Abstract
Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to study conformational changes in protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) as induced by varying temperature and in the presence of protein denaturating agents urea and surfactant. BSA has prolate ellipsoidal shape and is found to be stable up to 60°C above which it denaturates and subsequently leads to aggregation. The protein solution exhibits a fractal structure at temperatures above 64°C, with fractal dimension increasing with temperature. BSA protein is found to unfold in the presence of urea at concentrations greater than 4 M and acquires a random coil Gaussian chain conformation. The conformation of the unfolded protein in the presence of surfactant has been determined directly using contrast variation SANS measurements by contrast matching surfactant molecules. The protein acquires a random coil Gaussian conformation on unfolding with its radius of gyration increasing with increase in surfactant concentration
Similar content being viewed by others
References
R S Tu and V Breedveld, Phys. Rev. E72, 041914 (2005)
A Valstar, M Almgren, W Brown and M Vasilescu, Langmuir 16, 922 (2000)
X H Guo, N M Zhao, S H Chen and J Teixeira, Biopolymers 29, 335 (1990)
J Kohlbrecher and W Wagner, J. Appl. Crystallogr. 33, 804 (2000)
J B Hayter and J Penfold, Coll. Polym. Sci. 261, 1022 (1983)
S Chodankar, V K Aswal, J Kohlbrecher, R Vavrin and A G Wagh, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 19, 326102 (2007)
W S Gosal and S B Ross-Murphy, Curr. Opin in Coll. Int. Sci. 5, 188 (2000)
S Chodankar, V K Aswal, J Kohlbrecher, R Vavrin and A G Wagh, Phys. Rev. E77, 031901 (2008)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chodankar, S., Aswal, V.K., Kohlbrecher, J. et al. Small angle neutron scattering studies on protein denaturation induced by different methods. Pramana - J Phys 71, 1021–1025 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12043-008-0217-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12043-008-0217-7