Salt soluble cross-linked elastin: formation and composition of fibers

Cross-linked elastin has been isolated from the salt extract of sheep vascular tissue by means of hydrophobic interaction chromatography on a column of decyl-agarose. Dialysis of the dimethylformamide and sodium dodecyl sulphate column eluates against distilled water produced a precipitate that was fibrous and that resembled insoluble elastin fibers. As judged by amino acid analyses and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, this precipitation resulted in further purification of the soluble cross-linked elastin. Similar chromatography and precipitation of oxalic acid solubilized cross-linked elastin (alpha-elastin) produced identical results.