The kinetics of protein salting-out: precipitation of yeast enzymes by ammonium sulfate

Abstract

Protein solubility can be adequately represented by the classical Cohn equation for the salting-out of alcohol dehydrogenase and fumarase from clarified yeast homogenate with ammonium sulfate. However, the constant beta in this equation is a function of the contacting procedure employed. The kinetics of continuous salting-out were similar for alcohol dehydrogenase and fumarase. The overall rate equation for precipitation had a variable order which was high initially, up to 3.1, but approached unity on completion of precipitation. This was followed by a partial resolution stage which was first order with respect to the concentration driving force. Precipitate particle size was estimated as 0.5 to 5 mum with continuous flow precipitation producing the largest particles.