Biomaterial Database

The statistical estimation of molecular weights from normal and difference ultracentrifuge boundaries. 1972

M A McCallum, and S P Spragg

1. To determine molecular weights from boundary data taken from a sedimentation velocity experiment in an ultracentrifuge, the parameter s/D must be estimated. This can be obtained by using non-linear statistical methods to fit a mathematical model [the Fujita & MacCosham (1959) equation] to the results. 2. The statistical method chosen was the simplex method of Nelder & Mead (1965), which was found to be ideal for this problem. Internal errors were calculated at the end of the search for the minimum in the residuals, but in general these errors were found to not represent the overall true error of the experiment. 3. Calculations of molecular weights of myoglobin showed that instabilities at low concentrations of protein (less than 0.8mg/ml) disturbed the calculation of s/D. If 1% (w/v) sucrose was included in the solvent, these instabilities were decreased, and extrapolating to infinite time the linear function of s versus 1/(time) gave an acceptable value for s with an error of +/-4.8%. The estimates of the molecular weights were less well-defined and the mean value was low by 8%, with an estimated error of the mean of +/-3%. The conclusion was that vibration was responsible for the instabilities without sucrose. 4. The Fujita-MacCosham equation can be extended to make it possible to estimate ratios of sedimentation and molecular weights for difference boundaries. Tests using two solutions of orosomucoid in which a 2% decrease in velocity of one boundary was achieved by adding a calculated quantity of sucrose showed that the analysis gave realistic values for the two ratios, and the error for the ratio of sedimentation coefficients was +/-10%. The error was larger for the estimated ratio of the molecular weights, but the analysis gave the expected value for the ratio.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008722	Methods	A series of steps taken in order to conduct research.	Techniques,Methodological Studies,Methodological Study,Procedures,Studies, Methodological,Study, Methodological,Method,Procedure,Technique
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D009211	Myoglobin	A conjugated protein which is the oxygen-transporting pigment of muscle. It is made up of one globin polypeptide chain and one heme group.
D011506	Proteins	Linear POLYPEPTIDES that are synthesized on RIBOSOMES and may be further modified, crosslinked, cleaved, or assembled into complex proteins with several subunits. The specific sequence of AMINO ACIDS determines the shape the polypeptide will take, during PROTEIN FOLDING, and the function of the protein.	Gene Products, Protein,Gene Proteins,Protein,Protein Gene Products,Proteins, Gene
D006023	Glycoproteins	Conjugated protein-carbohydrate compounds including MUCINS; mucoid, and AMYLOID glycoproteins.	C-Glycosylated Proteins,Glycosylated Protein,Glycosylated Proteins,N-Glycosylated Proteins,O-Glycosylated Proteins,Glycoprotein,Neoglycoproteins,Protein, Glycosylated,Proteins, C-Glycosylated,Proteins, Glycosylated,Proteins, N-Glycosylated,Proteins, O-Glycosylated
D013223	Statistics as Topic	Works about the science and art of collecting, summarizing, and analyzing data that are subject to random variation.	Area Analysis,Estimation Technics,Estimation Techniques,Indirect Estimation Technics,Indirect Estimation Techniques,Multiple Classification Analysis,Service Statistics,Statistical Study,Statistics, Service,Tables and Charts as Topic,Analyses, Area,Analyses, Multiple Classification,Area Analyses,Classification Analyses, Multiple,Classification Analysis, Multiple,Estimation Technic, Indirect,Estimation Technics, Indirect,Estimation Technique,Estimation Technique, Indirect,Estimation Techniques, Indirect,Indirect Estimation Technic,Indirect Estimation Technique,Multiple Classification Analyses,Statistical Studies,Studies, Statistical,Study, Statistical,Technic, Indirect Estimation,Technics, Estimation,Technics, Indirect Estimation,Technique, Estimation,Technique, Indirect Estimation,Techniques, Estimation,Techniques, Indirect Estimation
D014461	Ultracentrifugation	Centrifugation with a centrifuge that develops centrifugal fields of more than 100,000 times gravity. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)