Journal of Protein Chemistry

, Volume 15, Issue 8, pp 751–753 | Cite as

State of aggregation of recombinant hirudin in solution under physiological conditions

  • Theodore W. Thannhauser
  • Harold A. Scheraga
Article

Abstract

The state of aggregation of recombinant desulfatohirudin (r-HV1) in solution under physiological conditions (pH 7.5, 0.15N NaCl) was investigated by sedimentation equilibrium. The weight-average molecular weight ¯M w determined by sedimentation equilibrium was found to be 6914±76 Da compared to 6964 Da expected from the amino acid sequence. The ¯M z /¯M w ratio was found to be 1.03, which demonstrates that under the conditions studied hirudin exists in solution as a monomer. This result is in agreement with the relative molecular weight (M r ) of recombinant hirudin variant 3 reported by Otto and Seckler [(1991),Eur. J. Biochem.202, 67–73], who also used equilibrium ultracentrifugation, but not with the molecular weight estimated from gel permeation chromatography of natural hirudin (51,300 Da) [Konnoet al. (1988),Arch. Biochem. Biophys.267, 158–166]. Knowledge of the state of aggregation is essential for understanding the mechanism of interaction of thrombin and hirudin under physiological conditions.

Key words

Hirudin recombinant hirudin sedimentation equilibrium aggregation 

Abbreviations

¯Mw

weight-average molecular weight

¯Mz

Z-average molecular weight

Mr

relative molecular weight

NTSB

2-nitro-5-thiosulfobenzoic acid

Tris

Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane

r-HV1

recombinant desulfatohirudin

M

molar extinction coefficient

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Copyright information

© Plenum Publishing Corporation 1996

Authors and Affiliations

  • Theodore W. Thannhauser
    • 1
  • Harold A. Scheraga
    • 2
  1. 1.Cornell Center of Advanced Technology in BiotechnologyCornell UniversityIthaca
  2. 2.Baker Laboratory of ChemistryCornell UniversityIthaca

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