Determining the binding parameters from co-sedimentation assays
Résumé
The stoichiometry n and the dissociation constant Kd are key binding parameters characterizing the ligand-macromolecule interactions and equilibria. Equilibrium co-sedimentation experiments are performed in varying the concentration of one of the reactant while keeping constant that of the other reactant. The measured observable is the fraction [theta] of bound ligands when the ligand concentration is kept constant while that of macromolecules is varying whereas it is the macromolecule coverage [rho] with bound ligands when the ligand concentration is varying while that of macromolecules is kept constant. We have derived general expressions for [rho] and [theta] and subsequently showed that those expressions are in perfect agreement with simulations for a system of large ligands binding on macromolecules. Approximations have been developed to derive mathematical simple analytical expressions for [rho] and [theta] and that can be used to fit the experimental data and thus extract, n and Kd within the framework of equilibrium co-sedimentation assays. The method usefulness is illustrated and demonstrated by fitting the data from the literature using the derived formulas to determine the binding parameters.