Interaction Between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trans</Emphasis>-resveratrol and Serum Albumin in Aqueous Solution

The interaction between trans-resveratrol (TR) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solution was investigated by means of fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. The fluorescence of BSA can be quenched remarkably by TR in aqueous solution. A notable red-shift of the maximum emission of BSA from 340 to 353 nm together with appearance of an isoemissive point at 395 nm were observed. The results indicate that TR binds to BSA, forming a TR–BSA complex. The TR–BSA binding distance was determined to be less than 7 nm, suggesting that energy transfer from BSA to TR may occur. The interaction process is spontaneous. Based on the obtained thermodynamic parameters, electrostatic forces may play a major role in this process. Both synchronous fluorescence and FT-IR spectra confirmed the interaction, and indicate the conformational changes of BSA.     

Mechanism and conformational studies of farrerol binding to bovine serum albumin by spectroscopic methods

The mechanism and conformational changes of farrerol binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by spectroscopic methods including fluorescence quenching technique, UV–vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy under simulative physiological conditions. The results of fluorescence titration revealed that farrerol could strongly quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA through a static quenching procedure. The thermodynamic parameters enthalpy change and entropy change for the binding were calculated to be −29.92 kJ mol⁻¹ and 5.06 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ according to the van’t Hoff equation, which suggested that the both hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds play major role in the binding of farrerol to BSA. The binding distance r deduced from the efficiency of energy transfer was 3.11 nm for farrerol–BSA system. The displacement experiments of site markers and the results of fluorescence anisotropy showed that warfarin and farrerol shared a common binding site I corresponding to the subdomain IIA of BSA. Furthermore, the studies of synchronous fluorescence, CD and FT-IR spectroscopy showed that the binding of farrerol to BSA induced conformational changes in BSA.     

Interaction between bovine serum albumin and Indo-1 using fluorescence spectroscopic method

This work attempts to calculate the binding-site number using fluorescence spectroscopic method with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Indo-1 as protein and ligand models, respectively. The method for calculating the binding-site number in BSA for Indo-1 was developed based on the relationships between changes in Indo-1 fluorescence intensity and the analytical concentration of BSA. The interaction between BSA with Indo-1 was investigated comprehensively using fluorescence techniques as well as fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and the thermodynamic parameters were calculated according to the effect of enthalpy on temperature. Three binding sites in BSA for Indo-1 were revealed, and the distances from Trp212 in BSA to the three binding sites were 2.93, 2.57 and 2.40 nm, respectively. It was also proven that Indo-1 embedded into the three hydrophobic cavities of BSA by hydrophobic association. This paper provides a reference on calculating the binding-site number in proteins for ligands and studying their interactions by fluorescence spectroscopic methods. In fluorescent quenching experiments, fluorescence changes were automatically recorded in real time by combining the Microlab 500 Series Dispenser and PTI fluorescence apparatus. __________ Translated from Chemical Journal of Chinese Universities, 2007, 28(2): 227–233 [译自: 高等学校化学学报]     

Studies of the interaction between daidzein and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium with bovine serum albumin by spectroscopic methods

The interaction between daidzein and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in physiological buffer (pH = 7.4) is investigated by fluorescence quenching technique and UV/vis absorption spectra. The results reveal that both daidzein and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium could strongly quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA. The quenching mechanism of both the daidzein and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium for BSA is static quenching procedure. The apparent binding constants K _a and number of binding sites n of daidzein and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium with BSA are obtained by fluorescence quenching method. The thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change (Δ_r H ^m ), and entropy change (Δ_r S ^m ), are calculated, respectively, which indicate that the interaction of daidzein with BSA is driven mainly by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals, and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium with BSA is driven mainly by hydrophobic forces. The distance r between BSA with daidzein and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium are calculated to be 4.02 nm and 3.08 nm, respectively, based on F?rster’s non-radiative energy transfer theory. The results of synchronous fluorescence spectra show that binding of daidzein and 3′-daidzein sulfonic sodium with BSA cannot induce conformational changes in BSA.     

Interaction of magnolol with bovine serum albumin: a fluorescence-quenching study

The interaction of magnolol with bovine serum albumin(BSA) was studied using fluorescence spectroscopy under physiological conditions. The binding constants, K, and the ratio of quantum yields of protein fluorescence for complex and free protein, f, at 298 K, 304 K, and 310 K were obtained; the values were 6.799×10⁵ L mol^–1, 5.541×10⁵ L mol^–1, and 4.344×10⁵ L mol^–1 and 0.17, 0.30, and 0.34, respectively. The standard enthalpy change (H°) and the standard entropy change (S°) were calculated to be –28.53 kJ mol^–1 and 15.88 J mol^–1 K^–1, which indicated that hydrophobic forces played major role in the interaction of magnolol and BSA. The binding average distance between magnolol and BSA (4.32 nm) was obtained on the basis of the theory of Förster energy transfer.     

Probing the Binding of Rifampicin to Bovine Serum Albumin in Aqueous Solution

The binding of rifampicin (RFP), an anti-tuberculosis agent, to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied at physiological conditions (pH=7.40) by a spectroscopic approach. In the discussion of the quenching mechanism, it was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by RFP is a result of the formation of a RFP–BSA complex. Binding parameters were determined using the modified Stern-Volmer equation and Scatchard’s equation to provide a measure of the binding affinity between RFP and BSA. The resulting thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS at different temperatures indicate that electrostatic interactions play a major role in RFP–BSA association. Site marker competitive displacement experiments demonstrate that RFP binds with high affinity to the site I (subdomain IIA) of BSA. Furthermore, the effect of metal ions on the RFP–BSA system was studied, and the specific binding distance r (3.38 nm) between donor and acceptor (RFP) was obtained according to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).     

Studies of the interaction between apigenin and bovine serum albumin by spectroscopic methods

The interaction between apigenin (Ap) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in physiological buffer (pH = 7.4) is investigated by fluorescence quenching technique and UV-vis absorption spectra. The results reveal that Ap could strongly quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA. The quenching mechanism of Ap for BSA varies with the change of Ap concentration. when Ap concentration is lower, it is a static quenching procedure, when Ap concentration is higher, a combined quenching (both static and dynamic) would operate. The apparent binding constants Ka and number of binding sites n of Ap with BSA are obtained by fluorescence quenching method. The thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change (Δ_r H ^m and entropy change (Δ_r S ^m ), are calculated to be −15.382 kJ mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ < 0 and 104.888 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ > 0, respectively, which indicate that the interaction of Ap with BSA is driven mainly by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The distance r between BSA and Ap is calculated to be 1.89 nm based on F?rster’s non-radiative energy transfer theory. The results of synchronous fluorescence spectra show that binding of Ap with BSA cannot induce conformational changes in BSA.     

Study on the binding of puerarin to bovine serum albumin by isothermal titration calorimetry and spectroscopic approaches

The interaction of a flavonoid molecule (puerarin) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), optical spectroscopic technique, and molecular modeling method under physiological conditions. The binding parameters for the reaction were calculated according to ITC experiments at different temperatures. The thermodynamic parameters, negative enthalpy changes (ΔH), and positive entropy (ΔS) indicated that the binding processes were entropically driven. The alterations of protein secondary structure in the presence of puerarin in aqueous solution were estimated by the evidences from FT-IR and CD spectroscopy with reductions of α-helices. On the basis of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between excited tryptophan in BSA and BSA bound puerarin, the critical transfer distance and mean distance between tryptophan in BSA and puerarin were estimated.     

Calorimetric indication of the molten globule-like state of cytochrome c induced by n-alkyl sulfates at low concentrations

The molten globule state has been proposed as a major intermediate of protein folding. However it has proven difficult to obtain thermodynamic data characterizing this state. To explore an alternative approach for characterization of the molten globule state, n-alkyl sulfates induced formation of the molten globule state of horse cytochrome c at pH 2 was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Titration of the acid unfolded state of cytochrome c with sodium octyl sulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate or sodium tetradecyl sulfate, generated an exothermic reaction for formation of the molten globule state. The effects of various n-alkyl sulfates on the acid unfolded state of cytochrome c demonstrated that the increased alkyl chain length enhanced the exothermic values of calorimetric enthalpy and induced a more compact molten globule states. The heat contents agreed well with the conformational transition measured by molar ellipticity at 222 nm ([θ]₂₂₂) and Stoke radius (Rs) values. These results emphasize that isothermal titration calorimetry provides a reasonable alternative method for characterization of the molten globule state.     

