title: Assessing sedimentation equilibrium profiles in analytical ultracentrifugation experiments on macromolecules: from simple average molecular weight analysis to molecular weight distribution and interaction analysis.
abstract: Molecular weights (molar masses), molecular weight distributions, dissociation constants and other interaction parameters are fundamental characteristics of proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides and glycoconjugates in solution. Sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation provides a powerful method with no supplementary immobilization, columns or membranes required. It is a particularly powerful tool when used in conjunction with its sister technique, namely sedimentation velocity. Here, we describe key approaches now available and their application to the characterization of antibodies, polysaccharides and glycoconjugates. We indicate how major complications, such as thermodynamic non-ideality, can now be routinely dealt with, thanks to a great extent to the extensive contribution of Professor Don Winzor over several decades of research.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK. steve.harding@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK.|School of Health Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2HA, UK.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK.|School of Health Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2HA, UK.
authors.forename: Gary G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Adams
keywords: COVOL; Extended Fujita; Non-ideality; SEDFIT-MSTAR