One-step Immobilization of Human α-1-acid Glycoprotein on Magnetic Beads: A Rapid Method for Small Molecule hAGP Binding Study.

Human α-1-acid glycoprotein (hAGP) immobilized directly on NHS ester (N-hydroxysuccinimide) activated magnetic beads (hAGP-beads) was developed as a novel tool for studying small molecule hAGP binding. This method offers a straightforward, one-step immobilization process compared to traditional biotin-streptavidin immobilization technique. The hAGP-beads system provides a rapid and convenient alternative to conventional methods like equilibrium dialysis (ED) or ultracentrifugation (UF) for assessing hAGP small molecule interactions. Characterization and evaluation of the hAGP-beads system revealed that equilibrium dissociation constant (K) values  of various small molecules obtained by hAGP-beads method correlated well with those determined by ED. This result suggests that the conformation of hAGP binding site is not altered after hAGP covalently binds to magnetic beads through NHS ester  conjugation. Key advantages of the hAGP-beads method include shorter assay incubation times compared to ED (~ 3 min versus 4-6 h) and the ability to quantify both free and hAGP-bound small molecule species, facilitated by simple magnetic separation. Furthermore, long-term storage tests demonstrated that hAGP-beads remain stable and retain its binding functionality at -80°C, significantly reducing the need for frequent preparations. These properties make the hAGP-beads system not only well-suited for general hAGP-related studies, such as small molecule binding, but especially advantageous for high-throughput screening applications.