A procedure for isolation of human protein C and protein S as by-products of the purification of factors VII, IX, X and prothrombin.

A DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography step utilized to purify human Factor VII consistently yields a protein peak between the factor VII activity peak and prothrombin, factor X and factor IX activity peak (S.P. Bajaj, S.I. Rapaport, and S.F. Brown: J. Biol. Chem. 251, 253-259, 1981). We now report that this protein peak contains protein C and protein S. Preparative disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the proteins in this peak permitted a complete separation of protein C from protein S. Protein C at this step usually contained approximately 5-10% of Factor X, which could be removed by a goat anti-human Factor X antibody column. For a typical preparation, starting with 10L of plasma, the yield of Protein C was 5 mg and of protein S was 4 mg. Both proteins revealed apparent homogeneity in sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoretic system. beta-Protein C and beta-protein S were not observed in our preparations starting with plasma collected directly into citrate anticoagulant containing benzamidine and soybean trypsin inhibitor, suggesting that these beta forms of protein C and protein S, isolated by other investigators, are slightly degraded forms of the native proteins. Antisera generated to these proteins were monospecific and could be used to monitor column fractions during purification. When examined by immunoelectrophoresis, the electrophoretic mobility of protein S in plasma was slower than that of isolated protein S. When exposed to plasmin, protein C was activated slightly and then rapidly degraded.