Ionic exchange chromatography

Glycine, alanine, valine and leucine can be successfully separated by ionic exchange
chromatography even though their pKas are almost identical. Explain the behaviour of these amino
acids.

The amino acids Glycine, alanine, valine and leucine have nearly similar pI values and hence
cannot be separated in an ion exchange chromatography based on its ionization property. These amino
acids can be separated based on its polarity.

[Doubt : Does the polarity indicates the hydropathy index?]

A mixture of lysine, glycine, alanine, isoleucine and glutamic acid are separated by ionic exchange
chromatography. What is the order of elution of these amino acids if you use gradient buffer system
at pH 10 :

a) with a cation exchange resin?

b) with an anion exchange resin?

Which column would give the best separation?

With the cation exchange resin the amino acids cannot bind to the resin because at pH 10, all the
amino acids will be negatively charged (pH >pI) and hence all the amino acids will be eluded.

With the anion exchange resin, the order of elusion will be

1. Lysine
2. Glycine, Alanine, Isoleucine (nearly equal pI value hence can be eluded together as a
mixture)
3. Glutamic acid.

The anion exchange resin would give the best separation.

What is the net charge (+, 0, -) of the amino acids glycine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamine and
arginine at: a) pH 2.01 b) pH 3.96 c) pH 5.68 d) pH 10.76

Amino acid pH 2.01 pH 3.96 pH 5.68 pH 10.76

Glycine + + + -
Serine + + 0 -
Aspartic acid + - - -
Glutamine + + + -
Arginine + + + 0
Isoelectric point of histones.

The very high pI value of the histones can be due to the presence of more positively charged
amino acids like lysine, arginine and histidine. Since DNA is made up of phosphate backbone which is
strongly negatively charged, these amino acids will bind tightly to them contributing to the strong binding
of histones to the DNA.

Isoelectric point of Pepsin

Please explain how to solve this sir.