title: Water-in-silicone oil emulsion stabilizing surfactants formed from native albumin and alpha,omega-triethoxysilylpropyl-polydimethylsiloxane.
abstract: Contact with hydrophobic silicones frequently leads to protein denaturation. However, it is demonstrated that albumin in water-in-silicone oil emulsions retains its native structure in the presence of a functional, triethoxysilyl-terminated silicone polymer, TES-PDMS. Both HSA and TES-PDMS were essential for the formation of stable water-in-silicone oil emulsions: attempts to generate stable emulsions using independently either the protein or the functionalized silicone as a surfactant failed. Confocal microscopy indicated that the human serum albumin (HSA) preferentially adsorbed at the oil/water interface, even in the presence of another protein (glucose oxidase). A variety of experiments demonstrated that the hydrolysis of the Si-OEt groups on the functional silicone occurred only to a limited extent, consistent with the absence of a covalent linkage between the silicone and protein, or of cross-linked silicones at the interface. The fluorescence spectra of HSA extracted from the emulsions, front-faced fluorescence experiments on the HSA/silicone emulsion itself, and HSA/salicylate binding studies all demonstrated that the stability of the water/oil interface decreased as the protein began to unfold: unfolding of the protein in the emulsion was slower than in aqueous solution. The experimental evidence indicated that the interaction between HSA and TES-PDMS is not associated with either homomolecular (HSA/HSA; TES-PDMS/TES-PDMS) interactions or with covalent linkage between two the polymers. Rather, the data is consistent with the direct binding of unhydrolyzed Si(OEt) 3 groups to native HSA. The nature of these interactions is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. pzelisko@brocku.ca
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Zelisko
authors.forename: Kulwinder K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Flora
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brook
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000737:chemistry*; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005949:Glucose Oxidase / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D011485:Protein Binding; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry; D012827:Silicone Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012828:Silicones / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012827:Silicone Oils; D012828:Silicones; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C533232:alpha,omega-triethoxysilylpropyl-polydimethylsiloxane; D014867:Water; C013830:baysilon; D005949:Glucose Oxidase; D020156:Salicylic Acid