Ultrasonic spectroscopy in bovine serum albumin solutions

Ultrasonic absorption and velocity spectra in bovine serum albumin (BSA) aqueous solutions have been measured at 20 degrees C over the broad frequency range 0.1-1600 MHz in the pH range 1.5-13.2. Five different techniques were used: the plano-concave resonator, plano-plano resonator, pulse-echo overlap, Bragg reflection, and high-resolution Bragg reflection methods. The absorption spectrum at neutral pH was well fitted to the relaxation curve assuming a distribution of relaxation frequency with a high-frequency cutoff and long low-frequency tail. The relaxation behavior was interpreted in terms of various degrees of hydration of BSA molecules. At acid pH's, excess absorption over that at pH 7 was explained by double relaxation. The pH dependences of the relaxation frequency and maximum absorption per wavelength showed that the relaxation at about 200 kHz was related to the expansion of molecules and that at 2 MHz resulted from the proton transfer reaction of carboxyl group. At alkaline pH's, the excess absorption was explained by triple relaxation. The relaxation at about 200 kHz was associated with a helix-coil transition, and the two relaxations at 2 and 15 MHz were attributed to the proton transfer reactions of phenolic and amino groups, respectively. The rate constants and volume changes associated with these processes were estimated.     

Ultrasonic absorption of bovine serum albumin solutions in the frequency range 60 to 160 kHz

The ultrasonic absorption of the globular protein bovine serum albumin in aqueous solution has been measured in the frequency range 60 to 160 kHz using a 2-1 spherical resonator. The effect of pH change and of the denaturants urea, guanidine hydrochloride, and sodium dodecyl sulfate on the absorption loss has been studied. It is concluded that a significant ultrasonic absorption process exists which is related to structural helix-coil transition equilibria. For native protein the maximum loss appears to occur at a frequency at least as low as 70 kHz for a pH of about 4.2. This loss process is distinct from those arising from proton-transfer equilibria perturbations which are manifest at pH 3.2 and 11.6 and at peak frequencies of 400 kHz and above.     

Shear-wave detection of structural effects in aqueous solutions of bovine serum albumin and hemoglobin.

Using cylindrical quartz crystal torsional resonators operating at 39 and 75 kHz to generate shear waves in aqueous solutions of the proteins bovine serum albumin and hemoglobin and the polypeptide poly l-glutamic acid, it has been possible to determine the complex dynamic shear viscosities of the solutions. The effects of concentration, pH, and denaturation using various agents have been studied. It is possible to relate the viscosity and configurational elasticity of the solutions, to the intramolecular and intermolecular forces associated with the of the proteins at frequencies between 60 and 400 kHz and attributed to conformational changes of bovine serum albumin and the quaternary doublet interactions of hemoglobin have been confirmed and emphasized by the use of shear waves.     

Ultrasonic absorption in polymer gel dosimeters

Ultrasonic absorption in polymer gel dosimeters was investigated. An ultrasonic interferometer was used to study the frequency (f) dependence of the absorption coefficient (alpha) in a polyacrylamide gel dosimeter (PAG) in the frequency range 5-20 MHz. The frequency dependence of ultrasonic absorption deviated from that of an ideal viscous fluid. The presence of relaxation mechanisms was evidenced by the frequency dependence of alpha/f(2) and the dispersion in ultrasonic velocity. It was concluded that absorption in polymer gel dosimeters is due to a number of relaxation processes which may include polymer-solvent interactions as well as relaxation due to motion of polymer side groups.The dependence of ultrasonic absorption on absorbed dose and formulation was also investigated in polymer gel dosimeters as a function of pH and chemical composition. Changes in dosimeter pH and chemical composition resulted in a variation in ultrasonic dose response curves. The observed dependence on pH was considered to be due to pH induced modifications in the radiation yield while changes in chemical composition resulted in differences in polymerisation kinetics.     

Intramolecular motions in proteins and model polymers on Moessbauer Spectroscopy and Rayleigh Scattering of Moessbauer Radiation data

In the survey, the scales and correlation times of motion on different levels are considered: iron atoms in active centre of myoglobin and hemoglobin, iron containing core in iron storage proteins and model polymer systems, and the average fragmental motion of a protein globule of myoglobin and human serum albumin. The models of intramolecular protein mobility have been drawn.     

