Affinity Elution as a Purification Method for Aminoacyl‐tRNA Synthetases

Abstract

Aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases adsorbed on phosphocellulose can be specifically eluted with purified tRNA. This method we call affinity elution in analogy to affinity chromatography. The advantage of the method is the use of enzyme‐ligand affinity without fixation of the ligand to a polymer support. As an example, purification of phenylalanyl‐tRNA synthetase, valyl‐tRNA synthetase, seryl‐tRNA synthetase and isoleucyl‐tRNA synthetase from baker's yeast is described. The first two aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases were obtained as apparently homogeneous proteins with purification factors 537 and 246, respectively.