Characterization of a dimeric unfolding intermediate of bovine serum albumin under mildly acidic condition

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2005 Aug 10;1751(2):159-69. doi: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2005.06.007.

Abstract

Protein aggregation is a well-known phenomenon related to serious medical implications. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), a structural analogue of human serum albumin, has a natural tendency for aggregation under stress conditions. While following effect of moderately acidic pH on BSA, a state was identified at pH 4.2 having increased light scattering capability at 350 nm. It was essentially a dimer devoid of disulphide linked large aggregates as observed from 'spin column' experiments, gel electrophoresis and ultra-centrifugations. Its surface hydrophobic character was comparable to the native conformer at pH 7.0 as observed by the extraneous fluorescence probes pyrene and pyrene maleimide but its interactions with 1-anilino 8-naphthelene sulphonic acid was more favorable. Dimerization was irreversible between pH 4.2 and 7.0 even after treatment with DTT. The role of the only cysteine-34 residue was investigated where modification with reagents of arm length bigger than 6 A prevented dimerization. Molecular modeling of BSA indicated that cys-34 resides in a cleft of 6 A depth. This indicated that the area surrounding the cleft plays important role in inducing the dimerization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Centrifugation, Density Gradient
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Cysteine / chemistry
  • Dimerization
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Light
  • Mercaptoethanol / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Molecular Weight
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Denaturation
  • Protein Folding*
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Serum Albumin / chemistry
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry*
  • Sulfhydryl Reagents / chemistry
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Serum Albumin
  • Sulfhydryl Reagents
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine
  • Mercaptoethanol
  • Cysteine