Study of molecular interactions between lipids and proteins using dynamic surface tension measurements: a review

Molecular interactions between small molecules and proteins, such as binding of lipids to proteins, are of fundamental importance in various biological processes. A recently-developed method based on dynamic surface tension measurement is efficient and versatile in detecting such molecular interactions: Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA) provides a tool for measuring the surface tension (γ) response to surface area changes. Through the analysis of the γ response pattern, surface competitive adsorption between small organic molecules and protein molecules can be detected. Surface squeeze-out of small molecules by proteins can also be observed. Molecular binding of lipids to proteins manifests itself in a modification of the γ response which is not compatible with a simple superposition of the two individual patterns. The specific binding can be studied in terms of dose effects and specificity.     

Effect of solution viscosity on dynamic surface tension detection

A dynamic surface tension detector (DSTD) was used to examine the molecular diffusion and surface adsorption characteristics of surface-active analytes as a function of solution viscosity. Dynamic surface tension is determined by measuring the differential pressure across the air/liquid interface of repeatedly growing and detaching drops. Continuous surface tension measurement throughout the entire drop growth is achieved for each eluting drop (at a rate of 30 drops/min for 2 μl drops), providing insight into the kinetic behavior of molecular diffusion and orientation processes at the air/liquid interface. Three-dimensional data are obtained through a calibration procedure previously developed, but extended herein for viscous solutions, with surface tension first converted to surface pressure, which is plotted as a function of elution time axis versus drop time axis. Thus, an analyte that lowers the surface tension results in an increase in surface pressure. The calibration procedure derived for the pressure-based DSTD was successfully extended and implemented in this report to experimentally determine standard surface pressures in solutions of varied viscosity. Analysis of analytes in viscous solution was performed at low analyte concentration, where the observed analyte surface activity indicates that the surface concentration is at or near equilibrium when in a water mobile phase (viscosity of 1.0 Cp). Two surface-active analytes, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and polyethylene glycol (MW 1470 g/mol, PEG 1470), were analyzed in solutions ranging from 0 to 60% (v/v) glycerol in water, corresponding to a viscosity range of 1.0-15.0 Cp. Finally, the diffusion-limited surface activity of SDS and PEG 1470 were observed in viscous solution, whereby an increase in viscosity resulted in a decreased surface pressure early in drop growth. The dynamic surface pressure results reported for SDS and PEG 1470 are found to correlate with solution viscosity and analyte diffusion coefficient via the Stokes-Einstein equation.     

Multidimensional analysis of denatured milk proteins by hydrophobic interaction chromatography coupled to a dynamic surface tension detector

Multidimensional analysis of denatured milk proteins is reported using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with dynamic surface tension detection (DSTD). A hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) column (a TSK-Gel Phenyl-5PW column, TosoBiosep), in the presence of 3.0 M guanidine hydrochloride (GdmHCl) as denaturing agent is employed as the mobile phase. Dynamic surface tension is measured through the differential pressure across the liquid-air interface of repeatedly growing and detaching drops. Continuous surface tension measurement throughout the entire drop growth (50 ms to 4 s) is achieved, for each eluting drop of 4 s length, providing insight into both the kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of molecular orientation processes at the liquid-air interface. An automated calibration procedure and data analysis method is applied with the DSTD system, which allows two unique solvents to be used, the HIC mobile phase for the sample and a second solvent (water for example) for the standard, permitting real-time dynamic surface tension data to be obtained. Three-dimensional data is obtained, with surface tension as a function of drop time first converted to surface pressure, which is plotted as a function of the chromatographic elution time axis. Experiments were initially performed using flow injection analysis (FIA) with the DSTD system for investigating commercial single standard milk proteins (alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-, beta-, kappa-casein and a casein mixture) denatured by GdmHCl. These FIA-DSTD experiments allowed the separation and detection conditions to be optimized for the HIC-DSTD experiments. Thus, the HIC-DSTD system has been optimized and successfully applied to the selective analysis of surface-active casein fractions (alpha s1- and beta-casein) in a commercial casein mixture, raw milk samples (cow's, ewe's and goat's milk) and other diary products (yogurt, stracchino, mozzarella, parmesan cheese and chocolate cream). The different samples were readily distinguished based upon the selectivity provided by the HIC-DSTD method. The selectivity advantage of using DSTD relative to absorbance detection is also demonstrated.     

