Interaction between tryptophan residues and hydrophobically modified dextran. Effect on partitioning of peptides and proteins in aqueous two-phase systems

Abstract

Hydrophobically modified dextrans, benzoyl dextran and valeryl dextran, have been used to study the interactions between tryptophan residues and benzoyl or valeryl groups by partitioning of tryptophan, tryptophan-tryptophan, (tryptophan)3, poly(lysine, tryptophan), beta-galactosidase and lysozyme in polymer aqueous two-phase systems. The two-phase systems used were polyethylene glycol (PEG)-benzoyl dextran, PEG-valeryl dextran, dextran-benzoyl dextran and dextran-valeryl dextran. Interaction between tryptophan residues and benzoyl or valeryl groups was observed by partitioning of tryptophan containing compounds to the phase containing hydrophobically modified dextran. At a certain phase composition the interactions were increased with increasing number of tryptophan per molecule. In a PEG-dextran system the partitioning of tryptophan peptides to the PEG phase was increased with increased number of tryptophan. In a PEG-benzoyl dextran system the opposite effect was obtained. At similar conditions benzoyl groups showed stronger interactions with tryptophans compared to valeryl groups. The partition coefficient of salts (sodium phosphate, NaCl, Nal and NaClO4) was determined in PEG-benzoyl dextran and PEG-valeryl dextran aqueous two-phase systems. The effect of addition of these salts on partitioning of poly(lysine, tryptophan), beta-galactosidase and lysozyme was studied. Salt effects on partitioning could be explained by the relative affinities of the ions for the polymers in the system. Charged molecules containing tryptophan were to an increasing degree partitioned to the phase for which the counterions had highest affinity. Strong effects on the partitioning of positively charged poly(lysine, tryptophan) and lysozyme were obtained with the ions I- and ClO4-.