Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2012
Capstone Advisor
Professor Robert P. Doyle
Honors Reader
Professor James Hougland
Capstone Major
Biology
Capstone College
Arts and Science
Audio/Visual Component
no
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
yes
Honors Categories
Sciences and Engineering
Subject Categories
Biochemistry | Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Abstract
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays a critical role in energy production in humans. Low levels of CoQ10 have been linked to diseases such as Parkinson's and Huntingtons's disease. CoQ10 levels decrease as we age, and use of statin drugs also lowers CoQ10 levels. Oral supplementation however increases CoQ10 levels. However, the lack of industrial sources of CoQ10 and the difficulty in CoQ10 purification has resulted the need to address these problems. Sporidiobolus johnsonii (S. johnsonii) has been reported as a natural producer of CoQ10. This work is aim to increase the production of CoQ10 in S. johnsonii through genetic engineering. Current purification methods for CoQ10 are difficult and expensive. A protein based purification method may alleviate the current problems associated with typical LC purification. Saposin B (Sap B) has been shown to bind with CoQ10 at selective pH's. We hypothesized that utilizing a Sap B coated support resin that an affinity purification method for CoQ10 could e produced. To this end, the recombinant Sap B was expressed and bound via a HIS-Tag to a sepharose IMAC bead. This work demonstrates that CoQ10 can be bound and released by a Sap B based affinity resin by manipulating the pH.
Recommended Citation
Yu, Vivian Yaci, "Expression and Purification of Recombinant Saposin B for Coenzyme Q10 Purification" (2012). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 153.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/153
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
