Strong and specific effects of cations on lysozyme chloride solubility.
The influence of salt nature and concentration on tetragonal lysozyme chloride crystal solubility is presented for a set of mono-, di- and trivalent cations (Cs(+), Rb(+), Mn(2+), Co(2+) and Yb(3+)). The results show that cations have as strong an effect on protein solubility as anions and that they present their own particular effects as co-ions. Indeed, after decreasing at low ionic strength, lysozyme solubility increases with high concentration of polyvalent cations, probably due to co-ion binding and therefore the concomitant increase of the net charge of the protein-salt complex. These new results are discussed in order to progress in the understanding of the crystallisation process at the atomic level.
D000818:Animals; D002412:Cations; D002712:Chlorides / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
D002412:Cations; D002712:Chlorides; D009113:Muramidase