Spectroscopic investigation of interaction between mangiferin and bovine serum albumin

The mechanism of interaction between mangiferin (MA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solution was investigated by fluorescence spectra, synchronous fluorescence spectra, absorbance spectra and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The binding constants and binding sites of MA to BSA at different reaction times were calculated. And the distance between MA and BSA was estimated to be 5.20 nm based on Föster's theory. In addition, synchronous fluorescence and FT-IR measurements revealed that the secondary structures of the protein changed after the interaction of MA with BSA. As a conclusion, the interaction between the anti-diabetes Chinese medicine MA and BSA may provide some significant information for the mechanism of the traditional chinese medicine MA on the protein level to cure diabetes or other diseases.     

pH-Induced conformational changes of BSA in fluorescent AuNCs@BSA and its effects on NCs emission

We investigated the pH-induced fluorescence changes of BSA-protected gold nanoclusters, Au₁₆NCs@BSA, and the corresponding conformational changes of ligand protein by fluorescence, circular dichrosim (CD) and IR spectral measurements. The studies presented here demonstrated that BSA in AuNCs@BSA underwent identifiable conformational changes on both the secondary and the tertiary structure levels. The results of CD and IR interpreted the significant change of second structures at extreme acidity and alkaline, where more unordered structures were gained. Of note was that the extreme alkaline (pH = 11.43) induced the changes from exposed to buried α-helices, which was different from the pH-induced structural changes of BSA. In addition, the large fluorescence intensity gap of tryptophan between AuNCs@BSA and native BSA indicated efficient energy transfer took place between BSA and AuNCs, implying that the gold core resided near tryptophan in BSA.     

Denaturation study of bovine serum albumin induced by guanidine chloride or urea by microcalorimetry

The denaturation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) induced by guanidine chloride or urea at different pH values was studied by isothermal microcalorimetry measurements at 30°C. The simple bonding model, which was developed by Privalov, was employed to obtain the apparent bonding constant K, the apparent singular bonding Gibbs bonding energy ΔG and the total Gibbs energy ΔG(a) between the protein and denaturant, from analysis of the calorimetric data. Furthermore, linear extrapolation at the midpoint of transition was employed to determine the apparent denaturation enthalpy ΔH _d. The results showed that for guanidine chloride, the bonding between BSA and guanidine chloride could proceed more easily in an alkaline condition, and the apparent denaturation enthalpy ΔH _d of BSA due to guanidine chloride was 350 kJ·mol⁻¹ at pH 6.97 and 7.05, while it was 275 kJ·mol⁻¹ at pH 9.30, which indicated that BSA was more stabilized in a neutral condition. However, for urea, the bonding between BSA and urea could proceed more easily in an acidic condition, and the apparent denaturation enthalpy ΔHd of BSA due to urea was 295 kJ · mol⁻¹ at pH 6.97, while it was 230 kJ · mol⁻¹ at pH 7.05 and 9.30. The results indicate that the degree of expansion of BSA in the two denaturants is different. __________ Translated from Acta Chimica Sinica, 2008, 66(5) (in Chinese)     

Conformational transition of the copolymer of maleic acid and styrene in aqueous solution. II

The temperature dependence of the conformational transition from a compact to expanded-coil form of the alternating copolymer of maleic acid with styrene in aqueous 0.03M NaCl solution was studied at 15 to 40°C by pH titration, optical titration, and calorimetric measurements. The pH titration curve scarcely changed with temperature. The degree of dissociation of primary carboxyl groups in the copolymer at the midpoint of the conformational transition, determined by the optical titration, was almost independent of temperature. The standard enthalpy change of the transition at 25°C estimated from the calorimetric data was 0.36₃ kcal/mole, which may mean that the difference between the standard free energy changes of the transition at 20°C and 40°C does not exceed experimental error. The enthalpy change agrees well with the heat of transfer of benzene from the hydrophobic to the aqueous medium, and thus the compact form of the copolymer is considered to be stabilized by the hydrophobic interaction between the phenyl residues in the interior of the molecule.     

