The application of high hydrostatic pressure is an effective tool to promote dissolution and refolding of protein from aggregates and inclusion bodies while minimizing reaggregation. In this study we explored the mechanism of high-pressure protein refolding by quantitatively assessing the magnitude of the protein-protein interactions both at atmospheric and elevated pressures for T4 lysozyme, in solutions containing various amounts of guanidinium hydrochloride. At atmospheric pressure, the protein- protein interactions are most attractive at moderate guanidinium hydrochloride concentrations (approximately 1-2 molar), as indicated by a minimum in B(22) values. In contrast, at a pressure of 1,000 bar no minimum in B(22) values is observed, indicating that high pressures colloidally stabilize protein against aggregation. Finally, experimental values of refractive index increments as a function of pressure indicate that at high pressures, wetting of the hydrophobic surfaces is favored, resulting in a reduction of the hydrophobic effect. This reduction in the hydrophobic effect reduces the driving force for aggregation of (partially) unfolded protein.

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Crystallization of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) at elevated pressures was investigated in the presence of 6,000 molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol; PEG-6000). Crystallization of rhGH at atmospheric pressure occurred at a protein concentration of 15 mg/mL in 6% PEG-6000. Crystallization did not occur in the same solutions at 250 MPa. In contrast, at a pressure of 250 MPa in the presence of 8% PEG-6000, rhGH readily crystallized from solutions containing 35 mg/mL rhGH, whereas amorphous precipitate formed in the same solutions at atmospheric pressure. Osmotic virial coefficients were determined from static light scattering measurements and combined with a hard-sphere activity coefficient model to predict rhGH activity coefficients as a function of pressure and PEG concentration. Predicted activity coefficients quantitatively matched those determined from equilibrium solubility measurements. The ability to adjust the thermodynamic non-ideality with pressure provides a valuable tool to study protein crystallization in addition to providing a methodology for obtaining crystals at elevated pressures.