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Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-3701
Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Paul E. Smith, Dept. of Chemistry, 111 Willard Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-3701. Tel.: 785-532-5109; Fax: 785-532-6666; E-mail: pesmith{at}ksu.edu.
| ABSTRACT |
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| INTRODUCTION |
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All the approaches can be formulated in terms of preferential interactions (8
). Preferential interactions provide a thermodynamic measure of the changes in chemical potentials or solution composition (12
). There are many types of preferential interaction parameters depending on the concentration scales used (molality, molarity, or mole fraction) and the particular thermodynamic ensemble in which the derivatives are evaluated (12
,13
). To the best of our knowledge, Ben-Naim was the first to use Kirkwood-Buff (KB) theory to describe the thermodynamic effect of a cosolvent on biomolecular equilibria (14
,15
). Since then, applications of KB theory to understand the properties of biomolecular systems have also appeared (16
18
). More recently, there has been a renewed interest in expressing chemical potential derivatives and preferential interactions for biological systems in terms of KB integrals (11
,19
27
). Using KB integrals, one can quantify the changes in solution composition (over many solvation shells) and directly relate these changes to thermodynamic effects on the protein. A major advantage of KB theory is that it requires no approximations and therefore provides a solid foundation from which one can rationalize different cosolvent effects.
It is therefore envisioned that the use of KB theory will lead to an improved understanding of cosolvent effects in biological systems. Recent studies are encouraging. Shimizu and co-workers have used KB theory to determine hydration changes for allosteric transitions and ligand binding, and to clarify the assumptions made in osmotic stress analysis (22
,28
). Shulgin and Ruckenstein have applied KB theory to quantify the excess or deficiency of water around several proteins in the presence of both osmolytes and protein denaturants. As expected, an increase in hydration was observed for the osmolytes, whereas a decrease in hydration was found for the denaturants (25
). Schurr et al. have also expressed preferential interactions in terms of KB integrals and used these expressions to develop some simple models for the interaction of cosolvents with proteins. The results suggest a significant excluded volume effect (24
). Our own work has focused on using KB theory to understand preferential interactions (19
), providing a rigorous link between the results of computer simulations and the corresponding experimental thermodynamic data (23
), the development of a model of cosolvent effects based on KB theory (11
), and understanding the density changes observed in equilibrium dialysis experiments in terms of KB integrals (29
). More recently, Schellman has compared the results from KB theory to the corresponding expressions obtained from thermodynamic binding models (27
). Hence, it is clear there is considerable increasing interest in analyzing cosolvent effects in terms of KB integrals.
Kirkwood-Buff theory provides expressions for the composition dependent chemical potential derivatives for solution mixtures in closed systems (constant N) in terms of particle number fluctuations, or equivalently as integrals over radial distribution functions in open systems (constant µ). The general result for any number of components in a closed system can be formulated in terms of ratios of matrix determinants (15
,30
,31
). The corresponding matrix elements are expressed in terms of the KB integrals between species i and j defined as
![]() | (1) |
KB theory will be used to determine a variety of chemical potential derivatives and preferential interaction parameters in binary and ternary systems. However, the aim is to avoid starting from the KB results for closed systems as they generally involve expressions containing a large number of KB integrals. Instead, we will focus on the primary result obtained from KB theory for fully open systems as given by (15
,30
)
![]() | (2) |
i is the number density (molarity) of species i in terms of the average number of Ni molecules in the system,
ij is the Kroenecker delta function, and ß = (RT)1. In addition, the Gibbs-Duhem equation for a mixture of n components provides (12
![]() | (3) |
![]() | (4) |
). The above information is all that is required to determine the chemical potential derivatives in open, semiopen, or closed systems. | RESULTS |
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![]() | (5) |
![]() | (6) |
Equation 6 can be used to describe a binary system of 1 and 2 even though A1 and A2 contain KB integrals with indices corresponding to a third componentas these KB integrals will cancel in the resulting expressions. It is also apparent that each Ai tends to unity as
i tends to zero.
Open binary system
The results for an open binary system are included here for completeness and for comparison with subsequent expressions. The required derivatives are obtained directly from Eqs. 2 and 4 to give
![]() | (7) |
![]() | (8) |
Closed binary system
One can obtain the required chemical potential derivative in the corresponding closed constant pressure ensemble using an appropriate thermodynamic transformation. It will prove advantageous to start with the inverse of the required derivative in the open system. The appropriate transformation is then,
![]() | (9) |
![]() | (10) |
![]() | (11) |
The above approach provides no particular advantage for binary systems as the matrix approach is also easy to solve. However, derivatives for ternary systems are traditionally more problematic and we will see that this type of approach displays distinct advantages.
