Measuring the K of Protein-Ligand Interactions Using Microscale Thermophoresis.

Microscale thermophoresis (MST) has become a widely used technique to determine the K or EC of protein-ligand interactions. The method exploits the tendency of macromolecules to migrate along a thermal gradient (i.e., thermophoresis). Differences in thermophoresis as a function of the liganded state of a macromolecule can be measured and assembled into a binding curve that can be analyzed to yield K. In this protocol, we outline a simple experiment designed for new MST users, with the goal of using readily available, inexpensive materials to plan, execute, and analyze an MST experiment.