Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a versatile reporter protein and has been widely used in biological research. However, its quantitation requires expensive equipment such as a spectrofluorometer. In the current study, a gel documentation imaging system using a native polyacrylamide gel for the quantitation of GFP was developed. The assay was evaluated for its precision, linearity, reproducibility, and sensitivity in the presence of Escherichia coli cells and was compared with the spectrofluorometric method. Using this newly established, gel-based imaging technique; the amount of GFP can be quantified accurately.
Mechanical and non-mechanical breakages of bacterial cells are usually the preliminary steps in intracellular protein purification. In this study, the recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP) was purified from intact Escherichia coli cells using preparative PAGE. In this purification process, cells disruption step is not needed. The cellular content of E. coli was drifted out electrically from cells and the negatively charged GFP was further electroeluted from polyacrylamide gel column. SEM investigation of the electrophoresed cells revealed substantial structural damage at the cellular level. This integrated purification technique has successfully recovered the intracellular GFP with a yield of 82% and purity of 95%.
Effect of simulated honey sugar cocktail (SHSC) on chemical and thermal stability of ovalbumin (OVA) was investigated using multiple-spectroscopic techniques. Urea-induced denaturation of OVA produced a transition, characterized by the start-, the mid- and the end-points at 3.2 M, 5.9/5.6 M and 8.5/8.0 M urea, respectively, when studied by MRE222nm and tryptophan fluorescence measurements. Presence of 10% or 20% (w/v) SHSC in the incubation mixture shifted the transition curve towards higher urea concentration in a concentration dependent manner. A comparison of far- and near-UV CD, UV-difference, ANS fluorescence and 3-D fluorescence spectral results of native OVA and 5.9 M urea-denatured OVA (U-OVA), obtained in the absence and the presence of 20% (w/v) SHSC suggested SHSC-induced stabilization of U-OVA. Furthermore, a significant shift towards higher denaturant concentration was also noticed in the GdnHCl and thermal transition curves of OVA in the presence of 20% (w/v) SHSC. Taken together, all these results suggested stabilization of OVA against chemical and thermal denaturations by SHSC.
Protein stabilizing potential of honey was studied on a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), using extrinsic fluorescence of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as the probe. BSA was labelled with FITC using chemical coupling, and urea and thermal denaturation studies were performed on FITC-labelled BSA (FITC-BSA) both in the absence and presence of 10% and 20% (w/v) honey using FITC fluorescence at 522 nm upon excitation at 495 nm. There was an increase in the FITC fluorescence intensity upon increasing urea concentration or temperature, suggesting protein denaturation. The results from urea and thermal denaturation studies showed increased stability of protein in the presence of honey as reflected from the shift in the transition curve along with the start point and the midpoint of the transition towards higher urea concentration/temperature. Furthermore, the increase in ΔG D (H2O) and ΔG D (25°C) in presence of honey also suggested protein stabilization.
Interaction of flavokawain B (FB), a multitherapeutic flavonoid from Alpinia mutica with the major transport protein, human serum albumin (HSA), was investigated using different spectroscopic probes, i.e., intrinsic, synchronous, and three-dimensional (3-D) fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and molecular modeling studies. Values of binding parameters for FB-HSA interaction in terms of binding constant and stoichiometry of binding were determined from the fluorescence quench titration and were found to be 6.88 × 10(4) M(-1) and 1.0 mol of FB bound per mole of protein, respectively, at 25 °C. Thermodynamic analysis of the binding data obtained at different temperatures showed that the binding process was primarily mediated by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, as the values of the enthalpy change (ΔH) and the entropy change (ΔS) were found to be -6.87 kJ mol(-1) and 69.50 J mol(-1) K(-1), respectively. FB binding to HSA led to both secondary and tertiary structural alterations in the protein as revealed by intrinsic, synchronous, and 3-D fluorescence results. Increased thermal stability of HSA in the presence of FB was also evident from the far-UV CD spectral results. The distance between the bound ligand and Trp-214 of HSA was determined as 3.03 nm based on the Förster resonance energy transfer mechanism. Displacement experiments using bilirubin and warfarin coupled with molecular modeling studies assigned the binding site of FB on HSA at domain IIA, i.e., Sudlow's site I.
