Modification of bovine beta-lactoglobulin by glycation in a powdered state or in an aqueous solution: effect on association behavior and protein conformation

The effect of glycation with lactose on the association behavior and conformational state of bovine beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) was studied, using size exclusion chromatography, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, proteolytic susceptibility, and binding of a fluorescent probe. Two modification treatments were used, i.e., aqueous solution glycation and dry-way glycation. The results showed that the latter treatment did not significantly alter the nativelike behavior of the protein while the former treatment led to important structural changes. These changes resulted in a specific denatured beta-LG monomer, which covalently associated via the free thiol group. The homodimers thus formed and the expanded monomers underwent subsequent aggregation into a high molecular weight species, via noncovalent interactions. The association behavior of glycated beta-LG is discussed with respect to the known multistep denaturation/aggregation process of nonmodified beta-LG.     

Characterization and in vitro digestibility of bovine beta-lactoglobulin glycated with galactooligosaccharides

Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are well-known prebiotic ingredients which can form the basis of new functional dairy products. In this work, the production and characterization of glycated beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) with prebiotic GOS through the Maillard reaction under controlled conditions ( a(w) = 0.44, 40 degrees C for 23 days) have been studied. The extent of glycation of beta-LG was evaluated by formation of furosine which progressively increased with storage for up to 16 days, suggesting that the formation of Amadori compounds prevailed over their degradation. RP-HPLC-UV, SDS-PAGE, and IEF profiles of beta-LG were modified as a consequence of its glycation. MALDI-ToF mass spectra of glycated beta-LG showed an increase of up to approximately 21% in its average molecular mass after storage for 23 days. Moreover, a decrease in unconjugated GOS (one tri-, two tetra-, and one pentasaccharide) was observed by HPAEC-PAD upon glycation. These results were confirmed by ESI MS. The stability of the glycated beta-LG to in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion was also described and compared with that of the unglycated protein. The yield of digestion products of glycated beta-LG was lower than that observed for the unglycated protein. The conjugation of prebiotic carbohydrates to stable proteins and peptides could open new routes of research in the study of functional ingredients.     

Heat treatment of beta-lactoglobulin: structural changes studied by partitioning and fluorescence

Functional properties of whey protein concentrates (WPC) are primarily dependent on the degree of denaturation of beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG), the major globular whey protein. Irreversible modifications in the tertiary structure and association state of beta-LG after heat treatment were studied by partition in aqueous two-phase systems and fluorescence quenching. Partitioning of preheated beta-LG in two-phase systems containing 5% (w/w) poly(ethylene glycol) and 7% (w/w) dextran, between pH 6.0 and7.0, are appropriately related with the intensity of heat treatment. An increase in the partition coefficient of beta-LG was observed with increasing temperature of heat treatment. On the other hand, fluorescence quenching of beta-LG by acrylamide was used to study the conformational flexibility of the protein at pH values between 4. 0 and 9.0. The values of bimolecular quenching rate constant (k(q)) obtained showed that beta-LG appears to be more flexible at high pH values, while at low pH the protein assumes a more compact form. The efficiency of acrylamide quenching on preheated beta-LG was substantially more pronounced than for the untreated protein. This difference can be ascribed to the presence of unfolded monomers and aggregates of denatured molecules formed after heat treatment, whose tryptophanyl residues are more exposed to the solvent. In conclusion, the results suggest that partition studies in aqueous two-phase systems and fluorescence quenching are very useful tools to detect changes in conformation and aggregation of beta-LG induced by heat treatment.     

