Purification of the integral membrane glycoproteins D of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, produced in the recombinant baculovirus expression system, by ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography.

Selective elution of Sendai virus integral membrane proteins by ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPIEC) using different detergent concentrations was reported before [S. Welling-Wester, M. Freijlbrief, D.G.A.M. Koedijk, M.A. Braaksma, B.R.K. Douma and G.W. Welling, J. Chromatogr., 646 (1993) 37]. In the present study this novel approach was applied to the purification of the integral membrane glycoprotein D of Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2. The glycoproteins D of types 1 (gD-1) and 2 (gD-2) were cloned into the baculovirus expression system and produced in protein-free cultured insect cells. Detergent extracts of recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells containing gD-1 or gD-2 were prepared using pentaethyleneglycol monodecyl ether, for extraction (final concentration 2%, w/v). The same detergent was used as additive in the elution buffers for HPIEC on a Mono Q HR 5/5 column. At low (0.005%) detergent concentration, most of the proteins present in the extract including part of gD were eluted with the sodium chloride gradient whereas a subsequent blank run using the same gradient at higher detergent concentration (0.1%) resulted in selective elution of pure gD.