Density contrast sedimentation velocity for the determination of protein partial-specific volumes.
The partial-specific volume of proteins is an important thermodynamic parameter required for the interpretation of data in several biophysical disciplines. Building on recent advances in the use of density variation sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation for the determination of macromolecular partial-specific volumes, we have explored a direct global modeling approach describing the sedimentation boundaries in different solvents with a joint differential sedimentation coefficient distribution. This takes full advantage of the influence of different macromolecular buoyancy on both the spread and the velocity of the sedimentation boundary. It should lend itself well to the study of interacting macromolecules and/or heterogeneous samples in microgram quantities. Model applications to three protein samples studied in either H(2)O, or isotopically enriched H(2) (18)O mixtures, indicate that partial-specific volumes can be determined with a statistical precision of better than 0.5%, provided signal/noise ratios of 50-100 can be achieved in the measurement of the macromolecular sedimentation velocity profiles. The approach is implemented in the global modeling software SEDPHAT.
Biomedical Engineering and Physical Sciences Shared Resource, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
Patrick H
PH
Brown
Andrea
A
Balbo
Huaying
H
Zhao
Christine
C
Ebel
Peter
P
Schuck
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D041961:Deuterium Exchange Measurement; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011817:Rabbits; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014461:Ultracentrifugation
D011506:Proteins; D012997:Solvents