Analysis of commercial beverage products by size exclusion chromatography coupled with UV-vis absorbance detection and dynamic surface tension detection

Multidimensional analysis of instant coffee and barley beverage samples using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) combined with a dynamic surface tension detector (DSTD) and a UV-vis absorbance detector (UV) is reported. A unique finding of this study was the action of the tetrabutylammonium (TBA) cation as a modifying agent (with bromide as the counter anion) that substantially increased the surface pressure signal and sensitivity of many of the proteins in the chromatographically separated samples. The tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) enhancement of the surface pressure signal was further investigated by studying the response of 12 commercial standard proteins (α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, human serum albumin (HSA), albumin from chicken egg white (OVA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), hemoglobin, α-chymotrypsinogen A, cytochrome C, myoglobin, RNase A, carbonic anhydrase, and lysozyme) in buffer performed using flow injection analysis (FIA) coupled with the DSTD with and without various concentrations of TBAB. The FIA-DSTD data show that 1 mM TBAB enhances sensitivity of HSA detection, by lowering the limit of detection (LOD) from 2 mg/mL to 0.1 mg/mL. Similarly, the LOD for BSA was reduced from 1 mg/mL to 0.2 mg/mL. These FIA-DSTD experiments allowed the detection conditions to be optimized for further SEC-UV/DSTD experiments. Thus, the SEC-UV/DSTD system has been optimized and successfully applied to the selective analysis of surface-active protein fractions in a commercial instant coffee sample and in a soluble barley sample. The complementary selectivity of using the DSTD relative to an absorbance detector is also demonstrated.     

Surface tension and viscosity measurements of liquids with the survismeter: a single instrumental unit

Surface tension (γ) and viscosity (η) data of aqueous solutions of the deoxyadenosine (DOA) and the deoxyribose (DOR) sugars have been measured with the survismeter, a new instrument, along with tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide (DMF), acetonitrile and dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) solvents. The same properties have also been measured with a stalagmometer and a viscosimeter, respectively, which afford the same information, albeit at the expense of a larger amount of chemicals and solvents. We obtain comparatively better accuracy in both kinds of measurements than with conventional methods. Therefore, the survismeter lends itself as a simple and reliable instrument.     

Investigation on the interaction of tetrachloride fluorescein-bovine serum albumin-beta-cyclodextrin and the determination of protein by flow injection analysis

In this paper, a simple and sensitive flow injection analysis (FIA) for the determination of protein with spectroscopic probe was developed. This method was based on the investigation of the interaction of tetrachloride fluorescein (2,4,5,7-tetrachloro-3,6-fluorandiol)-bovine serum albumin (BSA), the coupling reaction of protein with tetrachloride fluorescein (TCFS) which was used as a spectroscopic probe in the presence of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The interaction mechanism and the main factors affecting the determination were investigated in details. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range and detection limit were 0.0-28.0 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.76 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The proposed method has been used to determine albumin in serum albumin with satisfactory results.     

三丁基锡化合物与牛血清白蛋白相互作用的光谱研究

通过紫外光谱（UV）和圆二色光谱（CD），研究了三丁基锡（TBT）化合物与牛血清白蛋白（BSA）的相互作用以及浓度变化对TBT与BSA相互作用的影响。结果表明，TBT与BSA的相互作用是双重的。既有TBT中锡离子与BSA的配位作用，又有TBT中丁基的疏水作用，引起BSA构象变化和叶螺旋结构的改变。     

稀土金属离子及pH诱导牛血清白蛋白构象变化的同步荧光光谱研究

用同步荧光法并辅以普通荧光法对不同浓度稀土离子及pH诱导的牛血清白蛋白(BSA)构象变化进行了详细研究, 发现稀土离子使色氨酸(Trp)残基的荧光蓝移, 荧光强度降低; 酪氨酸(Tyr)残基荧光峰位置不变, 稀土离子浓度较低时, 荧光峰强度降低, 而当浓度较高时, Tyr残基荧光峰强度反而增强. 据此推断了稀土离子与BSA结合反应中Trp残基微环境和Tyr残基微环境及构象的变化并与pH引起的变化进行了比较.     

