General protease assay method coupling solid-phase substrate extraction and capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection was used to develop a universal, highly specific protease assay. In this method, a peptide, biotinylated at the N-terminus, is labeled with fluorescein at a lysine residue near the C-terminus. Impurities are removed from the fluorescence labeling mixture by solid-phase extraction of the substrate on immobilized streptavidin, followed by extensive washing. The purified fluorescent substrate is dissociated from the streptavidin and incubated with the protease. The peptide sequence between the biotin and fluorescent label contains the cleavage sequence of the protease of interest. After cleavage, the fluorescent product does not contain a biotin group. A second solid-phase extraction is used to remove unreacted substrate to dramatically lower the background signal. The product is detected by capillary electrophoresis, which provides powerful discrimination against products generated by nonspecific proteases. With chymotrypsin as a test protease, product was detected with as little as 10 pg/mL (4.6 x 10(-13) M) chymotrypsin, or 5 amol of enzyme in the 10-microL sample volume.     

Electrophoresis of DNA sequencing fragments at elevated temperature in capillaries filled with poly(N-acryloylaminopropanol) gels

The performance of poly(N-acryloylaminopropanol) (poly AAP) gel columns, proved to be stable during electrophoresis at elevated temperature, was investigated. The column manufacturing procedure included the preparation of a coating of the inner wall of the fused silica capillary column with linear poly(AAP). Then, a mixture of the AAP monomer, the cross-linker dihydroxyethylenebisacrylamide (DHEBA) and linear poly(AAP) was introduced into the column and in situ polymerized (for preparation of linear gel columns, the addition of DHEBA was omitted). The poly(AAP) columns were first evaluated by electrophoresis of oligonucleotides at room temperature and at 50 degrees C, utilizing 260 nm UV-absorbance detection. In a further evaluation of column performance, samples of T-terminated DNA Sanger fragments from the bacteria Moraxella were separated at 200 V/cm electrical field strength, utilizing a 488 nm argon ion laser and a confocal optical setup for laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. A temperature increase from 25 degrees C to 50 degrees C effectively released a compression of DNA bands. However, for cross-linked poly(AAP) gel columns, the elevated temperature resulted in a considerable reduction of the DNA sequence reading length. When a linear poly(AAP) column was utilized, no detrimental effect of elevated temperature on the separation could be observed.     

Analysis of the antidiabetic drug acarbose by capillary electrophoresis

This study describes the derivatization of the pseudooligosaccharide acarbose and its main metabolite, component 2, with 7-aminonaphthalene-1,3-disulfonic acid (ANDS) in human urine. Their efficient separation was possible by means of capillary zone electrophoresis, using a capillary tube of fused-silica containing 100 mM triethylammonium phosphate buffer, pH 1.5. On column laser-induced fluorescence allowed the detection of the pseudooligosaccharides in human urine in the nanomolar range. With this method, acarbose and component 2 were quantified in human urine after application of 300 mg of acarbose.     

A microscale electrospray interface incorporating a monolithic, poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) support for on-line liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis of peptides and proteins

A methodology is described for creating a monolithic chromatography support within a pulled fused-silica electrospray needle. The monolith was formed from a mixture of styrene, divinylbenzene, 1-dodecanol, and toluene using 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) as the catalyst. The mixture was loaded into 150-micron-i.d. fused-silica capillary tubing with a pulled 5-10-micron needle tip at one end. Polymerization at 65 degrees C followed by removal of the porogen material yielded a stable, porous, monolithic support which had excellent properties for the separation and on-line, electrospray, mass spectrometry analysis of peptides and proteins. The performance of the monolith-filled electrospray needles was compared with similar needles filled with commercial C18 silica and polymeric particulate supports. Separation efficiencies for both protein and peptide mixtures were generally equal to or better than the particulate supports at comparable pressures and flow rates. The ion chromatograms derived from the on-line MS analysis were remarkably free from chemical background signals that often complicate the LC/MS analysis of femtomole amounts of sample. Good sequence coverage was obtained by LC/MS/MS analysis of the peptide mixture obtained from a protein isolated by silver-stained gel electrophoresis. The capability of the monolith to do peak parking experiments was demonstrated by the characterization of an immunoreactive HPLC fraction. The simple fabrication method, chromatographic performance, and robust nature of these microscale integrated column electrospray sources make them ideally suited for high-sensitivity tandem LC/MS analyses.     

Bridge-heterologous chemiluminescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of estriol 3-sulfate in pregnancy plasma

A simple capillary zone electrophoresis method is developed for the quantitation of the beta-blocker atenolol and the complementary antihypertensive agents bendroflumethiazide, amiloride, and hydrochlorothiazide in human urine samples. The electrophoretic separation is performed using a 78-cm x 75-micron-i.d. (70-cm effective length) fused-silica capillary. A borate buffer (pH 9) is used as running electrolyte. The sample is hydrostatically introduced for 20 s, and the running voltage is 25 kV at the injector end of the capillary. The analysis of urine samples requires the optimization of solid-phase extraction methods, achieving recoveries > or = 61% for all the drugs and good separation from the urine matrix. The method is successfully applied to the determination of these compounds in pharmaceutical formulations and in urine samples collected after the intake of Neatenol Diu (100 mg atenolol-5 mg bendroflumethiazide) and Kalten (50 mg atenolol-25 mg hydrochlorothiazide-2.5 mg amiloride). The method is validated in terms of reproducibility, linearity, and accuracy.     

Sound direction modifies the inhibitory as well as the excitatory frequency tuning characteristics of single neurons in the frog torus semicircularis (inferior colliculus)

We describe the site-specific enzymatic biotinylation of recombinant anti-estradiol Fab fragments through a 13 amino acid acceptor peptide translationally fused to the C-terminus of the Fd chain. The Fab-peptide fusion proteins were secreted to the periplasm of Escherichia coli, purified, and biotinylated in vitro using biotin ligase, biotin, and ATP. The E. coli biotin ligase (the BirA protein) was produced as a novel N-terminal fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and purified in one step from bacterial cell lysate using a Glutathione Sepharose affinity column. The purified fusion protein worked as such (without cleavage of the GST part) for the in vitro biotinylation of the Fab fragments. After the removal of nonbiotinylated Fab fragments by monomeric avidin chromatography, the overall yield of biotinylated Fab was 40%. The site-specifically biotinylated Fab fragments (BioFab) were tested in streptavidin-coated microtitration wells, to which they were shown to bind linearly with respect to the amount of BioFab added, specifically as indicated by biotin inhibition, and tightly with a half-life of several days. Moreover, the enzymatic BioFab exhibited uniform antigen binding affinity unlike the same recombinant Fab fragments biotinylated through random chemical conjugation to surface lysines. Finally, the BioFab demonstrated its potential as a well-behaving immunoassay reagent in a model competitive assay for estradiol.     

Procedure for the determination of eight cholesterol oxides in poultry meat using on-column and solvent venting capillary gas chromatography

A procedure for the determination of eight relevant cholesterol oxides in poultry meat has been developed. The method consists of the enrichment of cholesterol oxides by means of the combined use of solid-phase fractionation and thin-layer chromatography. Florisil and silica columns of 10 g permitted the handling of the total cholesterol oxides content included in the lipid bulk obtained after the Folch's extraction of 20 g of muscle meat. The determination of cholesterol oxides under their trimethylsilyl derivatives was performed by using capillary gas chromatography. The use of a fused-silica open tubular capillary column 30 m x 0.25 mm I.D. coated with 5% phenylmethylsilicone and with a film width of 0.25 micron permitted the separation of all the species. Two modes of injection (on-column and solvent venting) were evaluated and compared for the analysis of cholesterol oxides. On-column capillary gas chromatography (cGC) gave better absolute areas relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) values: 3% to 6% vs. 5% to 7% for solvent venting cGC. Regression analysis for each cholesterol oxide was performed for the two modes of injection. The possibility of large volume injection (10 microliters) by using the solvent venting mode was also evaluated in order to increase the sensitivity of the detection of cholesterol oxides. R.S.D. values for absolute areas ranging from 6% to 14% were obtained. The validation of the method was carried out within the range of 0.1-1 ppm. Absolute and relative recovery values ranging from 80% to 100% were obtained. Statistical analysis revealed that the method was reproducible. cGC-mass spectrometry was also used to confirm the peaks detected by cGC: the total ion chromatogram mode was used for the analysis of samples containing concentrations down to 0.1 ppm of cholesterol oxides. The analysis of fresh and cooked chicken meat revealed the presence of cholesterol oxides proceeding from the autoxidation of the cholesterol B-ring. Finally, saponification was found to be not as accurate as the described procedure for cholesterol oxides analysis.     

Characterization of stereoselectivity and genetic polymorphism of the debrisoquine hydroxylation in man via analysis of urinary debrisoquine and 4-hydroxydebrisoquine by capillary electrophoresis

Using capillary zone electrophoresis with a phosphate buffer at pH 2.5 containing 50 mM heptakis-(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-CD as chiral selector, the separation of the enantiomers of the main metabolite of debrisoquine (DEB), 4-hydroxydebrisoquine (4-OHDEB), is reported. For extraction of underivatized urinary DEB, S-4-OHDEB and R-4-OHDEB, a procedure using disposable cartridges containing a polystyrene-based polymer was developed. A few nL of the extracts were analyzed in a 60 cm fused-silica capillary of 50 microns ID and solute detection was effected at 195 nm. For all three compounds, a mean (n = 5) recovery of about 73% and a detection limit of about 150 ng/mL were noted. Data obtained with urines that were received for routine phenotyping with DEB and mephenytoin confirmed the almost exclusive formation of S-4-OHDEB. Under the described conditions, no R-4-OHDEB could be detected. With these data and those obtained employing no chiral selector in the buffer, differentiation between extensive metabolizer phenotypes (EM) and poor metabolizer phenotypes (PM) for DEB was unambiguously possible by the presence of a significant peak and no (or minor) peak for 4-OHDEB, respectively. Data obtained for ten EM subjects and five PM subjects were found to agree with those generated by the routine assay based on gas chromatography. The capillary electrophoretic assays described are simple, reproducible (relative standard deviation of peak area ratios < 3%), require no sample derivatization, consume no halogenated organic solvents, and operate with inexpensive separation columns as well as small amounts of chemicals.     

A sample purification method for rugged and high-performance DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis using replaceable polymer solutions. A. Development of the cleanup protocol

A method for the cleanup of Sanger DNA sequencing reaction products for capillary electrophoresis analysis with replaceable polymer solutions has been developed. A poly(ether sulfone) ultrafiltration membrane pretreated with linear polyacrylamide was first used to remove template DNA from the sequencing samples. Then, gel filtration in a spin column format (two columns per sample) was employed to decrease the concentration of salts below 10 microM in the sample solution. The method was very reproducible and increased the injected amount of the sequencing fragments 10-50-fold compared to traditional cleanup protocols. Using M13mp18 as template, the resulting cleaned-up single DNA sequencing fragments could routinely be separated to more than 1000 bases with a base-calling accuracy of at least 99% for 800 bases. The method is simple and universal and can be easily automated. In the following paper, a systematic study to determine quantitatively the effects of the sample solution components such as high-mobility ions (e.g., chloride and dideoxynucleotides) and template DNA on the injected amount and separation efficiency of the sequencing fragments is presented.     

Determination of cyclodextrins in serum by reversed-phase chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection and a membrane reactor

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of cyclodextrins (CDs) in serum. The method involves solid-phase extraction of CDs, separation on a C18 reversed-phase column using a mixture of water, tetrahydrofuran and methanol as an eluent, eluent pH modification with a cation-exchange membrane reactor surrounded by 1.5 M sodium hydroxide solutions, and pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) with a gold working electrode. The solid-phase extraction on a C18 bonded-silica column was effective for removing the PAD sensitive components in serum. The calibration graphs constructed by internal standard method were linear over the range 6.25-200 pmol of CDs in serum. The detection limits for CDs were about 5 pmol at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.     

Fabrication of nanocolumns for liquid chromatography

This paper shows that in situ micromachining can be used to simultaneously position and define (i) support particles, (ii) convective transport channels, (iii) an inlet distribution network of channels, and (iv) outlet channels in multiple chromatography columns on a single quartz wafer to the level of a few tenths of a micrometer. Stationary phases were bonded to 5 x 5 x 10 microns collocated monolith support structures separated by rectangular channels 1.5 microns wide and 10 microns deep with a low degree of deviation of channel width between the top and bottom of channels. High aspect ratio microfabrication can only be achieved with deep reactive ion etching. The volume of a 150 microns x 4.5 cm column was 18 nL. Column efficiency was evaluated in the capillary electrochromatography (CEC) mode using rhodamine 123 and a hydrocarbon stationary phase. Plate heights in these columns were typically 0.6 micron in the nonretained and 1.3 microns in the retained modes of operation. Columns were designed to have identical mobile-phase velocity in all channels in an effort to minimize outgassing during operation. When the total lateral cross-sectional area of channels at all points along the separation axis is identical, linear velocity of the mobile phase in a CEC column should be the same. Columns were operated at atmospheric pressure.     

