HIGH-PERFORMANCE CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORETIC SEPARATION OF HUMAN SERUM-ALBUMIN USING A NEUTRAL COATED CAPILLARY

A rapid, simple and highly resolving capillary electrophoresis techniq ue is described for the separation of sub-species of clinical grade hu man serum albumin (HSA) using a neutral coated capillary. As the buffe r pH approached the pI of HSA (5.2), eight peaks representing HSA sub- populations were resolved. On a non-coated capillary, no such resoluti on was obtained and buffers several pH units away from HSA's pI were r equired to prevent protein adsorption to the capillary wall. Some sub- species could be identified by mass spectrometric analysis as represen ting intact and amino-terminally damaged HSA with and without a blocke d thiol at cysteine 34.