Open ternary systemconstant T, µ1, µ3
For biological systems, it is common to define a ternary solution of principle solvent (1
), biomolecule (2
), and cosolvent (3
), and where the system is open to all components except the biomolecule. For this system, the activity derivatives follow directly from Eq. 4. Preferential interactions in ternary systems involve derivatives of the form (
m3/
m2) and (
3/
2), where the biomolecule concentration is usually assumed to be low, although we will relax that restriction here. Expressions for these derivatives can be obtained quite easily from Eq. 4 and provide (27
)
![]() | (12) |
Alternatively, many applications require the use of molality-based derivatives. Here one obtains
![]() | (13) |
Both of the above expressions are valid for finite biomolecule concentrations and only contain KB integrals involving the biomolecule.
Semiopen ternary systemconstant T, P, µ3
A common ensemble that has been used to interpret preferential interactions in semiopen systems involves a ternary system where the system is open to the cosolvent only (8
,13
). To obtain the required derivatives, one starts from the fully open system and uses the transformation
![]() | (14) |
The first term is given by Eq. 2, the third and fourth terms by Eqs. 2 and 4, to give the expression
![]() | (15) |
To determine the preferential interaction as defined by
one requires
![]() | (16) |
![]() | (17) |
Molality-based derivatives can be determined in the same manner as used previously in Eq. 14. For finite biomolecule concentrations one finds that
![]() | (18) |
![]() | (19) |
![]() | (20) |
Semiopen ternary systemconstant T, P, µ1
Another common ensemble used for interpreting preferential interactions in biological systems involves a system at constant T, P, and solvent chemical potential. The appropriate expressions for the chemical potential derivatives and preferential interaction parameters for finite biomolecule concentrations are then given by
![]() | (21) |
![]() | (22) |
![]() | (23) |
Alternatively, using the molal concentrations, one has
![]() | (24) |
![]() | (25) |
![]() | (26) |
Closed ternary systemconstant T, P, m2, or m3
To generate derivatives in closed systems, a further transformation is required. A change of variables from µ1 to m2 and use of the chain rule provides
![]() | (27) |
The first term is given by Eq. 24, the third and fourth terms can be obtained in a similar manner as for Eqs. 18, 19, 24, and 25, whereas the fifth term is given by Eq. 25. The same process can be repeated to obtain all three possible derivatives. The final expressions are given by
![]() | (28) |
![]() | (29) |
Using Eqs. 5 and 6, one can show that the above equations reduce to the appropriate expressions for binary solutions in the limit that
1,
2, or
3 approach zero. They also obey the Gibbs-Duhem equation at constant T and P,
![]() | (30) |
Constant m3 derivatives in the closed system can be obtained by inspection from Eq. 28, as we have
![]() | (31) |
![]() | (32) |
![]() | (33) |
is the partial molar volume of the cosolvent. Hence, one finds that
![]() | (34) |
The latter conversion introduces a partial molar volume, which, in principle, could also be expressed in terms of KB integrals. Even so, it is clear that the above equations demonstrate a considerable degree of contraction from the corresponding initial expression that would be provided by the matrix approach.
The above derivatives in closed systems still result in some lengthy expressions. The expressions are simplified considerably if one is only interested in the change in biomolecule chemical potential with cosolvent or solvent activity (ai). In this case one obtains
![]() | (35) |
![]() | (36) |
The two above expressions satisfy the known relationships between the different derivatives (13
).
Closed ternary systemconstant T, P,
2
Finally, the derivative most appropriate for the analysis of the denaturation equilibrium in closed systems using statistical mechanics involves the pseudochemical potential, µ* (15
,23
). This is related to the total chemical potential according to
, where
i is the thermal de Broglie wavelength (15
). The pseudochemical potential isolates interactions between a single fixed solute and any other solution species, including any other solute molecules when the solute is present at finite concentrations. It is equivalent to the change in Gibbs energy on transferring the solute from a fixed position in the gas phase to a fixed position in the solution, including changes to the internal partition function. Noting that
one can transform Eq. 15 to give
![]() | (37) |
![]() | (38) |
The derivatives at constant µ2 can be obtained as before and are given by
![]() | (39) |
![]() | (40) |
Hence, the final result for the closed system is given by
![]() | (41) |
![]() | (42) |
![]() | (43) |
![]() | (44) |
![]() | (45) |
![]() | (46) |
Combining Eqs. 43 and 45 results in the expression
![]() | (47) |
![]() | (48) |
| DISCUSSION |
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i/
µj) rather than (
µj/
i) as this considerably simplifies the combination of terms. Third, information concerning the derivatives in several semiopen ensembles is also provided. For instance, it is clear that the expressions for the chemical potential derivatives presented in Eqs. 16, 21, and 39 are the same as for the equivalent closed binary systems where species 3, 1, and 2 are absent, respectively, although the values of the KB integrals will be different due to the presence of a third species. This is also apparent from the Gibbs-Duhem equation.
