title: Revisiting binding of plutonium to transferrin by CE-ICP-MS.
abstract: Capillary electrophoresis coupled with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer was applied for the first time to determine the binding constant of human transferrin (Tf) for tetravalent plutonium. The experiments were carried out in a buffer 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) at pH 6, 0.1 M NaCl and at a temperature of 25 °C. The nitrilotriacetate anion (NTA) used in this study prevents the hydrolysis of plutonium and is an ideal competitor with Tf for Pu, both ligands sharing comparable binding strength. The separation revealed unambiguous two peaks associated with the complex Pu(NTA)2used as the initial species and with Pu-transferrin. Two series of independent experiments were conducted and gave the first stepwise conditional bicarbonate-free Pu-transferrin binding constant of . In the absence of bicarbonate the affinity of transferrin for plutonium at pH 6 is about 104times stronger than that of iron at pH 6.7 .
authors.affiliation: CEA, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7265 Biologie Végétale et Microbiologie Environnementales, Laboratoire des Interactions Protéine Métal, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sauge-Merle
authors.affiliation: CEA, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7265 Biologie Végétale et Microbiologie Environnementales, Laboratoire des Interactions Protéine Métal, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lemaire
authors.affiliation: Doctor-on-a-Chip Laboratory, Electronic and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: CEA, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7265 Biologie Végétale et Microbiologie Environnementales, Laboratoire des Interactions Protéine Métal, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berthomieu
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France. jean.aupiais@cea.fr.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2830-4447
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aupiais
mesh_terms: D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011005:Plutonium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014168:Transferrin; D011005:Plutonium