A molecular magnet confined in the nanocage of a globular protein

Chemphyschem. 2010 Feb 1;11(2):389-93. doi: 10.1002/cphc.200900708.

Abstract

The effect of confinement and energy transfer on the dynamics of a molecular magnet, known as a model system to study quantum coherence, is investigated. For this purpose the well-known polyoxovanadate [V(15)As(6)O(42)(H(2)O)](6-) (V(15)) is incorporated into a protein (human serum albumin, HSA) cavity. Due to a huge overlap of the optical absorption spectrum of V(15) with the emission spectrum of a fluorescence center of HSA (containing a single tryptophan residue), energy transfer is induced and probed by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence. The geometrical coordination and the distance of the confined V(15) to the tryptophan moiety of HSA are investigated at various temperatures. This effect is used as a local probe for the thermal denaturation of the protein at elevated temperatures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Energy Transfer*
  • Humans
  • Magnetics
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protein Binding*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Folding*
  • Serum Albumin / chemistry*
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Temperature*
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Serum Albumin