Surface properties of "jellyfish": Langmuir monolayer and Langmuir-Blodgett film studies of recombinant aequorin

Langmuir. 2007 Jul 3;23(14):7602-7. doi: 10.1021/la700756e. Epub 2007 Jun 8.

Abstract

In this paper, we studied the surface properties of recombinant aequorin at the air-water interface. Using the Langmuir monolayer technique, the surface properties of aequorin were studied, including the surface pressure and surface potential-area isotherms, compression-decompression cycles, and stability on Trizma Base (Tris/HCl) buffer at pH 7.6. The results showed that aequorin formed a stable Langmuir monolayer and the surface pressure-area isotherms were dependent on both pH and ionic strength. At a pH higher or lower than 7.6, the limiting molecular area decreased. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of aequorin in aqueous solutions explained this result: when the pH was higher than 7.6, the alpha-helix conformation changed to unordered structures, whereas at a pH lower than 7.6, the alpha-helix conformation changed to beta-sheet. The addition of calcium chloride to the Tris/HCl buffer subphase (pH 7.6) caused an increase of the limiting molecular area of the aequorin Langmuir monolayer. The fluorescence spectra of a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film of aequorin in the presence of calcium chloride indicated that the aequorin transformed to the apoaequorin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aequorin / chemistry*
  • Air*
  • Apoproteins / chemistry
  • Buffers
  • Calcium Chloride / chemistry
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Luminescent Agents / chemistry*
  • Potassium Chloride / chemistry
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Surface Properties
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Apoproteins
  • Buffers
  • Luminescent Agents
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • apoaequorin
  • Water
  • Aequorin
  • Potassium Chloride
  • Calcium Chloride