Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) is used in a variety of laboratory applications including its function as a protein concentration standard, its function as a cell nutrient and its ability to stabilize enzymes during restriction digest.
What does BSA stand for protein?
The Bovine Serum Albumin Standard Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a globular protein that is often used as a protein concentration standard in lab experiments as well as in numerous other biochemical applications.
What kind of protein is BSA?
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a globular protein (~66 kDa MW) that is used in numerous biochemical applications due to its stability and lack of interference with biological reactions. The BSA structure is a single polypeptide chain consisting of about 583 amino acid residues and no carbohydrates.
What is BSA in blood?
A serum albumin test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of the blood. Albumin can also be measured in the urine. Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand.
What does BSA do to cells?
In cell culture, it acts as a small molecule carrier. Because of its negative charge, Bovine Serum Albumin: Binds water, salts, fatty acids, vitamins and hormones and carries these bound components between tissues and cells.
Why does BSA stabilize proteins?
BSA stabilizes Streptococcus thermophilus beta-galactosidase against thermal inactivation and binds to the active enzyme subunits formed on heating. The mechanism of interaction and stabilization, however, is unknown, and it was investigated using different proteins.
Is albumin same as BSA?
Bovine Serum Albumin, also known as “BSA” or “Fraction V”, is a protein derived from bovine blood plasma. It is a small, stable, and moderately non-reactive protein, and therefore often used as a blocker in immunohistochemistry.
Where is BSA found?
BSA is a protein found predominantly in the circulatory system of the cow but is also a constituent of the whey component of bovine milk.
What is BSA made of?
Bovine serum albumin structure and biological functions The BSA molecule consists of 583 amino acids, bound in a single chain cross-linked with 17 cystine residues (eight disulfide bonds and one free thiol group), and has a molecular mass of 66400 Da [1].
Where is albumin produced in the body?
Synthesis of albumin takes place in the liver, after which it is excreted into the bloodstream. Albumin can be found in the bloodstream, interstitial space, as well as other fluids.
Why is BSA used for blocking?
Abstract. BSA blocking is a routine practice among clinicians and researchers working on immunoassays throughout the world. The primary role of BSA is to prevent the non-specific binding by blocking the leftover spaces over solid surface after immobilization of a capture biomolecule.
What is standard BSA?
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) is the standard reference for total protein quantitation by colorimetric assays. Expedeon BSA standards are designed for serial dilution to generate accurate standard curves and are precisely formulated at 2mg/ml.
What happens if albumin is high?
An albumin blood test checks levels of albumin in your blood. Low albumin levels might indicate a problem with your liver, kidneys or other health conditions. High albumin levels are typically the result of dehydration or severe dehydration. The test is very quick and doesn’t carry any serious risks.
What is a dangerously low albumin level?
Albumin levels below 3.4 grams per deciliter (g/dL) are considered low. A range of health issues can cause hypoalbuminemia. Determining the cause of hypoalbuminemia is vital for effective treatment. Some of the most common causes of the syndrome include: Liver failure: The liver manufactures albumin.
Can low albumin cause death?
Patients with even lower albumin levels are likely to be at an even higher risk of dying, although that risk has yet to be well defined. One study done in 1980 of mostly male veterans found a 62% mortality rate in a subset of 50 inpatients with albumin levels ≤2.0 g/dL,31 but more definitive data are lacking.
Is BSA a buffer?
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) blocking buffer is ideal for saturating excess protein-binding sites on membranes and microplates for Western blotting and ELISA applications, respectively. Typically, 1-3% BSA is sufficient for most applications.
Is BSA a carbohydrate?
BSA is a single polypeptide chain consisting of about 583 amino acid residues and no carbohydrates.
Why is bovine serum albumin used in vaccines?
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a major component of fetal bovine serum (FBS), which is commonly used as a culture medium during vaccine production. Because BSA can cause allergic reactions in humans the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a guidance of 50 ng or less residual BSA per vaccine dose.
Why is BSA used as antigen?
Scientists frequently use Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) to address both the issue of non-specific binding and stability. When BSA is added to an immunoassay it binds to sites where there is potential for non-specific binding without interfering with antibody/antigen binding.
Is bovine serum albumin safe?
Skin: May be harmful if absorbed through skin. May cause skin irritation. Eyes: May cause eye irritation. To the best of our knowledge, the chemical, physical, and toxicological properties have not been thoroughly investigated.
Does BSA contain calcium?
Calcium ions that are bound to BSA are shown as black spheres. In the crystal structure of bovine albumin we observe binding of three calcium ions.
What is the size of BSA?
According to the literature, BSA has a nominal size of 7.1 nm and a molecular mass of 66.5 kDa. Bovine serum albumin shows a natural tendency to dimerize under stress conditions, with BSA dimers displaying a molecular mass of 132 kDa.
What is BSA and why is it used in this protein assay?
BSA is the most commonly used standard for relative protein concentration determination in most laboratories, although the color response of γ-globulin is usually more representative of true concentration for samples that do not have a high albumin content.
How do you make BSA?
To make 100 mL of a 1% BSA blocking buffer, dissolve 1 g of BSA in 100 mL of TBST. The BSA blocking buffer recipe calculator enables the accurate preparation of BSA blocking solution whether you are making enough for a single experiment or for the entire lab.
Does BSA contain fatty acids?
Due to BSA’s biological role as a fatty acid transporter, BSA proteins contain bound fatty acids that were either naturally bound, or exogenously added as part of the heat-shock fractionation process and can be optionally removed by an extra processing step.