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Updated: Jul 28, 2026

In Situ Characterization of Hydrated Proteins in Water by SALVI and ToF-SIMS
Published on: February 15, 2016
Evidence for non-DLVO hydration interactions in solutions of the protein apoferritin
1Center for Microgravity and Materials Research, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, USA.
Abstract:
We have studied molecular interactions in solutions of the protein apoferritin by static and dynamic light scattering. When plotted against the electrolyte concentration, the second osmotic virial coefficient exhibits a minimum. The ascending branch of this dependence is a manifestation of a surprisingly strong repulsion between the molecules at electrolyte concentrations about and above 0.2M, where electrostatic interactions are suppressed. We argue that the repulsion is due to the water structuring, enhanced by the accumulation of hydrophilic counterions around the apoferritin molecules, giving rise to so-called hydration forces.
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