FURTHER STUDIES ON THE PURIFICATION OF THROMBIN

Abstract

Purified biothrombin (bovine) was fractionated with the use of amberlite IRC-50 columns to obtain resin thrombin with an activity of 4100 units/mg. dry weight or 45,000 units/mg. tyrosine. As obtained from a resin column in 0.3 M phosphate buffer, pH 8.0, the thrombin is stable for 5 days at room temperature. At 4 °C. about 70% of the activity remains after 20 weeks. The maximum molecular weight is estimated by comparing with the specific activity (2000 units/mg.) and molecular weight (62,700) of purified prothrombin as follows: 2000/4100 × 62,700 or 30,600 as the probable molecular weight. Resin thrombin can lose its fibrinogen-clotting power while esterase activity is retained. On the other hand the esterase activity can be depressed without diminishing the clotting activity. Resin thrombin lyses fibrin. When examined in an ultracentrifuge a single symmetrical peak was found with a sedimentation constant of S = 3.9 (20 °C., 0.1 M KCl, 5.5 mg./ml.) Citrate thrombin was also fractionated with the use of IRC-50 to obtain material with a specific activity of 47,000 units/mg. tyrosine.