NMR methods for the determination of protein-ligand dissociation constants

This article is a review with 83 references of the application of NMR to the measurement of the dissociation constants of protein-ligand complexes. After briefly discussing some general concepts of molecular stability, the text turns to consider which NMR parameters are reporters of complex formation. The available data treatments required to translate observed NMR effects into quantitative measurements of the stability of the complex in the form of the dissociation constant (KD) are introduced. Linearisation methods and curve fitting methods are explained in detail and are illustrated with examples drawn from recent reports of protein-small molecule interactions. Throughout the text examples of the commonly observed NMR parameters , 1 / T1 and 1 / T2 are drawn from biological studies of 1H, 31P, 19F 15N (and other nuclei). The advantages of NMR diffusion experiments as a measure of KD are considered. Some less frequently used NMR approaches, some new ideas and some non-general methods are grouped together in a miscellaneous section. The major sources of errors in the determination of KD are identified. This allows recommendations for optimal experimental set up. Options for dealing with strong binding are reviewed. Finally, the implications of abstracting KD data from high throughput screening experiments are considered and several different approaches to generate this data are discussed.