Interaction between Albumin and Pluronic F127 Block Copolymer Revealed by Global and Local Physicochemical Profiling.

The interaction of human serum albumin (HSA) with amphiphilic block copolymer Pluronic F127 has been investigated by several physical methods. Interest in studying this system stems from a broad range of bioactivities involving both macromolecules. Serum albumins constitute a significant class of proteins in the circulatory system, acting as carriers for a wide spectrum of compounds or assemblies. Pluronic block copolymers have revealed their capacity to ferry a variety of biologically active compounds. Circular dichroism, rheological measurements, and differential scanning microcalorimetry (μDSC) were employed to get insight into the interaction betweeen the two macromolecules. The results reveal that Pluronic F127 induces conformational changes to albumin if it is organized in a micellar form, while albumin influences the self-assembly of Pluronic F127 into micelles or gels. F127 micelles, however, induce smaller conformational changes compared to ionic surfactants. The μDSC thermograms obtained for HSA...