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F Foret

Publications and source records attributed to F Foret.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Electrospray interface for capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry with fiber-optic UV detection close to the electrospray tip.

A miniaturized, integrated capillary electrophoresis-ultraviolet detection-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (CE-UV-ESI-MS) interface has been constructed and evaluated. The device incorporates a fiber optic detection cell close to the electrospray tip to allow UV monitoring of separated zones just prior to their admittance into the mass spectrometer. This configuration provides precise information about the time when UV-active zones enter the electrospray and allows easy location of analyte mass information in the ion current profile. The miniaturized dimensions of the interface allow the use of short capillaries for fast separations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The use of elevated column temperature to extend DNA sequencing read lengths in capillary electrophoresis with replaceable polymer matrices.

Capillary electrophoresis with a replaceable linear polyacrylamide matrix operated at elevated column temperatures of 55 degrees and 60 degrees C was used to extend the separation of DNA sequencing fragments to lengths greater than 800 bases. A solid-state heater was employed to provide stable, uniform temperature control over a significant portion of the capillary. The polymer matrix, 3% w/v linear polyacrylamide in a denaturing buffer, was replaced in the capillary after each run. Using dye-labeled primers and Sequenase chemistry on an M13mp18 single-stranded template, four-color separations for the sequencing products were obtained, with read lengths in excess of 800 bases. This paper also briefly discusses the effects of buffer denaturants and capillary temperature on separation speed, resolution, and gel compression.

Acrylic Resins↗

Nonradioactive monitoring of organic and inorganic solute transport into single Xenopus oocytes by capillary zone electrophoresis.

Transport of organic and inorganic solutes into and out of cells requires specialized transport proteins. Given a sufficiently sensitive analytical method for measuring cellular solute concentrations, it should be possible to monitor solute transport across the plasma membrane at the level of single cells. We report a capillary zone electrophoresis approach that is generally applicable to monitor solute transport into Xenopus laevis oocytes, requires only nanoliters of sample, and involves no radioactive materials. The sensitivity of capillary electrophoresis with UV detection is typically on the order of 10(-5)-10(-6) M, resulting in the mass detection limits in the low femtomole range. We show that capillary zone electrophoresis serves as a simple technique to measure solute transport into oocytes. Studies of the mammalian oligopeptide transporter PepT1 and the Na(+)- and K(+)-coupled epithelial and neuronal glutamate transporter EAAC1 expressed in oocytes demonstrate that transport of the dipeptide Trp-Gly via PepT1 and transport of Na+ and K+ via EAAC1 across the oocyte plasma membrane can be monitored by measuring intracellular tryptophan absorption and by indirect UV detection of inorganic ions, respectively. The CZE method allowed the simultaneous detection of changes of intracellular Na+ and K+ concentrations in response to EAAC1-mediated Na+ cotransport and K+ countertransport. This is the first report of a capillary zone electrophoresis-based quantitative analysis of intracellular components of a single cell in response to transport activity.

Amino Acid Transport System X-AG↗

DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis using short oligonucleotide primer libraries.

Two strategies for DNA sequencing by primer walking using short oligonucleotide primer libraries have been successfully employed along with capillary electrophoresis using replaceable polymer solutions of linear polyacrylamide and fluorescence detection. A 3.5-kb stretch of the single-stranded M13mp18 template was sequenced with T7 PRISM dye-terminator/Sequenase chemistry. An in-house base-calling program offered read lengths of roughly 450 bases with an average of 97.8% accuracy.

Base Sequence↗

Analysis of protein fractions by micropreparative capillary isoelectric focusing and matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

In this study, the use of capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) as a micropreparative tool for protein analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) is demonstrated. A newly designed, automated, collection interface equipped with a fiber-optic UV detector and a sheath flow connection was employed for collection of protein fractions. Multiple fractions were collected during a single cIEF run and further analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS for mass assignment. The feasibility of the method was tested with a mixture of model proteins with different isoelectric points and molecular masses, and with variants of human hemoglobins differing in pI, but with negligible difference in M(r). Some practical considerations of the collection procedure and subsequent TOF analysis are presented.

Autoanalysis↗

Design of a high-precision fraction collector for capillary electrophoresis.

