AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEQUENCING PEPTIDES AND PROTEINS

Abstract: An improved apparatus for sequencing proteins and peptides in a reaction chamber using a spinning cup by successive coupling and cleavage reaction steps wherein the reaction chamber is always subjected to positive pressure. The improvement involves the elimination of the use of a vacuum in the chamber for drying or enhancing reagent or solvent transfer. Throughout the coupling and cleavage steps the reaction chamber is subjected to a positive pressure by the positive application of an inert gas through the reaction chamber for reagent and solvent transfer, drying and removal of waste.

Description: AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEQUENCING PEPTIDES AND PROTEINS Background of the Invention This invention relates to an improved method for performing the sequential degradation of peptide chains for purposes of analyzing the constituents of the chain. It is important to analyze the amino acid sequence of proteins and peptides in order to understand their biological functions. For example, the function of insulin is dependent upon its particular amino acid sequence. A variety of techniques may be used to deter¬ mine the linear order of amino acids. One of the most important sequential methods now being used is called the Ξdman process. The Ξdman process was originally described in Acta Chem. Scand. 4, 283 (1950). Four later articles describe a general form of its use: Blomback et al., "Human Fibrinopeptides Isolation, Characterization, and Structure," Biochem, Biophys. Acta, 115 (1966) 371- 396; Edman and Begg, "A Protein Sequenator," European J. Biochem. 1 (1967) 80-91; Niall et al., "The Amino Acid Sequence of Porcine Thyrocalciton," Proc. of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 59 No. 4, pp. 1,321-1,328, April. 1968; and Niall, "Sequential Analysis of Proteins and Peptides" Fractions No. 2, pp. 1-10 (1969). Briefly, as discussed in the last article and as shown inside the cover of the Fractions publication, the Edman sequential degradation processes involve three stages: coupling, cleavage, and conversion. In the coupling stage phenyl isothioσyanate (PITC) reacts with the N-terrainal α amino group of the peptide to form the phenylthiocarbamyl (PTC) derivative. The pH is normally maintained at between 9 and 10 and preferably between 9 and 9.5 for the coupling reaction. In the cleavage step anhydrous acid is used to - - 2 - cleave the PTC derivative, i.e., the anilinothiazolinone (ATZ) . After extraction of the thiazolirione the residual peptide is ready for the next cycle of coupling and cleavage reactions. Aqueous acid is used to convert the thiazolinone to the phenylthiohydantoin (PTH) which may be analyzed in an appropriate manner such as by chroma- tography. At the end of the coupling step the excess PITC and the organic constituents of the coupling buffer, which is used to maintain the desired environment (such as pH) for the coupling reaction, are removed by extrac¬ tion with benzene. Certain breakdown products of PITC such as aniline and phenylthiourea are also removed. Diphenylthiourea, another side product, is poorly soluble in benzene but may be removed by further extraction with a more polar organic solvent such as ethyl or butyl ace¬ tate. The water from the coupling buffer must also be removed, for example by lyophilization. The reaction vessel is then subjected to a vacuum purging operation to remove any remaining undesired materials and the dried protein as its PTC derivative is then ready for cleavage. During the cleavage operation the protein is dissolved in anhydrous acid, for example trifluoroacetic acid. Thus, there is a strong shift in pH from basic for the coupling reaction to acidic for the cleavage reac¬ tion. The acid is then evaporated and the cleaved thia¬ zolinone derivative is extracted from the residual pep¬ tide with butyl chloride or ethylene dichloride. After evaporation of residual solvent and a further vacuum purging operation, the peptide or protein, now one resi¬ due shorter, is ready for the next cycle. In the typical apparatus used to perform the coupling and cleavage steps, each series constituting a cycle, the steps may be broken down into seven stages. A typical apparatus for accomplishing this is the Beckman OMPI Protein Peptide Sequencer. The first of the seven stages is the coupling of the protein. This is followed by two wash stages giving precipitation of the sample along with a primary extraction of excess reagents and a secondary extraction of excess reagents. The cleavage stage, cleaving the amino acid residue on the end of the protein comes next. This is followed by a first extraction which extracts the cleaved amino acid residue. If desired, to be sure that all of the amino acid residue has been cleaved, a second cleavage step may be used followed by a second extraction step. Reference is made to U.S. Patent 3,725,101 which describes in detail the above-referenced Beckman Protein Peptide Sequencer. This particular type of automatic protein/peptide sequenator avoided or minimized many of the difficulties and limitations experienced by the early efforts to automate a process for determining the amino acid sequence in protein. Several drawbacks were evident in the Ξdman protein sequenator. The Beckman sequencer includes a reaction cell or chamber having a rotating or spinning cup driven with the chamber. The chamber has to be properly insulated and sealed in order to insure proper operation. In fluid communication with the reac¬ tion chamber are means for introducing and removing gases and liquids. Insulation of the chamber is necessary in order to provide a constant, uniform temperature critical for the reaction. Also, it is necessary to properly seal the reaction chamber so that during the evacuation step for waste removal and for drying, the proper vacuαm environment is maintained within the chamber without having any degrading influence from the surrounding atmo¬ sphere. Consequently, it is necessary to specifically design a properly sealed driving mechanism for the spin¬ ning cup to ensure the vacuum environment within the reaction chamber. One approach as shown in the refer- enced patent is a magnetic coupling drive unit which is properly sealed. Included within the system are numerous vacuum seals that are necessary in order to insure the proper environment when the vacuum is necessary. Also, rather high quality and precise vacuum pumps are neces¬ sary in order to provide the requisite vacuum when neces¬ sary. Also included are numerous vacuum lines and valves. All of this equipment to support the vacuum necessary in the reaction chamber requires a significant 'maintenance over a period of time. In addition to the problem of maintenance as well as complexity of construction in a protein peptide sequencer using a vacuum or negative pressure during portions of the sequencing cycle, other disadvantages exist which have caused problems. Specifically, the use of a solu¬ tion containing detergent has normally been precluded in the treatment in a spinning cup sequencer because the negative pressure causes foaming. Another problem occurs when some proteins absorb or adhere sufficiently to the wall of a glass cup or form vapor inhibited surface layers. When vacuum is applied within the cup, the underlying vapor formation may tend to lift the film from its apposition to the wall. Another prior apparatus for analyzing proteins is shown in U.S. Patent 3,645,689. In this particular arrangement the reactor portion of the system is a verti¬ cal tube which has a plate on which graduated solid sup¬ port is supplied. The reactants are brought to the sample in a carrier gas phase. The sample is absorbed to the graduated solid support. Amino acid derivative is removed by heating the.solid support reactor and reducing the pressure. The derivative is thereby transferred to a sample absorber.. It is necessary in this system also to use a vacuum within the reactor. The requirement for a OMP vacuum system in conjunction with the reactor in a seque¬ nator has the same problem as discussed above. In U.S. Patent 3,717,436 another approach for an automated peptide protein sequencer is shown wherein vacuum is used for the evacuation and drying step accord¬ ing to selected portions of the sequencing cycle. How¬ ever, in addition to using the vacuum with its requisite pumps, valves and seals, nitrogen is introduced at cer¬ tain times to aid in the vacuum purging operation between the reaction steps to more completely remove undesirable materials. However, the nitrogen flushing aspect of this particular apparatus maintains the requirement for a vacuum system in the reactor and therefore has the inher¬ ent disadvantages as described above. in the Gilbert 3,892,531 patent the reactor comprises the heated finger sample holder that in essence is a manual system which operates by the use of an inert gas to evaporate chemicals. Everything is delivered to this sample holder tip via vapor. The inert gas that is used for transporting is used also for flushing. The tip is designed to heat and cool. More specifically, many presently used sequen¬ cers require two vacuum pumps of 160 liters per minute capacity. The two pumps are necessary in order to pro- vide one pump for low vacuum or rough vacuum and another pump for high vacuum or a fine vacuum. Other examples of present sequencers use one pump for all vacuum in the A ' reaction chamber. These pumps reduce the pressure in the reaction chamber to enable the removal of the reactant, solvent and by-product vapors. A significant number of the vapors pass through the pump and are exhausted, but volatile alkaline buffer vapors remain in the pump until the acid vapors are removed from the reaction. As a result, salts are formed which contaminate the pump. The presence of these contaminating salts increases the pump wear and maintenance and decreases the evacuating effi¬ ciency of the pump. The complexity in a system that uses slight positive pressure during portions of the cycle and vacuum at other times during the chemical cycle is considerable because of the requirement that all seals and connections- must prevent the intrusion of atmospheric air to avoid detrimental effects of air on the chemistry in the reac¬ tion chamber. Summary of the Invention The present invention is directed to a protein/peptide sequencer utilizing the spinning cup principle whereby the reaction chamber in the apparatus is subjected to a continuous positive pressure. The requirement of a vacuum or negative pressure at any time in the reaction chamber during the sequencing cycle is eliminated. The reaction