Effect of alcohol addition on back-extraction of BSA and cytochrome c using AOT reverse micellar system

The protein back-extraction processes were discussed from the viewpoint of the micelle-micelle interaction. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) suppressing the cluster formation of reverse micelle (positive value of beta (pr)) has the high back-extracted fraction (E-b), but cytochrome c enhancing the formation of reverse micelle (negative value of beta (pr)) has the low back-extracted fraction, relatively. We have also examined quantitatively the effects of alcohol addition and protein solubilization on the percolation process of reverse micelle. The alcohols suppressing the formation of micellar cluster (high values of beta (t)), remarkably improved the back-extraction rates of BSA and cytochrome c. The values of beta (t) defined by the variation of percolation process, and the back-extraction behavior of proteins have a good linear correlation. These results indicate that the micelle-micelle interaction or micellar clustering plays an important role in the back-extraction process of proteins.