Investigation of the association behaviors between biliverdin and bovine serum albumin by fluorescence spectroscopy

The interaction between biliverdin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been studied by steady fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence and resonance light scanning spectra. The binding of biliverdin to BSA quenches the tryptophan residue fluorescence and the results show that both static and dynamic quenching occur together with complex formation. The binding constant and binding sites of biliverdin to BSA at pH 7.1 are calculated to be 3.33 × 10⁸ L/mol and 1.54, respectively, according to the double logarithm regression curve. In addition, the distance between the biliverdin and BSA is estimated to be 1.25 nm using Föster's equation on the basis of the fluorescence energy transfer. Furthermore the synchronous fluorescence spectra show that the microenvironment of the tryptophan residues has not obvious changes, which obeys the phase distribution model. Finally, the thermodynamic data show that biliverdin molecules enter the hydrophobic cavity of BSA via hydrophobic interaction.     

Binding of naproxen and amitriptyline to bovine serum albumin: biophysical aspects

Binding of the drugs naproxen (which is an anti-inflammatory) and amitriptyline (which is an anti-depressant) to bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been studied using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), in combination with fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopies. Naproxen is observed to bind more strongly to BSA than amitriptyline. The temperature-dependent ITC results indicate the interaction of one molecule of naproxen with more than one protein molecule. On the other hand, amitriptyline binds to BSA with a reaction stoichiometry that varies from 1:1.2 to 1:2.9. The van't Hoff enthalpy, which is calculated from the temperature dependence of the binding constant, agrees well with the calorimetric enthalpy in the case of naproxen binding to BSA, indicating adherence to a two-state binding process. However, their disagreement in the case of amitriptyline indicates conformational changes in the protein upon ligand binding, as well as with the rise in temperature. The spectroscopic results did not suggest appreciable conformational changes as a result of binding; hence, the discrepancy could be attributed to the temperature-induced conformational changes. With increases in the ionic strength, a reduction in the binding affinity of naproxen to BSA is observed. This suggests the prevailing electrostatic interactions in the complexation process. The preponderance of the hydrophobic interactions in the binding of amitriptyline to BSA is indicated by the absence of any dependence of the ionic strength. A predominance of electrostatic interactions in the case of naproxen binding to BSA and that of hydrophobic interactions in the case of amitriptyline binding to BSA is further strengthened by the results of the binding experiments performed in the presence of ionic and nonionic surfactants. The binding parameters indicate that Triton X-100 blocks the hydrophobic binding sites on BSA, thereby altering the binding affinity of amitriptyline toward BSA. A partial overlap of the binding sites for these drugs is indicated by the binding parameters obtained in the titration of naproxen to the amitriptyline-BSA complex and vice versa. Thus, the results provide a quantitative understanding of the binding of naproxen and amitriptyline to BSA, which is important in understanding their effect as therapeutic agents individually and in combination therapy.     

Investigation of the Interaction Between Ofloxacin and Bovine Serum Albumin: Spectroscopic Approach

Ofloxacin is an antibacterial compound that belongs to the fluoroquinolone family. In this paper, the interaction between ofloxacin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and UV-Vis absorbtion spectroscopy under approximately the human physiological conditions. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated according to the dependence of enthalpy change on the temperature as follows: ΔH has a small negative value (−9.96 kJ⋅mol⁻¹), whereas ΔS has a positive value (54.77 J⋅mol⁻¹⋅K⁻¹). In this work, it was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by ofloxacin is a result of the formation of an ofloxacin–BSA complex. Binding studies concerning the number of binding sites (n=1.14) and apparent binding constant were performed by Scatchard’s procedure. The binding distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (ofloxacin) was obtained according to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method.     

Temperature‐induced conformational transition of bovine serum albumin in neutral aqueous solution by reversed‐phase liquid chromatography

The temperature‐induced conformational transition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in neutral aqueous solution was studied using intrinsic fluorescence emission spectrum, reversed‐phase liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the conformation transition thermodynamic parameters were determined in the temperature range 12–50 °C. The results showed that, in the temperature range 12–20 °C, BSA only existed in a single conformation state A, while in the temperature range 22–50 °C, it existed in two different conformation states: A and B. The percentage of conformation state A decreased while that of conformation state B increased with the increase in temperatures, and when temperature approached 50 °C conformation state B accounted for approximately 25% of all conformation states of BSA. In the conformational transition of BSA from conformation state A to conformation state B, the positive enthalpy change, entropy change and free energy changes demonstrated that the conformational transition was endothermic, nonspontaneous and mainly entropy‐driven. © 2013 The Authors. Biomedical Chromatography published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of Interaction Between Raltitrexed and Bovine Serum Albumin by Optical Spectroscopic Techniques

