In vivo monitoring of amine neurotransmitters using microdialysis with on-line capillary electrophoresis.

Microdialysis sampling was coupled via a flow-gated interface on-line to capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection for in vivo monitoring of neuroactive amino acids and amines. In the instrument, analytes are derivatized precolumn with o-phthaldehyde and beta-mercaptoethanol to form fluorescent isoindole products. The instrument was improved over previous designs by incorporating a sheath-flow cuvette for reduced background in LIF detection which improved sensitivity by 15-fold. The methodology was improved by utilizing a voltage ramped injection which allowed generation of 500000 theoretical plates with 20 s separations. Resolution of the isoindole derivatives was further improved by addition of hydroxypropyl-modified beta-cyclodextrin to the electrophoresis buffer. The new instrumentation and methods allow resolution and detection of glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glycine, aspartate, serine, taurine, glutamine and dopamine (if levels are elevated) collected from in vivo sampling probes every 20 s. The technique is suited to continuous monitoring for dynamic measurements of these compounds in vivo.

Quantitative analysis of receptors for adenosine nucleotides obtained via in vitro selection from a library incorporating a cationic nucleotide analog.

5-(3"-Aminopropynyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (dJ), a modified nucleoside with a side chain carrying a cationic functional group, was incorporated into an oligonucleotide library, which was amplified using the Vent DNA polymerase in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). When coupled to an in vitro selection procedure, PCR amplification generated receptors that bind ATP. This is the first example of an in vitro selection generating oligonucleotide receptors where the oligonucleotide library has incorporated a cationic nucleotide functionality. The selection yielded functionalized receptors having sequences differing from a motif known to arise in a standard selection experiment using only natural nucleotides. Surprisingly, both the natural and the functionalized motifs convergently evolved to bind not one, but two ATP molecules cooperatively. Likewise, the affinity of the receptors for ATP had converged; in both cases, the receptors are half saturated at the 3 mM concentrations of ATP presented during the selection. The convergence of phenotype suggests that the outcome of this selection experiment was determined by features of the environment during which selection occurs, in particular, a highly loaded affinity resin used in the selection step. Further, the convergence of phenotype suggests that the optimal molecular phenotype has been achieved by both selections for the selection conditions. This interplay between environmental conditions demanding a function of a biopolymer and the ability of the biopolymer to deliver that function is strictly analogous to that observed during natural selection, illustrating the nature of life as a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.

The effect of complexation additives on analyte migration behavior in capillary electrochromatography.

In capillary electrochromatography (CEC), analytes often have different mobilities in the mobile phase, and often are involved in multiple equilibria. In this paper, the migration behavior of an analyte in CEC is described by a general equation in which individual capacity factors are used to describe the tendency of the analyte to exist as the various analyte species present in a separation system, and the effects of both field and equilibrium are accounted for. The resolution of two analytes is shown to be related linearly to the ratio of their migration rates. The effect of the electroosmotic flow (EOF) in CEC is more complicated than in CE because it is experienced only by a fraction of the analyte, whereas in CE, it is experienced by all analyte species. A procedure for calculating the electrophoretic mobility of the analyte based on the fraction of the analyte in the buffer is demonstrated. The effect of the EOF on resolution is also discussed.

Recent developments towards a unified theory for separation science (minireview).

Various techniques for chemical separation can be described using a generally applicable theory. There are several schools of thought on how a unified separation science should be developed. The theories described include the mass balance equation (i.e. moving boundary), virtual migration distances, and the use of individual capacity factors.

Dynamic complexation of solutes in capillary electrophoresis.

The analyte migration behavior in any chemical separation system can be described using a single equation that unifies all areas of separation science. This equation can be used in capillary electrophoresis (CE) to design separation systems, and to study interactions between analytes and additives. By using individual capacity factors for each analyte species present in the system, and with the knowledge of the characteristics of each interaction, one can predict the analyte migration behavior in complicated CE systems, including systems with multiple 1:1 interactions and/or higher order interactions.

The effects of a mixture of charged and neutral additives on analyte migration behavior in capillary electrophoresis.

Multicomponent additives, such as derivatized cyclodextrins with various degrees of substitution, can be considered single-component additives as long as the fraction of each component remains constant. In this paper, equations are derived describing the effect of such additives on the migration behavior of analytes. These equations are used in the study of capillary electrophoresis (CE) systems with differentially charged cyclodextrins as additives. For weakly acidic analytes, the binding with highly negatively charged sulfobutyl ether beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-beta-CD) increases their negative electrophoretic mobility, while the binding with neutral hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) decreases their negative mobility. By obtaining the equilibrium constants and mobilities for each additive with each analyte (in this case, phenol, 2-naphthol and 1-naphthol), the migration behavior of these analytes in CE systems is quantitatively predicted at various concentrations of mixtures of the two additives. The properties of the contour lines in the binding isotherm surfaces of such CE systems are discussed.

Higher order equilibria and their effect on analyte migration behavior in capillary electrophoresis.

This paper presents a quantitative investigation into the effect of analyte-additive interactions on analyte migration behavior in capillary electrophoresis (CE) when both 1:1 and 1:2 stoichiometries are present. Equations based on the individual capacity factors for each interaction are derived to account for the effect of both first- and second-order equilibria. The analyte migration behavior is described using these equations with a full account of how the microscopic equilibrium constants and microscopic mobilities are combined to give the macroscopic values. The binding isotherms of interactions with both 1:1 and 1:2 stoichiometries are compared with those of a 1:1 stoichiometry. 4,4'-Biphenol and 4-phenylphenol were chosen as analytes that undergo complexation with one and two hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) molecules; phenol was used as an analyte that interacts with only one HP-ß-CD molecule. The process of calculating higher order equilibrium constants and complex mobilities from the binding isotherms is demonstrated. The effects of experimental conditions, such as the additive concentration range and the number of data points, on the error in the calculated constants and the ability of the equations to accurately describe the experimental data are discussed. A comparison of the linear transformations of the binding isotherm with respect to their ability to detect higher order equilibria is made, and the advantage of using the capacity factor in CE is illustrated.

Quantitative description of analyte migration behavior based on dynamic complexation in capillary electrophoresis with one or more additives.

A comprehensive theory is proposed to describe the migration behavior of analytes in capillary electrophoresis (CE) when one or more additives are present in the buffer solution. This theory amalgamates and extends the previous work done by others. The capacity factor (k') in this theory is defined as the product of the equilibrium constant and the additive concentration, thus, k' changes linearly with additive concentration. The net electrophoretic mobility of an analyte is a function of k', therefore, it can be changed by varying the additive concentration. Three parameters are needed to predict the mobility of an analyte in a one-additive CE system: the mobility of the free analyte, the mobility of the complex, and the equilibrium constant for the analyte-additive interaction (which determines the fraction of the free analyte at different additive concentrations). When additives are used, the change in viscosity obscures this relationship, therefore, a viscosity correction factor is required to convert all mobilities to an ideal state where the viscosity remains constant. The migration behavior of an analyte in a solution with multiple additives can be predicted and controlled, once the equilibrium constants of the interactions between the analyte and each of the additives are obtained separately. beta-Cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin are used as additives and the migration behavior of phenol, p-nitrophenol, and benzoic acid are studied as a model system to verify this theory. When the necessary viscosity correction factor is included, the net electrophoretic mobilities of the analytes obtained from experimental results agree with the values predicted by the theory based on dynamic complexation. Although only experiments with one and two additives were carried out to verify the theory, the equations apply to situations when more than two additives are used. The relationship between the theories of electrophoresis and chromatography is clarified.

Quantitative description of migration behavior of porphyrins based on the dynamic complexation model in a nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis system.

The effect of an additive (Brij 35) on the mobilities of a group of porphyrin acids is quantitatively characterized based on a 1:1 dynamic complexation model. Varying additive concentration shifts the equilibrium and changes the viscosity of the background electrolyte. The equilibrium constant, the electrophoretic mobility of the free analyte, and the electrophoretic mobility of the complex are identified as the parameters necessary to describe the analytes' migration behavior. Several statistical methods for obtaining these parameters are discussed. The equilibrium constants and complex mobilities are calculated using three different linear regression methods. The weighted y-reciprocal method was preferred because it gives smaller error, and the data points are evenly distributed along the concentration axis. These values are confirmed using a nonlinear regression to ensure that the proper weighting was used in the linear regression plots. The parameters are then used to predict the apparent mobilities of the analytes over the entire additive concentration range, allowing the optimum separation conditions to be identified. For disc-like molecules, such as porphyrins, the mobility is determined by the orientation of the molecule in an electric field, in addition to their size and charge. The strength of binding between the porphyrins and Brij 35 depends on the number of binding sites and the solvation shell.

Redefining the separation factor: a potential pathway to a unified separation science.

Understanding the separation process in capillary electrophoresis (CE) leads to the unification of the theories for separation science. While the separation of analytes is governed by equilibria in chromatography, and by (centrifugal) field in ultracentrifugation, the separation in CE is governed by both equilibria and (electric) field. Therefore, a comprehensive separation theory that describes the separation process of analytes in CE should be able to describe the separation processes in both chromatography and ultracentrifugation. In this paper, we propose that individual capacity factors for each analyte species be used to describe the migration behavior of an analyte. The effect of field on each analyte species, as well as the effect of equilibria are considered in deriving a generalized equation that is applicable for all separation techniques. The separation factor defined at present does not directly relate to the migration rates of the analytes, and therefore can not be used in a generalized theory. We propose that the ratio of the migration rates of a pair of analytes (gamma) should be used as the separation factor, instead of the ratio of the two capacity factors. When gamma is used to describe the separation of two closely migrating analytes, all separation techniques have the same resolution equation.

Development and application of a nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis system for the analysis of porphyrins and their oligomers (PHOTOFRIN).

PHOTOFRIN is a complex porphyrin mixture used in the photodynamic therapy of cancer. A nonaqueous buffer with a polyether additive is used in the development of a capillary electrophoresis method for the analysis of this type of compound. This method achieves partial separation of 60 peaks for PHOTOFRIN in 30 min. A methanol-based buffer is used to improve the efficiency of the separation by decreasing the aggregation of porphyrin, and the resolution is improved by using the electroosmotic flow (EOF) to counterbalance the electrophoretic migration of the analytes. This counter-balancing EOF holds the analytes in the electric field longer, thereby improving the resolution. Brij 35 is used as a complexation reagent to adjust the selectivity and improve the efficiency of the separation. The effects that Brij 35 concentration has on the separation of both monomeric and oligomeric porphyrins are discussed. The polarity of the solvent is adjusted through the addition of water and its effect is rationalized. A qualitative fingerprinting method for characterizing PHOTOFRIN is developed, and different batches and stressed samples are studied.