NOVEL FUNCTION OF GUANIDINE-HYDROCHLORIDE IN REVERSE MICELLAR EXTRACTION OF LYSOZYME FROM CHICKEN EGG-WHITE

The efficacy of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) addition in the suppre ssion of gel formation and the extraction of lysozyme during reverse m icellar extraction from chicken egg white was investigated. A low conc entration of GuHCl in the feed permitted the successful extraction of lysozyme in its native form without gel formation, which is perceived as a novel function of GuHCl. The highest recovery and specific activi ty of lysozyme were obtained at a GuHCl concentration of 0.06 M in 25 mM AOT reverse micellar extraction from 20-fold-diluted natural chicke n egg white. Lysozyme and ovalbumin CD spectra in the corresponding Gu HCl aqueous solutions revealed no changes in the higher order structur es of the proteins. Furthermore, the specific activity of lysozyme in the feed was well preserved in the GuHCl system. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.