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Drug-Target Binding
Equilibrium Binding and the Role of “Weak” Binding Forces in Drug Action
Drug-Target Binding: The Equilibrium Constant The association of a drug with its target protein is the event that leads to medicinal activity. Therefore, the amount of drug•target(protein) complex formed by a drug ultimately determines the medicinal effects displayed by that compound. This is described by the equilibrium binding expression shown below.
Drug + Protein Drug•Protein
K (^) eq
K (^) eq =^
[Drug•Protein] [Drug][Protein]
Equilibrium Association Constant Terminology: the value K (^) eq is the same as Kassoc (association constant) and KB (binding constant). That is, Keq = Ka = KB
When Keq = 1 we have a 50:50 mixture of [Drug•Protein] and [Drug] + [Protein]. When Keq > 1 we have greater amounts of [Drug•Protein]. When Keq < 1 we have greater amount of “free” [Drug] and [Protein].
So, when considering Keq for drug-target binding, larger numbers mean better drug binding. Typically, useful drugs will have a Keq of 1 x 10^6 M-1^ for association with their biological target.
Importantly, LeChatlier’s Principle tells us that adding more Drug to the system shown above will drive the equilibrium to the right – yielding greater amounts of the Drug • Protein complex. This is why increasing the dose of drug can yield a greater medicinal effect (but be careful, because greater doses also may yield greater side effects resulting from “off target” interactions).
Equilibrium Dissociation Constant The dissociation constant KD = 1/K (^) B. The KD is a useful way to present the affinity of a drug for its biological target. This is because the number KD quickly tells us the concentration of drug that is required to yield a significant amount of interaction with the target protein. Specifically, when drug concentration equals KD , the 50% of the target protein will exist in the drug- protein complex [Drug•Protein] and 50% of the protein will remain in the free form [Protein]. (This holds true under conditions where drug is present in excess relative to protein). Typically, useful drugs must display a KD 1 x 10-6^ M for the interaction with their biological target. Based upon the discussion above, it is clear that, for a drug with a KD = 1 x 10-6^ M against its target, it will be necessary to employ a dose that achieves micromolar concentrations of the drug in the human body. As we will see later in the course, such concentrations may be achieved with drug doses on the order of 200 mg. Many modern drugs display values for KD 1 x 10-9^ M, meaning that mere nanomolar, or even picomolar, in vivo drug concentrations are required to elicit a medicinal effect. When considering the K (^) D for drugs, smaller numbers mean better binding.
On and Off Rates Are Typically Fast Equilibrium constants are composed of two separate rate constants. Keq = kon /koff and KD = koff /kon In these expressions, koff and kon are rate constants, not equilibrium constants. Typically, both of these rate constants are large (e.g. in the range 1 x 10^7 s-1^ ), meaning that association and dissociation are very fast on a laboratory timescale. Equilibrium for the binding of small molecules to biological macromolecules are usually established within microseconds of mixing the two components. On a practical level, this means that you don’t have to wait for drug-target binding to occur. Usually, when a drug is mixed with a its protein target inhibition occurs immediately, with the extent of drug-protein association defined by Keq.
The Relationship Between K (^) eq and G The size of an equilibrium association constant is determined by the energetics of the interaction between the two partners. Is there an energetic “payoff” when the two partners interact – or are they energetically “happier” just swimming around by themselves in solution? If there is an energetic payoff they bind to each other and the size of the binding constant is determined by the size of that energetic payoff. The association of drugs with their macromolecular targets in the cell depends on the formation of energetically favorable weak bonding interactions between the two partners. The equation that relates the free energy of binding (G) to Keq is shown below:
G = –RTlnKeq
The free energy of binding (G), in turn, can be broken down into component parts, as shown in the equation below:
G = H – TS
In this equation:
H is the enthalpy of binding. In a simple view, enthalpy of binding reflects engergetic gains of bond- making, the costs of bond-breaking, bond-angle-strain, and steric effects (steric effects are molecular “crowding and bumping” in the drug•protein complex).
S is the entropy of binding. Entropy is the measure of disorder in the system. More disorder (greater entropy) is favored. In the simple view of an association process like the one shown at the top of this page, drug-target binding is entropically disfavored because two free molecules always possess greater disorder (greater total amount of rotational and translational freedom, for example) than a single molecule (or a molecular complex like drug•protein). Remember, though, that changes in the order/disorder of solvent molecules like water (not shown in the equation at the top of the page) often represent the dominant contribution to the free entropy of binding. Thus, if target-bound water molecules are “released” to the bulk upon drug binding, the free entropy of binding can be favorable! Note that the entropic contribution to G is temperature dependent. Entropic contributions are greater at high temperature (this makes sense: molecules are more disordered at high temperature… spinning faster, moving faster, vibrating harder).
The binding constant can tell us how much drug is bound to target via the relationships shown below.
Let’s consider how changes in binding constant affect the amount of drug that ends up bound to its biological target (Dfreel/ Dtotal). In the equations below: Total Drug = D (^) total; Free Drug = Dfree; Bound Drug = D•T; Target = T
The following is true: T (^) total = T (^) free + D•T thus… D•T = T (^) total – T (^) free
So the equation for K (^) eq above can be rewritten: K (^) eq = (T (^) total – T (^) free )/(D (^) free )(T (^) free )
Multiply both sides by the denominator (D (^) free )(T (^) free ) to get: K (^) eq(D (^) free )(T (^) free ) = (T (^) total – T (^) free )
Adding T (^) free to each side gives: K (^) eq(D (^) free )(T (^) free ) + T (^) free = T (^) total
Dividing each side by T (^) free gives: Keq (Dfree) + 1 = T (^) total/ T (^) free
Invert each side to get the USEFUL EXPRESSION for the ratio of free target to total target in the system:
1/( K eq D free + 1) = Tfree / Ttotal ( Eqn 1 )
Now we need to estimate values for T (cellular concentration of the biological target) and Dtotal (the total concentration of drug achieved in the cell). A reasonable “generic” estimate for the concentration of a biological target (like a receptor protein) might be about 1 x 10-8^ M (10 nM). An estimate for a “reasonably attainable” drug concentration is 1 x 10-6^ M (1 μM). Note: Because drug concentration is in large excess over target concentration, we can estimate that Dfree ~ Dtotal in our equations. So, let's plug- and-chug these numbers through Eqn 1. Let's use these equations and estimated concentrations to see how much target is bound by drug for a couple of different binding constants. We calculated on the previous page that addition of one interaction worth 2.3 kcal/mol increased the Keq by a factor of 50. This is true no matter what the "starting" Keq. So, in this example, let's say that we have a drug with a (realistic) binding constant of 1 x 106 M and compare this to an analog that "gains" one additional hydrogen bond worth 2.3 kcal/mol which increases the binding constant by 50 times (to 50 x 10 6 M). We can calculate how changing the binding constant affects the amount of drug bound to its target!
For Keq = 1 x 10^6 M, Tfree / T (^) total = 0.5 (50% of the target is free – not bound by drug) For Keq = 50 x 10^6 M, Tfree / T (^) total = 0.02 (only 2% of the target is free! Target is mostly bound by drug!!)
Addition of a mere 2.3 kcal/mol of binding energy took us from 50% of target bound to 98% of target bound! That could make the difference between a poor drug and a good drug!!!
Drug + Target Drug•Target
Keq =
[Drug•Target]
[Drug][Target]
