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Assessing the extent of protein intermolecular interactions at air–water interfaces using spectroscopic techniques
Author(s) -
de Jongh Harmen H. J.,
Wierenga Peter A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.20519
Subject(s) - chemistry , intermolecular force , air water , intermolecular interaction , protein–protein interaction , chemical physics , environmental chemistry , computational chemistry , organic chemistry , molecule , biochemistry , physics , mechanics
There is an ongoing debate about whether a protein surface film at an air–water interface can be regarded as a gelled layer. There is literature reporting that such films show macroscopic fracture behavior and a rheology comparable to three‐dimensional protein bulk‐networks. Ifthis is the case, a complete description of the formation of adsorbed layers should include a transition from single, freely moving proteins to a gelled layer. This report presents studies using spectroscopic techniques, such as infrared, fluorescence and neutron spectroscopy, or ellipsometry, to derive molecular insight in situ to substantiate the intermolecular networking in surface films of chicken egg ovalbumin. It is concluded that protein films, generated by equilibrium adsorption from the bulk, behave as a densely packed colloidal repulsive particle system, where the proteins still have a significant rotational mobility, have a predominantly retained globular fold, and show distinct (lateral) diffusion. Applied stresses on the surface film (by compressions of the interface) may result in protein denaturation and aggregation. This process renders a surface film from a colloidal particle into that of a gelled system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 82: 384–389, 2006 This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com