Investigation on the conformational changes of bovine serum albumin in a wide pH range from 2 to 12

The conformation of bovine serum albumin largely depends on its microenvironment pH and affects its physical functions and applications. In this study, we investigated the effects of pH (wide range 2–12) on the conformation of bovine serum albumin based on spectroscopic signals by various spectroscopic means including fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, resonance light scattering, UV-visible absorption, and circular dichroism. The changes in spectroscopic signals, such as peak position and intensity, showed that the structure of bovine serum albumin varied significantly with pH. The conformation of bovine serum albumin was compact at pH 6–7, as indicated by the largest peak position values and peak intensities in the fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, and RLS spectra. The structure of bovine serum albumin became loose in the acidic or alkaline environment, as indicated by the decreased peak position values and peak intensities. The microenvironment of the amino acid residues of bovine serum albumin also varied with pH, as indicated by the changing peak position values. At pH 7, the hydrophobicity of the tyrosine and tryptophan residues was the weakest, as indicated by the minimum synchronous fluorescence signals. In addition, the secondary structure of bovine serum albumin, especially α-helix, varied with pH. The content of α-helix reached the maximum value of 68% at pH 6–8, whereas it decreased in the acidic or alkaline environment. The study provides valuable details for studying the physiological function and applications of serum albumins.     

Mössbauer studies of the dynamics of biopolymers and model systems

In this survey, the scales and correlation times of the motion of iron atoms in the active site of myoglobin and hemoglobin, in the iron containing core, in iron storage proteins, and model polymer systems, and the average fragmental motion of protein globules of myoglobin and human serum albumin are considered. Models of intramolecular protein mobility are presented.     

Preparation and recognition of surface molecularly imprinted core-shell microbeads for protein in aqueous solutions

In this paper, a surface molecular imprinting technique was reported for preparing core-shell microbeads of protein imprinting, and bovine hemoglobin or bovine serum albumin were used as model proteins for studying the imprinted core-shell microbeads. 3-Aminophenylboronic acid (APBA) was polymerized onto the surface of polystyrene microbead in the presence of the protein templates to create protein-imprinted core-shell microbeads. The various samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods. The effect of pH on rebinding of the template hemoglobin, the specific binding and selective recognition were studied for the imprinted microbeads. The results show that the bovine hemoglobin-imprinted core-shell microbeads were successfully created. The shell was a sort of imprinted thin films with porous structure and larger surface areas. The imprinted microbeads have good selectivity for templates and high stability. Due to the recognition sites locating at or closing to the surface, these imprinted microbeads have good property of mass-transport. Unfortunately, the imprint technology was not successfully applied to imprinting bovine serum albumin (BSA).     

Structural changes induced in proteins by therapeutic ultrasounds

The structural effect induced by therapeutic ultrasound on proteins in aqueous solution has been investigated with FTIR spectroscopy, UV–VIS spectroscopy, circular dichroism and light scattering. Six proteins (cytochrome, lysozyme, myoglobin, bovine serum albumin, trypsinogen, and α-chymotrypsinogen A) with different molecular weight and secondary structure have been studied. The experiment has been performed using an ultrasound source at resonant frequency of 1 MHz and sonication times of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min. A different behaviour of proteins under sonication depends on the dominant secondary structure type (α-helix or β-sheets) and on the grade of the ordered structure. The results suggest that the free radicals, produced by water sonolysis, have an important role in the changes of structural order.     

Ultrasonic absorption in aqueous solutions of amino acids at neutral pH

Ultrasonic absorption coefficients in aqueous solutions of glycine, L-alanine, imidazole, L-phenylalanine, L-histidine and L-tryptophan at neutral pH were measured in the range from 0.8 to 220 MHz at 25 degrees C. A characteristic ultrasonic relaxation phenomenon was observed only in the solution of L-histidine with a relaxation frequency at around 2 MHz at neutral pH. It was proposed from the concentration independent relaxation frequency and the linear concentration dependence of the maximum absorption per wavelength that the relaxation mechanism was associated with a perturbation of the rotational isomeric equilibrium of the L-histidine molecule. The existence of two rotational isomeric forms of L-histidine in water was examined by semiempirical quantum chemical methods, in order to determine the free energy difference between the two states. The forward and backward rate constants were determined from the relaxation frequency and the energy change. Also, the standard volume change of the reaction was estimated from the concentration dependence of the maximum absorption per wavelength. It was speculated that L-histidine fulfills a specific function among amino acids because of the rotational motion in the molecule, in addition to its well-established acid-base properties.     

