Proteins are important in living beings and take part in almost all life processes. They are not only involved in metabolism, immunity, and life evolution but also offer much information about ourselves. Human serum albumin (HSA), the most abundant protein in plasma, acts as a transporter and disposer of many endogenous and exogenous compounds.1-3) HSA consists of a single polypeptide chain of 585 amino acid residues and comprises three structurally homologous domains: I (residues 1-195); . It comprises three contiguous domains, each containing two subdomains (A and B) that possess common structural motifs conferred by various intra-and interdomain forces such as salt bridges and hydrophobic interactions. 4,5) The primary function of HSA lies in the maintenance of colloid osmotic pressure within blood vessels. HSA also acts as a carrier for transporting numerous hydrophobic molecules, e.g., steroid hormones, bilirubin, and fatty acids. Due to these properties, HSA is used clinically to treat severe hypoalbuminemia or traumatic shock. 6) Prulifloxacin (PUFX), 1,6-fluoro-1-methyl-7-[4-(5-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxolen-4-yl)methy-1-piperazinyl]-4-oxo-4H- [1,3]thiaceto[3,2-a]quinoline-3-carboxylic acid, is a new type of oral antibiotic. It is a new thiazeto-quinolone antibacterial agent prodrug of the quinolone carboxylic acid ulifloxacin, characterized by potent, and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. It is active against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and several anaerobic and atypical bacteria associated with chronic bronchitis and urinary tract infections. 7,8) PUFX contains a quinolone skeleton with a fourmember ring in the 1, 2 position including a sulfur atom to increase antibacterial activity and an anoxodioxolenylmethyl group in the 7-piperazine ring to improve oral absorption. Determination of the active metabolite of prulifloxacin in human plasma using HPLC was reported.
9)In this paper, we report our studies on the interaction of PUFX with HSA using fluorescence spectrometry. Synchronous fluorescence measurement was employed to probe conformational changes induced by PUFX. Binding parameters were calculated according to fluorescence data, and the binding mode is discussed based on thermodynamic analysis. The precise location of PUFX on HSA was identified in competitive binding experiments and further calculated based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).
ExperimentalApparatus and Reagents An FP-6500 fluorescence spectrometer (Jasco, Japan) was used to record the fluorescence spectra. Absorption spectra were recorded on a TU1901 UV/Vis Spectrophotometer (PGeneral, Beijing, China). The pH values of Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer solutions were measured with a PHS-23 meter (Shanghai Secondly Analytical Instruments, P. R. China).PUFX solution (1.0ϫ10 Ϫ4 mol/l) (99.0% purity) was prepared by dissolving PUFX 0.0461 g (461.46 Da, Shanghai Modern Pharmaceutical, Shanghai, P. R. China) in 1000 ml of deionized water. HSA (1.0ϫ10 Ϫ4 mol/l) was prepared by dissolving 3.3250 g of HSA (66500 D...