Bovine serum albumin-(7-hydroxycoumarin-4-acetic acid) complex: Applications to the fluorometric measurement of fatty acid concentrations

A covalent complex between bovine serum albumin and 7-hydroxycoumarin-4-acetic acid (BSA-HCA) shows a strong fluorescence band at lambda(max) = 450 nm upon excitation at 375 nm. Quenching of the fluorescence emission accompanies the association of fatty acids (FA) to BSA-HCA and the application of the complex as a spectrofluorometric probe for measurement of fatty acid concentrations in aqueous solution is examined. Binding constants for various long-chain fatty acids (K-d = 14-460 nM) and calibration curves characterizing the probe have been determined. Standardized assay conditions allow for accurate measurements in the concentration range of 10 nM to 5 mu M. BSA-HCA provides a stable and sensitive fluorescence-based FA probe with potential biochemical applications. (C) 1999 Academic Press.