Binding of nitroxide stearate spin labels to bovine serum albumin.

1. 12-Nitroxide stearate binds to bovine serum albumin at about four independent and equivalent binding sites with an association constant of about 10(6) M-1. The binding at these high affinity binding sites is significantly reduced by addition of unlabeled stearate. These data suggest that nitroxide stearates probe the high affinity binding sites for long-chain fatty acids. 2. Qualitative analyses of the ESR spectra of 5-, 12- and 16-nitroxide stearate bound to bovine serum albumin and measurements of the interaction of these compounds so bound with ferricyanide ion provide a rough description of the binding site as follows: the polar headgroup of the spin-labeled fatty acid is rigidly fixed, but fairly accessible to paramagnetic ions. The middle part of the hydrocarbon chain of bound stearate spin label also is rigidly fixed but differs in being shielded from the solvent, presumably by a hydrophobic cleft. The methyl terminus shows greater motion, appearing to move within a narrow cone, and also appears to be somewhat accessible to paramagnetic ions.