The interaction of raltitrexed(RTX) with bovine serum albumin(BSA) was investigated by steady state/lifetime fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism(CD) spectroscopy under the simulative physiological conditions. The results of fluorescence titration reveal that RTX could strongly quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA via a static quenching procedure. The obtained binding constant K_A of RTX with BSA was 478630 and 44259 L/mol at 298 and 310 K, respectively. According to van’t Hoff equation, the thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔG and ΔS were calculated, indicating that hydrophobic forces were the predominant intermolecular forces in stabilizing the complex. The binding process was a spontaneous process, in which Gibbs free energy change was negative. According to Förster’s non-radioactive energy transfer theory, the distance r between donor(BSA) and acceptor(RTX) was 3.82 nm, suggesting that the energy transfer from BSA to RTX occurred with high probability. Displacement experiment and the number of binding sites calculation confirmed that RTX could bind to the site-I of BSA. Furthermore, the effects of pH and some metal ions on the interaction of RTX with BSA were also investigated. The results of synchronous fluorescence and CD spectra show that the RTX-BSA binding induced conformational changes in BSA.     

A generic rotamer model to explain the temperature dependence of BSA protein fluorescence

Protein fluorescence signals essential information about the conformational dynamics of proteins. Different types of intrinsic fluorophores reflect different protein local or global structural changes. Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) is a transport protein that contains two intrinsic fluorophores: Tryptophan134 (Trp134) and Tryptophan213 (Trp213). This protein displays an interesting temperature dependence of the tryptophan fluorescence. However, the molecular mechanism of the temperature dependence is still unclear. In this work, we propose a generic rotamer model to explain this phenomenon. The model assumes the presence of rotamer-specific fluorescence lifetimes. The fluorescence temperature dependence is caused by the population shifts between different rotamers due to thermal effects. As a proof of concept, we show that the tryptophan's two fluorescence lifetimes (𝜏₁ = 0.4–0.5 ns and 𝜏₂ = 2-4 ns) are sufficient to qualitatively explain the fluorescence intensity change at different temperatures, both in buffer solution (water) and in the protein. To computationally verify our rotamer hypothesis, we use an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation to study the effects of temperature on the two tryptophans' rotamer dynamics. The simulations show that Trp134 is more sensitive to temperature, consistent with experimental observations. Overall, the results support that the temperature dependence of fluorescence in the protein BSA is due to local conformational changes at the residue level. This work sheds light on the relationship between tryptophan's rotamer dynamics and its ability to fluorescence.     

Probing the Interaction Between a Surfactant–Cobalt(III) Complex and Bovine Serum Albumin

The mechanism of binding of the surfactant–cobalt(III) complex, cis-[Co(phen)₂(C₁₄H₂₉NH₂)Cl](ClO₄)₂⋅3H₂O (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, C₁₄H₂₉NH₂ = tetradecylamine) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by UV–vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. The results of fluorescence titration revealed that the surfactant–cobalt(III) complex quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA through a combination of static and dynamic quenching. The apparent binding constant (K _a) and number of binding sites (n) were calculated below and above the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The thermodynamic parameters determined by the van’t Hoff analysis of the constants (ΔH ^∘=14.87 kJ⋅mol⁻¹; ΔS ^∘=152.88 J⋅mol⁻¹⋅K⁻¹ below the CMC and 25.70 kJ⋅mol⁻¹ and 243.14 J⋅mol⁻¹⋅K⁻¹, respectively, above the CMC) clearly indicate that the binding is entropy-driven and enthalpically disfavored. Based on F?rster’s theory of non-radiation energy transfer, the binding distance, r, between donor (BSA) and the acceptor (surfactant–cobalt(III) complex) was evaluated. UV–vis, CD and synchronous fluorescence spectral results showed that the binding of the surfactant–cobalt(III) complex to BSA induced conformational changes in BSA.