Extraction of Lysozyme from Chicken Albumen Using Polyelectrolyte Complexes

Area of Science:

• Biomimicry
• Materials Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Cells utilize membrane-less organelles (MLOs) for molecular compartmentalization and uptake.
• MLOs can be mimicked by polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) composed of oppositely charged polymers.
• Protein uptake by PECs is highly dependent on their composition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the partitioning of lysozyme within four different PEC systems.
• To explore the selective extraction of proteins from mixtures using PECs.
• To evaluate the release properties and retained activity of extracted proteins.

Main Methods:

• Studied lysozyme partitioning in PECs with varying weak and strong polyelectrolyte combinations.
• Investigated lysozyme release by altering salt concentration (up to 500 mM NaCl) and pH (from 7 to 4).
• Utilized optimized PECs for selective lysozyme extraction from a hen-egg white protein matrix.

Main Results:

• All PEC systems exhibited similar trends in lysozyme partitioning based on complex composition.
• PECs formed from poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(acrylic acid) showed optimal uptake and release.
• Selective extraction of lysozyme was achieved from a complex protein mixture.

Conclusions:

• Polyelectrolyte complexes can effectively mimic membrane-less organelles for selective protein uptake and release.
• The composition of PECs critically influences their protein extraction capabilities.
• Extracted lysozyme maintained its enzymatic activity, validating PECs as functional protein extraction media.