Modification of ovalbumin with a rare ketohexose through the Maillard reaction: effect on protein structure and gel properties

The effect of nonenzymatic glycation on the structural changes and gelling properties of hen ovalbumin (OVA) through the Maillard reaction was studied. OVA was incubated at the dry state with a rare ketohexose (D-psicose, Psi) and two alimentary sugars (D-fructose, Fru; D-glucose, Glc) at 55 degrees C and 65% relative humidity. To evaluate the modification of OVA by different reducing sugars during the glycation process, the extent of the Maillard reaction, aggregation processes, structural changes, and gelling behaviors were investigated. Reactivity of Psi with the protein amino groups was much lower than that of both Fru and Glc, whereas Psi induced production of browning and fluorescent substances more strongly than the two alimentary sugars did. Furthermore, OVA showed an increased tendency toward multimeric aggregation upon modifying with Psi through covalent bond. The modified OVAs with reducing sugar were similar to nonglycated control sample in Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) characteristics, but significantly decreased in intensity of tryptophan-related fluorescence. The results indicate that although glycation brought about similar changes in the secondary structure without great disruption of native structure, its influence on the side chains of protein in tertiary structure could be different. Breaking strength of heat-induced glycated OVA gels with Psi was markedly enhanced by the Maillard reaction. These results suggest that Psi had a strong cross-linking activity with OVA; consequently, the glycated OVA with Psi could improve gelling properties under certain controlled conditions.     

Influence of binding of sodium dodecyl sulfate, all-trans-retinol, palmitate, and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate on the heat-induced unfolding and aggregation of beta-lactoglobulin B

Heat treatment of bovine beta-lactoglobulin B (beta-LG) causes it to partially unfold and aggregate via hydrophobic association and intra- and interprotein disulfide bonds. The first stage, which involves a "loosening" of the native structure, is influenced by the environmental conditions, such as pressure, pH, and added solutes. In the present study, four potential beta-LG ligands [palmitate, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS), and all-trans-retinol (retinol)] were added to beta-LG solutions prior to heat treatment for 12 min at temperatures between 40 and 93 degrees C. The extent of the changes in secondary and tertiary structures, unfolding, and aggregation at 20 degrees C were determined by circular dichroism, fluorescence, and alkaline- and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Both palmitate and SDS stabilized the native structure of beta-LG against heat-induced structural flexibility, subsequent unfolding, and denaturation. Retinol was less effective, probably because of its lower affinity for the calyx-binding site, and ANS did not stabilize beta-LG, suggesting that ANS did not bind strongly in the calyx. It was also noted that holding a beta-LG solution with added SDS or ANS promoted the formation of a hydrophobically associated non-native dimer.     

Glycation and phosphorylation of beta-lactoglobulin by dry-heating: effect on protein structure and some properties

Beta-lactoglobulin (beta-Lg) was glycated with maltopentaose and subsequently phosphorylated by dry-heating in the presence of pyrophosphate to investigate the structural and functional properties of phosphorylated beta-Lg. The circular dichroism spectra showed that the change of the secondary structure in the beta-Lg molecule by glycation and subsequent phosphorylation was small. The differential scanning calorimetry thermograms of beta-Lg showed that the denaturation temperature of the most stable domain was only slightly affected, whereas the retinol-binding activity of beta-Lg was somewhat reduced by glycation and subsequent phosphorylation. These results indicated that the conformational changes of the beta-Lg molecule by glycation and subsequent phosphorylation were mild. The anti-beta-Lg antibody response was somewhat reduced by glycation, but significant changes were not observed by phosphorylation. Although the stability of beta-Lg against heat-induced insolubility was improved by glycation alone, it was further enhanced by phosphorylation. The calcium phosphate solubilizing ability of beta-Lg was enhanced by phosphorylation following glycation.     

Beta-lactoglobulin structure and retinol binding changes in presence of anionic and neutral detergents

Bovine beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) in vivo (in milks) has been found in complexes with lipids such as butyric and oleic acids. To elucidate the still unknown structure-function relationship in this protein, the structural changes of beta-lactoglobulin variant A (beta-LG A) in the presence of anionic surfactant such as sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and in the presence of nonionic surfactant such as Triton X-100 have been investigated. Subsequently, the retinol binding by beta-LG has been investigated in the presence of various amounts of these surfactants as its binding indicator. The results of UV-vis and fluorescence studies show a higher denaturating effect of SDS at acid pH that can be due to greater positive charges of beta-LG at this pH indicating also the nonspecific hydrophobic interactions of Triton X-100 with beta-LG at all studied pHs. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements indicate the endothermic nature of beta-LG/SDS interactions and the exothermic nature of Triton X-100/beta-LG interactions. The analysis of the binding data demonstrates the absence of considerable changes in retinol binding properties of beta-LG in the presence of various amounts of these surfactants. This implies that surfactant binding does not change the conformation of beta-LG in the regions defining the retinol-binding site.     