A high-precision fraction collector for capillary electrophoresis has been developed. The device utilizes detection close to the end of the capillary and a sheath liquid at the exit of the capillary, allowing continuous collection (i.e., uninterrupted applied electrical field) of multiple species. The role of the sheath liquid flow rate and position of detection in the column on the collection precision was assessed. Fiber-optic detection at approximately 1 cm before the exit end of the capillary was found effective for precise timing of the collection. Up to 60 fractions of microliter or smaller volumes could be automatically collected into capillaries used as collection vials. The collection capillaries were placed on a cylinder, and a computer-controlled stepping motor aligned the appropriate capillary with the column exit. The effectiveness of the fraction collector was demonstrated in the collection of all 11 fragments of the HaeIII restriction digest of phi X-174 plasmid DNA. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 271 and 281 bp fragments revealed an inversion of the size-dependent migration order.

Bacteriophage phi X 174↗

Sequence dependent migration behavior of double-stranded DNA in capillary electrophoresis.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) with a replaceable linear polyacrylamide (LPA) sieving matrix was used to examine sequence-dependent migration of double-stranded DNA fragments. It has been found that DNA conformational effects were significant under high electric field separations, especially using high resolution matrices. Compared to linear DNA-ladder standards, both anomalously slow and rapid DNA fragments were observed, with the degree of anomalous migration depending on the electric field strength, polymer concentration, column temperature, and background electrolyte (denaturants, sodium and magnesium ions, DNA-intercalating dyes). By selecting a combination of electrophoretic conditions (e.g. 3% T LPA, elevated capillary temperature, lower electric field strength and addition of DNA intercalating dyes), molecular weight dependent separations were closely restored.

Bacteriophage phi X 174↗

Capillary electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids.

During the past 30 years, slab gel electrophoresis has been one of the most important tools available to modern biochemistry, biology, and clinical research. However, despite substantial progress in methodology, slab gel techniques typically suffer from laborious, time-consuming and difficult-to-automate procedures. Capillary electrophoresis (CE), first introduced a decade ago, emerges now as an alternative to slab gel techniques with all the advantages of modern automated technology. Although the first target of CE was analysis of small molecules (it is a highly efficient alternative to HPLC), now a main focus is on biopolymers. Currently, CE can be viewed as a fully automated tool for rapid, highly sensitive, and quantitative analysis of minute (nanoliter) amounts of complex samples. This chapter reviews the most important CE techniques and their use for the analysis and characterization of proteins and DNA.

DNA, Single-Stranded↗

Incorporation of hydrophobic selectivity in capillary electrophoresis: analysis of recombinant insulin-like growth factor I variants.

A highly selective electrophoretic system employing differential hydrophobic interaction was evaluated for the quantitative determination of recombinant insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) variants. The system consisted of mixed aqueous-organic buffers containing suitable amounts of a zwitterionic detergent. In addition, a neutral hydrophilic coating was attached to the wall of the capillary to minimize analyte adsorption and electroosmotic flow. The zwitterionic detergent acted as a hydrophobic selector, allowing independent optimization of the electrophoretic and hydrophobic selectivities in the separation system. The extent of hydrophobic interaction was conveniently adjusted by varying the type and amount of organic modifier. Complete resolution of a mixture of IGF-I variants with closely related mass-to-charge ratios was achieved. Quantitative analysis of IGF-I process samples agreed well with HPLC results. Finally, the approach was found to be compatible with on-line capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE): a high resolution approach to mutational analysis.

Using a zone of constant temperature and denaturant concentration in capillary electrophoresis, we have devised a simple, rapid, and reproducible system for separating mutant from wild type DNA sequences with high resolution. Important to the success of this method, which we call Constant Denaturant Capillary Electrophoresis (CDCE), has been the use of linear polyacrylamide at viscosity levels that permit facile replacement of the matrix after each run. For a typical 100 bp fragment, point mutation-containing heteroduplexes are separated from wild type homoduplexes in less than 30 minutes. Using laser-induced fluorescence to detect fluorescent-tagged DNA, the system has an absolute limit of detection of 3 x 10(4) molecules with a linear dynamic range of six orders of magnitude. The relative limit of detection at present is 3 x 10(-4), i.e. 10(5) mutant sequences are recognized among 3 x 10(8) wild type sequences. The new approach should be applicable to the identification of low frequency mutations, to mutational spectrometry and to genetic screening of pooled samples for detection of rare variants.

Base Sequence↗

Separation of DNA fragments by capillary electrophoresis using replaceable linear polyacrylamide matrices.

