ALLOPHYCOCYANIN FROM A LOCAL ISOLATE GEITLERINEMA SP. A28DM (CYANOBACTERIA): A SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT PURIFICATION PROCESS

• Published in: Journal of phycology 2010-04, Vol.46 (2), p.285-289
• Main Authors: Parmar, Asha, Singh, Niraj Kumar, Madamwar, Datta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: allophycocyanin; Cyanobacteria; ethodin; Geitlerinema; gel permeation chromatography; purification
• ISSN: 0022-3646; 1529-8817
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2009.00798.x

Allophycocyanin (APC) is the least-studied cyanobacterial bile-pigment invariably present within the phycobilisome core of cyanobacteria. In the present study, we describe a simple, cost-effective, and reproducible method for the purification of APC from a local isolate, Geitlerinema sp. A28DM. The pigment was extracted from the algal biomass and precipitated with 0.25% aqueous solution of the highly aromatic cationic dye "ethodin." The precipitated APC was then subjected to a single size-exclusion chromatographic step using Sephadex G-100. Pure cyanobacterial APC (C-APC) (A₆₅₂/A₂₈₀ of 3.2) was obtained and characterized by its absorption spectrum with maximum at 652 nm and a shoulder at 620 nm, and by SDS-PAGE, showing two bands with molecular masses of 15 and 17.5 kDa, corresponding to α and β subunits of the biliprotein. The final yield of C-APC was 66% from its content in the crude extract. The procedure appears to be promising for wider applications and larger production of APC.