Sedimentation-equilibrium studies on the heterogeneity of two beta-lactamases.
Solutions of crystalline beta-lactamase I and beta-lactamase II, prepared by Kuwabara (1970), were examined in the ultracentrifuge and their sedimentation coefficients, diffusion coefficients, molecular weights and heterogeneity determined. Each sample was shown to consist of a major component comprising at least 97% of the material and a minor component of much higher molecular weight. The molecular weights of the major components were 27800 for beta-lactamase I and 35600 for beta-lactamase II. Emphasis is placed on a straightforward practical way of analysing the sedimentation-equilibrium results on mixtures of two macromolecular components rather than on a strict theoretical solution. Appendices describe the theory of systems at both chemical and sedimentation equilibrium and the procedure for calculating the combined distribution of two components.
D004058:Diffusion; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010405:Penicillinase / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014461:Ultracentrifugation
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010405:Penicillinase