The interaction of crythrosine B (ErB), a commonly used dye for coloring foods and drinks, with bovine scrum albumin (BSA) was investigated both in the absence and presence of bilirubin (BR) using absorption and absorption difference spectroscopy. ErB binding to BSA was reflected from a significant red shift of 11 nm in the absorption maximum of ErB (527 nm) with the change in absorbance at lamdamax. Analysis of absorption difference spectroscopic titration results of BSA with increasing concentrations of ErB3 using Benesi-Hildebrand equation gave the association constant, K as 6.9 x 10(4) M(-1). BR displacing action of ErB was revealed by a significant blue shift in the absorption maximum, accompanied by a decrease in absorbance difference at lamdamax in the difference spectrum of BR-BSA complex upon addition of increasing concentrations of ErB. This was further substantiated by fluorescence spectroscopy, as addition of increasing concentrations of ErB to BR-BSA complex caused a significant decrease in fluoresccnce at 510 nm. The results suggest that ErB binds to a site in the vicinity of BR binding site on BSA. Therefore, intake of ErB may increase the risk of hyperbilirubinemia in the healthy subjects.
Using 100-fold molar excess of succinic anhydride, about 99% of lysine residues of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) were modified. Succinylated (S(99)) HEWL showed both charge and size homogeneity as judged by PAGE and gel filtration, respectively. Hydrodynamic parameters such as Stokes radius and frictional ratio (f/f(o)) showed more expanded conformation of S(99) HEWL compared to native HEWL as evident from the increase in Stokes radius (from 1.36 to 1.86 nm) and f/f(o) (from 0.86 to 1.15) values. Guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) denaturation studies using fluorescence spectroscopy connoted a marked decrease in conformational stability of HEWL upon succinylation. Complete denaturation of S(99) HEWL was achieved at lower GdnHCl concentration ( approximately 3.8 M) compared to native HEWL ( approximately 5 M). Furthermore, free energy of stabilization (DeltaG(D)(H(2)O)) value also showed a notable decrease from 8,559 and 7,956 cal/mol (for native HEWL) to 4,404 and 4,669 cal/mol (for succinylated HEWL) using excitation at 280 and 295 nm, respectively. Both expanded conformation and decreased DeltaG(D)(H(2)O) can be attributed to the increase in the net negative charge on the protein upon succinylation. All these results manifested the importance of positively charged lysine residues in maintaining the conformational stability of HEWL through electrostatic interactions.
Interaction of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, vandetanib (VDB), with the major transport protein in the human blood circulation, human serum albumin (HSA), was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and molecular docking analysis. The binding constant of the VDB-HSA system, as determined by fluorescence quenching titration method was found in the range, 8.92-6.89 × 10(3 )M(-1) at three different temperatures, suggesting moderate binding affinity. Furthermore, decrease in the binding constant with increasing temperature revealed involvement of static quenching mechanism, thus affirming the formation of the VDB-HSA complex. Thermodynamic analysis of the binding reaction between VDB and HSA yielded positive ΔS (52.76 J mol(-1) K(-1)) and negative ΔH (-6.57 kJ mol(-1)) values, which suggested involvement of hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding in stabilizing the VDB-HSA complex. Far-UV and near-UV CD spectral results suggested alterations in both secondary and tertiary structures of HSA upon VDB-binding. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectral results also showed significant microenvironmental changes around the Trp residue of HSA consequent to the complex formation. Use of site-specific marker ligands, such as phenylbutazone (site I marker) and diazepam (site II marker) in competitive ligand displacement experiments indicated location of the VDB binding site on HSA as Sudlow's site I (subdomain IIA), which was further established by molecular docking results. Presence of some common metal ions, such as Ca(2+), Zn(2+), Cu(2+), Ba(2+), Mg(2+), and Mn(2+) in the reaction mixture produced smaller but significant alterations in the binding affinity of VDB to HSA.
