Bile Acid Content of Human Serum. II. The Binding of Cholanic Acids by Human Plasma Proteins1

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Abstract
Albumin exhibits the greatest binding activity towards bile acids and their derivatives. The [alpha]-and [beta]-globulins bind approximately half as much bile acid as does albumin. The affinity for albumin is reduced by the introduction of polar groups into the bile acid molecule. The effect of pH upon the binding reaction suggests that the primary attraction between albumin and the cholanic acids is an electrostatic bond between the positively-charged lysine side chains of the former and the negatively-charged carboxyl groups of the latter.