Negative homotropic cooperativity and affinity heterogeneity: preparation of yeast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase with maximal affinity homogeneity.

A three-step procedure including affinity chromatography on NAD+-azobenzamidopropyl-Sepharose has been designed for the purification of yeast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate: NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12] with maximized specific activity and maximized homogeneity with respect to affinity for the coenzyme, NAD+. Binding isotherms allow the analysis of cooperativity patterns that disclose both the average ligand affinity in the system and the distribution of ligands among the sites, only for systems with complete affinity homogeneity. The presence of affinity heterogeneity, resulting from multiple oligomeric species differing only in their affinity for coenzyme, gives rise to isotherms which falsely manifest apparent negative cooperativity. A method for distinguishing negative homotropic cooperativity from affinity heterogeneity is suggested.