Interaction of a promising anticancer drug, lapatinib (LAP) with the major transport protein in human blood circulation, human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated using fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy as well as molecular docking analysis. LAP-HSA complex formation was evident from the involvement of static quenching mechanism, as revealed by the fluorescence quenching data analysis. The binding constant, Ka value in the range of 1.49-1.01×10(5)M(-1), obtained at three different temperatures was suggestive of the intermediate binding affinity between LAP and HSA. Thermodynamic analysis of the binding data (∆H=-9.75kJmol(-1) and ∆S=+65.21Jmol(-1)K(-1)) suggested involvement of both hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding in LAP-HSA interaction, which were in line with the molecular docking results. LAP binding to HSA led to the secondary and the tertiary structural alterations in the protein as evident from the far-UV and the near-UV CD spectral analysis, respectively. Microenvironmental perturbation around Trp and Tyr residues in HSA upon LAP binding was confirmed from the three-dimensional fluorescence spectral results. LAP binding to HSA improved the thermal stability of the protein. LAP was found to bind preferentially to the site III in subdomain IB on HSA, as probed by the competitive drug displacement results and supported by the molecular docking results. The effect of metal ions on the binding constant between LAP and HSA was also investigated and the results showed a decrease in the binding constant in the presence of these metal ions.
Tyrphostin 9 (Tyr 9) is a potent platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) inhibitor, which induces apoptosis in various cancer cell types. The binding of Tyr 9 to the major transport protein, human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated using several spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking method. Fluorescence quenching titration results showed progressive decrease in the protein fluorescence with increasing drug concentrations. A decreasing trend of the Stern-Volmer constant, Ksv with increasing temperature characterized the drug-induced quenching as static quenching, thus pointed towards the formation of Tyr 9-HSA complex. The binding constant of Tyr 9-HSA interaction was found to lie within the range 3.48-1.69 × 105 M-1 at three different temperatures, i.e. 15 °C, 25 °C and 35 °C, respectively and suggested intermediate binding affinity between Tyr 9 and HSA. The drug-HSA complex seems to be stabilized by hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds, as suggested from the thermodynamic data as well as molecular docking results. The far-UV and the near-UV CD spectral results showed slight alteration in the secondary and tertiary structures, respectively, of the protein upon Tyr 9 binding. Interaction of Tyr 9 with HSA also produced microenvironmental perturbations around protein fluorophores, as evident from the three-dimensional fluorescence spectral results but increased protein's thermal stability. Both competitive drug binding results and molecular docking analysis suggested Sudlow's Site I of HSA as the preferred Tyr 9 binding site. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Binding of lumefantrine (LUM), an antimalarial drug to human serum albumin (HSA), the main carrier protein in human blood circulation was investigated using fluorescence quenching titration, UV-vis absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy as well as molecular docking. LUM-induced quenching of the protein (HSA) fluorescence was characterized as static quenching, as revealed by the decrease in the value of the Stern-Volmer quenching constant, K sv with increasing temperature, thus suggesting LUM-HSA complex formation. This was also confirmed from the UV-vis absorption spectral results. Values of the association constant, Ka for LUM-HSA interaction were found to be within the range, 7.27-5.01 × 104 M-1 at three different temperatures, i.e. 288 K, 298 K and 308 K, which indicated moderate binding affinity between LUM and HSA. The LUM-HSA complex was stabilized by hydrophobic interactions, H-bonds, as well as van der Waals forces, as predicted from the thermodynamic data (ΔS = +50.34 J mol-1 K-1 and ΔH = -12.3 kJ mol-1) of the binding reaction. Far-UV and near-UV CD spectral results demonstrated smaller changes in both secondary and tertiary structures of HSA upon LUM binding, while three-dimensional fluorescence spectra suggested alterations in the microenvironment around protein fluorophores (Trp and Tyr). LUM binding to HSA offered stability to the protein against thermal stress. Competitive drug displacement results designated Sudlow's Site I, located in subdomain IIA of HSA as the preferred binding site of LUM on HSA, which was well supported by molecular docking analysis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Treatment of Bacillus licheniformis α-amylase (BLA) with guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) produced both denatured and aggregated forms of the enzyme as studied by circular dichroism, fluorescence, UV difference spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and enzymatic activity. The presence of CaCl(2) in the incubation mixture produced significant recovery in spectral signals, being complete in presence of 10 mM CaCl(2), as well as in enzymatic activity, which is indicative of protein stabilization. However, the SEC results obtained with GdnHCl-denatured BLA both in the absence and the presence of 10 mM CaCl(2) suggested significant aggregation of the protein in the absence of CaCl(2) and disaggregation in its presence. Although partial structural stabilization with significant retention of enzymatic activity was observed in the presence of calcium, it was far from the native state, as reflected by spectral probes. Hence, spectral results as to BLA stabilization should be treated with caution in the presence of aggregation.
