Hydrophobic interaction electrophoresis under high hydrostatic pressure: study of the effects of pressure upon the interaction of serum albumin with a long-chain aliphatic ligand

Hydrophobic affinity electrophoresis under high hydrostatic pressure has been developed to study the interaction between fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin and a long-chain aliphatic ligand physically immobilized within the gel matrix. From apparent association constants at various pressures and temperatures, apparent thermodynamic parameters including the volume change in binding were calculated. The results are as expected for hydrophobic interactions between the long-chain alkyl ligand and a high-affinity long-chain fatty acid binding site. The feasibility of high-pressure affinity electrophoresis is demonstrated. This new high-pressure technique provides a direct means for studying quantitatively the effects of pressure upon protein-ligand interactions. It could become a suitable tool for the investigation of protein binding sites' topography.