Volume 137, Issue 8 e202420269
Forschungsartikel

Highly Efficient Chiral Separation Based on Alkali-proof Protein Immobilization by Covalent Organic Frameworks

Mingfang Yang

Mingfang Yang

Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Preparation and Delivery, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

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Yunlong Zheng

Yunlong Zheng

Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Preparation and Delivery, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

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Yuqing Cai

Yuqing Cai

College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China

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Jinbiao Guo

Jinbiao Guo

Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Preparation and Delivery, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

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Along Zuo

Along Zuo

Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Preparation and Delivery, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

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Jiangyue Yu

Jiangyue Yu

Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Preparation and Delivery, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

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Sainan Zhang

Sainan Zhang

Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centre for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photo-chemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

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Prof. Zhenjie Zhang

Prof. Zhenjie Zhang

College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China

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Prof. Yao Chen

Corresponding Author

Prof. Yao Chen

Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Preparation and Delivery, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China

Haihe Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, 21 West 15th Avenue, Tianjin Airport Economic Area, Tianjin, 300308 China

Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China

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First published: 22 November 2024

Abstract

Chiral separation plays a pivotal role in both practical applications and industrial productions. However, traditional chiral stationary phases (CSPs) exhibit inherent instability in alkaline environments, presenting a significant challenge despite their importance. Herein, basophilic alcalase is creatively developed to fabricate ultrastable protein-based CSPs that can efficiently work under alkaline conditions. An in-depth theoretical simulation is conducted to unveil the unique three-dimensional conformation of alcalase, showing selective affinity towards various enantiomers of chiral amino acids and drugs, especially acidic substrates. Subsequently, an in situ assembly strategy is used to immobilize alcalase within a hydrazone-linked covalent organic framework (COF) platform. The generated protein-based CSPs enable successful baseline separation (Rs≥1.50) for various value-added compounds (e.g., non-steroidal drug, RS-flurbiprofen; nucleotide analog, RS-tenofovir) via high-performance liquid chromatography, surpassing the commercial chiral column. Furthermore, a systematic study reveals that increasing hydrophilicity and pore sizes of COFs can enhance the separation performance. Remarkably, the obtained CSPs demonstrated exceptional durability, maintaining performance for >2,400 runs. This study provides a new member to the protein library for CSPs, and represents an innovative and effective platform for CSPs with immense potential for the enantioseparation of acidic drugs.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material of this article.

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