Adsorption of bovine serum albumin at the air/water interface and its effect on the formation of DPPC surface film

The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) at the air/water interface and its effect on the transport of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) to form a surface film were studied with tensiometry, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), and ellipsometry. For 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ppm BSA solutions, the steady-state tension ranges from 55 to 50 mN m⁻¹. At pulsating area (at 20 cycles min⁻¹), both the minimum and maximum tensions decrease with increasing bulk concentration. Even though the steady-state tension is similar for 100 and 1000 ppm BSA, IRRAS and ellipsometry results indicate that the adsorbed density is higher for 1000 ppm BSA. For 1000 ppm/1000 ppm BSA/DPPC mixture, the tension behavior was found to be similar to that of 1000 ppm BSA when alone. Results from IRRAS and ellipsometry also demonstrate that BSA is the dominant adsorbed component at the air/water interface. Thus, at 1000 ppm, by adsorbing fast and possibly irreversibly, BSA interferes with the transport and adsorption of DPPC and inhibits its ability to lower the surface tension. However, when DPPC is introduced via a spread monolayer mechanism, DPPC expels partly or completely the adsorbed BSA monolayer and then controls the tension behavior with little or no inhibition by BSA. Thus, the competitive adsorption of DPPC and BSA depends strongly on the path or mechanism of introducing DPPC to the surface and involves path-dependent nonequilibrium adsorption phenomena.     

Studies on Surface Properties and Cell Adhesion Properties of BSA Modified DBM Scaffold

As a scaffold material for bone tissue engineering, demineralized bone matrix(DBM) has such a limited ability to load cells and growth factors that the surface of the DBM scaffold was modified with bovine serum albumin(BSA) with different concentrations to improve the protein stmcture and physicochemical properties of the scaffold surface so as to enhance the adhesion of the cells. And the appropriate BSA concentration was explored. Compared with DBM, the scaffold with BSA coating had a smaller pore size and a lower porosity, also, the degradation rate was accelerated and the hydrophilic property was improved. Cells adhesion was observed inside the DBM seaffold before and after it had been modified, and the BSA modified scaffold had a good cell compatibility. Wlien the concentration of BSA was 20 mg/mL, the adhesion ability of the cells to modified scaffold was significantly increased, and the cell proliferation was facilitated.     

利用红外光谱和窗口因子分析研究加热导致的牛血清白蛋白的二级结构变化

用红外光谱和窗口因子分析(WFA)对加热导致的D2O中牛血清白蛋白(BSA)的二级结构变化进行了研究. 常规光谱分析和WFA的结果表明, BSA的结构变化开始于56 ℃, 而二级结构的剧烈变化发生在68~82 ℃, 与α-螺旋片断相连的短链变化发生的温度比其它二级结构变化的发生温度低10 ℃左右. 研究结果表明, WFA在解析溶液里蛋白质的温度相关红外光谱中起重大作用.     

Temperature dependence of aggregation and dynamic surface tension in a photoresponsive surfactant system

The response of a nonionic photoresponsive surfactant system to changes in temperature is reported. This surfactant contains the light-sensitive azobenzene group, and when exposed to light, a solution of this surfactant contains a mixture of the cis and trans photoisomers of this group. The temperature of the surfactant solution has a strong impact on the time needed for the surfactant to diffuse and adsorb to a freshly formed interface. At surfactant concentrations that give rise to trans aggregates but not to cis aggregates, the transport of cis and of trans isomers to the surface of a pendant bubble have quite different temperature dependencies, owing largely to the difference in their aggregation states in bulk solution. Diffusion and adsorption of the cis isomer are described reasonably well by a simple diffusion model that accounts for the effect of temperature on the diffusion coefficient. The trans isomer, which was primarily bound in aggregates during these measurements, exhibits a stronger dependence of this adsorption time scale on the temperature of the solution. This temperature dependence of trans diffusion and adsorption is quantitatively consistent between samples containing only the trans isomer and samples containing a mixture of isomers. Fluorescence studies were done to determine the effect of temperature on the cmc of the surfactant. The critical concentration associated with the formation of cis-dominant aggregates increases modestly with increasing temperature. The cmc of the trans isomer also increases with increasing temperature, most significantly when the temperature exceeds about 35 degrees C. These trans cmc temperature-dependence data were incorporated into diffusion models that account for the potential roles of aggregates in the adsorption process. The observed temperature dependency of the trans adsorption time scale is consistent with a model that includes the effect of temperature on both the diffusivity and the supply of monomer via its effect on the cmc. Specifically, the results suggest that the dissolution of trans-dominant aggregates is important to the trans adsorption process. Further fluorescence studies were performed in which surfactant solutions containing aggregates were diluted rapidly, and the rate of dissolution of these aggregates was inferred from fluorescence decay. Aggregate breakup in colder trans samples is slower than in warmer samples, but these dissolution time scales are significantly shorter than those associated with the adsorption process. This is consistent with the assumption that aggregation kinetics do not contribute to the observed adsorption kinetics.     

