Abstract

A widely-applicable method for measuring enzymatic activity using micro-calorimetry is being developed. Chemical reactions are driven by a decrease in free energy, which is the sum of enthalpic and entropic contributions. The enthalpic contribution is characterized by heat. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we measure the heat evolved during a reaction and express the results as reaction rates. Whereas classical enzyme assays calculate rate as a derivative of product appearance (or substrate depletion) with time, biocalorimetric assays measure reaction rates directly. Isothermal calorimetric analysis is a non-destructive (non-radioactive) technique that 1) is applicable to most biological reactions, 2) eliminates the requirement for coupling enzymes, 3) is useful in spectrophotometrically opaque solutions, and 4) permits rapid activity analysis using physiological substrates. We present data assaying enzymes from; E. Coli chaperonin GroEL, HIV-1 protease, F. Heparinium heparinase, and H. Pylorii urease.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Biotechnology Resource Grants (P41)
Project #
5P41RR004328-10
Application #
6122012
Study Section
Project Start
1997-08-05
Project End
1998-08-04
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Type
DUNS #
045911138
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218

  Publications

Jaganaman, Sunil; Pinto, Alex; Tarasev, Michael et al. (2007) High levels of expression of the iron-sulfur proteins phthalate dioxygenase and phthalate dioxygenase reductase in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 52:273-9
Todd, M J; Gomez, J (2001) Enzyme kinetics determined using calorimetry: a general assay for enzyme activity? Anal Biochem 296:179-87
Karantza, V; Freire, E; Moudrianakis, E N (2001) Thermodynamic studies of the core histones: stability of the octamer subunits is not altered by removal of their terminal domains. Biochemistry 40:13114-23
Griko, Y V; Remeta, D P (1999) Energetics of solvent and ligand-induced conformational changes in alpha-lactalbumin. Protein Sci 8:554-61
Chu, V; Freitag, S; Le Trong, I et al. (1998) Thermodynamic and structural consequences of flexible loop deletion by circular permutation in the streptavidin-biotin system. Protein Sci 7:848-59
Luque, I; Freire, E (1998) Structure-based prediction of binding affinities and molecular design of peptide ligands. Methods Enzymol 295:100-27
Luque, I; Gomez, J; Semo, N et al. (1998) Structure-based thermodynamic design of peptide ligands: application to peptide inhibitors of the aspartic protease endothiapepsin. Proteins 30:74-85
Gomez, J; Semo, N; Freire, E (1998) Structural thermodynamic study of the binding of renin inhibitors to endothiapepsin. Adv Exp Med Biol 436:325-8
Koder, R L; Miller, A F (1998) Overexpression, isotopic labeling, and spectral characterization of Enterobacter cloacae nitroreductase. Protein Expr Purif 13:53-60
Freire, E (1998) Statistical thermodynamic linkage between conformational and binding equilibria. Adv Protein Chem 51:255-79

Showing the most recent 10 out of 86 publications