Calorimetric study of concanavalin A binding to saccharides

The binding of concanavalin A in the dimer form to various saccharides has been studied by calorimetry, and estimates of the binding enthalpy and binding constants have been calculated. Methyl alpha-D-mannoside and methyl alpha-D-glucoside have a -- delta H0 of 21.5 and 11.5 kJ/mol, respectively, at both pH 4 and 4.5. The p-nitrophenyl derivatives react with enthalpic values of 15.6 and 14.6 kJ/mol. The galactosepyranosides show no heat effects during mixing with the protein solutions. The apparent binding enthalpies calculated from the variations of the equilibrium constants with temperature are in good agreement with the values measured experimentally. The two binding sites of the dimer form of concanavalin A are equal and independent, and the low enthalpies obtained do not justify a large conformational change during the reaction. The binding reaction has also been estimated for other sugars normally contained in glycoproteins.