The determination of equilibrium constants is a widespread tool both to understand and to characterize protein–protein interactions. A variety of different methods, among them Scatchard analysis, is used to calculate these constants. Although more than 1000 articles dealing with equilibrium constants are published every year, the effects of experimental errors on the results are often disregarded when interpreting the data. In the present study we theoretically analysed the effect of various types of experimental errors on equilibrium constants derived by three different methods. A computer simulation clearly showed that certain experimental errors, namely inaccurate background correction, inexact calibration, saturation effects, slow kinetics and simple scattering, can adversely affect the result. The analysis further revealed that, for a given type of error, the same data set can produce different results depending on the method used.
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October 2001
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Research Article|
October 08 2001
The result of equilibrium-constant calculations strongly depends on the evaluation method used and on the type of experimental errors
Hendrik FUCHS;
Hendrik FUCHS
1
∗Institut für Klinische Chemie und Pathobiochemie, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, D-12200 Berlin, Germany
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (e-mail fuchs@ukbf.fu-berlin.de).
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Reinhard GESSNER
Reinhard GESSNER
†Institut für Laboratoriumsmedizin und Pathobiochemie, Medizinische Fakultät Charité der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
February 01 2001
Revision Received:
June 20 2001
Accepted:
August 06 2001
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
The Biochemical Society, London ©2001
2001
Biochem J (2001) 359 (2): 411–418.
Article history
Received:
February 01 2001
Revision Received:
June 20 2001
Accepted:
August 06 2001
Citation
Hendrik FUCHS, Reinhard GESSNER; The result of equilibrium-constant calculations strongly depends on the evaluation method used and on the type of experimental errors. Biochem J 15 October 2001; 359 (2): 411–418. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bj3590411
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