This document describes the advantages of using OptiPrep density gradient medium over CsCl and sucrose solutions for virus purification and analysis. OptiPrep forms isoosmotic solutions that do not affect virus infectivity or require dialysis before cell infection. It allows rapid sedimentation of virus particles and purification of many types of viruses without loss of surface proteins or infectivity. The document provides examples of gradient solutions and protocols that have been used to purify viruses such as adenovirus, HIV, hepatitis C virus, and herpes simplex virus using OptiPrep.
2. SOLUTION HANDLING
• Density solutions prepared by diluting
OptiPrep™ with culture medium or any
balanced salt solution
• Sterile solution
• CsCl/sucrose solutions require lengthy
preparation times and sterilization
• CsCl is expensive
3. CsCl PROBLEMS
• Big losses in viral infectivity; low recoveries;
high particle:infectivity ratios
• Solutions have very high osmolality: viruses
lose water; high virus density; high [CsCl]
required for gradients
• Highly toxic to cells: must be dialyzed prior
to re-infection of cells
• Solutions ionic and corrosive: samples must
be dialyzed before electrophoresis or HPLC
4. SUCROSE PROBLEMS
• Solutions are hyperosmotic: virus density
in sucrose usually higher than in
iodixanol
• Solutions are viscous: slow sedimentation
of virus particles and loss of surface
proteins from enveloped viruses
• Highly toxic to cells: must be dialyzed
prior to re-infection of cells
5. OPTIPREP – NO PROBLEMS
• Solutions are isoosmotic: virus density is
low
• Solutions have low viscosity: rapid
sedimentation of virus particles
• Is non-toxic to cells
• Has little or no effect on virus infectivity
• Cells can be re-infected and electrophoresis
and HPLC performed without dialysis
• Only electron microscopy requires removal
6. Kivela et al (1999)Virol. 262, 364-374
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
% iodixanol, sucrose, glycerol
1011
1012
1.1 1.3 1.5 1.7 CsCl g/ml
Iodixanol
Glycerol
CcCl
Sucrose
Infectivity
Effect of medium on PM2 infectivity
10. rAAV in continuous gradient (V04)
Hermens, W.T.J.M.C. et al (1999) Human Gene Therapy,
10, 1885-1891
B
Gradient Master
Opti-
Prep
11. rAAV in continuous gradient
Hermens, W.T.J.M.C. et al (1999) Human Gene Therapy,
10, 1885-1891
Gradient
Master 348000g
3 h
NVt rotor
rAAV
Cell
fragments
OptiPrep
Virus
fluid
12. Comparison of virus product in
CsCl and OptiPrep™
Pre-gradient Gradient % Recov’ry VP/ICU
(NH4)2 SO4 CsCl 0.1-60 1000-108
(NH4)2 SO4 OptiPrep 26-120 364-1333
Cellufine-SO4 OptiPrep 25-91 385-600
Data from Hermens, WTJMC et al (1999) Human Gene
Therapy, 10, 1885-1891
13. 15% iodixanol
in 1 M NaCl
25% iodixanol
40% iodixanol
54% iodixanol
Virus fluid
proteins
adenovirus
rAAV
350,000g 1 h
rAAV in discontinuous gradient
Zolotukhin S. et al (1999) Gene Therapy, 6, 973-985
14. Purification of HIV by sedimentation velocity
Dettenhoffer, M & Yu, X-F (1999) J. Virol., 73 1460-1467
200,000g for 1.5 h
6-18% iodixanol
Microvesicles
Vif gene
Soluble proteins
RT (cpmx10-5
/ml)
16. Purification of Herpes simplex virus in self-
generated 25% iodixanol gradient
Fraction Number
Loginfectivity
Density(g/ml)
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
1.05
1.1
1.15
1.2
1.25
1.3
Infectivity
Density
17. Purification of hepatitis C virus
Adair, R., Patel, A.H., Corless, L., Griffin, S., Rowlands, D.J. and
McCormick, C.J. (2009) J. Gen. Virol., 90, 833–842
12 h
90,000g
Virus/
saline
Virus/
40%
iodixanol
12 h
19. Purification of hepatitis C virus
Merz, A. et al (2011) J. Biol. Chem,, 286, 3018-3032
20 h
96,000g
3 ml
48% iodixanol
20 h
96,000g
Aspirate bottom 6 ml
(24% iodixanol)
12%
36%
48%
Editor's Notes
Sucrose solutions cannot be sterilized by autoclaving – unless you like caramel. Filter sterilization is the common tedious alternative.
Dialysis adds an overnight step to the purification.
Sucrose is less of a problem than CsCl, but still not an ideal medium for viruses.
PM2 is a bacteriophage (bacterial virus) which is unusually sensitive to sucrose, for most viruses the sucrose infectivity inhibition is usually in between CsCl and glycerol.
Note the ordinate scale is logarithmic.
If a discontinuous gradient of say 3 ml each of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% iodixanol in a 14 ml tube is allowed to stand for several hours at room temperature or overnight at 4°C, then the sharp discontinuities of the stepped density profile become smoothed out by diffusion of the solute across each interface and eventually the gradient will become smooth and continuous. This is a commonly used strategy to make a continuous gradient.
A linear gradient will be produced if the density increment between each step is the same and the volume of each step is the same. If either the volume of one or more of the steps is changed or the density interval of each step is changed the shape of the gradient can be made concave or convex or irregular in order to accentuate the separation of particular particles.
If the diffusion time and temperature are well controlled the gradient shapes are highly reproducible.
An alternative method for the purification of rAAV is a pre-formed continuous gradient. This illustrates one of the advantages of using the Gradient Master, or other similar device for the creation of a continuous gradient when handling any type of virus. The virus fluid is simply layered over the same volume of OptiPrep (or 50% iodixanol); the tube sealed and the gradient created by controlled mixing in 2-3 min. It is thus a very safe method particularly for potentially infective viruses.
The column on right is essentially virus particle number/infectivity (sort of reciprocal specific infectivity) – so the higher the number the lower the infectivity.