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer: A promising tool for investigation of the interaction between 1-anthracene sulphonate and serum albumins

This present investigation has revealed that steady state as well as time-resolved fluorescence techniques can serve as highly sensitive monitors for exploring the interaction of fluorescent probe 1-anthracene sulphonate (1-AS) with model transport proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA).We have focused on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between excited tryptophan in transport proteins to 1-AS, for the study of relaxation dynamics of biological molecules.     

Response of hydrogen bonding to low-intensity 50 Hz electromagnetic field in typical proteins in bi-distilled water solution

Samples of hemoglobin and bovine serum albumin in different bi-distilled water solutions were exposed to a 50?Hz electromagnetic field at the intensity of 1?mT to investigate the response of hydrogen bonding to the applied field after exposure of 3?h by means of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Spectral analysis evidenced a significant decrease in the absorbance signal of the Amide I vibration in exposed samples of hemoglobin and bovine serum albumin water solutions. In addition, Fourier self-deconvolution analysis and min-max normalization applied in the mid-infrared region to exposed and unexposed hemoglobin samples revealed a significant increase in the absorbance signal of the Amide II band and an up-shift toward the high energies of 1.5?cm^?1 after exposure. Similar findings were observed after exposure of bovine serum albumin. These results can be easily explained assuming that hydrogen bonding in the secondary structure of these proteins in bi-distilled water solutions was enhanced after exposure to 50?Hz electromagnetic field.     

Determination of the parameters of the rotational diffusion of complexes of serum albumins with Triton X-100 from analysis of tryptophan fluorescence

The rotational diffusion of complexes of human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) with neutral surfactant Triton X-100 is study by analyzing the polarized tryptophan fluorescence and its parameters are determined (rotational relaxation time, diffusion coefficient, effective radius). Similarities in the solubilization of both proteins are revealed: an effective solubilization BSA and HSA in solutions containing neutral surfactant Triton X-100 is achieved at concentration of the latter of 0.3 mM, slightly greater than its critical micelle concentration (0.25 mM), with the most significant effect taking place at pH 5.0, a value close to the isoelectric points of the proteins.     

Excited states, relaxation processes, and coordination reactions in the active centers of heme proteins

Based on the results of studying hemoglobin and myoglobin molecules using the methods of laser absorption spectroscopy of superhigh time resolution, we described photophysical and spectral properties of excited states, and intramolecular electronic and thermal relaxation processes. A mechanisms of the photodissociation reaction of oxy forms of these proteins is proposed and substantiated. Reported at the VIIIth International Conference on Spectroscopy of Porphyrins and Their Analogs, Minsk, September 22–26, 1998. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 4, pp. 479–482, July–August, 1999.     

Fluorescence Study of Sinapic Acid Interaction with Bovine Serum Albumin and Egg Albumin

The mechanism of interaction of protein with compounds used for preparation of matrices for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) methods is unknown. This paper reports the investigation of this mechanism for sinapic acid and bovine serum albumin and egg albumin. To examine these interactions in water a fluorescence method was applied. Sinapic acid can exist in three different forms, depending on pH: undissociated and with one or two deprotonated groups. pK_as of these states are: 4.47 for the COOH group and 9.21 for the OH group [1]. Therefore the interactions were examined at pH: 2.0, 6.4, and 10.5. The results show that sinapic acid at pH 10.5, being a bivalent anion, does not form any complex with these two proteins. At pH 2.0, sinapic acid, being undissociated, interacts weakly with egg albumin. Sinapic acid does not interact with bovine serum albumin at this pH. At pH 6.4, sinapic acid interacts only with bovine serum albumin. Parameters of the sinapic acid and bovine serum albumin complex were calculated based on the theory of multiple equlibria: the total number of binding sites, N = 15; the binding constant, K = 600 M ^–1; and the Hill's coefficient, j = 0.97. These parameters indicate (but not definitively because a large saturation was not obtained) that this is a simple binding of sinapic acid to bovine serum albumin with the binding sites of the same type.     

