An approach of a study of the interaction between collagen and sulphur dioxide by using ESI and MALDI-TOFMS

In order to further understand the interaction between pollutants and collagen, a study with two plain proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme, both exposed to SO₂ has been carried out. X-ray analysis of the samples using a scanning microscope spectrometer (SEM) was carried out. Samples were analysed by mass spectrometry using an electrospray source coupled to a time of flight analyser (ESI-TOFMS) and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). A chemical cleavage using cyanogen bromide (CNBr) was carried out on BSA exposed to SO_2, the CNBr cleavage fragments were analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization source coupling to a TOF analyser (MALDI-TOFMS). All these results allow us to determine a hypothesis for the mechanism of the reaction between SO₂ and BSA.