Effect of pH on the interaction of vitamin B12 with bovine serum albumin by spectroscopic approaches

The interaction mechanism between vitamin B12 (B12, cyanocobalamin) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been investigated by fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, ultraviolet–vis (UV) absorbance, and three-dimensional fluorescence. The intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was strongly quenched by the addition of B12 in different pH buffer solutions (pH 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, 7.4, and 9.0) and spectroscopic observations are mainly rationalized in terms of a static quenching process at lower concentration of B12 (CB12/CBSA < 5) and a combined quenching process at higher concentration of B12 (CB12/CBSA > 5). The structural characteristics of B12 and BSA were probed, and their binding affinities were determined under different pH conditions. The results indicated that the binding abilities of B12 to BSA in the acidic and basic pH regions (pH 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, and 9.0) were lower than that at simulating physiological condition (pH 7.4). In addition, the efficiency of energy transfer from tryptophan fluorescence to B12 was found to depend on the binding distance r between the donor and acceptor calculated using Förster's theory. The effect of B12 on the conformation of BSA was analyzed using UV, synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence under different pH conditions. These results showed that the binding of B12 to BSA causes apparent change in the secondary and tertiary structures of BSA.

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► Stern–Volmer plots showed upward curvy patterns.
► A combined quenching process occurred at higher concentration of B12.
► The binding of B12 to BSA causes the structural change of BSA.
► The binding affinities were determined at pH 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, 7.4, and 9.0.