Interaction of perfluorooctanoic acid with human serum albumin.
BACKGROUND
Recently, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has become a significant issue in many aspects of environmental ecology, toxicology, pathology and life sciences because it may have serious effects on the endocrine, immune and nervous systems and can lead to embryonic deformities and other diseases. Human serum albumin (HSA) is the major protein component of blood plasma and is called a multifunctional plasma carrier protein because of its ability to bind an unusually broad spectrum of ligands.


RESULTS
The interaction of PFOA with HSA was investigated in the normal physiological condition by equilibrium dialysis, fluorospectrometry, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and circular dichroism (CD). The non-covalent interaction is resulted from hydrogen bond, van der Waals force and hydrophobic stack. PFOA binding to HSA accorded with two-step binding model with the saturation binding numbers of PFOA, only 1 in the hydrophobic intracavity of HSA and 12 on the exposed outer surface. The interaction of PFOA with HSA is spontaneous and results in change of HSA conformation. The possible binding sites were speculated.


CONCLUSIONS
The present work suggested a characterization method for the intermolecular weak interaction. It is potentially useful for elucidating the toxigenicity of perfluorochemicals when combined with biomolecular function effect, transmembrane transport, toxicological testing and the other experiments.
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China. wulleco@hotmail.com
Ling-Ling
LL
Wu
Hong-Wen
HW
Gao
Nai-Yun
NY
Gao
Fang-Fang
FF
Chen
Ling
L
Chen
D001665:Binding Sites; D002210:Caprylates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011485:Protein Binding; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D002210:Caprylates; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012709:Serum Albumin; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid