PRECIPITATION OF POLYPEPTIDES BY APTAMER-POLYMER CONJUGATES

1 . A method for selective purification of one or more than one untagged target polypeptide, the method comprising:

(a) contacting an aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer with a mixture comprising one or more than one untagged target polypeptide; and

(b) precipitating the aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer complexed to one or more than one untagged target polypeptide from the mixture by changing at least one property of the mixture;

wherein the environmentally-responsive homopolymer has a number average molecular weight greater than 11.5 kDa;

wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out in the absence of a solid support or insoluble carrier material; and

wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out under substantially matching pH conditions and salt concentrations.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmentally-responsive homopolymer is a thermo-responsive homopolymer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the changing at least one property of the mixture comprises changing the temperature of the mixture such that step (a) is carried out at a first temperature and step (b) is carried out at a second temperature which is different from the first temperature.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first temperature is below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the aptamer-conjugated thermo-responsive homopolymer and the second temperature is higher than the LCST of the aptamer-conjugated thermo-responsive homopolymer.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the LCST of the aptamer-conjugated thermo-responsive homopolymer is less than about 45° C.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide comprises a protein, an antigenic peptide, a vaccine, an enzyme, antibody, a drug-conjugate, glycoprotein, a glycoprotein, or a combination thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising step (c): separating the precipitated aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer complexed to one or more than one untagged target polypeptide from the mixture by filtration, gravitational settling, centrifugation, electrostatic means, ultrasonic means, or magnetic means.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising step (d): treating the separated aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer complexed to one or more than one untagged target polypeptide with a condition that induces dissociation of the aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer from the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide; step (e): precipitating the dissociated aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer by changing at least one property of the mixture of step (d); and step (f): isolating a selectively-purified untagged polypeptide from the supernatant of step (e).

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising step (g): reusing the precipitated aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer of step (e) for selective purification of one or more untagged polypeptide in a continuous manner, wherein the precipitated aptamer-conjugated environmentally-responsive homopolymer is resuspended with a new mixture comprising one or more than one untagged target polypeptide.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition that induces dissociation of the aptamer from the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of suspension in water, applying a chelating agent, a pH which is different from the pH of the mixture in step (a), a temperature which is different from the temperature of the mixture in than step (a) and step (b); a salt concentration which is different from the salt concentration of the mixture in step (a), or a combination thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the homopolymer is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM).

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmentally-responsive homopolymer has a number average molecular weight greater than 12 kDa.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmentally-responsive homopolymer has a number average molecular weight greater than 15 kDa.

14 . A method for selective purification of one or more than one untagged target polypeptide, the method comprising:

(a) contacting an aptamer-conjugated thermo-responsive homopolymer with a mixture comprising one or more than one untagged target polypeptide; and

(b) precipitating the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide complexed with the aptamer-conjugated thermo-responsive homopolymer from the mixture by changing the temperature of the mixture;

wherein the LCST of the aptamer-conjugated thermo-responsive homopolymer is less than about 45° C.;

wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out in the absence of a solid support or insoluble carrier material; and

wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out under substantially matching pH conditions and salt concentrations.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the thermo-responsive homopolymer has a number average molecular weight greater than 11.5 kDa.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the thermo-responsive homopolymer has a number average molecular weight greater than 15 kDa.

17 . A method for selective purification of one or more than one untagged target polypeptide, the method comprising:

(a) contacting an aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer with a mixture comprising one or more than one untagged target polypeptide;

(b) precipitating the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide complexed to the aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer from the mixture by changing the temperature of the mixture;

(c) separating the precipitated aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer complexed to the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide from the supernatant by filtration or gravitational settling or centrifugation;

(d) treating the separated aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer complexed to the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide with a condition that induces dissociation of the aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer from the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide;

(e) precipitating the dissociated aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer by changing the temperature of the mixture of step (d);

(f) isolating the one or more than one untagged polypeptide from the supernatant of step (e); and

(g) optionally reusing the precipitated aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer from step (e) for repeating steps (a) to (f);

wherein the pNIPAM homopolymer has a number average molecular weight greater than 11.5 kDa;

wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out in the absence of a solid support or insoluble carrier material; and

wherein steps (a) and (b) are carried out under substantially matching pH conditions and salt concentrations.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the condition that induces dissociation of the aptamer from the one or more than one untagged target polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of suspension in water, applying a chelating agent, a pH which is different from the pH of the mixture in step (a), a temperature which is different from the temperature of the mixture in step (a) and step (b); a salt concentration which is different from the salt concentration of the mixture in step (a), or a combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the aptamer-conjugated pNIPAM homopolymer has an LCST of less than about 45° C.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the pNIPAM homopolymer has a number average molecular weight greater than 15 kDa.