Design of expanded bed supports for the recovery of plasmid DNA by anion exchange adsorption

In this study we detail the rational design of new chromatographic adsorbents tailored for the capture of plasmid DNA. Features present on current chromatographic supports that can significantly enhance plasmid binding capacity have been identified in packed bed chromatography experiments and blueprints for improved expanded bed adsorbents have been put forward. The characterisation and testing of small (20-40 microm) high density (>3.7 g cm(-3)) pellicular expanded bed materials functionalised with various anion exchange structures is presented. In studies with calf thymus DNA, dynamic binding capacities of 1.2 and 3.4 mg ml(-1) were recorded for prototype diethylaminoethyl-and polyethylene imine-linked adsorbents which were respectively 25 and 70 fold higher than those of equivalently derivatised commercial expanded bed materials. The prototype polyethylene imine-coupled material exhibited severe sensitivity to inter-particle bridging by nucleic acid polymers, gave low DNA recoveries (<37%) and proved difficult to regenerate. In contrast, few operational difficulties were experienced with the diethylaminoethyl-linked prototype adsorbent and successful high capacity (>0.8 mg ml(-1)) capture of plasmid DNA from crude neutralised E. coli lysate was demonstrated.

High gradient magnetic separation versus expanded bed adsorption: a first principle comparison

A robust new adsorptive separation technique specifically designed for direct product capture from crude bioprocess feedstreams is introduced and compared with the current bench mark technique, expanded bed adsorption. The method employs product adsorption onto sub-micron sized non-porous superparamagnetic supports followed by rapid separation of the 'loaded' adsorbents from the feedstock using high gradient magnetic separation technology. For the recovery of Savinase from a cell-free Bacillus clausii fermentation liquor using bacitracin-linked adsorbents, the integrated magnetic separation system exhibited substantially enhanced productivity over expanded bed adsorption when operated at processing velocities greater than 48 m h(-1). Use of the bacitracin-linked magnetic supports for a single cycle of batch adsorption and subsequent capture by high gradient magnetic separation at a processing rate of 12 m h(-1) resulted in a 2.2-fold higher productivity relative to expanded bed adsorption, while an increase in adsorbent collection rate to 72 m h(-1) raised the productivity to 10.7 times that of expanded bed adsorption. When the number of batch adsorption cycles was then increased to three, significant drops in both magnetic adsorbent consumption (3.6 fold) and filter volume required (1.3 fold) could be achieved at the expense of a reduction in productivity from 10.7 to 4.4 times that of expanded bed adsorption.

Selective flocculation and precipitation for the improvement of virus-like particle recovery from yeast homogenate

The purification of an intracellular product from a complex mixture of contaminants after cell disruption is a common problem in processes downstream of fermentation systems. This is particularly challenging for the recovery of particulate (80 nm in diameter) multimeric protein products, named virus-like particles (VLPs), from cell debris and other intracellular components. Selective flocculation for debris removal followed by selective precipitation of the target protein can be used as a preclarification step to aid purification. In this paper, selective borax flocculation of cell debris in yeast homogenate, followed by selective poly(ethylene glycol) precipitation of VLPs are defined with a view to demonstrating their potential in aiding the initial clarification stages of the purification sequence. The translation from laboratory scale to pilot scale operation is addressed, demonstrating the challenge of scale-up of solid-liquid separation stages for biological particle processing.

Characterisation of non-porous magnetic chelator supports and their use to recover polyhistidine-tailed T4 lysozyme from a crude E. coli extract

The use of high capacity micron-sized non-porous magnetic metal chelator adsorbents for the direct recovery of a recombinant metal-binding protein from crude liquors is described. Selectivity and interaction strength of magnetic chelator particles were assessed using a set of native proteins with known behaviour towards commercially available immobilised metal chelate adsorbents. Particles charged with Cu2+ were highly effective in recovering a recombinant histidine-tailed T4 lysozyme fusion protein directly from crude E. coli extracts in a single step. Levels of recovery and purity were high and compared favourably with those achieved by chromatography of pre-clarified extracts on Cu(2+)-IDA Sepharose. The magnetic approach offers advantages such as the avoidance of clarification to prevent fouling of chromatography columns, steps that become especially significant at large scale. By detailed characterisation of the magnetic chelators the practical use of tailed T4 lysozyme for repeated production of periplasmic products is a realistic prospect.

