Following protein-glycosaminoglycan polysaccharide interactions with differential scanning fluorimetry

Methods Mol Biol. 2012:836:171-82. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61779-498-8_12.

Abstract

Studies of the structural changes invoked in proteins by the binding of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) polysaccharide portion of proteoglycans are of increasing importance to research in a wide range of fields, from biochemistry and molecular biology to biotechnology and medicine. One important aspect is the degree of stabilisation or destabilisation induced in a protein by the binding of these anionic materials, and this can affect enzyme activity, the stability of complexes, folding and the formation of aggregates, including those in neurodegenerative processes. A simple method, able to determine the effect of interactions with GAG polysaccharides on protein stability is described, based on the propensity of a fluorescent dye-Sypro™ Orange-to present differentiable fluorescence emission spectra following contact with exposed core amino acid residues. The method requires only commonly available and inexpensive equipment and is suitable for a multi-well format, allowing multiple readings to be made simultaneously.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Fluorometry / methods*
  • Polysaccharides / analysis*
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Proteins / analysis*
  • Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

  • Polysaccharides
  • Proteins