Microcalorimetric study of the binding of methotrexate and its metabolites to thymidylate synthase

Direct microcalorimetric measurements allow determination of both the δH and association constant of biological complexes ifK _a value does not exceed 10⁶ M ^?1. For higherK _a values, δH can obviously be determined; this paper describes an original microcalorimetric method that permits determination of such high association constants. This method is based on the analysis of the competitive effect between two ligands having the same binding site in their receptor. As an example, the affinity constant for thymidylate synthase of a novel antifolate, CB 3717. was found to be 1.4 · 10⁷ M ^?1 using methotrexate polyglutamate MTX-G2 (K _a=2.3·10⁵ M ^?1) as competitor.