American Heart Association Report on the Public Access Defibrillation Conference, December 8-10, 1994. American Heart Association Taskforce on Automatic External Defibrillation

Experimental conditions (pH 6.5, 24 h reaction, peptide:biotin ratio 1:5) were defined for preferential incorporation of the biotin molecule in the N-terminal alpha-amino group of peptides. This strategy could be helpful in numerous applications when an entire peptide chain must remain accessible for antibody or receptor binding. We illustrate this advantage in a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay designed to detect antibodies specific for bovine beta-lactoglobulin present in rabbit or human sera. This test involves synthetic peptides biotinylated in different positions and immobilized on a solid phase. The use of biotin/streptavidin interactions permitted more efficient detection of specific anti-peptide antibodies than solid phases prepared using conventional passive-adsorption techniques. The highest levels of antibody binding were measured when biotinylation occurred at the N-terminal extremity of immobilized peptides.     

Involvement of K+ channel permeability changes in the L-NAME and indomethacin resistant part of adenosine-5''-O-(2-thiodiphosphate)-induced relaxation of pancreatic vascular bed

We have evaluated by chromatography two strategies of oligonucleotide binding to vitamin B12 (cobalamin). The first one was based on a covalent linkage of aminooligonucleotide to carboxycobalamin in presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). Carboxycobalamin and EDC-cobalamin were eluted with a retention time of 16.5 and 21.6 min, respectively, in RP-HPLC, while aminooligonucleotide and oligonucleotide-cobalamin were coeluted at 19.4 and 19.8 min. In the second strategy, avidin was coupled to both biotinylated oligonucleotide and vitamin B12. Aminocobalamin and biotinylated cobalamin had respective retention times of 13 and 15.7 min in RP-HPLC and respective Rf values of 0.3 and 0.8 in thin-layer chromatography. Incubation of avidin with biotinylated cobalamin produced, in Superose 12 gel permeation, a peak with a retention time of 28 min, which corresponded to avidin-biotinylated cobalamin as it disappeared with an excess of either biotin or biotinylated oligonucleotide. In conclusion, we have prepared and purified by RP-HPLC and gel permeation chromatography an oligonucleotide-avidin-cobalamin complex which will be used as a vector complex of antisense oligonucleotides.     

Dynamics of capillary electrochromatography experimental study on the electrosmotic flow and conductance in open and packed capillaries

For capillary electrochromatography (CEC) to become an analytical separation technique of high speed and resolution the factors determining the conductivity of the column as well as the generation and control of electrosmotic flow (EOF) in porous media have to be understood. In the present study the conductance of capillaries packed with a variety of stationary phases was evaluated with respect to the conductance of the open capillary and the data were interpreted in the light of the Tobias equation. However, the consistently observed reduction of the EOF when a capillary having a charged inner wall is packed with particles having charges of the same sign and the dependence of the EOF velocity on the particle size needs further explanation. The data suggests that, due to the employment of relatively long columns packed with small particles, CEC may offer peak capacities much higher than HPLC or micro-HPLC. The CEC columns are unique as they consist of a packed and an open capillary segment having different conductances and consequently different voltage gradients and electrical field strengths. Therefore, any sufficiently detailed study on CEC systems requires also the characterization of the individual column segments. EOF velocities of 6-7 mm/s could be realized at 60 kV applied voltage with a 23/32 cm x 50 microns raw fused-silica capillary packed with 6-micron Zorbax ODS particles. The current was a linear function of the field strength up to 1.8 kV/cm, but at high field strengths the EOF increased with squared field strength. Data on band spreading indicate that with a given column the plate height at high EOF velocities is smaller in CEC than in micro-HPLC and it is weakly dependent on the velocity.     