Conformational analysis of champedak galactose-binding (CGB) lectin under different urea concentrations was studied in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2) using far-ultraviolet circular dichroism (far-UV CD), tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence and ANS fluorescence. In all cases, CGB lectin displayed a two-step, three-state transition. The first transition (from the native state to the intermediate state) started at ∼2.0 M urea and ended at ∼4.5 M urea, while the second transition (from the intermediate state to the completely denatured state) was characterized by the start- and end-points at ∼5.75 M and ∼7.5 M urea, respectively, when analyzed by the emission maximum of Trp fluorescence. A marked increase in the Trp fluorescence, ANS fluorescence and -CD values at 218 nm (-CD218 nm) represented the first transition, whereas a decrease in these parameters defined the second transition. On the other hand, emission maximum of the Trp fluorescence showed a continuous increase throughout the urea concentration range. Transformation of tetramer into monomer represented the first transition, whereas the second transition reflected the unfolding of monomer. Far-UV CD, Trp fluorescence and ANS fluorescence spectra were used to characterize the native, the intermediate and the completely denatured states of CGB lectin, obtained at 0.0 M, 5.0 M and 9.0 M urea, respectively. The intermediate state was characterized by the presence of higher secondary structures, increased ANS binding as well as increased Trp fluorescence intensity. A gradual decrease in the hemagglutination activity of CGB lectin was observed with increasing urea concentrations, showing complete loss at 4.0 M urea.
The interaction of pinostrobin (PS), a multitherapeutic agent with serum albumins of various mammalian species namely, goat, bovine, human, porcine, rabbit, sheep and dog was investigated using fluorescence quench titration and competitive drug displacement experiments. Analysis of the intrinsic fluorescence quenching data revealed values of the association constant, K(a) in the range of 1.49 - 6.12 × 10(4) M(-1), with 1:1 binding stoichiometry. Based on the PS-albumin binding characteristics, these albumins were grouped into two classes. Ligand displacement studies using warfarin as the site I marker ligand correlated well with the binding data. Albumins from goat and bovine were found to be closely similar to human albumin on the basis of PS binding characteristics.
Urea and thermal denaturations of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied in the absence and the presence of honey or simulated honey sugar cocktail (SHSC) using far-UV CD and ANS fluorescence spectroscopy. Presence of 20% (w/v) honey or SHSC in the incubation mixture shifted the urea transition curve towards higher urea concentrations, being higher in the presence of honey and transformed the two-step, three-state transition into a single-step, two-state transition. A comparison of the far-UV CD and the ANS fluorescence spectra of 4.6 M urea-denatured BSA (U-BSA) in the absence and the presence of 20% (w/v) honey or SHSC suggested greater stabilizing potential of honey than SHSC, as U-BSA maintained native like conformation in the presence of 20% (w/v) honey. Furthermore, thermal transition curves of BSA were also shifted towards higher temperature range in the presence of 20% (w/v) SHSC and honey, showing greater shift in the presence of honey. The far-UV CD spectra of the heat-denatured BSA also showed greater stabilization in the presence of honey. Taken together all these results suggested greater protein stabilizing potential of honey than SHSC against chemical and thermal denaturations of BSA.
Interaction of pendimethalin (PM) herbicide with the major transporter in human circulation, human serum albumin (HSA), was studied using fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and molecular modeling methods. The attenuation of the fluorescence intensity of HSA in the presence of PM revealed formation of the PM-HSA complex. Analysis of the fluorescence quenching data showed moderately strong binding affinity between PM and HSA. Both hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding were suggested to stabilize the PM-HSA complex, based on thermodynamic data. Binding of PM to HSA induced perturbation in the microenvironment around the aromatic fluorophores as well as secondary and tertiary structural changes in the protein. Complexation of PM with HSA led to an increase in its thermal stability. Both site marker displacement and molecular modeling results suggested site I, located in subdomain IIA as the preferred binding site of PM on HSA.