Calculation of surface tension of metals using density gradient theory and PC-SAFT equation of state

The Cahn-Hilliard theory was combined with PC-SAFT equation of state (EOS), in order to describe both the phase behaviors and the surface tension of different types of metals (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Fe, Zn, Cd, In, Sn, Pb, and Bi). The only two inputs of the theory are the Helmholtz free-energy density and the influence parameter. The PC-SAFT equation of state was applied to determine Helmholtz free-energy density and bulk properties. The influence parameter is obtained by fitting to the experimental data of surface tension. The results show a useful possibility to calculate surface tensions which are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data.     

流动相的pH值和离子强度对牛血清蛋白高效液相色谱手性柱分离性能的影响

利用羰基咪唑-柱上衍生法制得牛血清蛋白(BSA)生物手性柱,并研究它在高效液相色谱中对3种对映异构体(色氨酸、匹多莫德及4-苯基-1,3-恶唑烷-2-硫酮(L-苯))的手性分离性能.实验结果表明:随着pH值从5.0上升到7.0,由于L-色氨酸与BSA有固定的作用位点,使得其保留值随着pH值的增加而大幅增大.而D-色氨酸与BSA无固定作用位点,其保留值随pH变化基本不变,分离度由1.15上升到8.91,增加了6.8倍;酸性样品匹多莫德与BSA主要是静电作用,与色氨酸相反,其对映体的保留值随着pH的增加逐渐减小,分离度逐渐下降,pH 7.0时为单峰,pH 5.0时Rs=1.27;中性样品L-苯的分离度随着pH值的增加有小幅增大.随着离子强度的减小,3对对映体的保留都增强,分离度增大,增加的幅度依次为色氨酸＞匹多莫德＞L-苯.     

Many-body and quantum effects in the surface tension and surface energy of liquid neon and argon using the Fowler’s approximation

The Fowler’s expression for calculation of the reduced surface tension and surface energy has been used with Lennard-Jones (LJ) and two-body Hartree-Fock dispersion (HFD)-like potentials for neon and argon, respectively. The required radial distribution functions (RDFs) have been used from two recently determined expressions in the literature and a new equation proposed in this work. Quantum corrections for neon system have been considered using the Feynman-Hibbs (FH) and Wigner-Kirkwood (WK) approaches. To take many-body forces into account for argon system, the simple three-body potentials of Wang and Sadus (2006) [33] and Hauschild and Prausnitz (1993) [30] used with the HFD-like potential without requiring an expensive three-body calculation. The results show that the quantum and three-body effects improve the prediction of the surface tension of liquid neon and argon using the Fowler’s expression.     

Prediction of surface tension and surface concentration of binary refrigerant system (R290/R600a) at various temperatures and pressures

The surface tension of a binary refrigerant mixture of R290(propane: C₃H₈) and R600a(isobutane:i-C₄H₁₀) has been calculated by using critical constants (P_c, V_c and T_c) and acentric factor (ω) at three isotherms of 278 K, 300 K and 320 K over the pressure range from 187.7 to 1540.2 kPa. In this paper, new formalism has been made by using simple mixing rule for modifying the predictive models: Brock–Bird, Pitzer, Hakim et al., Bolotin, Sastri–Rao and Zuo–Stenby. On comparing the computed values of surface tension with experimental data, satisfactory results have been observed. The average absolute deviation (AAD) obtained from the comparison of experimental and calculated surface tension values for six models is less than 1.9%. Finally, in a new approach, the extended Langmuir model (EL) was used to finding more information about the surface structure and surface concentration of binary refrigerant mixtures.     

The temperature dependence of the surface tension of monatomic liquids and the boiling transition

We have reviewed recent model theories of the surface tension and examined the data on the temperature dependence of the surface tension of elemental liquids. From this, we have been able to show that the surface tension of these liquids vary linearly with temperature with the linear coefficient being related to both the transition temperatures at melting and at boiling. We use this to show that the boiling transition temperature may be expressed in a form which was previously proposed by us in a general phenomenological theory of phase transitions involving quasi-particles.     

Measurement of surface tension of desulfurization solution and thermodynamic model-(I)

According to the need of industrial design and application of new desulfurization technique, we determine surface tension of dilute SO₂ mixture gas in DMSO and DMSO?+?Mn²⁺ mixture absorbents, and establish their thermodynamic model based on experimental data, and the surface tension calculated by the model shows good agreement with experimental data.