Resolution and solution behavior of crosslinked myelin basic protein.

The use of chemical crosslinking methodologies for the study of the solution structure and folding of the myelin basic protein required the development of a specific protocol for separating the various reaction products. Myelin basic protein treated with the crosslinking reagent dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate) was subjected to analysis by urea-SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This permitted the identification of dimer and higher oligomeric crosslinked products. The dissociating conditions of this method precluded the dimerization of the basic protein observed in systems with SDS and without urea. Similar samples analyzed by gel filtration-fast protein liquid chromatography exhibited a complex elution pattern in contrast to the protein not reacted with the crosslinker. The electrophoretic analysis of the different eluted fractions revealed that at least three monomeric forms of modified myelin basic protein had been separated by gel filtration.