Using the result presented in Eq. 43, one can investigate the possible effects of finite protein concentrations on the change in biomolecule chemical potential, or protein solubility, observed due to the addition of a cosolvent. In general, the required KB integrals are unknown and vary with composition. However, the differences between KB integrals are often relatively insensitive to composition, and are independent of composition for ideal mixtures (34
). Using this approximation, one can integrate Eq. 43 with respect to cosolvent concentration to obtain
![]() | (49) |
2 and all
Gij assumed to be constant). Before proceeding, it should be noted that the conditions of constant T, P, and
2 are somewhat unusual from a thermodynamic perspective as they imply that both the pressure and volume remain constant during the addition of a cosolvent molecule. They have been used in previous studies (19
To investigate further, some approximate values for the KB integrals are required. A value of G22 = 420,000 cm3/mol has been estimated for the protein chymotrypsinogen, which has a molecular mass of 26 kDa (18
). Other values can be estimated from the molar volumes of each species. Using water as the primary solvent (V1 = 18 cm3/mol) and considering an osmolyte that is larger than the solvent (V3 = 3V1) and therefore excluded from the surface, together with the symmetric ideal solution approximation (15
), provides values of G11 = V1 = 18, G33 = V3 = 54, and G13 =
(G11 + G33) = 36 cm3/mol. This assumes that the activity of the water and cosolvent are not significantly affected by the presence of the protein (25
). When the excluded volume dominates the cosolvent effect, the values of G23 and G12 can be estimated from the surface area of the protein (A = 47 nm2) (35
), which is taken as equal to that of a sphere with a similar volume (30 nm3) to the protein. The values of G2j are then given by A rj and therefore, using radii of r1 = 0.15 and r3 = 0.22 nm, one obtains values of G12 = 4300 and G23 = 6200 cm3/mol. These values and Eq. 49 provide a reasonable description of the effects of both the protein and cosolvent concentrations on the chemical potential of the protein solute.
The results are shown in Fig. 1 and indicate an almost linear dependence of the protein chemical potential (ß
µ2) on cosolvent molarity for low protein concentrations. The effect of additional protein was to increase the effect of the cosolvent with increasing nonlinearity appearing at larger protein concentrations. This is primarily due to the increasingly negative contribution from the protein KB integrals (G2j) to the value of C', although the overall value remains positive. However, the effect only appeared for protein concentrations >0.1 mM (0.002 volume fraction, or 3 mg/ml, or
2G22 = 0.042), which is typically much higher than that used experimentally in denaturation studies. Alternatively, when the sign of the values of G23 and G12 are reversed, one obtains a model for a cosolvent that preferentially binds to the protein. In this case, the results are nearly identical to those displayed in Fig. 1, but opposite in sign (data not shown). Hence, within the approximations outlined here, the calculations suggest that the effect of a finite protein concentration can be neglected in most practical situations. However, this may not be true if the protein has a high propensity for aggregation, which can significantly alter the value of G22.
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D) thermodynamics. However, additional approximations have to be used. In principle, the system now contains four components and so the derivatives should involve KB integrals between both protein conformations (14
µ2), where a twofold increase in the surface area for the denatured state (G22 remains unchanged) was assumed. Here, the effect of the finite protein concentration did not cancel between the two forms. In fact, the magnitude of the protein effect was slightly larger in this case.
The previous results have focused on chemical potential derivatives and preferential interaction parameters. KB theory also provides expressions for partial molar volumes and the isothermal compressibility in solution mixtures. One can also derive expressions for the partial molar volumes (
) and isothermal compressibility (
T) using the same type of approach as outlined above. The partial molar volume of species 2 in a two-component mixture can be obtained from the transformation of
to
and subsequent manipulation. However, when applied to ternary systems, this approach produces a series of equations that do not provide any obvious advantage over the standard matrix formulation. A general expression for the compressibility in terms of partial molar volumes and KB integrals can be obtained in a simple manner from the differential of the volume as a function of T, P, and composition. Consequently, for an n component system one can write
![]() | (50) |
![]() | (51) |
![]() | (52) |
![]() | (53) |
| CONCLUSIONS |
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The final expressions provide exact relationships between molecular distributions and the corresponding solution thermodynamics. As there are no approximations in KB theory, an analysis of both experimental and simulation data using KB integrals provides a solid foundation for investigating the effects of cosolvents on biomolecules. One requires five KB integrals to fully characterize a ternary system when the protein is at infinite dilution. The values of G11, G33, and G13 are properties of the cosolvent solution in the absence of protein and are typically already known (36
). The two remaining integrals (G23 and G21) can be obtained from the experimental data as outlined previously (23
,39
). For finite protein concentration, the values of G11, G33, and G13 will probably remain unchanged as the protein concentration is usually rather low. However, the G22 integral is then required. This can be obtained from osmotic pressure measurements (15
), as indicated by Eq. 4. Therefore, in our opinion, the use of KB theory also presents an approach for the systematic study of protein-protein interactions as described by the value of G22.
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
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Acknowledgment is made to the donors of The Petroleum Research Fund, administered by the American Chemical Society, for partial support of this research.
Submitted on December 12, 2005; accepted for publication April 12, 2006.
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