Cross-linking behavior and foaming properties of bovine α-lactalbumin after glycation with various saccharides

α-Lactalbumin was glycated via the Maillard reaction in the dry state using various mono- and oligosaccharides. The reaction resulted not only in coupling of the saccharides to α-lactalbumin but also in cross-linked proteins. The glycation rate and the extent of cross-link formation were highly dependent on the saccharide used. Glycation by arabinose and xylose led to a very fast protein cross-link formation, whereas glucose showed a relatively low protein cross-linking ability. The stability of foams, created using the various glycated protein samples, depended on the type of saccharide used, the extent of glycation, and possibly the amount of cross-linked protein. Compared to nonmodified α-lactalbumin, glycation with rhamnose and fucose improved foam stability, whereas application of glucose, galacturonic acid, and their oligosaccharides did not exert a clear effect. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed that dehydration of the Amadori products is an indicator of the formation of protein cross-links.     

Structural characterization of bovine beta-lactoglobulin-galactose/tagatose Maillard complexes by electrophoretic, chromatographic, and spectroscopic methods

To investigate the influence of the type of carbonyl group of the sugar on the structural changes of proteins during glycation, an exhaustive structural characterization of glycated beta-lactoglobulin with galactose (aldose) and tagatose (ketose) has been carried out. Conjugates were prepared via Maillard reaction at 40 and 50 degrees C, pH 7, and a w = 0.44. The progress of the Maillard reaction was followed by indirect formation of Amadori and Heyns compounds, advanced glycation end products, and brown polymers. The structural characterization of glycoconjugates was conducted by using a number of analytical techniques such as RP-HPLC, isoelectric focusing, MALDI-ToF, SDS-PAGE, size exclusion chromatography, and spectrofluorimetry (tryptophan fluorescence). In addition, the surface hydrophobicity of the beta-lactoglobulin glycoconjugates was also assessed. The results showed a higher reactivity of galactose than tagatose to form the glycoconjugates, probably due to the higher electrophilicity of the aldehyde group. At 40 degrees C, more aggregation was produced when beta-lactoglobulin was conjugated with tagatose as compared to galactose. However, at 50 degrees C hardly any difference was observed in the aggregation produced by galactose and tagatose. These results afford more insight into the importance of the functional group of the carbohydrate moiety during the formation of protein-carbohydrate conjugates via Maillard reaction.     

Heat-induced redistribution of disulfide bonds in milk proteins. 1. Bovine beta-lactoglobulin

Changes in the structure and chemistry of beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) play an important role in the processing and functionality of milk products. In model beta-LG systems, there is evidence that the aggregates of heated beta-LG are held together by a mixture of intermolecular non-covalent association and heat-induced non-native disulfide bonds. Although a number of non-native disulfide bonds have been identified, little is known about the initial inter- and intramolecular disulfide bond rearrangements that occur as a result of heating. These interchange reactions were explored by examining the products of heat treatment to determine the novel disulfide bonds that form in the heated beta-LG aggregates. The native protein and heat-induced aggregates were hydrolyzed by trypsin, and the resulting peptides, before and after reduction with dithiothreitol, were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and their identities confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Comparisons of these peptide patterns showed that some of the Cys160 was in the reduced form in heated beta-LG aggregates, indicating that the Cys160-Cys66 disulfide bond had been broken during heating. This finding suggests that disulfide bond interchange reactions between beta-LG non-native monomers, or polymers, and other proteins could occur largely via Cys160.     

