Protease susceptibility of beta-lactoglobulin adsorbed on stainless steel surface as evidence of contribution of its specific segment to adsorption.

beta-Lactoglobulin (beta-Lg) is a major constituent of fouling deposits in the dairy industry. To determine the interaction between beta-Lg and stainless steel surfaces, beta-Lg irreversibly adsorbed on stainless steel particles was subjected to lysyl endopeptidase treatment and the course of fragmentation was compared with that observed for beta-Lg in solution. The results showed a distinct difference between the courses of fragmentation: a fragment (residues 102-135) was liberated readily from beta-Lg in solution but scarcely from beta-Lg irreversibly adsorbed on stainless steel particles.