MICELLAR ELECTROKINETIC CHROMATOGRAPHY OF PROTEINS

Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) of proteins is a high resolution capillary electrophoretic (CE) analysis method that utilizes the hydrophobic and electrostatic interaction of protein ana lytes with surfactant micelles present in the buffer medium to facilit ate separation. Through the manipulation of the protein-micelle intera ction by the adjustment of variables such as surfactant concentration, solution pH, ionic strength, the presence of an organic modifier and the use of coated capillaries, MECC analyses of a wide variety of prot eins have been optimized. MECC has been demonstrated to provide resolu tion of mixtures consisting of proteins with minor structural variatio ns and also has provided the successful quantitative analysis of prote ins present in complex matrices. The adoption of protein MECC as a rou tine analytical technique may be dependent upon the successful interfa ce of MECC with detection methodology, such as mass spectrometry, whic h can provide analyte characterization information. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.