Arnulf Heubner

Application ofliquid—liquid partition chromatography in the simultaneous purification of sex-hormone-binding globulin and corticosteroid-binding globulin

Two human serum proteins, corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), were purified to homogeneity by the application of a combination of three different modes of chromatography. Human pregnancy serum was fractionated with ammonium sulphate. SHBG (50% pellet) and CBG (80% pellet) were then purified by affinity chromatography on tresyl-activated Sepharose with 15-aminopentadecanoic acid (for SHBG) and 1,12-diaminododecane (for CBG) as spacers and 17 zeta-aminoethyl-5 alpha-androstan-3 beta,17-diol (for SHBG) and 17 alpha-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one-17 beta-carboxylic acid (for CBG) as specific ligands for these two proteins. The eluate was injected into a Mono Q anion-exchange column. Fractions containing SHBG or CBG were finally purified by liquid-liquid chromatography on Lipar-Gel 750. This chromatographic sequence clearly separated SHBG and CBG from other proteins, mainly serum albumin, without a loss of protein or binding activity.

High-performance and ion-exchange chromatography and chromatofocusing of the human uterine progesterone receptor: its application to the identification of 21-[3H]dehydro Org 2058-labelled receptor.

Two independent lines of evidence were used to identify the human uterine progesterone receptor. First, three differently tritiated progestogens (Org 2058, R 5020, progesterone) were used for reversible labelling of the receptor. Secondly, the highly potent affinity label 21-[3H]dehydro Org 2058 was used to label covalently the steroid-specific binding site of the receptor. The labelled cytosols were chromatographed on a Mono Q high-performance anion-exchange column in the absence or presence of a high molar excess of the respective unlabelled competitor steroids. In the case of 21-[3H]dehydro Org 2058, Org 2058 was used as the unlabelled competitor. After elution with a NaCl gradient, the radioactivity was determined in each fraction and the elution profiles (absorption, A at 280 nm; radioactivity, dpm) were superimposed. Free steroid was eluted with the washing buffer. When the NaCl gradient was performed, two peaks of radioactivity were located. The specifically protein-bound radioactivity was eluted at 0.08 M NaCl. Two non-specific steroid-binding entities were eluted at 0.1 and 0.22 M NaCl, the second of which was identified as albumin. The elution profiles of tritiated progesterone, R 5020, Org 2058 and the affinity label 21-dehydro Org 2058 were identical. In a second set of experiments, Org 2058- and 21-dehydro Org 2058-labelled cytosols were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography on a Mono P high-performance chromatofocusing column in the absence or presence of a high molar excess of unlabelled Org 2058. After elution with Polybuffer 74, only one specifically labelled protein (pH 6.4) was detected. When the Mono P-purified receptor was submitted to sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two labelled polypeptides with Mr = 45,000 and 27,000 were detectable.

Characterization of human spleen tumor glucocorticoid receptors using [3H]cortisol as ligand

The present report describes an assay system allowing the quantification and characterization of [3H]cortisol binding to glucocorticoid receptors in bloodrich human tissue. The essence of this assay lies in the selective binding of 17 beta-carboxylic acids of natural corticoids to corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG). In the presence of 1240 nmol/l 11 beta-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-androstene-17 beta-carboxylic acid only glucocorticoid receptors were detectable with the expected properties: high affinity for synthetic and natural glucocorticoids, but failure to bind to the respective 17 beta-carboxylic acids, apparent Kds at 0-4 degrees C for [3H]cortisol of approx 30 nmol/l, Nmax similar to those determined with [3H]dexamethasone and the typical sequence of relative binding affinities (dexamethasone greater than cortisol greater than progesterone greater than 17 beta-methyl-testosterone, estradiol).

Application of Liquid-Liquid Partition Chromatography (LLPC) in the Preparation of Steroid Binding Proteins

Two human serum proteins, i.e. sex hormone binding globulin (h-SHBG) and corticosteroid binding globulin (h-CBG), rat corticosteroid binding globulin (r-CBG), and progesterone binding globulin (PBG) from new guinea pig were purified by the application of three different modes of chromatography. The proteins were purified by affinity chromatography and anion exchange chromatography. Fractions containing the steroid binding proteins were finally purified by liquid-liquid partition chromatography on LiParGel 750 (Merck, Darmstadt, FRG). This Chromatographic sequence clearly separated the steroid binding proteins from other proteins, mainly from serum albumin without a loss of protein and completely retaining the binding affinity towards steroids.

An automatic multidimensional chromatography system for purification of human uterine progesterone receptor and induction of polyclonal antibodies

This paper reports on the synthesis of Org2058-bonded microparticulate silicas and their use in affinity chromatography as the first step for the purification of human progesterone receptor. The development of microprocessor-controlled instruments allows all the various steps to be performed automatically. The various steps used for the purification of human progesterone receptor were carried out with the FPLC system: affinity chromatography, desalting of eluate on Sephadex G-25, anion-exchange chromatography using a Mono Q column. With this procedure the receptor was purified approx. 10,000-fold within 24 h. The yield of receptor was generally 85-95%. Investigations with induced anti-progesterone receptor antibodies obtained after the fourth immunization show their immunoreactive behaviour towards progesterone receptor in crude cytosol, which was proved by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and by gel filtration on the FPLC system using a Sepharose 12 column. This implies that progesterone receptor was efficiently purified by our purification procedure.

Preparation of electrophoretic variants of Corticosteroid-binding Globulin (CBG) using liquid liquid partition chromatography ☆

Human corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) was purified to homogeneity by application of three different chromatographic methods. After fractionation of pregnancy serum with ammonium sulfate the 80%-pellet was used for affinity chromatography based on tresyl activated Sepharose (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden). The affinity eluate was injected into a Mono Q anion exchange column (Pharmacia). Fractions containing CBG were finally purified by liquid liquid chromatography on LiParGel 750 (Merck, Darmstadt, F.R.G.). The purified protein was characterized by IEF and PAGE. This paper describes a method for the chromatographic separation of the two variants of CBG without a loss of binding activity towards steroids for each of the two characteristic bands of this protein.