Size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) to determine protein oligomeric states

Proteins are natural polymers that have evolved the ability to oligomerize to enhance their stability and functions. There are different ways to determine the oligomerization state of proteins, and multiangle laser light scattering (MALLS) is one of the most powerful. It allows for fast and reliable determination of the molar mass, and therefore the oligomerization state, of polymers in solution. It is also widely used to check the homogeneity and monodispersity of purified protein samples. Furthermore, MALLS allows quantification of the number of molecules (detergents, lipids, oligosaccharides) bound to the protein of interest. It is one of the few techniques that can be used to determine the detergent micelle size of purified membrane proteins.