cell chamber is continuously maintained under a positive pressure atmosphere which is oxygen free and has an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen during the entire sequencing cycle. Where prior systems required a vacuum for removal of reaσtant and/or solvent vapors, the removal is now accomplished by the flow of the inert gas through the reaction chamber. The evacuated vapors can be directed to a cold trap. The use of a continual positive pressure -through the system provides numerous advantages to the ovirall design of the system. The requirement for sophisticated and precise vacuum pumps is eliminated. Furthermore, required maintenance associated with the need for vacuum seals is eliminated and several valves and vacuum con¬ duits are no longer needed, resulting in a simpler and, thus, an inherently more reliable system. OMPI In addition to the structural advantages of using the present invention, increased capability is obtained in using a sequencer with a spinning cup reac¬ tor. Formerly, some proteins required detergents for solubility but the negative pressure application to a solution containing a detergent caused foaming that pre¬ cluded this treatment in the sequencer. The use of a positive pressure avoids foaming. Furthermore, some proteins absorb or adhere insufficiently to the wall of the glass cup or may form a vapor inhibitive surface layer that is not conducive to the application of a vacuum. The underlying vapor formation when subjected to a vacuum may tend to lift the film from the wall in the cup. The use of a positive pressure will reduce the tendency of a removal of such proteins from the wall of the cup. The overall complexity of a sequencer not requiring vacuum in the reaction chamber is significantly reduced. The material and the seals necessary are greatly simplified or eliminated. In prior systems the alternating positive and negative pressures typically required rigid isolation of the reaction chamber because the negative pressures would invite incursion of air including oxygen and other contaminants into the inert atmosphere of the reaction chamber. However, a system with a continuous positive pressure of inert gas relative to the ambient or atmospheric pressure simplifies design requirements because there is no encouragement of the atmospheric air into the reaction chamber. r . The results obtainable with a sequencer instru¬ ment incorporating the present invention are equivalent or better than in a sequencer instrument using a vacuum in the reaction chamber. The minimization of overlap, i.e., some of the prior cycle or residue remaining, is the equivalent or better using a sequencer with the pres- OMPI ent invention. Furthermore, the minimization of back¬ ground, i.e., other amino acids visible from prior cycles, is the equivalent or better using the present invention. Brief Description of the Drawing The figure shows in schematic form a sequencer system for determining the sequence of amino acids, pro¬ teins and peptides utilizing the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention As shown in the figure, the sequencer of the present invention utilizes a reaction chamber 10 having a reaction cell or cup 12. The reaction chamber 10 is heated to a desired temperature for the reaction cycle during the sequencing operation. The reaction cell 12 is designed to rotate during the operation of the sequencing cycle and is driven by some type of motor means 14 con¬ nected by a shaft 16 to the spinning cup 12. Reference is made to U.S. Patent 3,725,010 for more detail with respect to the reaction chamber and the reaction cell. Although in the referenced patent a par¬ ticular drive system is shown using a magnetic coupling, it is envisioned that in the present invention the drive system can be much less complicated because, as will be explained, there is no requirement for a vacuum in the reaction chamber as was required in prior devices. Connected in fluid communication by the transfer line 18 to the reaction cell 12 is an inert gas supply 20 such as nitrogen under positive pressure. The nitrogen passes through the line 18, a valve mechanism 22, and a preheater 24 before entering the lower portion of the spinning cell 12. The supply of inert gas to the cell through transfer line 18 is an important aspect of the OM present invention and its function in the sequencing operation will be explained in more detail below. In the sequencing system there are a plurality of reagent and solvent supplies 26 which also are con- nected through a single or a plurality of transfer lines represented in the Figure by a single line 28 to the reaction chamber 10 and into the reaction cell 12. The transfer of the reagents or the solvents is accomplished by the inert gas flow through a transfer line 30 from the inert gas supply 20 through a valve system 32. The oper¬ ation of the inert gas through the valve system 32 into the reagent/solvent supply 26 and through the valve sys¬ tem 34 is explained in more detail in the above- referenced 3,725,010 patent. The positive pressure of the inert gas provides a force to move the liquid solvent or reagent into the reaction cell 12 at the proper time during the sequencing cycle. Removal of vapors during the reaction cycle is accomplished through the extraction line 36 which leads to a valve 38. The vapor is then directed