Association of the minor groove binding drug Hoechst 33258 with d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2: volumetric, calorimetric, and spectroscopic characterizations.

We employed ultrasonic velocimetry, high-precision densimetry, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry to characterize the binding of Hoechst 33258 to the d(CGCGAATTCGCG)(2) oligomeric duplex at 25 degrees C. We used this experimental combination to determine the full thermodynamic profile for the binding of Hoechst 33258 to the DNA. Specifically, we report changes in binding free energy, enthalpy, entropy, volume, and adiabatic compressibility accompanying the binding. We interpret our volumetric data in terms of hydration and evaluate the number of waters of hydration that become released to or taken up from the bulk. Our calorimetric data reveal that the drug-DNA binding event studied in this work is entropy-driven and proceeds with an unfavorable change in enthalpy. The favorable binding entropy predominantly results from hydration changes. In contrast to a large and positive change in hydrational entropy, the binding-induced change in configurational entropy is insignificant. The latter observation is consistent with the "lock-and-key" mode of minor groove binding.