title: Using an FPLC to promote active learning of the principles of protein structure and purification.
abstract: The concepts of protein purification are often taught in undergraduate biology and biochemistry lectures and reinforced during laboratory exercises; however, very few reported activities allow students to directly gain experience using modern protein purification instruments, such as Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC). This laboratory exercise uses size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ion exchange (IEX) chromatography to separate a mixture of four different proteins. Students use an SEC chromatogram and corresponding SDS-PAGE gel to understand how protein conformations change under different conditions (i.e. native and non-native). Students explore strategies to separate co-eluting proteins by IEX chromatography. Using either cation or anion exchange, one protein is bound to the column while the other is collected in the flow-through. In this exercise, undergraduate students gain hands-on experience with experimental design, buffer and sample preparation, and implementation of instrumentation that is commonly used by experienced researchers while learning and applying the fundamental concepts of protein structure, protein purification, and SDS-PAGE. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):60-68, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Armstrong State University, Savannah, Georgia, 31419.
authors.forename: Rebekah L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, Armstrong State University, Savannah, Georgia, 31419.
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, Armstrong State University, Savannah, Georgia, 31419.
authors.forename: Wais
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mojadedi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, Armstrong State University, Savannah, Georgia, 31419.
authors.forename: Katie N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Threatt
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, Armstrong State University, Savannah, Georgia, 31419.
authors.forename: Nicole Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, Armstrong State University, Savannah, Georgia, 31419.
authors.forename: Mitch H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Weiland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001671:Biochemistry / Q000193:education*; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D002850:Chromatography, Gel / Q000379:methods; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D009211:Myoglobin; D011506:Proteins; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D009113:Muramidase
keywords: fast performance liquid chromatography (FPLC); ion exchange chromatography (IEX); laboratory exercises; size exclusion chromatography (SEC)