Isoelectric focusing process and a means for carrying out said process

Abstract

Described is an isoelectric focusing electrophoretic process for the separation and purification of an amphoteric or neutral chemical compound from one or more electrically charged chemical compound(s). Said process is illustrated below at the example of the purification of a protein from contaminating proteins and salts. It may be carried out in an apparatus especially designed therefor, e.g. an apparatus as depicted in FIG. 1. Said apparatus and various modifications thereof are also claimed. The mixture to be separated is present within a hydraulic flow in chamber 8. Cylinders 5 and 12 contain immobilized pH-gradients or are replaced by amphoteric isoelectric pH-membranes. Each of said pH-gradients and pH-membranes has conductivity and both buffering and titrant capacity in its pH-interval. The extremities of said graidents or pH-membranes forming the ceiling and the floor of chamber 8 have isoelectric points equal to or just higher and just lower than the isoelectric point of the protein of interest which is kept at its ioselectric point in the hydraulic flow and does not enter said pH-gradients and pH-membranes. Contrary thereto the contaminating proteins and salts are driven by an electric field into said pH-gradients or via said pH-gradients or pH-membranes into the electrolyte reservoirs 3 and 14. The described process has the advantage that the desired compound need not be detected and extracted from any matrix, e.g. from said pH-gradients, and that the recovery and purity of the desired compound is higher.