Binding of cobalamin and cobinamide to transcobalamin from bovine milk

We have studied the interaction between transcobalamin (TC) and the ligands cobalamin (Cbl) and cobinamide (Cbi). Partially purified TC from bovine milk was depleted of endogenous Cbl by 8 M urea treatment. Unsaturated TC was adsorbed on CM-Sepharose in order to ensure fast separation of the matrix-bound protein from the reaction medium. The forward reaction TC+Cbl-->TC-Cbl (rate constant k+Cbl) and the backward reaction TC-Cbl-->TC+Cbl (k-Cbl) were followed in time. A single-step binding model (with no intermediate protein-ligand complex) was sufficient to fit the data. The calculated rate constants were k+Cbl = 0.6 nM-1 min-1 and k-Cbl = 1.3 x 10(-4) min-1, which corresponded to the TC-Cbl dissociation constant KDCbl = 0.2 pM. Reaction between TC and Cbl developed against electrostatic forces, and the effective charges of the interacting species were estimated as both +1 or both -1. The competition between Cbl and Cbi for TC was studied, which resulted in determination of the relevant rate constants for Cbi: k+Cbi = 0.03 nM-1 min-1, k-Cbi = 0.03 min-1, and KDCbi = 1 nM. Slow dissociation of TC-Cbl guarantees its stability in plasma for 5-10 h, while Cbi bound to TC would be transferred to haptocorrin in less than 1 h.