Complexes Formation Between Proteins and Polyelectrolytes and Their Application in the Downstream Processes of Enzyme Purification

GUILLERMO PICÓ; NADIA WOITOVICH VALETTI

Polyelectrolytes. Thermodynamics and Rheology

Springer

Año: 2014; p. 245 - 273

Natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes have acquired notable importance in recent years due to their increasing application in different areas. One of these is downstream process methods which include the recovery, separation, concentration and purification of target enzymes from their natural sources. Polyelectrolytes interact with proteins to form soluble or non-soluble complexes. The interaction is driven by experimental variables of media such as pH, protein isoelectrical value, polyelectrolyte pKa, ionic strength and the presence of salts. The concentration of polyelectrolytes necessary to precipitate a protein completely is of the order of 10-4 ? 10-2 % p/v. Precipitation of protein by PE is a novel technique integrating clarification, concentration and initial purification in a single step. This chapter presents some properties of aqueous solutions of natural and synthetic PE as a tool to use them in the protein downstream process.