Polyvinyl alcohol-coated perfluorocarbon supports for metal chelating affinity separation of a monoclonal antibody

The preparation, characterisation and testing of stable non-porous coated perfluorocarbon supports functionalised with the metal chelate, iminodiacetic acid (IDA) is described. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a neutral hydrophilic polymer was esterified with perfluorooctanoyl chloride and anchored to the surface of solid perfluorocarbon particles through multiple fluorophilic interactions. The PVA-coated particles were then activated by epoxidation and coupled with IDA. The presence of surface-attached chelates was clearly demonstrated by the binding and selective desorption of Zn2+ ions. Three particulate perfluorocarbons were selected as potential starting materials and the conditions for preparation of metal chelating adsorbents optimised with respect to ease of manufacture, ligand density and binding capacity towards a monoclonal antibody known to bind to commercial Zn(2+)-IDA supports. The choice of base particle strongly influenced the ligand densities and specific binding capacities towards the monoclonal antibody that could be achieved under optimal preparative conditions. Possible ways in which these metal chelating adsorbents may be employed to recover the monoclonal antibody directly from culture vessels are discussed.

Expression and purification of a recombinant metal-binding T4 lysozyme fusion protein

Periplasmic expression of recombinant proteins presents many potential benefits that may aid recovery of the protein product. Muramidases are the preferred agents in effecting selective release of recombinant proteins from the periplasm of E. coli and other Gram negative bacteria. Unfortunately cost restricts the use of pure lytic enzymes at large-scale and their removal as process contaminants adds to later purification demands. We constructed a reusable version of bacteriophage T4 lysozyme, by fusing a His-Gln-(His)3 peptide sequence to the C-terminus of a cysteine-free pseudo wild type bacteriophage T4 lysozyme. The peptide tail allowed rapid and high-level recovery on IDA Sepharose columns charged with Zn2+, Ni2+ and Cu2+ ions. The binding to metal-charged supports was specifically mediated by the histidine-rich tail as no binding was observed for the original cysteine-free pseudo wild type lysozyme. The strength of retention of polyhistidine recombinant T4 lysozyme on charged supports followed the expected Cu > Ni > Zn pattern, but there were few differences in the levels of purity and recovery of the modified enzyme, from columns charged with the different metal ions.

Immobilization of the surfactant-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas C12B in polyacrylamide gel beads: I. Effect of immobilization on the primary and ultimate biodegradation of SDS, and redistribution of bacteria within beads during use

The surfactant-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas C12B was immobilized in polyacrylamide gel beads. Conditions were established for minimizing the apparent loss of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-degrading activity accompanying polymerization, while still retaining durable gel beads. Apparent losses in SDS-degrading activity compared with free untreated bacteria were attributed largely to substrate diffusion limitations imposed by the gel matrix. Changes in the rate and extent of conversion of radiolabel from [1-14C]SDS to 14CO2 were attributed to diffusional restrictions on O2 availability within the gel beads. Scanning electron microscopy was used to show that beads (3 mm3) repeatedly exposed to SDS for 35 days contained a high cell density in a sub-surface layer 0.4-0.7 mm deep, with relatively few bacteria either at greater depth or at the bead surface.

Metabolic pathway for the biodegradation of sodium dodecyl sulfate by Pseudomonas sp. C12B

Metabolism of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) by the detergent-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas C12B has been studied using a 14C radiotracer in combination with radio-respirometry, radio-TLC, and GLC. Metabolism was extensive with 70% of the radiolabel released as 14CO2 at completion. The remainder of the radiolabel was incorporated almost totally into cells. Ether extraction of cells indicated that 14C-labeled cellular material appearing early in the uptake process was predominantly ether-extractable (mainly 1-dodecanol) and was subsequently converted to more polar metabolites. Analysis of the extractable lipids established the sequential production from [1-14C]SDS of 1-dodecanol, dodecanal, and dodecanoic acid. At this point the pathway diverged leading either to formation of 14CO2 via beta-oxidation or to elongation to C14, C16, and C18 fatty acyl residues with rapid incorporation into lipid fractions such as phospholipids. The pathway was correlated with known long-chain alkylsulfatases and alcohol dehydrogenases in this isolate and indicated that hydrophobic metabolites of the alkyl chain of surfactants can be incorporated into cellular components such as membrane lipids without prior degradation by beta-oxidation.