Differential Scanning Calorimetry to Study DNA Aptamer-Thermolabile Ligand Interaction

Abstract

Source: Mittermaier, A. K., et al. Measuring Biomolecular DSC Profiles with Thermolabile Ligands to Rapidly Characterize Folding and Binding Interactions. J. Vis. Exp. (2017)

This video demonstrates differential scanning calorimetry — a technique to study the interaction between a biomolecule and a ligand. The binding of a DNA aptamer and a thermolabile ligand is studied by applying repeated heating and cooling cycles to the sample and obtaining scans for thermodynamic analysis.

Protocol

1. Sample Preparation Purify the desired biomolecule. NOTE: This protocol uses purchased cocaine-binding DNA aptamer MN4 after exchanging against 2 M NaCl three times followed by three rounds of deionized water using a centrifugal filter with a 3 kDa molecular weight cut-off membrane. Synthesize and purify, or purchase the desired thermolabile ligand. NOTE: MN4 binds the thermolabile ligand cocaine. MN4 also binds quinine, which is use…

Materials

Sodium chloride	Chem Impex	#00829
Sodium phosphate monobasic dihydrate	Sigma Aldrich	71502
Sodium phosphate dibasic	Sigma Aldrich	S9763
Deioinized water for molecular biology	Millipore	H20MB1001
0.2-micron sterile syringe filters	VWR	CA28145-477
3 kDa centrifugal filters	Millipore	UFC900324
Dialysis tubing 0.5-1.0 kDa cutoff	Spectrum Laboratories	131048
Silicon tubing	VWR	89068-474
Plastic DSC flange caps	TA Instruments	6111
DNA aptamer MN4	Integrated DNA Technologies	https://www.idtdna.com/site/order/menu
Cocaine	Sigma Aldrich	C008
Quinine	Sigma Aldrich	22620
NanoDSC-III microcalorimeter	TA Instruments	http://www.tainstruments.com/nanodsc/
DSCRun software	TA Instruments	http://www.tainstruments.com/support/software-downloads-support/instruments-by-software/
NanoAnalyze software	TA Instruments	http://www.tainstruments.com/support/software-downloads-support/instruments-by-software/
Contrad-70	VWR	89233-152