• S.C. Biswas²,
• L. Dubreil,
• D. Marion

• Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Unité de Biochimie et Technologie des Protéines, Rue de la Géraudière, B.P. 71627, Nantes Cedex 03, F–44316, France

Received 4 April 2001

Accepted 30 August 2001

Available online 11 March 2002

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jcis.2001.7940, How to Cite or Link Using DOI

Abstract

Adsorption of puroindolines (PIN-a and PIN-b), lipid binding proteins isolated from wheat endosperm at the air–water interface, was studied from the measurement of surface pressure using the Wilhelmyplate method under different physicochemical conditions like pH, ionic strength, and concentration of protein in the bulk medium. The adsorption process was highly cooperative and the initial step of adsorption was diffusion controlled. At relatively low concentrations, an induction time (t_i) was observed in the time evolution of surface pressure for adsorption of PIN-a and PIN-b at the air–water interface. The induction time disappeared upon increasing the concentration of protein in the bulk medium. From the variation in surface pressure with time, the diffusion coefficients for the transfer of puroindolines from the bulk aqueous phase to the air–water interface were calculated from a modified form of the Ward and Tordai equation. The values of diffusion coefficients for PIN-a and PIN-b were found to be of the order of 10⁻⁶ cm²/s. Beyond diffusion, the adsorption was found to be nonlinear in nature indicating the existence of energy barriers in the adsorption process. The experimental data were analyzed using a first-order rate equation and it was observed that the adsorption took place involving a two-step process with which two distinct first-order rate constants (k₁ and k₂) were associated. In most cases, the values of k₁ were higher than the values of k₂. The adsorption process is dependent on the initial bulk concentration of the protein, the pH, and the ionic strength of the bulk medium. The presence of inorganic salts in the bulk medium had significant effects on the adsorption of PIN-a and PIN-b at the air–water interface. The experimental results obtained for PIN-a and PIN-b have been critically compared with each other and with previously obtained data for other globular proteins.