Abstract
The dual concepts of protein purity and yield are so basic in protein chemistry that it is easy to forget that both of them are almost impossible to define in absolute terms. A protein is totally pure only when it 1s known to contain only a single species uncontaminated with salts or adventitious water. Samples of such a “pure” protein will yield a single band after electrophoresis on a one- or two-dimensional SDSPAGE gel, will elute from a gel filtration, HPLC, or ion exchange column as a single symmetrical absorbance peak, will yield a single set of mass spectrometric, NMR, or W absorbance spectral signals, and where appropriate, will be free of contaminating enzyme activities. However, many tests are used to assess the purity of a product. Ultimately, they all share one property: Rather than prove that the preparation is absolutely pure, each additional test simply provides another example of the failure to detect any contaminating species that might be present. Since absolute purity can never be established, a simple criterion of purity is used routinely, namely, the inability to detect more than a single band of protein after SDS-PAGE. Since onedimensional SDSPAGE is technically far easier than two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, this technique will be described in detail.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Mohan S. B. and Kekwrck R. G. O. (1981) Acetyl-Coenzyme A carboxylase from Avocado (Persza aticana) plashds and spinach (Sptnana ohacea) chloroplasts. Biochem. J. 187, 667–676.
Jackson R. H., Cornish-Bowden A., and Cole J, A. (1981) Prosthetic groups of the NADH-dependent nitrite reductase from Eschenchza coli 12. Biochem. J. 193, 861–867.
Kenney A. C. and Cole J. A. (1983) Idenuficauon of a 1,3-glucosyltransferase involved in insoluble glucan synthesis by a serotype c strain of Steptococcus mutans. FEMS Microbiol. Letts. 16, 159–162.
Kajie S.-I. and Anruku Y. (1986) Purification of a hexaheme cytochrome c552 from Eschenchze coli K12 and 1ts properties as a nitrite reductase. Eur.J. Biochem. 154, 457–463.
van Berkel W. J. K, van Den Berg W. A. M., and Muller F. (1988) Large scale preparation and reconshtution of apoflavoprotems with special reference to butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase from Megasphaera elsedenzz. Eur. J. Biochem. 178, 197–207.
Hagen D. C. and Magasamk B. (1973) Isolauon of the self-regulated repressor protem of the hut operons of Salmwnellu typhzmunum. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 70, 808–812.
Wilcox G., Clemetson K.J., Santi D. V., and Englesberg E (1971) Punfication of the arac protein. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 68, 2145–2148.
Cannon J. G., Black W.J., Nachamkm I., and Stewert P. W. (1984) Monoclonal antibody that recogmses an outer membrane antigen common to the pathogenic Neisseria species but not to most nonpathogemc Neissena species. Infect. Immun. 43,994–999.
Sawers R. G. and Boxer D. H. (1986) Punficauon and properties of membrane-bound hydrogenase rsoenzyme 1 from anaerobrcally grown Eschenchia cob K12. Eur.J. Biochem. 156, 265–275.
de Cunha A. (1988) Purification, characterisation and induction of Lphenylalanine ammonia-lyase in Phaseolus vulgaris. Eur. J Biochem. 178, 243–248.
Layne E. (1957) Spectrophotometric and turbidimetric methods for measuring proteins. In Methods in Enzymology, vol. III, (Colowck S. P. and Kaplan N. O., eds.) Academic, New York, pp. 447–451.
Warburg O. and Chnshan W. (1941/42) Biochem. Z. 310, 384–421.
Lowry O. H., Rosenbrough N. Y., Farr A. L., and Randall R. Y. (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent J. Biol Chem. 193, 265–275.
Folin O. and Ciocalteau V. (1927) On tyrosine and tryptophan determination in proteins. J. Biol. Chem. 73, 627–649.
Bradford M. M. (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of proteins utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal. Biochem. 72, 248–254.
Davies B. J. (1964) Disc electrophoresis-II. Method and application to human serum proteins. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 121,404–427.
Ornstem L. (1964) Disc electrophoresis-I Background and theory. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 121, 321–349.
Shapiro A. L., Vinula E. and Maizel J. V. (1967) Molecular weight estimation of polypeptide chains by electrophoresls in SDS polyacrylamide gels. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 28, 815–820.
Weber K. and Osborn M. (1969) The reliability of molecular weight determinations by dodecyl sulfate polyaclylamide gel electrophoresis. J. Biol. Chem. 244, 4406–4412.
Raymond S. (1962) Acrylamide gel electrophoreas. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 121, 350–365.
Laemmh U. K. (1970) Cleavage of structral proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227, 680–685.
Wray W. Bomkes T., Wray V. P., and Hancock R. (1981) Silver staining of proteins in polyacrylamide gels. Analyt. Biochem. 118, 197–203
Geiger P. J. and Bessman S. P. (1972) Protein determination by Lowry’s method in the presence of sulphydryl reagents. Annyl. Biochem. 49,467–473.
Hitchcock P. J., Hayes S. F., Mayer K. W. Shafer W. M., and Tesaer S. L. (1985) Analysis of gonococcal H.8 antigen: Surface location, inter-and intrastrain electrophoretic heterogeneity, and unusal two-dimentional electrophoretic characteristics. J Expt. Med. 162, 2017–2034.
Bhattachajee A. K. Moran E. E., Ray J. S., and Zollinger W. D. (1988) Purification and characterization of H.8 antigen from Group B Nassena menangztzder. Infect. Immun. 56, 773–778.
Matoo R. L., Ishaq M., and Saleemuddin M. (1987) Protein assay by Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250-binding method is unsuitable for plant tissues rich in phenols and phenolases. Anal. Biochem. 163, 376–384.
Loffler B.-M. and Kunze H. (1989) Refinement of the Coomassie Brilliant Blue G assay for quantitative protein determination. Anal. Biochem. 177,100–102.
Stoscheck C. M. (1990) Increased urnformity in the response of the Coomassie Blue G protein assay to different proteins. Anal. Biochem. 184, 111–116.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Mohan, S.B. (1992). Determination of Purity and Yield. In: Kenney, A., Fowell, S. (eds) Practical Protein Chromatography. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 11. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-213-2:307
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-213-2:307
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-213-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-498-6
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols