Measurement of protein binding and complex formation:

Gel filtration chromatography has been very useful in the study of complexes between proteins and low molecular mass solutes. The principle for the measurement is simple if the reactants are irreversibly bound to each other. The reaction mixture is fed to the column and the complex is separated chromatographically from the reactant present in excess. One typical example of complex formation between the proteins is the determination of heptoglobin content of plasma. That exercise is carried out in clinical laboratories. The other significant example from clinical lab is the protein binding of insulin. It gives information about the formation of insulin antibodies in diabetics treated with insulin.