title: Spectrofluorometric characterization of beta-lactoglobulin B covalently labeled with 2-(4'-maleimidylanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonate.
abstract: Bovine beta-lactoglobulin, genetic variant B, has been labeled with 2-(4'-maleimidylanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid through covalent attachment through the Cys-121 thiol group for the study of stepwise pressure denaturation of this whey protein by fluorescence spectroscopy. The labeling was performed under nondenaturing conditions with a factor of 5 excess of the fluorophore in dimethylformamide/water (1:10) to yield the whey protein highly labeled after chromatographic separation. MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy confirmed labeling. The emission from the fluorophore, which is sensitive to the microenvironment, has been characterized for the labeled protein (aqueous pH 7.4 solution, 25 degrees C) and has a lambda(em,max) = 410 nm (lambda(ex,max) = 318 nm) with a fluorescence lifetime of 6.1 +/- 0.2 ns. Fluorescence anisotropy increases and fluorescence quantum yield (Phi(f) = 0.103 at 320 nm) decreases with increasing excitation wavelength. For increasing hydrostatic pressure, fluorescence quantum yield showed a minimum at approximately 50 MPa, corresponding to the pre-denatured "pressure-melted" state in which thiol reactivity previously was found to increase prior to reversible protein unfolding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dairy, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stapelfeldt
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Skibsted
mesh_terms: D000817:Anilino Naphthalenesulfonates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007782:Lactoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000817:Anilino Naphthalenesulfonates; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007782:Lactoglobulins; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents; C021310:2-(4'-maleimidylanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid