The interaction of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) with limonene has been studied by UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking, and its effects on protein conformation, topology and stability were determined by Circular Dichroism (CD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). A gradual decrease in Stern-Volmer quenching constants with the increase in temperature showed the static mode of fluorescence quenching. The obtained binding constant (Kb) was ∼10(4) M(-1). The temperature dependent Kb, Gibbs free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) changes were calculated, which revealed that the reaction is spontaneous and exothermic. The UV-visible spectra showed a change in the peaks within the aromatic region indicating hydrophobic interactions with Trp, Tyr and Phe in the protein. Moreover, limonene induced an increase in α-helical contents probably on the cost of random coils or/and β-sheets of BSA, as observed from the far-UV CD spectra. The topology of BSA in the presence of limonene was slightly altered, as obtained from DLS results. The stability was also enhanced as revealed through thermal denaturation study by DSC and CD. Molecular docking study depicted that limonene fits into the hydrophobic pocket close to Sudlow site I in domain IIA of BSA. The present study will be helpful in understanding the binding mechanism of limonene and associated stability and conformational changes.

In concentrated macromolecular solutions, weak physical interactions control the solution behavior including particle size distribution, aggregation, liquid-liquid phase separation, or crystallization. This is central to many fields ranging from colloid chemistry to cell biology and pharmaceutical protein engineering. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine macromolecular assembly states and polydispersity at high concentrations in solution, since all motion is coupled through long-range hydrodynamic, electrostatic, steric, and other interactions, and scattering techniques report on the solution structure when average interparticle distances are comparable to macromolecular dimensions. Here we present a sedimentation velocity technique that, for the first time, can resolve macromolecular size distributions at high concentrations, by simultaneously accounting for average mutual hydrodynamic and thermodynamic interactions. It offers high resolution and sensitivity of protein solutions up to 50 mg/ml, extending studies of macromolecular solution state closer to the concentration range of therapeutic formulations, serum, or intracellular conditions.

Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), an anionic surfactant that mimics some characteristics of biological membrane has also been found to induce aggregation in proteins. The present study was carried out on 25 diverse proteins using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, dye binding assay and electron microscopy. It was found that an appropriate molar ratio of protein to SDS readily induced amyloid formation in all proteins at a pH below two units of their respective isoelectric points (pI) while no aggregation was observed at a pH above two units of pI. We also observed that electrostatic interactions play a leading role in the induction of amyloid. This study can be used to design or hypothesize a molecule or drug, which may counter act the factor responsible for amyloid formation.

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