Determination of the Molecular Size of BSA by Fluorescence Anisotropy

F. LUIS GONZÁLEZ FLECHA; VALERIA LEVI

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION

The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Año: 2003 vol. 31 p. 319 - 322

1470-8175

This work describes a laboratory experiment to illustrate the usefulness of fluorescence anisotropy in thefield of biophysics. Fluorescence anisotropy of dansyl-labeled BSA was determined in media of increasingglycerol concentrations. The Perrin equation was fitted to the experimental data, obtaining the molecularvolume of the protein. The simplicity of the experiment and data analysis helped the students to focus onthe relationship between probe anisotropy and rotational diffusion. Additionally, this laboratory exercisehas the advantage of using a protein and a probe that are inexpensive and very common in manylaboratories.