Details of the signal transduction mechanisms of the tyrosine kinase family of growth factor receptors remain elusive. In this work, we describe an extensive study of kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of growth factor binding to a soluble extracellular human insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (sIGF-IR) variant. The extracellular receptor domains were produced fused to an IgG-binding protein domain (Z) in transfected human 293 cells as a correctly processed secreted alpha-beta'-Z dimer. The receptor was purified using IgG affinity chromatography, rendering a pure and homogenous protein in yields from 1 to 5 mg/liter of conditioned cell media. Biosensor technology (BIAcore) was applied to measure the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), des(1-3)IGF-I, insulin-like growth factor-II, and insulin ligand binding rate constants to the immobilized IGF-IR-Z. The association equilibrium constant, Ka, for the IGF-I interaction is determined to 2.8 x 10(8) M-1 (25 degrees C). Microcalorimetric titrations on IGF-I/IGF-IR-Z were performed at three different temperatures (15, 25, and 37 degrees C) and in two different buffer systems at 25 degrees C. From these measurements, equilibrium constants for the 1:1 (IGF-I:(alpha-beta'-Z)2) receptor complex in solution are deduced to 0.96 x 10(8) M-1 (25 degrees C). The determined heat capacity change for the process is large and negative, -0.51 kcal (K mol)-1. Further, the entropy change (DeltaS) at 25 degrees C is large and negative. Far- and near-UV circular dichroism measurements display significant changes over the entire wavelength range upon binding of IGF-I to IGF-IR-Z. These data are all consistent with a significant change in structure of the system upon IGF-I binding.