The use of low percent (1.5-6% T) replaceable linear polyacrylamide (LPA) network matrices for rapid separation of double-stranded DNA fragments was explored. Separations of fragments ranging from 20 to 23,000 base pairs were readily achieved. Typically, 4 x 10(6) theoretical plates/m were obtained in less than 30 min. Short separation times under 2 min were also possible, using the DNA intercalating dye, ethidium bromide, along with high electric fields. The high resolving power of linear polyacrylamide was demonstrated in the separation of two fragments which differ by a single base pair (123/124 base pairs) using 6% T LPA and ethidium bromide intercalation. This LPA composition allowed for the possible single base-pair resolution of dsDNA fragments up to 300 base pairs in length. Several concentrations of the linear polyacrylamide for different ranges of fragment lengths have been employed. In addition, replaceable LPA offers the advantage of a fresh separation matrix for each run, thus overcoming column stability problems and minimizing needs for sample cleanup. Electro-osmotic flow was substantially reduced using stable capillary coatings, which were required for obtaining high efficiencies and good reproducibility.

Bacteriophage phi X 174↗

Characterization and performance of a neutral hydrophilic coating for the capillary electrophoretic separation of biopolymers.

Polyvinylmethylsiloxanediol (50% vinyl) was synthesized and combined with a cross-linker for static coating onto fused-silica columns. After cross-linking and binding to the surface, linear polyacrylamide was grafted to the double bonds of the siloxanediol; subsequently, this linear polymer matrix was cross-linked with formaldehyde. The grafted neutral polymeric layer provided suppression of electroosmotic flow and minimized adsorption. This combination yielded successful open tube and polymer network separations of proteins, peptides and DNA molecules. Very high efficiencies (ca. 1 x 10(6) plates/m) were achieved for open tube protein separations, and hundreds of consecutive runs were performed with minimal change in migration times.

Biopolymers↗

DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis with replaceable linear polyacrylamide and laser-induced fluorescence detection.

Replaceable linear polyacrylamide (LPA) has been utilized as a sieving matrix for DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis (CE). Difficulties associated with cross-linked polyacrylamide gel stability have been overcome for the routine application of CE to DNA sequencing. A simple laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection system based on a single laser and two photomultipliers (PMT) has been adopted for this work. Sequencing information for four bases has been obtained from two fluorescent dyes and two peak height ratios, detected in two optical channels. FAM- and JOE-labeled M13 (-21) primers have been chosen because both dyes are efficiently excited with a low-power argon ion laser, can be optically separated, and exhibit minimal dye-based shifts in DNA fragment mobilities. Addition of denaturants to the electrophoresis running buffer (1 x TBE, 3.5 M urea, 30% formamide) and column operation at 32 degrees C permitted the resolution of difficult compressed sites in the sequence of phage M13mp18. Careful examination of the polymerization reaction of LPA has led to methodology that has proven to be reproducible for obtaining DNA sequencing information of M13mp18 phage for 350 nucleotides in close to 30 min.

Acrylic Resins↗

Determination of halofuginone in feedstuffs by the combination of capillary isotachophoresis and capillary zone electrophoresis in a column-switching system.

A method has been developed for the determination of the coccidiocidic drug halofuginone in feedstuff concentrates which is based on the combination of capillary isotachophoresis and capillary zone electrophoresis in the column-switching mode. The high load capacity of the isotachophoretic step and high sensitivity of the zone electrophoretic step enabled analysis of up to 25 microliters of sample solution containing as little as 10(-8) M halofuginone with excellent reproducibility (R.S.D. about 1%). Attention was paid to the possibility of the existence of transient local isotachophoresis in the zone electrophoretic step, and experimental and theoretical methods of revealing zones migrating isotachophoretically in the background electrolyte were shown.

Animal Feed↗

Pressure refilled polyacrylamide columns for the separation of oligonucleotides by capillary electrophoresis.

The separation of oligonucleotides by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was studied in fused silica separation capillaries filled by linear (noncrosslinked) polyacrylamide (PAA) solutions, introduced into the capillary from the stock by pressure after each analysis. The time-consuming in-capillary polymerization step could thus be avoided, and fast and reproducible repetition of the analyses was assured. The PAA concentrations varied within the range of 3-10% and both the reproducibility of the analyses and the stability of the solution in the capillary, with and without a chemically treated inner wall, were tested. Ferguson plots were used to assess the size selectivity of the separation.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗

Applicability of dynamic change of pH in the capillary zone electrophoresis of proteins.

A method to extend the separation power of CZE is described. The method is based on the separation of sample components at two different pH values during one separation run, and involves dynamic buffering of the pH inside a separation capillary by controlling the flow of H+ ions from the anodic electrode chamber. By changing the anolyte in the chamber, a dynamic pH step is generated, which proceeds rapidly along the capillary and establishes the required new pH value. The use of the method has been demonstrated by the cationic separation of a model mixture of proteins.

Animals↗