A fluorescent probe to investigate uranyl-protein interactions

Uranium is naturally present in the environment as the dioxo cation uranyl. Understanding its interaction with proteins is key to decipher the mechanisms underlying its toxicity and to develop decorporation strategies. In this process, determining affinities of proteins for uranyl is important, but requires specific equipment and expertise. In this work, we developed a simple fluorescence-based assay to determine uranyl-protein affinities in solution, in physiological conditions, and at equilibrium.