As a continuation of a previous paper on the retention behavior of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in reversed phase chromatography at pH 6.5 (Oroszlan, P., et al. Anal. Chem. 1992, 64, 1623-1631) the effect of 1-propanol (1-PrOH) and acetonitrile on the conformation of rhGH at this pH has been investigated by circular dichroism (CD), second-derivative UV spectroscopy, fluorescence anisotropy, fluorescence quenching, and fluorescence lifetime measurements. Addition of 1-PrOH up to a concentration of 10% (v/v) does not cause any significant changes in protein structure. However, above this concentration, a transition from the native to a new state is observed; the transition is completed above 30% (v/v) of 1-PrOH, the composition for completion being dependent on temperature. This change in structure correlates with retention changes observed in reversed phase chromatography. The new rhGH conformation retains much of the alpha-helicity and possesses a slightly expanded hydrodynamic radius relative to native rhGH. Second-derivative UV spectroscopy suggests that the hydrogen bond between Trp 86 and Asp 169, spanning two alpha-helices, remains intact. On the other hand, the near-UV CD intensity changes from positive to negative in the Trp region of the spectrum, signaling an alteration in the Trp environment. In addition, fluorescence quenching measurements with trichloroethanol reveal greater accessibility to solvent of the Trp residue after the conformational transition has occurred. From the results, it is concluded that a molten globule state (compact state retaining much of the secondary structure of the native state but with a disrupted tertiary structure) is produced with the addition of > 30% (v/v) 1-PrOH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein, immobilized on silica (Chiral-AGP) is one of the most widely used chiral stationary phases for the enantiomeric separation of a wide variety of chiral drugs with several applications in the biological and clinical field. The aim of this work was to study the sorption properties of the AGP-based stationary phase, which may have crucial importance for enantioselectivity. New binding data to the mechanism of the chromatographic separation are presented. The sorption of both organic solvents, i.e., acetonitrile and dioxane, shows remarkable pH dependency. A fluorescence quenching study was carried out to elucidate structural changes of AGP in the presence of acetonitrile using 2,2,2-trichloroethanol as fluorescence quencher.