Binding studies between a multi-targeted anticancer drug, sunitinib (SU) and human serum albumin (HSA) were made using fluorescence, UV-vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking analysis. Both fluorescence quenching data and UV-vis absorption results suggested formation of SU-HSA complex. Moderate binding affinity between SU and HSA was evident from the value of the binding constant (3.04×104M-1), obtained at 298K. Involvement of hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds as the leading intermolecular forces in the formation of SU-HSA complex was predicted from the thermodynamic data of the binding reaction. These results were in good agreement with the molecular docking analysis. Microenvironmental perturbations around Tyr and Trp residues as well as secondary and tertiary structural changes in HSA upon SU binding were evident from the three-dimensional fluorescence and circular dichroism results. SU binding to HSA also improved the thermal stability of the protein. Competitive displacement results and molecular docking analysis revealed the binding locus of SU to HSA in subdomain IIA (Sudlow's site I). The influence of a few common ions on the binding constant of SU-HSA complex was also noticed.
Multiple spectroscopic techniques, such as fluorescence, absorption, and circular dichroism along with in silico studies were used to characterize the binding of a potent inhibitor molecule, CCG1423 to the major transport protein, human serum albumin (HSA). Fluorescence and absorption spectroscopic results confirmed CCG1423-HSA complex formation. A strong binding affinity stabilized the CCG1423-HSA complex, as evident from the values of the binding constant (Ka = 1.35 × 106-5.43 × 105 M-1). The KSV values for CCG1423-HSA system were inversely correlated with temperature, suggesting the involvement of static quenching mechanism. Thermodynamic data anticipated that CCG1423-HSA complexation was mainly driven by hydrophobic and van der Waals forces as well as hydrogen bonds. In silico analysis also supported these results. Three-dimensional fluorescence and circular dichroism spectral analysis suggested microenvironmental perturbations around protein fluorophores and structural (secondary and tertiary) changes in the protein upon CCG1423 binding. CCG1423 binding to HSA also showed some protection against thermal denaturation. Site-specific marker-induced displacement results revealed CCG1423 binding to Sudlow's site I of HSA, which was also confirmed by the computational results. A few common ions were also found to interfere with the CCG1423-HSA interaction.
Acid denaturation of champedak galactose-binding (CGB) lectin was studied in the pH range, 7.0-1.0 using intrinsic fluorescence and ANS fluorescence measurements. The lectin remained stable up to pH 5.0 and showed local disordering in the vicinity of the protein fluorophores within the pH range, 5.0-3.5. Decrease in the pH from pH 3.5 to pH 2.5 led to structural transition, marked by the decrease in the intrinsic fluorescence and increase in the ANS fluorescence signals. This can be ascribed to the dissociation of the tetrameric lectin into monomeric forms. Further decrease in the pH up to pH 1.5 produced another transition, which specified the unfolding of monomers as reflected from the decrease in both intrinsic fluorescence and ANS fluorescence signals. Characterization of the conformational states obtained at pH 7.0, pH 2.5 and pH 1.5 based on intrinsic and ANS fluorescence spectra, gel chromatographic behavior and thermal denaturation confirmed the existence of folded monomeric forms at pH 2.5 and unfolded states at pH 1.5. However, the aciddenatured state of CGB lectin at pH 1.5 retained significant residual structure, as evident from the greater loss of both secondary and tertiary structures in the presence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride at low pH values. Anion-induced refolding below pH 1.5 was also seen using ANS fluorescence measurements.
The interaction between mefloquine (MEF), the antimalarial drug, and human serum albumin (HSA), the main carrier protein in blood circulation, was explored using fluorescence, absorption, and circular dichroism spectroscopic techniques. Quenching of HSA fluorescence with MEF was characterized as static quenching and thus confirmed the complex formation between MEF and HSA. Association constant values for MEF-HSA interaction were found to fall within the range of 3.79-5.73 × 104 M-1 at various temperatures (288, 298, and 308 K), which revealed moderate binding affinity. Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were predicted to connect MEF and HSA together in the MEF-HSA complex, as deduced from the thermodynamic data (ΔS = +133.52 J mol-1 K-1 and ΔH = +13.09 kJ mol-1 ) of the binding reaction and molecular docking analysis. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectral analysis pointed out alterations in the microenvironment around aromatic amino acid (tryptophan and tyrosine) residues of HSA consequent to the addition of MEF. Circular dichroic spectra of HSA in the wavelength ranges of 200-250 and 250-300 nm hinted smaller changes in the protein's secondary and tertiary structures, respectively, induced by MEF binding. Noncovalent conjugation of MEF to HSA bettered protein thermostability. Site marker competitive drug displacement results suggested HSA Sudlow's site I as the MEF binding site, which was also supported by molecular docking analysis.