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Preparation of a novel weak cation exchange/hydrophobic interaction chromatography dual-function polymer-based stationary phase for protein separation using “thiol–ene click chemistry”

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Abstract

A novel dual-function mixed-mode stationary phase based on poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) microspheres was synthesized by thiol–ene click chemistry and characterized by infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The new system displays both hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) character in a high salt concentration mobile phase, and weak cation exchange (WCX) chromatography character in a low salt concentration mobile phase. It can be used to separate proteins in both ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) mode and HIC mode. The resolution and selectivity of the stationary phase were evaluated in both HIC mode and IEC mode using protein standards. In comparison with the conventional WCX and HIC columns, the results were satisfactory and acceptable. Protein mass and bioactivity recoveries of more than 96 % can be achieved in both HIC mode and IEC mode using this column. The results indicate that the novel dual-function mixed-mode column in many cases can replace the use of two individual WCX and HIC columns. In addition, the effects on protein separation of different ligand structures in the dual-function stationary phase and the pH of the mobile phase used were also investigated in detail. The results show that electrostatic interaction of the ligand with proteins must match the hydrophobicity of the ligand, which is an important factor to prepare the dual-function stationary phase. On the basis of this dual-function mixed-mode chromatography column, a new two-dimensional liquid chromatography technology with a single column system was also developed in this study, and was used to renature and purify recombinant human interferon-γ from inclusion bodies. The mass recovery, purity, and specific bioactivity obtained for the purified recombinant human interferon-γ were 87.2 %, 92.4 %, and 2.8 × 107 IU/mg, respectively, in IEC mode, and 83.4 %, 95.2 %, and 4.3 × 107 IU/mg, respectively, in HIC mode. The results indicate that the dual-function mixed-mode stationary phase prepared in this study may aid in the development of new two-dimensional liquid chromatography technology with a single column for intensive proteomic studies, and it may also find applications in recombinant protein drug production since it can save column costs and simplify the biotechnological processes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National 863 Program (no. 2006AA02Z227), the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province (2011JZ002), the Foundation of Key Laboratory in Shaanxi Province (2010JS103, 11JS097, 14JS098), and Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Coordinating Innovation Projects (2013SZS18-K01).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Modern Separation Science, Key Laboratory of Modern Separation Science in Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, China

    Fan Yang, Quan Bai, Kailou Zhao, Dong Gao & Lei Tian

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  1. Fan Yang
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  2. Quan Bai
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  3. Kailou Zhao
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Correspondence to Quan Bai.

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Yang, F., Bai, Q., Zhao, K. et al. Preparation of a novel weak cation exchange/hydrophobic interaction chromatography dual-function polymer-based stationary phase for protein separation using “thiol–ene click chemistry”. Anal Bioanal Chem 407, 1721–1734 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-014-8400-9

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