Env proteins were purified from the supernatants by affinity chromatography using either a 2G12 column or a Galanthus nivalis (GN)-lectin column [25] (link), [27] (link), [46] (link), [64] (link). Briefly, transfection supernatants were vacuum filtered through 0.2-µm filters and then passed (0.5–1 ml/min flow rate) over the column. The 2G12 column was made from CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B beads (GE Healthcare) coupled to the bNAb 2G12 (Polymun Sciences, Klosterneuburg, Austria). Purification using this column was performed as follows: the beads were washed with 2 column volumes of buffer (0.5 M NaCl, 20 mM Tris, pH 8.0) before eluting bound Env proteins using 1 column volume of 3 M MgCl2. The eluted proteins were immediately buffer exchanged into 75 mM NaCl, 10 mM Tris, pH 8.0, using Snakeskin dialysis tubing (10K WCMO) (Thermo Scientific). The buffer-exchanged proteins were further concentrated using Vivaspin columns with a 30-kDa cut off (GE Healthcare). For GN-lectin affinity purification, the wash buffer was Dulbecco's phosphate buffer saline (DPBS) supplemented with 0.5 M NaCl was used, and elution was carried out using DPBS supplemented with 1 M methyl mannopyranoside.
In both cases, the affinity-purified Env proteins were further purified to size homogeneity using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) on a Superdex 200 26/60 column (GE Healthcare). A Superose 6 column was sometimes used for analytical or preparative purposes. The trimer fractions and, occasionally also the SOSIP gp140 monomer fractions, were collected and pooled. Protein concentrations were determined using either a bicinchonic acid-based assay (BCA assay; Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL) or UV280 absorbance using theoretical extinction coefficients [66] .
In both cases, the affinity-purified Env proteins were further purified to size homogeneity using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) on a Superdex 200 26/60 column (GE Healthcare). A Superose 6 column was sometimes used for analytical or preparative purposes. The trimer fractions and, occasionally also the SOSIP gp140 monomer fractions, were collected and pooled. Protein concentrations were determined using either a bicinchonic acid-based assay (BCA assay; Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL) or UV280 absorbance using theoretical extinction coefficients [66] .
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