Nuclear Relaxation Analysis of the Xenobiotic- Receptor (DNA Or Plasmatic Protein) Recognition Process

Abstract

The study of interactions of xenobiotics with macromolecular receptors is very important for understanding the chemical behaviour of xenobiotic compounds in the biological organisms.

The xenobiotic molecules are able to affect the natural activities of biological receptor such as DNA or plasmatic protein. In fact the modification of the conformation of DNA or plasmatic protein, induced by interaction with xenobiotic molecules, can determine profound alterations of the normal biochemical activity.

In this study a method based on proton NMR selective and non-selective spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements and their dependence on temperature for analyzing the ability of ligand to interact with receptor is used. The NMR parameters are a weighted average between the free and bound to xenobiotic environments.

Key Words:

• DNA
• NMR
• relaxation rate
• interaction
• affinity index