Thiol dependent isomerization of bovine albumin

María Gabaldon, María Gabaldon

Index: Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 44(1) , 43-50, (2009)

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Abstract

Albumin isomerizes to the aged form in the presence of cysteine at pH 8.9 and low ionic strength. Albumins with a high fatty acid and Cu(II) content do not produce isomers, and recover this capacity after an acid expansion. Isomers have the free thiol group fully oxidized (non-mercaptalbumin) and have been isolated for the first time from aged albumins by anion and cation exchange chromatography. Isomers have a higher susceptibility to limited tryptic digestion and show a decrease in the fluorescence of bound dansylamide, a typical marker of site I. Aging in the presence of phenylarsine oxide, which complexes vicinal thiols, impairs the formation of isomers and increases the free –SH groups of albumin.