through the waste line 40 into a waste container 42 for transfer to exhaust or another waste area. In a preferable arrange¬ ment vapor may exit the waste container 42 through a line 43 and a valve 45 to a cold trap 47. A vent line 49 with a valve 51 is connected to the cold trap. Also received through the extraction line 36 and through the valve 38 are derivatives which are directed to the collector line y- 44 and into a fraction collection 46 having a vent line 39 and valve 41. in order to completely remove vapors from the reaction cup as well as the reaction chamber during the reaction cycle, both the extraction line 36 to the cup and the vent line 52 to the chamber must be vented at the same time. The chamber vent line 52 is connected through valve 54 to the waste container 42. Reference should be made to patent 3,725,010 for to a detailed description of the overall peptide/protein system with respect to the transfer of the solvents and reagents to the reaction cell as well as for more detail with respect to the transfer of the vapors, solvent and reaσtants to either the fraction collector or to the waste receptacle. The important distinction with respect to the present invention as opposed to that shown in the refer- ence patent is the fact that no vacuum is used in the reaction chamber during the sequencing cycle as will be explained. The evacuation or removal of any waste, by¬ product vapors or reactants is accomplished by the posi¬ tive pressure of the inert gas flowing into the reaction cell and out through the extraction line 36 and vent line 52. Furthermore, detail with respect to the valving operations of the system 32 and 34 shown in the present invention to select and transfer the proper reagent or solvent at the proper time during sequencing cycle is shown in detail in the referenced patent. The operation of this valving system is actuated through a vacuum system that could operate through other means such as inert gas pressure or a solenoid arrangement. Therefore, the requirements for the vacuum pumps and vacuum lines in the arrangements shown in the referenced patent can be eliminated. With respect to the operation of the peptide/protein system incorporating the present inven- y ' tion, a sample of polypeptide chain solution is placed in the reaction cell 12 which is a rotating glass cup. The solution assumes the form of a thin film on the inner wall 48 of the reaction cup as a result of the gravita¬ tional as well as centrifugal forces generated while the cup or cell 12 is being spun by the motor 14. The sol- vent within the film is removed as a vapor by the flow of . - 11 - positive pressure inert gas through the transfer line 18 which is preheated in the heater 24 as it enters the heated reaction chamber 10. The positive inert gas enters at the bottom 50 of the cup and flows over the thin film on the interior wall 48 and is exited through extraction line 36, valve 38 and waste line 40 to the waste receptacle 42, as well as through the chamber vent line 52 and valve 54 to the waste receptacle 42. Phenyl isothiocyanate (PITC) or other suitable coupling agent is added in solvent such as heptane through the transfer line 28 and into the reaction cell 12 where it forms a thin film within the cup or cell 12. A major portion of the solvent such as heptane is removed by the flow of the inert gas into and over the thin film to the waste receptacle 42. The PITC remains as a thin film over the sample film. A buffer of suitable pH and composition for the Ξdman chemistry is delivered through the transfer line 28 and into the reaction cell 12. The exit to the waste receptacle 42 is open via the valve 38 during this delivery of the suitable buffer to maintain a uniform pressure differential and to accomplish the repetitive delivery volume. The valve 38 is then closed and a coup¬ ling reaction is allowed to take place in the closed reaction chamber 10 which has inert positive presure atmosphere for the requisite reaction time. When the coupling reaction is completed, the volatile portion of the reactants is removed with the flow of the inert gas through the transfer line 18 and into the reaction cell for removal through the extraction line 36 and the chamber vent line 52. The semi-dried film within the reaction cell 12 is then washed with benzene, benzene and ethyl acetate or other suitable solvents through transfer line 28 to extract excess coup- ling agent and its by-products through the extraction OMPI line 36 by the positive pressure inert gas. The excess solvent is also removed with the inert gas flow. Further solvent extraction to remove buffer by-products is achieved by the delivery of ethyl acetate or other suit- able solvent through the transfer line 28. Again, the positive pressure inert gas flow provides the ability to remove the buffer by-products. The thin film containing the phenylthiocarbamyl derivatized polypeptide chain is now dried with the flow of the inert gas through the line 18 and over the cup inner wall 48 and through a vent line 52 controlled by the valve 54. A cleavage acid is then delivered through the transfer line 28 over the thin film within the reac¬ tion cell to remove the amino terminal residue as an anilinothiazolinone derivatized amino acid (ATZ) . The cleavage acid vapor is removed by the gas flow through the line 18. A solvent is then delivered