Effect of protein, nonprotein-soluble components, and lactose concentrations on the irreversible thermal denaturation of beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin in skim milk

The effect of protein, nonprotein-soluble components, and lactose concentrations on the irreversible denaturation of beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) and alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) in reconstituted skim milk samples was studied over a wide temperature range (75-100 degrees C). The irreversible thermal denaturation of beta-LG had a reaction order of 1.5 and that of alpha-LA had a reaction order of 1.0 in all systems and under all conditions. The rates of irreversible denaturation of beta-LG and alpha-LA were markedly dependent upon the composition of the milk. At all temperatures, the irreversible denaturations of beta-LG and alpha-LA were enhanced at a higher protein concentration and were retarded when the nonprotein-soluble components and lactose concentrations were increased. The effects of increasing the concentrations of lactose and nonprotein-soluble components were interpreted using the preferential hydration theory and allowed for the interpretation of the changes in the denaturations of beta-LG and alpha-LA when the milk total solids concentration was increased.     

Studies on the effect of Amadoriase from Aspergillus fumigatus on peptide and protein glycation in vitro

Amadoriase I is a fructosyl amine oxidase from Aspergillus fumigatus that catalyzes the oxidation of Amadori products (APs) producing glucosone, H2O2, and the corresponding free amine. All the enzymes of this family discovered so far only deglycate small molecular weight products and are inactive toward large molecular weight substrates, such as glycated BSA or ribonuclease A. Therefore, they cannot be used to reverse protein glycation occurring in diabetes or in foods. In this paper, the effect of Amadoriase I added during the in vitro reaction between glucose and peptides having different polarities or proteins with molecular weights ranging from to 5 to 66 kDa was tested. The formation of APs was monitored by ESI-MS of intact glycated protein or peptides and by measuring the Nepsilon-(1-deoxy-d-fructos-1-yl)-L-lysine and furosine concentrations. Results showed that the formation of APs is reduced up to 80% when peptides and glucose are incubated in the presence of Amadoriase. The effect is more evident for hydrophobic peptides. In protein-glucose systems, the effect was dependent on the molecular weight and steric hindrance being negligible for BSA and at a maximum for insulin, where the formation of APs was reduced up to 60%. These findings indicate new potential applications of Amadoriase I as an efficient tool for inhibiting protein glycation in real food systems.     

Stability of barley and malt lipid transfer protein 1 (LTP1) toward heating and reducing agents: relationships with the brewing process

Barley lipid transfer protein (LTP1) is a heat-stable and protease-resistant albumin that concentrates in beer, where it participates in the formation and stability of beer foam. Whereas the barley LTP1 does not display any foaming properties, the corresponding beer protein is surface-active. Such an improvement is related to glycation by Maillard reactions on malting, acylation on mashing, and structural unfolding on brewing. The structural stability of purified barley and glycated malt LTP1 toward heating has been analyzed. Whatever the modification, lipid adduction or glycation, barley LTP1s are highly stable proteins that resisted temperatures up to 100 degrees C. Unfolding of LTP1 occurred only when heating was conducted in the presence of a reducing agent. In the presence of sodium sulfite, the lipid-adducted barley and malt LTP1 displayed higher heat stability than the nonadducted protein. Glycation had no or weak effect on heat-induced unfolding. Finally, it was shown that unfolding occurred on wort boiling before fermentation and that the reducing conditions are provided by malt extract.     

Evaluation of the site specific protein glycation and antioxidant capacity of rare sugar-protein/peptide conjugates

Protein-sugar conjugates generated in nonenzymatic glycation of alpha-lactalbumin (LA) with rare sugars [D-allose (All) and D-psicose (Psi)] and alimentary sugars as controls [D-glucose (Glc) and D-fructose (Fru)] were qualitatively determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Mass spectra revealed that the extent of glycation at lysine residues on LA with D-aldose molecules was very much higher than that of glycation with d-ketose molecules. To identify the specific site of glycation, the peptide mapping was established from protease V8 digestion, using a combination of computational cutting of proteins and MALDI-TOF-MS. As compared to peptide mapping, three and seven glycation sites were located in the primary structure of LA-ketose and LA-aldose conjugates, respectively. On the other hand, the antioxidant activities of protein-sugar conjugates and their peptic hydrolysates were investigated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method. The antioxidant activities of proteins/peptides glycated with rare sugars were significantly higher than those modified with the control sugars. The results indicated that the glycation degree and position were not markedly different between rare sugar and corresponding control sugar, but the antioxidant properties of protein and its hydrolysate were significantly enhanced by modifying with rare sugar.     

