Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography: preparative purification of synthetic peptides

Biologically active peptides synthesized by the solid phase methodology of Merrifield were purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using newly developed preparative radially compressed cartridges fitting Waters Assoc . Prep LC 500 liquid chromatograph. Cartridges were handpacked with Vydac C18, C4 or diphenyl derivatized silicas (pore size 300 A) of different particle sizes (10-20 micron). Large scale purification of gram amounts of gonadotropin releasing hormone analogs (agonist and antagonist) as well as amidated human pancreatic tumor growth hormone releasing factor (a 40-peptide) illustrate the resolutive power of this technique applied to the isolation of more than 300 synthetic peptides in our laboratory over the last two years. Difficult separations were achieved by changing supports (C18, C4, diphenyl) as well as mobile phase composition: (triethylammonium phosphate pH 2.25 or 6.5, 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid, ammonium acetate pH 6.5 and acetonitrile). Protected amino acids and peptides amenable to normal-phase chromatography on Vydac spherical underivatized silica were purified economically by the reversed-phase mode. It is understood that this general, convenient and versatile strategy may be applicable to the preparative scale isolation of any other class of compounds usually separated on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.