Internal dynamics and hydration of solid proteins by1H NMR relaxation and FTIR spectroscopy

Temperature dependences of¹H nonselective nuclear magnetic resonanceT ₁ andT ₂ relaxation times measured at 27 MHz have been studied on solid human serum albumin (HSA) samples at various hydrations. The data were interpreted in terms of three kinds of internal motions in a protein and microdynamic parameters of the motions were obtained by a “model-free” approach. Two fast motions with correlation times lying in the range of tens to hundreds picoseconds were shown to be essentially insensitive to hydration. Unlike lysozyme and bovine albumin, HSA reveals relaxation transition due to slow motion in the room temperature range thus allowing one to obtain microdynamic parameters more precisely. Hydration leads to a shortening of the correlation time from hundreds to tens nanoseconds and to a less restricted movement. The comparison of the hydration dependence of relaxation parameters with infrared spectra of HSA side chain groups clearly shows that methyl protons are evidently involved in a slow motion, following the saturation of the protein globule surface by water. The same dependence correlating with solvent accessible surface areas was shown to exist for some other proteins. In addition to the main set of protons performing a solidlike movement, a small amount of much more mobile protons is also present with its proportion rising steeply with hydration and temperature. The origin of these protons is discussed.     

Relaxation of the volume and shear viscosities in diethyl siloxane and ethyloctyl siloxane

The variable distance pulsed phase-locked method is applied to study the temperature and frequency dependences of the rate and coefficient of ultrasound absorption in diethyl siloxane and ethyloctyl siloxane in the frequency range 4–63 MHz at temperatures from 293 to 348 K. Based on experimental data, the frequency dependence of the volume and shear viscosities is derived. The values of the shear and volume viscosity coefficients, as well as the relaxation times of processes discovered, are found.     

Wideband acoustic absorption characteristics of rubberized coir for underwater applications

Reflection and transmission coefficients of rubberized coir pads over the frequency band 200 kHz to 4 MHz are presented in this Paper. These results are compared with those reported for neoprene, paraffin wax, rubber car mat and plastic door mat¹. The rubberized coir pads were found to possess wideband absorption characteristics. It has been experimentally found that 0.05 m thick coir pads have almost 100% absorption in the frequency range 800 kHz-3 MHz with a maximum at 2.35 MHz. We have used this material for lining the water tank for underwater acoustic studies.     

Preparation and water relaxation properties of proteins labeled with paramagnetic metal chelates

The proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine immunoglobulin (IgG) have been labeled with paramagnetic gadolinium (III) and manganese (II) complexes using the bifunctional chelate approach. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were attached to several free amino groups on the proteins using cyclic anhydride forms of these ligands. The incorporation of the metal ions Gd+3 and Mn+2 into the chelating groups yielded highly paramagnetic proteins. The water relaxation ability (or relaxivity) of the protein-bound chelates at 20 MHz was found to be superior to that of the free metal complexes. Differences in relaxivity between the DTPA and EDTA conjugates could largely be accounted for by differences in the metal ion exposure to water. This labeling technique can be used in the preparation of intravascular NMR contrast agents (like paramagnetically-labeled human serum albumin) or target-specific agents (labeled monoclonal antibodies or fibrinogen).     

电光晶体调谐的外腔反馈半导体激光器

报道一种用电光晶体实现快速调谐和凋制激光频率的方法.在Littrow型外腔反馈半导体激光中插入LiNbO3晶体,利用LiNbO3晶体的电光效应,通过改变晶体电压来调节激光器的有效腔长,可以对激光频率进行快速的调谐和调制.采用该方法,自制外腔反馈半导体激光器的调谐频率可达到2 kHz,它的调谐范围为350 MHz,激光频率调谐系数约为1.06 MHz/V,用饱和吸收光谱观测频率调谐的效果.快速激光频率调制可以应用在稳频技术上,将外腔反馈半导体激光器调制在5～100 kHz频率下,均获得了87Rb原子D2线的饱和吸收光谱的色散信号,并实现了激光频率在饱和吸收峰上的长期稳定.