Covalent immobilization of bovine serum albumin onto (maleic anhydride-alt-methyl vinyl ether) copolymers

The covalent immobilization of bovin serum albumin (BSA) onto maleic anhydr ide-alt-methyl vinyl ether copolymers (MAMVE) was successfully achieved und er aqueous conditions. The grafting reaction was shown to be controlled by attractive electrostatic interactions and so took place at a low salt conce ntration. Under these conditions, the covalent binding reaction was quite e fficient, reproducible, and complete within 20 min. The maximum loading cap acity of the polymer was of 20 BSA molecules per polymer chain. This prelim inary study demonstrated that the immobilization of proteins in an aqueous medium could be an efficient process, despite the existing hydrolysis of th e functional polymer by water molecules. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.