Extraction of Lysozyme from Chicken Albumen Using Polyelectrolyte Complexes

Abstract

Cells use droplet‐like membrane‐less organelles (MLOs) to compartmentalize and selectively take‐up molecules, such as proteins, from their internal environment. These membraneless organelles can be mimicked by polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) consisting of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. Previous research has demonstrated that protein uptake strongly depends on the PEC composition. This suggests that PECs can be used to selectively extract proteins from a multi‐protein mixture. With this in mind, the partitioning of the protein lysozyme in four PEC systems consisting of different weak and strong polyelectrolyte combinations is investigated. All systems show similar trends in lysozyme partitioning as a function of the complex composition. The release of lysozyme from complexes at their optimal lysozyme uptake composition is investigated by increasing the salt concentration to 500 mm NaCl or lowering the pH from 7 to 4. Complexes of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(acrylic acid) have the best uptake and release properties. These are used for selective extraction of lysozyme from a hen‐egg white protein matrix. The (back)‐extracted lysozyme retains its enzymatic activity, showing the capability of PECs to function as extraction media for proteins.

Modulating Role of Co-Solutes in Complexation between Bovine Serum Albumin and Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate

“…Protein-PE complexes are being implemented in various industrial and biotechnological applications ranging from protein purification [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], enzyme activation [ 7 ], drug delivery [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], biosensors [ 11 ], stabilization in food emulsions [ 12 ] etc. Protein-PE interactions are also important in in vivo processes such as the formation of membraneless organelles [ 5 , 13 ] through liquid-liquid phase separation or the interaction between natural polyelectrolytes (DNA) and proteins (histones) [ 14 ].…”

Sequestration of Small Ions and Weak Acids and Bases by a Polyelectrolyte Complex Studied by Simulation and Experiment

“…While many theories and experiments investigated the partitioning of monovalent salts, much less is known about the partitioning of multivalent ions , or small organic molecules. ,− In brief, these experimental studies have shown that multivalent ions generally tend to accumulate in the PEC phase. Furthermore, the partitioning of multivalent solutes depends also on their size, hydrophobicity, and charge.…”

Modulation of the electrostatic potential around α-lactalbumin using oligoelectrolyte chains, pH and salt concentration

“…[3][4][5] One of its main features is in the purification of proteins given that it is a relatively low-cost technique. [6][7][8] Whey proteins are found in cheese whey, which is a byproduct of the dairy industry. Currently, cheese whey serves as a cost-effective protein source with numerous applications in the food industry.…”