Interactions of aluminium hydrolytic species with biomolecules

Abstract

In this contribution the formation of bioinorganic assemblies between the basic globular protein lysozyme and aqueous aluminium species including Al₁₃-mer, Al₃₀-mer and colloidal aluminium hydroxide have been explored and comparison made to previous interaction studies performed with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Specific charge-stabilised bioinorganic assemblies involving aluminium species and lysozyme were observed to form in contrast to the gel like structures formed on interaction of BSA with aluminium species. As demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy (structural assignment, 2D correlation spectroscopy), interactions mostly involve acidic surface groups of the proteins (Asp, Glu), with strong complexation and deprotonation in the case of BSA interacting with Al₁₃ and Al₃₀ and through hydrogen bonding for lysozyme interacting with the same species and aluminium hydroxide particles interacting with both biomolecules.