Evaluation of cellulose-based biospecific adsorbents as a stationary phase for lectin affinity chromatography

Macroporous cellulose Granocel was evaluated as a matrix for the immobilization of two lectins Concanavalin A (ConA) (108 kDa) and Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) (36 kDa). Two different methods were employed for the immobilization of the lectins via their protein moieties by a Schiff's bases reaction. One of them results in covalent coupling of the lectin directly to the support and the other gives the attachment through a long spacer arm which benefits the immobilization of voluminous ConA molecules. The adsorbents were characterized by the glycoproteins sorption recording adsorption kinetic data and isotherms. The adsorbents demonstrated high affinity to glycoproteins with a sorption capacity in the column up to 7.4 mg/ml support and a high recovery (up to 93%). The adsorption isotherms of glucose oxidase (GOD) onto ConA adsorbents reveals an adsorption behavior with high and low affinity binding sites. The dissociation constant Kd of the ligand–sorbate complex is approximately 1 × 10−6 and 0.4 × 10−5 M, respectively. It was supposed that the second step is related to the sorption of solvated GOD onto already adsorbed GOD forming sorbate dimers.