Interaction of vinblastine with calf brain tubulin: multiple equilibria

The binding of the anticancer drug vinblastine to calf brain tubulin was measured by a batch gel filtration method in PG buffer (0.01 M NaPi, 10(-4) M GTP, pH 7.0) at three different protein concentrations. The Scatchard binding isotherms obtained were curvilinear. The binding of the first vinblastine molecule to each tubulin alpha-beta dimer (Mr 110,000) was enhanced by an increase in the protein concentration. Additional binding of vinblastine to the protein was independent of the protein concentration. Theoretical ligand binding isotherms were calculated for a ligand-induced macromolecule self-association involving various ligand stoichiometries and association schemes. Fitting of the experimental data to these isotherms showed that the system can be described best by a one-ligand-induced isodesmic indefinite self-association. The pathway giving the best fit consists of a ligand-mediated plus -facilitated self-association mechanism. The self-association-linked bound vinblastine binds specifically at a site with an intrinsic binding constant K1 = 4 X 10(4) M-1. Additional vinblastine molecules can bind less strongly to tubulin in probably nonspecific fashion, and the previous reports of two specific sites on alpha-beta tubulin for binding vinblastine are incorrect. The self-association constant K2 for liganded tubulin is 1.8 X 10(5) M-1. This analysis is fully consistent with the conclusions derived earlier from the linked function analysis of the vinblastine-induced tubulin self-association [Na, G. C., & Timasheff, S. N. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 1347-1354; Na, G. C., & Timasheff, S. N. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 1355-1365].