Pressure-induced unfolding and aggregation of the proteins in whey protein concentrate solutions

Whey protein concentrate solutions (12% w/v, pH 6.65 +/- 0.05) were pressure treated at 800 MPa for 20-120 min and then examined using size exclusion chromatography (SEC), small deformation rheology, transmission electron microscopy, and various types of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The pressure-treated samples showed a time-dependent loss of native whey proteins by SEC and 1D PAGE and a corresponding increase in non-native proteins and protein aggregates of different sizes. These aggregates altered the viscosity and opacity of the samples and were shown to be cross-linked by intermolecular disulfide bonds and by noncovalent interactions using 1D PAGE [alkaline (or native), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and SDS of reduced samples (SDS(R))] and 2D PAGE (native:SDS and SDS:SDS(R)). The sensitivity of the major whey proteins to pressure was in the order beta-lactoglobulin B (beta-LG B) > beta-LG A > bovine serum albumin (BSA) > alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA), and the large internal hydrophobic cavity of beta-LG may have been partially responsible for its sensitivity to high-pressure treatments. It seemed likely that, at 800 MPa, the formation of a beta-LG disulfide-bonded network preceded the formation of disulfide bonds between alpha-LA or BSA and beta-LG to form multiprotein aggregates, possibly because the disulfide bonds of alpha-LA and BSA are less exposed than those of beta-LG either during or after pressure treatment. It may be possible that intermolecular disulfide bond formation occurred at high pressure and that hydrophobic association became important after the high-pressure treatment.     

Effect of physicochemical conditions on peptide-peptide interactions in a tryptic hydrolysate of beta-lactoglobulin and identification of aggregating peptides

The objective of this study was to characterize the changes in peptide solubility resulting from changing some physicochemical conditions in a tryptic hydrolysate of beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG). The turbidity (500 nm) of a 1% solution of tryptic peptides was measured at pH 3-10, at 5, 25, and 50 degrees C, in the presence of different salt concentrations (0, 0.5, and 1 M NaCl), in the presence of denaturing and reducing agents (6 M urea, 5% SDS, or 5% beta-mercaptoethanol), and under an electric field (isoelectric focusing). The results reveal an increase in turbidity of the peptide solution at pH 4, but a slight increase in turbidity was also observed at pH 8, which is attributable to peptides linked by disulfide bridges. The effect of temperature and ionic strength on the turbidity occurring at pH 4 indicates that mainly hydrophobic interactions are involved in the aggregation process. The material in the precipitate at pH 4 was identified as the peptides beta-LG 1-8, 15-20, and 41-60 and non-hydrolyzed alpha-lactalbumin. These results suggest that a limited number of peptides are involved in the aggregation process observed at pH 4, some of which having bioactive (beta-LG 15-20, ACE inhibitor, and opioid) or emulsifying properties (beta-LG 41-60). Aggregation of these peptides at acidic pH indicates that a simple acidification step could represent an easy process for isolating peptidic fractions enriched in bioactive or functional peptides.     

