Interfacial properties of B phycoerythrin extracted from the red microalga Rhodosorus marinus at hexadecane-water and air-water interfaces

Guadalupe A. Básaca-Loya*, María G. Burboa, Mario E. Álvarez, Luis E. Gutiérrez-Millán, Francisco M. Goycoolea, Miguel A. Valdez

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this work we report the effect of pH on the fluorescence spectra and on the interfacial behaviour at the air-water and hexadecane-water interfaces of the protein B phycoerythrin, extracted and purified from the red microalga Rhodosorus marinus. We performed isotherms and compressionexpansion cycles and demonstrate that the stability of B phycoreythrin monolayers at the air-water interface depends on its aggregation state conditioned by pH in the subphase. Stable monolayers were obtained for pH 4.5, 7 and 2.5 except for pH 10 were B phycoerythrin molecules showed to be dissociated. At the hexadecane-water interface and for pH 4.5 and 7, protein molecules were adsorbed producing a higher surface pressure in comparison with the surface pressure obtained with pH 2.5 and 10, probably due to the enhancement of hydrophobic interactions favoured by a globular conformation, also found at the air-water interface. Atomic force microscopy images of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers showed higher monolayer homogeneity for pH 4.5 and 7. Fluorescence emission intensity was higher for pH 4.5 and 7 where B PE molecules remain in a more compact conformation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)259-268
Number of pages10
JournalScience of Advanced Materials
Volume3
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2011

Keywords

  • B Phycoerythrin
  • Hexadecane-Water interface
  • Protein monolayers
  • Rhodosorus marinus
  • pH

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