throught the transfer line 28 to extract the cleaved ATZ from the polypeptide chain. The solvent conveys the derivative to the fraction collector through the extraction line 36, the valve 38 and the collector line 44. The residual solvent film is removed with inert gas flow to the drive polypeptide leaving it as a film ready for the next cycle in the sequencing system. As noted from the above operation, the design of the transfer of the inert gas stream is such that it passes through the transfer line 18 and a heater 24 which is to preheat the gas as it enter the heated reaction chamber 10. Although the heater is not an absolute necessity, its use increases the efficiency of ths sys¬ tem. The gas is designed to enter the spinning cup near the inside bottom 50 of the cup so that the gas will sweep over the inside surface of the cup. Gas will exit either at the top of the cup through the extraction line 36 or through a vent or line 52 located near the bottom of the reaction chamber 10. The regulation of the flow of the inert gas is achieved through the system by elec¬ trical solenoid valves under control of the sequencer or programmer. Although reference has been made with respect to the use of the invention with respect to the Edman chem¬ istry, this particular invention should not be considered as limited to only this application. The apparatus is capable of automatically performing a variety of chemical processes. The present invention is important in that it allows for the compatability of the spinning cup sequencer instrument with chemical methodology that was difficult or impossible to perform in such an instrument because the use of detergents caused foaming and the sequencing of proteins that would tend to pull off the cup wall or support when the vacuum was applied. yλ ' -

Claims: What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for conducting chemical pro¬ cesses using reagents and solvents with a sample, said apparatus comprising: a reaction cell; a reaction chamber for receipt of said reaction cell; and means for moving said reagents and solvents to said cell and for evacuating said cell and said chamber of undesired byproducts, said chamber being at positive pressure during all cycles of said chemical process. 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said reaction cell comprises a rotating reaction cup. 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said reaction cell comprises an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit, said moving means establishing a first pressure in said inlet conduit, said first pressure being greater than the pressure in said outlet conduit of said chamber, said outlet conduit pressure being more than atmospheric pressure. 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means comprises a supply of inert gas in fluid communication with said cell and said chamber. y k 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 ,^wherein one of said reagents and solvents is a detergent,/ said moving means not causing said detergent to foam in said cell when said cell is, being evacuated. 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said moving means dries said cell. OMP 7. A method of sequencing comprising the steps of: placing a sample in a reaction cell located within a reaction chamber; introducing an inert gas under pressure to the inlet of said chamber to carry solvent vapor through the outlet of said chamber; adding a coupling agent to said cell; introducing said inert gas under pressure to the inlet of said chamber to carry solvent vapors through the outlet of said chamber; adding a buffer to said cell for a coupling reaction; introducing said inert gas under pressure to the inlet of said chamber to carry the volatile portion of the reactives of said coupling reaction through the out¬ let of said chamber; drying the material within said cell with the flow of positive pressure inert gas through said chamber; adding cleavage acid to said cell; removing vapor of said cleavage acid from said cell by the flow of inert gas under pressure through said cell; transferring with the flow of said inert gas through said cell the cleaved material from said cell to a fraction collector; and drying the residue material in said cell by the flow of positive pressure inert gas through said chamber. • • 8. The method of sequencing a sample within a spinning cup reaction cell, said method comprising the steps of: adding a coupling agent to said cup; adding a buffer to said cup; adding a cleavage acid to said cup; OMPI removing the cleaved residue from said cup; and introducing into said cup after each adding step an inert gas under positive pressure to remove the vola- tile portion of the vapors within the cup. 9. A method of sequencing a sample within a spinning cup reaction cell, said method comprising the steps of: adding reactants to said cup; adding detergent solvents to said cup; and preventing foaming of said detergent solvents by introducing an inert gas under positive pressure to said cup to remove volatile portions of said reactants and solvents.

Inventors: OHMS JACK I, PENHASI HARRY A, QADEER MAJID, OHMS, JACK, I., PENHASI, HARRY, A., QADEER, MAJID
Applicants: BECKMAN INSTRUMENTS INC, BECKMAN INSTRUMENTS, INC.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: G01N33
IPC codes: B01J19, C40B40, C40B60, G01N33