Capillary electrochromatography of derivatized mono- and oligosaccharides

An octadecyl-silica (ODS) stationary phase with light surface coverage of octadecyl ligands was introduced for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) at moderate electroosmotic flow (EOF) velocity. The ODS stationary phase was intentionally produced with light surface coverage in order to ensure a moderate EOF velocity across the packed capillary column, thus allowing relatively rapid analysis time. Despite the fact that the stationary phase leaves 75% of the surface silanols unreacted, fused-silica capillary columns packed with this ODS stationary phase exhibited reversed-phase behavior toward neutral alkylbenzene homologous solutes using hydroorganic eluents. Closely related p-nitrophenylglycosides including some p-nitrophenyl-monosaccharides and p-nitrophenyl-maltooligosaccharides were readily separated on the ODS capillary column within a relatively short analysis time. Also, alpha- and beta-anomers of some p-nitrophenyl-monosaccharides were readily separated in the presence of a small amount of borate buffer in the hydroorganic eluent.     

Analysis of creatinine, vanilmandelic acid, homovanillic acid and uric acid in urine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A simultaneous determination of vanilmandelic acid, homovanillic acid, creatinine and uric acid using capillary electrophoresis was investigated. The optimum conditions of buffer concentration, pH and surfactant concentration were studied, and high resolution was obtained using a 30 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 150 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate. The detection was by UV absorbance at 245 nm and the column was a fused-silica capillary of 67 cm x 75 microm I.D.. The determination of these metabolites in human urine was completed within 15 min without any interferences.     

What makes people study more? An evaluation of factors that affect self-paced study

The separation of chiral compounds by capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a very interesting field of research in different areas such as pharmaceutical, environmental, agricultural analysis etc. The separation of two enantiomers can be achieved in CE using a chiral environment interacting with the two analytes on forming diastereoisomers with different stability constants and thus different mobilities. A wide number of chiral selectors have been employed in CE and among them glycopeptide antibiotics exhibited excellent enantioselective properties towards a wide number of racemic compounds. Vancomycin, ristocetin A, rifamycins, teicoplanin, kanamycin, streptomycin, fradiomycin, and two vancomycin analogues, added to the background electrolyte (BGE), are the antibiotics studied by CE running the separation in untreated and/or coated fused-silica capillary. Due to adsorption and absorption phenomena, some drawbacks can be expected when using bare fused-silica capillary, e.g., changes of electroosmotic flow (EOF), broaden peaks, reduced efficiency and low sensitivity. Coated capillary and counter current mode can be the solution to overcome the above mentioned problems. This review surveys the separation of enantiomers by CE when macrocyclic antibiotics are used as chiral selector. The enantioselectivity can be easily controlled modifying several parameters such as antibiotic type and concentration, pH, ionic strength and concentration of the background electrolyte, organic modifier etc. The paper also presents a list of the latest chiral separations achieved by CE where antibiotics were used as chiral selector.     

Automation and integration of multiplexed on-line sample preparation with capillary electrophoresis for high-throughput DNA sequencing

An integrated and multiplexed on-line instrument starting from DNA templates to their primary sequences has been demonstrated based on multiplexed microfluidics and capillary array electrophoresis. The instrument automatically processes eight templates through reaction, purification, denaturation, preconcentration, injection, separation, and detection in a parallel fashion. A multiplexed freeze/thaw switching principle and a distribution network were utilized to manage flow and sample transportation. Dye-labeled terminator cycle-sequencing reactions are performed in an eight-capillary array in a hot-air thermal cycler. Subsequently, the sequencing ladders are directly loaded into separate size exclusion chromatographic columns operated at approximately 60 degrees C for purification. On-line denaturation and stacking injection for capillary electrophoresis is simultaneously accomplished at a cross assembly set at approximately 70 degrees C. Not only the separation capillary array but also the reaction capillary array and purification columns can be regenerated after every run. The raw data allow base calling up to 460 bp with an accuracy of 98%. The system is scalable to a 96-capillary array and will benefit not only high-speed, high-throughput DNA sequencing but also genetic typing.     

Humic acid capillary zone electrophoresis adsorption on capillary walls, separation in metal ion supplemented buffer and the fingerprints

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) in quartz tubes is often being used for the separation and characterization of humic acids (HA). A method was found to follow adsorption (and kinetics) of humic acids on a fused-silica capillary wall. It was shown that the adsorption of humic acids on an uncoated capillary wall is high. The effect on sorption of additives to the background electrolyte (BGE) was studied. Sorption can be eliminated by adding magnesium(II) salts (14-50 mM) to the BGE (pH 3.40) with resultant highly reproducible electropherograms as well as detailed and expressive fingerprints for HA of different origin.