Ferguson plot analysis of multiple intermediate species of thermally unfolded bovine serum albumin

• Published in: Biophysical chemistry 2023-10, Vol.301, p.107095-107095, Article 107095
• Main Authors: Tomioka, Yui, Nagatoishi, Satoru, Nakagawa, Masataka, Tsumoto, Kouhei, Arakawa, Tsutomu, Akuta, Teruo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: BSA; Ferguson plot; SYPRO Orange; Unfolding
• ISSN: 0301-4622; 1873-4200
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107095

Ferguson plot was used to characterize the multiple intermediate species of bovine serum albumin (BSA) upon thermal unfolding. Differential scanning calorimetry showed an irreversible melting of BSA in Tris-HCl and phosphate buffers with a mid-transition temperature, Tm, of ∼68 °C. Thermally unfolded BSA was analyzed by agarose native gel electrophoresis stained by Coomassie blue and SYPRO Orange staining as a function of pH or protein concentration. SYPRO Orange was used to stain unfolded proteins. BSA heated at 70 and 80 °C, i.e., above the Tm, formed multiple intermediate species, which depended on the pH between 7.0 and 8.0, protein concentration and which buffer was used. These intermediate species were analyzed by Ferguson plot, which showed that BSA heated at 60 °C had a similar size to the native BSA, indicating that they are either native or native-like state consistent with no SYPRO Orange staining. The intermediate species observed at higher temperatures with the mobility less than that of the native BSA showed a steeper Ferguson plot and were stained by SYPRO Orange, indicating that these species had a larger hydrodynamic size than the native BSA and were unfolded. [Display omitted] •Thermal unfolding of BSA was characterized by agarose native gel electrophoresis.•Ferguson plot was used to determine the size of the unfolded BSA oligomers.•The oligomers had higher Ferguson plot slopes.•DSC and SYPRO Orange staining indicated that these oligomers are unfolded.•Larger aggregates were formed more in Tris-HCl buffer than in sodium phosphate buffer at lower pH.