The separation of proteins with heteropolyacids

Abstract

The precipitation of proteins with heteropolyacids has been studied for the purpose of large scale primary purification. A precipitate will form if the pH of the reaction between purified ovalbumin, hemoglobin, trypsin, pepsin, bovine serum albumin, ovomucoid, gelatin or ribonuclease and tungstrophosphoric, tungstosilicic or molybdosilicic acid is close to the isoelectric point of the protein and does not cause the dissociation of the heteropolyacid. Below the isoelctric point, the percent precipitation depends on the conformational changes of the protein. The precipitation of ovalbumin with tungstophosphoric decreases as the ionic strength of the buffer increases and is independent, of the protein concentration. Mixtures of ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin, though having close isoelectric points, can be separated by varying the concentration of the precipitant. The electropositive groups which combine with the tungstophosphoric acid are guanidino, ε‐amino and imidazole. No precipitation is given by the α‐amino groups. Filtrates of microbial fermentations containing lactase, glucose aerode‐hydrogenase, alkaline protease, amyloglucosidase, and transglucosylase have been purified by precipitation with heteropolyacids.