Separation of a series of chromophores and fluorophores present in elastin.

Purified elastin was hydrolysed with HCl and manipulated under conditions that minimized oxidation. Gel-permeation chromatography on polyacrylamide gel and ion-exchange chromatography on dextran cation-exchanger each resulted in the separation of a series of yellow fluorescent fractions. These hitherto unreported ampholytes have fluorescence spectra that approximate to that of the intact protein, and account for its characteristic optical properties. Since the coloured fluorophores are confined to enzyme-resistant regions of the protein molecule they appear to have important structural implications.