Exploring new type of fluorophore is always an exciting task for basic research in the biological sciences. Herein, new distilbene fluorophore, DPDB, belonging to the conjugated polyene family is under investigation and photophysical properties of it found to be well modulated with the change of the microenvironment. Variation of polarity and the hydrogen-bonding nature of solvents largely affect the excited state photophysical properties of that fluorophore compared to the ground state. Also, in micellar medium fluorescence properties nicely correlated with the aggregation behavior of different surfactants which have been utilized for the determination of the CMC of surfactants. Furthermore, DPDB strongly binds with serum albumin (SA) holding the specific site subdomain IB and the binding efficiency with HSA is more than that of BSA. Interestingly, here DPDB acts as a bivalent (bifunctional) ligand simultaneously binds with two serum albumins by forming a 2:1 stoichiometric complex. Dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism measurements also support the association of SA in presence of DPDB and this type of association is considered to be the promotion of preaggregation state. Aggregation is an important characteristic phenomenon of protein and it could be achieved by heat, extreme pH conditions, very high ionic strength, surfactants, metal ions, and so forth. This study explores such type of bifunctional ligand is responsible for association of serum albumins and can also act as possible inducers of SA aggregation. Moreover, doping of DPDB in thin film of serum proteins caused a noticeable enhancement in electrical conductivity of that protein. Here SA acts as molecular wire upon binding with such ligand and the exogenous molecule functions like a cofactor. Hence SAs assembled thin layers can be possibly used in bio-inspired optoelectronic devices.

New environment sensitive bifunctional ligand-induced aggregation of serum proteins: Possible consequences in biology and electronics

254th National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.