title: pH-dependent secondary conformation of bovine lens alpha-crystallin: ATR infrared spectroscopic study with second-derivative analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to simulate the usage of different formulations of ophthalmic solution, the protein conformational changes of lens alpha-crystallin in buffer solutions of different pH were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The secondary structure of bovine lens alpha-crystallin in different Mcllvaine buffer solutions (pH 2.2, 4.0, 6.0, 7.2 and 8.0) was determined by attenuated total reflection (ATR)/Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry with second-derivative technique. The turbidity of alpha-crystallin in different buffer solutions was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that alpha-crystallin exists mainly in beta-sheet structure at 1627-1637 cm-1. The conformational components of alpha-crystallin may be closely similar in pH 7.2 buffer solution and in pH 8.0 buffer solution. Once alpha-crystallin dissolved in pH 6.0 and 4.0 buffer solution, the appearance of a component at 1618 or 1620 cm-1, associated with the presence of intermolecular beta-sheet structure or beta-turn structure or amino acid side chains, implied the denaturation of alpha-crystallin, which was even more marked in pH 4.0 buffer solution. Due to the effect of dissociation and stability of alpha-crystallin in pH 2.2 buffer solution, the secondary structure of the intact alpha-crystallin was difficult to evaluate. This study demonstrates that different pH can vary secondary conformational structure of alpha-crystallin, particularly if the pH is below 6.0. This suggests that the secondary structure of alpha-crystallin in buffer solution exhibits pH-dependent characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research and Education, Veterans General Hospital Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. sylin@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003459:Crystallins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000737:chemistry; D015591:Microspectrophotometry; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared