Caries-associated biofilms induce loss of calcium from tooth surfaces in the presence of dietary carbohydrates. Exopolysaccharides (EPS) provide a matrix scaffold and an abundance of primary binding sites within biofilms. The role of EPS in binding calcium in cariogenic biofilms is only partially understood. Thus, the aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between the calci...

Understanding the structure, folding, and interaction of membrane proteins requires experimental tools to quantify the association of transmembrane (TM) helices. Here, we introduce isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to measure integrin αIIbβ3 TM complex affinity, to study the consequences of helix-helix preorientation in lipid bilayers, and to examine protein-induced lipid reorganization. P...

MICROCALORIMETRY Introduction Many industrial and biochemical applications depend on the usage of detergents and other surfactants. These compounds are indispensable, in particular, for the extraction, purification, and handling of membrane proteins. Owing to their amphiphilic nature, detergents can provide a membrane-mimetic environment required by integral membrane proteins to retain their na...

In the study of 1:1 binding by isothermal titration calorimetry, reagent concentration errors are fully absorbed in the data analysis, giving incorrect values for the key parameters--K, ΔH, and n--with no effect on the least-squares statistics. Reanalysis of results from an interlaboratory study of a selected biochemical process demonstrates that concentration errors are likely responsible for ...

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a useful tool for understanding the complete thermodynamic picture of a binding reaction. In biological sciences, macromolecular interactions are essential in understanding the machinery of the cell. Experimental conditions, such as buffer and temperature, can be tailored to the particular binding system being studied. However, careful planning is neede...

The completion of the human genome has resulted in the identification of large numbers of novel targets for drug development. Many of these targets belong to protein families with homologous structures and similar active sites. Against these targets, successful drugs must display high affinity and high selectivity, goals that have been difficult to accomplish and that emphasize the need for bet...

During the past decade, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) has developed from a specialist method for understanding molecular interactions and other biological processes within cells to a more robust, widely used method. Nowadays, ITC is used to investigate all types of protein interactions, including protein-protein interactions, protein-DNA/RNA interactions, protein-small molecule interac...