Selective adsorption of phosphoproteins on gel-immobilized ferric chelate

Ferric ions are very strongly adsorbed to iminodiacetic acid substituted agarose. This firmly immobilized complex acts as a selective immobilized metal affinity adsorbent for phosphoproteins. Chromatography based on this principle is illustrated by the adsorption-desorption behavior of egg yolk phosvitin before and after dephosphorylation as well as by the change in the chromatographic pattern before and after enzymic phosphorylation of selected histones. The strength of binding is dependent on the phosphate content. The difference in binding before and after phosphorylation of a single amino acid residue is demonstrated. Affinity elution can be accomplished by inclusion in the buffer of phosphoserine or a displacing metal ion such as Mg2+.