Isothermal titration microcalorimetric method for studying the combined ligand binding with application to the binding of ethylurea and (N,N)dimethylurea on urease

A simple, novel method was introduced for determining equilibrium constants and enthalpies of binding of two different competitive ligands on a macromolecule by isothermal titration microcalorimetry technique. This method was applied to the simultaneous binding of ethylurea (I) and (N,N)dimethylurea (X), on jack-bean urease at pH 7.0 (tris-base; 30 mM) at 27 degrees C. The dissociation equilibrium constants measured by this method were markedly consistent with inhibition constants obtained from assay of enzyme activities in the presence of I and X. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.