[Applications of analytical ultracentrifuge to molecular biology and pharmaceutical science]

Analytical ultracentrifuges, XL-A and XL-I, developed by Beckman Company now find a broad application not only in universities but also in industries. Especially they are utilized conveniently in industries aiming at the development of proteins as a therapeutic drug or in those targeting drugs composed of small molecules developed on the basis of the structures of proteins. Sedimentation techniques can be used 1) to determine the molecular weight of proteins in solution, 2) to examine protein aggregation, 3) to evaluate the molecular shape of proteins, 4) to study the interaction of proteins, e.g. between ligands and receptors, and 5) to obtain insight into biological functions of homologous proteins. Application of this technique to molecular biology and pharmaceutical science will be reviewed with ample examples.