at pH 6.2
B. Sodium carbonate buffer at pH 11
Citrate buffer at pH 6.2 is the 2nd buffer to be used in this experiment. In doing ion-exchange chromatography, it is important that we gradually adjust pH for better separation of amino acids.
What will happen if you abruptly change the pH used for the second buffer?
Abrupt change in pH (in this case, immediately switching to the most basic buffer) will result in all the remaining amino acids to deprotonate and loose their positive charges, causing them to elute, resulting in a poor resolution of the technique.
The buffer was now switched to citrate at 6.2 pH and was subsequently allowed to run down the column.
Ok
After buffer application which of the following amino acid will elute (washed off) from the column?
A. Glycine
B. Lysine
A. Glycine
Why glycine will be eluted from the column after using 6.2 pH citrate buffer?
Glycine will elute from the chromatography column after changing the pH to 6.2. Glycine has an isoelectric pH of 5.97, changing the pH from 3.4 to 6.2 will render the amino acid electrically neutral and therefore elute from the cation exhanger.
The second 12 tubes (13 – 24) were then labeled and filled with 3ml of the eluent from the column (set A).
Another set of 12 tubes was prepared (set B).
A sample of the contents of tubes 13 to 24 where transferred to the corresponding set B tubes.
The set B tubes were tested for the presence of amino acids with ninhydrin.
Ok
The tubes with the heaviest reactions were noted and their corresponding set A tubes are saved.
Now with the second 12 tubes are done, it is now time to shift to the 3rd buffer.
The buffer was now switched to sodium carbonate at pH and was subsequently allowed to run down the column.
Ok
The last remaining amino acid in the column is lysine
Ok
Why does lysine require a more basic buffer for it to elute?
Lysine has an isolectric pH of 9.79. At lower pH, the amino acid will have a net positive charge and will remain adsorbed on the resin particles containing the cation exchanger. Also, changing the pH to 11 had the effect of deprotonating all the amino and carboxylic groups in the lysine molecule, giving it a more negative charge which will be repelled by the cation exchanger.
The last 11 tubes (25 – 35) were then labeled and filled with 3ml of the eluent from the column (set A).
Another set of 11 tubes was prepared (set B).
A sample of the contents of tubes 25 to 35 where transferred to the corresponding set B tubes.
The set B tubes were tested for the presence of amino acids with ninhydrin.
Ok
The tubes with the heaviest reactions were noted and their corresponding set A tubes are saved. Three tubes (one each amino acids) will be saved and used subsequently for the next experiment.
Ok