Purification and Immunochemical Characterization of Human Plasma Factor XIII

Abstract

A detailed study of the conditions for purification of plasma factor XIII was undertaken and an optimal procedure developed. This procedure involves adsorption with aluminum hydroxide, repeated fractionation with ammonium sulfate, heat denatura-tion of fibrinogen, precipitation with polyethylene glycol, cryoprecipitation, and chroma-tography on DEAE-cellulose with gradient elution. The specific activity of the final product, as measured by the fluorescent amine incorporation assay for factor XIII, averages about 3,000–4,000 μmol dansylcadaverine incorporation/mg protein. The yield is about 20%. In SDS electrophoresis the final product has two bands under nonreducing conditions, characteristic of the a and b subunits.