Williams D H, Maguire A J, Tsuzuki W, Westwell M S
Cambridge Centre for Molecular Recognition, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
Science. 1998 May 1;280(5364):711-4. doi: 10.1126/science.280.5364.711.
The cooperativity between binding of cell wall precursor analogs (ligands) to and antibiotic dimerization of the clinically important vancomycin group antibiotics was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance. When dimerization was weak in the absence of a ligand, the increase in the dimerization constant in the presence of a ligand derived largely from changes associated with tightening of the dimer interface. When dimerization was strong in the absence of a ligand, the increase in the dimerization constant in the presence of a ligand derived largely from changes associated with tightening of the ligand-antibiotic interface. These results illustrate how, when a protein has a loose structure, the binding energy of another molecule to the protein can derive in part from changes occurring within the protein.