Hydrophobic probe binding of beta-lactoglobulin in the native and molten globule state induced by high pressure as affected by pH,KIO(3) and N-ethylmaleimide

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 500 MPa and 50 degrees C induces beta-LG into the molten globule state. Retinol, cis-parinaric acid (CPA), and 1-anilino-naphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) fluorescence from pH 2.5 to 10.5 in the presence of the native and molten globule states of beta-LG indicate that retinol binds to beta-LG in the calyx, CPA at the surface hydrophobic site, and ANS in multiple hydrophobic sites. HHP treatment results in a decrease of beta-LG affinity for retinol and CPA, suggesting conformational changes in the calyx and surface hydrophobic site of beta-LG during HHP treatment. beta-LG treated by HHP in the presence of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) retains retinol affinity, suggesting that NEM protects the calyx conformation of beta-LG during HHP treatment. HHP treatment of beta-LG in the presence of KIO(3) exhibits a great decrease of CPA affinity compared to HHP-treated beta-LG in the absence of KIO(3), suggesting the formation of non-native disulfide bonding at the CPA binding site.     

Ethanol effect on the structure of beta-lactoglobulin b and its ligand binding

The changes of structure and ligand binding properties of beta-LG B have been studied by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy in ethanolic solutions. Fluorescence measurements of retinol/beta-LG interactions at 480 nm in various ethanol concentrations show that the maximal fluorescence intensity induced by this interaction between retinol and beta-LG is observed around 20% v/v of ethanol. It is reduced to zero at 40% and 50% of ethanol. These results suggest that there are two distinct structural changes in beta-LG occurring between 20% and 30% and around 40% of ethanol. The first transition, which increases affinity and the apparent number of binding sites for retinol, may be related or similar to the Tanford transition. The strong quenching of retinol emission at 480 nm in 40% of ethanol indicates the radical transformation of beta-LG tertiary structure and the release of retinol. CD spectra at the aromatic region show that secondary and tertiary structures of beta-LG are not significantly affected between 0% and 20% of ethanol. In 30% of ethanol, beta-sheet percentage of beta-LG decreases with respect to native beta-LG (from 55% to 46%). beta-Sheet percentage in beta-LG increases in 40% and 50% alcohol (51% and 53%) relative to 30% of ethanol, which also indicates the strong rearrangement of the secondary structure of beta-LG, while its tertiary structure and beta-LG interactions are radically changed.     

Phospholipid/fatty acid-induced secondary structural change in beta-lactoglobulin during heat-induced gelation

Effects of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and the predominant fatty acids (FAs) in milk, butyrate, oleate, and palmitate, on secondary structural changes in beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) during heat-induced gelation were analyzed on the basis of circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Small-strain oscillatory measurements were carried out to characterize viscoelastic properties of the heat-induced gels. In the absence of added salt, PC and FAs induced helix formation of beta-LG on heating to 80 degrees C and increased the storage moduli (G') of heat-induced gels. In the presence of 500 mM NaCl, PC did not change the CD spectrum of beta-LG but decreased G'. In contrast, butyrate substantially unfolded beta-LG in 500 mM NaCl on heating, forming very elastic gels with increased G' values. Palmitate and oleate induced beta-LG gel formation at 25 degrees C without heating; heating to 80 degrees C almost completely unfolded beta-LG in 500 mM NaCl.     

Heat-induced gelation of chicken Pectoralis major myosin and beta-lactoglobulin

The denaturation, aggregation, and rheological properties of chicken breast muscle myosin, beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG), and mixed myosin/beta-LG solutions were studied in 0.6 M NaCl, 0.05 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, during heating. The endotherm of a mixture of myosin and beta-LG was identical to that expected if the endotherm of each protein was overlaid on the same axis. The maximum aggregation rate (AR(max)) increased, and the temperature at the AR(max) (T(max)) and initial aggregation temperature (T(o)) decreased as the concentration of both proteins was increased. The aggregation profile of <0.5% myosin was altered by the presence of 0.25% beta-LG. Addition of 0.5-3.0% beta-LG decreased storage moduli of 1% myosin between 55 and 75 degrees C, but increased storage moduli (G') when heated to 90 degrees C and after cooling. beta-LG had no effect on the gel point of > or =1.0% myosin, but enhanced gel strength when heated to 90 degrees C and after cooling. After cooling, the G' of 1% myosin/2%beta-LG gels was about 1.7 times greater than that of gels prepared from 2% myosin/1% beta-LG.