Frontal affinity chromatography with MS detection of the ligand binding domain of PPARγ receptor: Ligand affinity screening and stereoselective ligand–macromolecule interaction

In this study we report the development of new chromatographic tools for binding studies based on the gamma isoform ligand binding domain (LBD) of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ) belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors. PPARγ subtype plays important roles in the functions of adipocytes, muscles, and macrophages with a direct impact on type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. In order to set up a suitable immobilization chemistry, the LBD of PPARγ receptor was first covalently immobilized onto the surface of aminopropyl silica particles to create a PPARγ-Silica column for zonal elution experiments and then onto the surface of open tubular (OT) capillaries to create PPARγ-OT capillaries following different immobilization conditions. The capillaries were used in frontal affinity chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (FAC–MS) experiments to determine the relative binding affinities of a series of chiral fibrates. The relative affinity orders obtained for these derivatives were consistent with the EC50 values reported in literature. The optimized PPARγ-OT capillary was validated by determining the Kd values of two selected compounds. Known the role of stereoselectivity in the binding of chiral fibrates, for the first time a detailed study was carried out by analysing two enantioselective couples on the LBD-PPARγ capillary by FAC and a characteristic two-stairs frontal profile was derived as the result of the two saturation events. All the obtained data indicate that the immobilized form of PPARγ-LBD retained the ability to specifically bind ligands.