The interaction between bovine serum albumin and surfactants

1. Potassium n-decyl phosphate binds exothermically to bovine serum albumin at pH 7.0 to form a specific complex containing approx. 60 phosphate anions. 2. The formation of the complex is accompanied by changes in the u.v. difference spectrum of the protein. 3. At higher phosphate concentrations (above 0.4mM) surfactant molecules continue to be bound, and the protein undergoes a gross change in conformation. 4. n-Dodecyltri-methylammonium bromide binds endothermically to bovine serum albumin at pH7.0 but the extent of binding for a given free surfactant concentration is less than for the phosphate surfactant. 5. Binding is accompanied by a small change in the specific viscosity and by changes in the u.v. difference spectrum of the protein. 6. It is suggested that over the surfactant concentration ranges studied n-decyl phosphate ions first bind to the C-terminal part of the protein and then to the more compact N-terminal part whereas n-dodecyltrimethylammonium ions bind only to the C-terminal part of bovine serum albumin.