title: Investigation of slow dynamics of the sulfhydryl in the solution and gel states of bovine serum albumin: A vector electron paramagnetic resonance study.
abstract: Serum albumin has one reactive sulfhydryl (Cys-34) that is one of the important binding sites. Cys-34 is located in the crevice on the surface of the albumin molecule and is therefore restricted in its motion. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) Fraction V forms a transparent gel at pD 4.0 (F-form) in D2O at protein concentrations above 7% (BSA*-gel). We studied the molecular motion of Cys-34 on BSA in the solution and gel states by the vector electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method using a maleimide spin label. The rotational correlation times of the spin label bound to Cys-34 in the BSA solution and BSA*-gel were in the order of 10(-6) and 10(-5) s, respectively. A longer rotational correlation time of the Cys-34 spin label in the BSA*-gel suggested that the gel network formed in BSA may drastically slow the motion of Cys-34. The integrated value obtained from the vector EPR spectra also showed an extremely dramatic slowing of the Cys-34 spin label during the gel formation. On the other hand, the values for order parameter and the inclination of the principal axis (z) of the Cys-34 spin label to the rotational axis (mu) were the same in the BSA solution and BSA*-gel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu, 500-8705, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuwata
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Era
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003545:Cysteine; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D006868:Hydrolysis; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry*; D013113:Spin Labels; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D013113:Spin Labels; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D003545:Cysteine