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US4766224A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Purification and activation of proteins from insoluble inclusion bodies

Assignee: International Minerals and Chemical Corp
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Filing: 1985-08-19
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Granted: 1988-08-23
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Expires: 2005-08-19
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Abstract

Abstract Purification and solubilization of proteins produced in transformant microorganisms as insoluble, biologically inactive inclusion bodies is effected by solubilizing the inclusion bodies in SDS; treating the SDS-protein solution with urea; removing the SDS and purifying the protein by chromatography on an anion-exchange resin having cationic groups attached to a polysaccharide support; and dialyzing the solution obtained from the anion-exchange resin to remove urea, thereby allowing the protein to fold into its native conformation. The solution thus obtained can be activated by removing soluble protein aggregates via ultrafiltration or chromatography on a weak anion-exchange column.

Inventors

  • 👤 Steven K. Rausch

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 22:05
CPC Classifications
C; C07; C07K; C07K1/00; C07K1/107; C07K1/113; C07K1/1136; C07K14/00; C07K14/435; C07K14/575; C07K14/61; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S530/00; Y10S530/82; Y10S530/825

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 112 words
A method for purifying and solubilizing a protein that is produced as an insoluble, impure inclusion body in a transformant microorganism which consists essentially of: (a) extracting the inclusion bodies into a buffered solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate to solubilize the protein; (b) treating the sodium dodecyl sulfate and protein with urea to insure that SDS can be removed from the protein solution by anion-exchange chromatography; (c) removing the sodium dodecyl sulfate and purifying the protein by chromatographing the solution obtained in step (b) on an anion-exchange column; and (d) dialyzing the solution obtained from the anion-exchange column, thereby removing the urea and allowing the protein to refold into its native conformation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 112 words
A method for purifying and solubilizing a protein that is produced as an insoluble, impure inclusion body in a transformant microorganism which consists essentially of: (a) extracting the inclusion bodies into a buffered solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate to solubilize the protein; (b) treating the sodium dodecyl sulfate and protein with urea to insure that SDS can be removed from the protein solution by anion-exchange chromatography; (c) removing the sodium dodecyl sulfate and purifying the protein by chromatographing the solution obtained in step (b) on an anion-exchange column; and (d) dialyzing the solution obtained from the anion-exchange column, thereby removing the urea and allowing the protein to refold into its native conformation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sodium dodecyl sulfate solution has a concentration from about 0.5% to 5.0%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sodium dodecyl sulfate solution has a concentration of about 1%.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sodium dodecyl sulfate solution contains ethanolamine in a concentration from about 0.02 M to 0.10 M.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sodium dodecyl sulfate solution has a pH from about pH 8.5 to about pH 10.5.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protein-SDS solution is treated with solid urea to a final urea concentration from about 4 M to about 10 M.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protein-SDS solution is treated with solid urea to a final urea concentration of about 6 M.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the urea-treated protein-SDS solution which is chromatographed on the anion-exchange column has a pH from about pH 7.5 to pH: 9.5.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anion-exchange resin comprises cationic groups attached to a polysaccharide support selected from the group consisting of dextran, agarose and cellulose.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anion-exchange resin contains cationic groups which retain substantially all their positive charge at a pH above pH 9.0.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 48 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anion-exchange resin comprises cationic groups of the formula --CH 2 CH 2 N + (CH 2 CH 3 ) 2 CH 2 CH(OH)CH 3 attached to a polysaccharide support selected from the group consisting of dextran, agarose and cellulose.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 18 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anion-exchange resin is a packed column of QAE-Sephadex A-25.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protein is eluted from the anion-exchange column using an eluent selected from buffered urea solutions at alkaline pH.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 15 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protein is an animal growth hormone.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the animal growth hormone is bovine growth hormone or a biologically active fragment or analog thereof.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the animal growth hormone is porcine growth hormone or a biologically active fragment or analog thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the animal growth hormone is Δ9(Ser)bGH.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 14 words
A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the animal growth hormone is Δ7pGH.
Claim 20
Independent Claim 130 words
A method for purifying, solubilizing and activating a protein that is produced as an insoluble, impure, biologically inactive inclusion body in a transformant microorganism which consists essentially of: (a) extracting the inclusion body into a buffered solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate to solubilize the protein; (b) treating the solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate and protein with urea to insure that SDS can be removed from the protein solution by anion-exchange chromatography; (c) removing the sodium dodecyl sulfate and purifying the protein by chromatographing the solution obtained in step (b) on an anion-exchange column; (d) dialyzing the solution obtained from the anion-exchange column, thereby removing the urea and allowing the protein to refold into its native conformation; and (e) activating the protein solution by removing soluble protein aggregates from the solution.
Claim 21
Independent Claim 130 words
A method for purifying, solubilizing and activating a protein that is produced as an insoluble, impure, biologically inactive inclusion body in a transformant microorganism which consists essentially of: (a) extracting the inclusion body into a buffered solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate to solubilize the protein; (b) treating the solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate and protein with urea to insure that SDS can be removed from the protein solution by anion-exchange chromatography; (c) removing the sodium dodecyl sulfate and purifying the protein by chromatographing the solution obtained in step (b) on an anion-exchange column; (d) dialyzing the solution obtained from the anion-exchange column, thereby removing the urea and allowing the protein to refold into its native conformation; and (e) activating the protein solution by removing soluble protein aggregates from the solution.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 16 words
A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the soluble protein aggregates are removed by ultrafiltration.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 55 words
A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the soluble protein aggregates are removed by loading the solution obtained in step (d) onto a weak anion-exchange resin under conditions in which the protein aggregates bind to the resin but monomeric protein does not bind to the resin and collecting the unbound portion of the solution.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 37 words
A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the weak anion-exchange resin comprises cationic groups that lose positive charge at a pH above pH 9.0 bound to a solid support selected from dextrose, agarose, sepharose and Trisacryl.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 14 words
A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the cationic groups are diethylaminoethyl groups.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 14 words
A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the weak anion-exchange resin is DEAE-Trisacryl.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the protein solution which is loaded onto the weak anion-exchange resin has a pH from about 9.0 to 10.0.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4426323A Cited
US4462940A Cited
US4511502A Cited
US4511503A Cited
US4518526A Cited
US4599197A Cited
US4677196A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-08-23 1992-02-22 1992-08-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-08-23 1996-02-22 1996-08-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-08-23 2000-02-22 2000-08-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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