19-epi-okadaic acid, a novel protein phosphatase inhibitor with enhanced selectivity

A new protein phosphatase inhibitor, 19-epi-okadaic acid, was isolated from the marine dinoflagellate Prorocentrum belizeanum. Its structure and conformation in solution has been determined, and important differences were found when compared with the lead compound okadaic acid. The new metabolite showed nanomolar activities, and its selectivity for PP2A versus PP1 surpasses that shown by okadaic acid 10-fold, making it one of the most selective inhibitors of this class.     

On the value of c: can low affinity systems be studied by isothermal titration calorimetry?

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) allows the determination of DeltaG degrees, DeltaH degrees, and DeltaS degrees from a single experiment and is thus widely used for studying binding thermodynamics in both biological and synthetic supramolecular systems. However, it is widely believed that it is not possible to derive accurate thermodynamic information from ITC experiments in which the Wiseman "c" parameter (which is the product of the receptor concentration and the binding constant, K(a)) is less than ca. 10, constraining its use to high affinity systems. Herein, experimental titrations and simulated data are used to demonstrate that this dogma is false, especially for low affinity systems, assuming that (1) a sufficient portion of the binding isotherm is used for analysis, (2) the binding stoichiometry is known, (3) the concentrations of both ligand and receptor are known with accuracy, and (4) there is an adequate level of signal-to-noise in the data. This study supports the validity of ITC for determining the value of K(a) and, hence, DeltaG degrees from experiments conducted under low c conditions but advocates greater caution in the interpretation of values for DeltaH degrees. Therefore, isothermal titration calorimetry is a valid and useful technique for studying biologically and synthetically important low affinity systems.     

Thermodynamics of binding of D-galactose and deoxy derivatives thereof to the L-arabinose-binding protein

We report the thermodynamics of binding of d-galactose and deoxy derivatives thereof to the arabinose binding protein (ABP). The "intrinsic" (solute-solute) free energy of binding DeltaG degrees (int) at 308 K for the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 6-hydroxyl groups of galactose is remarkably constant (approximately -30 kJ/mol), despite the fact that each hydroxyl group subtends different numbers of hydrogen bonds in the complex. The substantially unfavorable enthalpy of binding (approximately 30 kJ/mol) of 1-deoxygalactose, 2-deoxygalactose, and 3-deoxygalactose in comparison with galactose, cannot be readily accounted for by differences in solvation, suggesting that solute-solute hydrogen bonds are enthalpically significantly more favorable than solute-solvent hydrogen bonds. In contrast, the substantially higher affinity for 2-deoxygalactose in comparison with either 1-deoxygalactose or 3-deoxygalactose derives from differences in the solvation free energies of the free ligands.