Denaturation of bovine serum albumin under the action of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, according to data from fluorescence analysis

Abstract

The tryptophan fluorescence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in solutions with different concentrations of cationic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at different pH is investigated, providing information on BSA denaturation under the action of CTAB. It is found that BSA denaturation under the action of CTAB at all of the investigated pH values (3.5–8.0) is a single-stage process, as determined by BSA tryptophan fluorescence quenching, by an increased degree of the BSA tryptophan fluorescence polarization, and by the values of the parameters for the rotational diffusion of BSA molecules in CTAB solutions. It is shown that the cationic detergent CTAB is more efficient for BSA denaturation at pH values higher than the BSA isoelectric point (4.9).