Multithermal titration calorimetry: A rapid method to determine binding heat capacities (original) (raw)
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Methods in Cell Biology, 2008
Abstract Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is now routinely used to directly characterize the thermodynamics of biopolymer binding interactions and the kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. This is the result of improvements in ITC instrumentation and data analysis software. Modern ITC instruments make it possible to measure heat eVects as small as 0.1 mcal (0.4 mJ), allowing the determination of binding constants, K's, as large as 10 8 -10 9 M À1 . Modern ITC instruments make it possible to measure heat rates as small as 0.1 mcal/sec, allowing for the precise determination of reaction rates in the range of 10 À12 mol/sec. Values for K m and k cat , in the ranges of 10 À2 -10 3 mM and 0.05-500 sec À1 , respectively, can be determined by ITC. This chapter reviews the planning of an optimal ITC experiment for either a binding or kinetic study, guides the reader through simulated sample experiments, and reviews analysis of the data and the interpretation of the results.
Current applications of isothermal titration calorimetry to the study of protein complexes
The absorption or liberation of heat has proven a widely spread property in biomolecular processes. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measures this property directly. This feature not only implies high precision in determining the binding enthalpy, but also allows us to infer the reaction mechanism in a more objective way than many non-calorimetric techniques. In this chapter, the principles of ITC are reviewed together with the basic thermodynamic formalism on which the technique is based. In addition, the current state of the art in calorimetry in protein recognition is described, with particular emphasis on advances in the last few years.
Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2011
Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is commonly used to determine the thermodynamic parameters associated with the binding of a ligand to a host macromolecule. ITC has some advantages over common spectroscopic approaches for studying host/ligand interactions. For example, the heat released or absorbed when the two components interact is directly measured and does not require any exogenous reporters. Thus the binding enthalpy and the association constant (Ka) are directly obtained from ITC data, and can be used to compute the entropic contribution. Moreover, the shape of the isotherm is dependent on the c-value and the mechanistic model involved. The c-value is defined as c = n[P]tKa, where [P]t is the protein concentration, and n is the number of ligand binding sites within the host. In many cases, multiple binding sites for a given ligand are non-equivalent and ITC allows the characterization of the thermodynamic binding parameters for each individual binding site. This however requires that the correct binding model be used. This choice can be problematic if different models can fit the same experimental data. We have previously shown that this problem can be circumvented by performing experiments at several c-values. The multiple isotherms obtained at different c-values are fit simultaneously to separate models. The correct model is next identified based on the goodness of fit across the entire variable-c dataset. This process is applied here to the aminoglycoside resistance-causing enzyme aminoglycoside N-6'-acetyltransferase-Ii (AAC(6')-Ii). Although our methodology is applicable to any system, the necessity of this strategy is better demonstrated with a macromolecule-ligand system showing allostery or cooperativity, and when different binding models provide essentially identical fits to the same data. To our knowledge, there are no such systems commercially available. AAC(6')-Ii, is a homo-dimer containing two active sites, showing cooperativity between the two subunits. However ITC data obtained at a single c-value can be fit equally well to at least two different models a two-sets-of-sites independent model and a two-site sequential (cooperative) model. Through varying the c-value as explained above, it was established that the correct binding model for AAC(6')-Ii is a two-site sequential binding model. Herein, we describe the steps that must be taken when performing ITC experiments in order to obtain datasets suitable for variable-c analyses.
Analytical biochemistry, 2015
Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) has given a mass of data on the binding of small molecules to proteins and other biopolymers, with particular interest in drug binding to proteins chosen as therapeutic indicators. Interpretation of the enthalpy data usually follows an unsound protocol that uses thermodynamic relations in circumstances where they do not apply. Errors of interpretation include incomplete definitions of ligand binding and equilibrium constants and neglect of the non-ideality of the solutions under study, leading to unreliable estimates of standard free energies and entropies of binding. The mass of reported thermodynamic functions for ligand binding to proteins estimated from ITC enthalpies alone is consequently of uncertain thermodynamic significance and utility. ITC and related experiments to test the protocol assumptions are indicated. A thermodynamic procedure avoiding equilibrium constants or other reaction models and not requiring protein activities is give...
Biological Applications of Isothermal Titration Calorimetry
Physical Chemistry Research, 2015
Most of the biological phenomena are influenced by intermolecular recognition and interaction. Thus, understanding the thermodynamics of biomacromolecule ligand interaction is a very interesting area in biochemistry and biotechnology. One of the most powerful techniques to obtain precise information about the energetics of (bio) molecules binding to other biological macromolecules is isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). In a typical ITC experiment, a macromolecule solution is titrated by a solution containing a reactant at a constant temperature, and exchanged heat of the reaction is measured, allowing determination of thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy change, entropy change, change in Gibbs free energy, binding affinity and stoichiometry) of molecular interactions. In this review article, we describe the ITC approach briefly and review some applications of ITC for studying protein-ligand interactions, protein-protein interactions, self-association, and drug design processes. Fu...
Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2008
Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is widely used to determine the thermodynamics of biological interactions including protein-protein, small molecule-protein, protein-DNA, small molecule-DNA, and antigen-antibody interactions. An ITC measurement consists of monitoring the transfer of heat between an analyte solution in a sample vessel and a reference solution in a reference vessel upon injection of a small aliquot of titrant solution into the sample vessel at a fixed ITC operating temperature. A binding isotherm is generated from the heat-transferred-per-injection data and values for the binding constants, the apparent binding enthalpies, and the apparent ratio of the amount of titrant to analyte for the binding reaction are then determined from fits of a binding model, whether it is a single site, identical multi-site, or an interacting multi-site binding model, to the binding isotherm. Prior to the fitting procedure, corrections should be made for contributions from extraneou...
Isothermal titration calorimetry to determine association constants for high-affinity ligands
Nature Protocols, 2006
An important goal in drug development is to engineer inhibitors and ligands that have high binding affinities for their target molecules. In optimizing these interactions, the precise determination of the binding affinity becomes progressively difficult once it approaches and surpasses the nanomolar level. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) can be used to determine the complete binding thermodynamics of a ligand down to the picomolar range by using an experimental mode called displacement titration. In a displacement titration, the association constant of a high-affinity ligand that cannot be measured directly is artificially lowered to a measurable level by premixing the protein with a weaker competitive ligand. To perform this protocol, two titrations must be carried out: a direct titration of the weak ligand to the target macromolecule and a displacement titration of the high-affinity ligand to the weak ligand-target macromolecule complex. This protocol takes approximately 5 h.
Journal of Chemical Education, 2015
To provide a research-like experience to upper-division undergraduate students in a biochemistry teaching laboratory, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is employed to determine the binding constants of lysozyme and its inhibitors, N-acetyl glucosamine trimer (NAG 3) and monomer (NAG). The extremely weak binding of lysozyme/NAG is determined using a competitive binding assay. Such interactions between lysozyme and its inhibitors are visualized with PyMol software, by which the hydrogen bond formation in the complexes is used to explain the binding specificity. The hydrogen bond inventory in the binding interface correlates with the heat enthalpy determined or derived from ITC measurements. A possible explanation for such a correlation is presented and used for an extensive discussion in thermodynamics and ligand−receptor interactions. This laboratory exercise stimulates students' critical thinking about weak/strong binding interactions and the relationship between thermodynamics and structural changes.