Analysis of protein denaturation, aggregation and post-translational modification by agarose native gel electrophoresis

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules Vol. 172; pp. 589 - 596
• Main Authors: Sakuma, Chiaki, Tomioka, Yui, Li, Cynthia, Shibata, Takashi, Nakagawa, Masataka, Kurosawa, Yasunori, Arakawa, Tsutomu, Akuta, Teruo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.03.2021
• Subjects: Agarose; Animals; antibodies; Antibody; bovine serum albumin; BSA; Cattle; Dependovirus - genetics; Dependovirus - metabolism; disulfides; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel - methods; gel electrophoresis; gels; Glycated Hemoglobin A - genetics; Glycated Hemoglobin A - metabolism; glycohemoglobin; heat treatment; Hemoglobin; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide - pharmacology; Native gel; Phosphorylation; post-translational modification; Protein Aggregates; Protein Denaturation; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Proteolysis; Serum Albumin, Bovine - genetics; Serum Albumin, Bovine - metabolism; sodium dodecyl sulfate; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate - chemistry; Transferrin; Transferrin - genetics; Transferrin - metabolism; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - metabolism; viruses; ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase - genetics; ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase - metabolism; Hemoglobin; BSA; Transferrin; Native gel; Antibody; Agarose
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.01.075

Agarose native gel electrophoresis has been developed to separate proteins and protein complexes in the native state. Here, we applied this technology to analyze proteins that undergo degradation, post-translational modification or chemical/physical changes. Antibodies showed aggregation/association upon acid or heat treatment. Limited reduction of disulfide bonds resulted in non-covalent aggregation of bovine serum albumin and cleavage of only inter-chain linkages of an antibody that had no effects on its overall structure. Native agarose gel analysis showed changes in mobility of human transferrin upon Fe3+ binding. Analysis of a commercial glycated human hemoglobin A1c showed no difference in electrophoretic pattern from un-modified hemoglobin. Native agarose gel showed aggregation of a virus upon acid or heat treatment. We have extracted bands of bovine serum albumin from the agarose native gel for sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis analysis, showing degradation of aged sample. Lastly, we analyzed phosphorylation of Zap70 kinase by native gel and Western blotting. These applications should expand the utility of this native gel electrophoresis technology.