AN2001: Stoichiometry and Stability of Host-Guest Protein-Peptide Complexes

Host-guest chemistry allows for conjugation through non-covalent interactions of a hollow compound (host) to one or more molecules displaying recognition moieties (guests). The formed complex is not permanently linked and can therefore present stability issues during characterization.

Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) separated and characterized both the (large) guest alone, and—on account of the high concentrations achieved at the membrane—the host-guest complex. The millimolar concentration obtained during the separation step prevented dissociation of the conjugate, permitting determination of the complex stoichiometry and its stability in solution.