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Charge-controlled metastable liquid-liquid phase separation in protein solutions as a universal pathway towards crystallization

Zhang, Fajun ; Roth, Roland ; Wolf, Marcell ; Roosen-Runge, Felix LU ; Skoda, Maximilian W.A. ; Jacobs, Robert M.J. ; Stzucki, Michael and Schreiber, Frank (2012) In Soft Matter 8(5). p.1313-1316
Abstract

We demonstrate that a metastable liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in protein aqueous solutions can be induced by multivalent metal ions at room temperature. We determine the salt and protein partitioning in the two coexisting phases. The structure factor obtained by small angle X-ray scattering provides direct evidence for a short-ranged attraction, which leads to the metastability of the LLPS. An extended phase diagram with three control parameters (temperature, protein and salt concentration) provides a conclusive physical picture consistent with a criterion for the second virial coefficient. The presented isothermal control mechanism of the phase behavior opens new perspectives for the understanding of controlled phase behavior... (More)

We demonstrate that a metastable liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in protein aqueous solutions can be induced by multivalent metal ions at room temperature. We determine the salt and protein partitioning in the two coexisting phases. The structure factor obtained by small angle X-ray scattering provides direct evidence for a short-ranged attraction, which leads to the metastability of the LLPS. An extended phase diagram with three control parameters (temperature, protein and salt concentration) provides a conclusive physical picture consistent with a criterion for the second virial coefficient. The presented isothermal control mechanism of the phase behavior opens new perspectives for the understanding of controlled phase behavior in nature. Furthermore, we discuss the application of this framework in predicting and optimizing conditions for protein crystallization.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Soft Matter
volume
8
issue
5
pages
4 pages
publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
external identifiers
  • scopus:84862913251
ISSN
1744-683X
DOI
10.1039/c2sm07008a
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
dcbff956-988d-4955-a1ed-194395eab44d
date added to LUP
2018-12-17 09:52:21
date last changed
2022-04-25 19:56:24
@article{dcbff956-988d-4955-a1ed-194395eab44d,
  abstract     = {{<p>We demonstrate that a metastable liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in protein aqueous solutions can be induced by multivalent metal ions at room temperature. We determine the salt and protein partitioning in the two coexisting phases. The structure factor obtained by small angle X-ray scattering provides direct evidence for a short-ranged attraction, which leads to the metastability of the LLPS. An extended phase diagram with three control parameters (temperature, protein and salt concentration) provides a conclusive physical picture consistent with a criterion for the second virial coefficient. The presented isothermal control mechanism of the phase behavior opens new perspectives for the understanding of controlled phase behavior in nature. Furthermore, we discuss the application of this framework in predicting and optimizing conditions for protein crystallization.</p>}},
  author       = {{Zhang, Fajun and Roth, Roland and Wolf, Marcell and Roosen-Runge, Felix and Skoda, Maximilian W.A. and Jacobs, Robert M.J. and Stzucki, Michael and Schreiber, Frank}},
  issn         = {{1744-683X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{1313--1316}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society of Chemistry}},
  series       = {{Soft Matter}},
  title        = {{Charge-controlled metastable liquid-liquid phase separation in protein solutions as a universal pathway towards crystallization}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c2sm07008a}},
  doi          = {{10.1039/c2sm07008a}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}