Spectroscopic investigations of detergents and protein-detergent complexes

The investigation of detergents and protein-detergent complexes by UV-Vis a bsorption spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation and emission and near- and far-UV circular dichroism yields a variety of molecular characteristics, pr ovided the conventional techniques are modified in an appropriate manner. I n the case of weakly absorbing detergents, labeling of the detergent micell es is required. Other techniques such as activity measurements, size-exclus ion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation may be applied to sup plement the spectroscopic methods. The effects of detergents on proteins de pend on the nature of both the detergent and protein component: in addition , the environmental conditions are of importance. The impact of detergents on proteins provides information with respect to the binding and denaturati on capacity of a given detergent, on the one hand, and protein stability, o n the other. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.