Elisabeth Csöregi

Peroxidase-modified electrodes : Fundamentals and application

Peroxidase-modified amperometric electrodes have been widely studied and developed, not only because of hydrogen- and organic peroxides are important analytes but also because of the key role of hydrogen peroxide detection in coupled enzyme systems, in which hydrogen peroxide is formed as the product of the enzymatic reaction. Many important analytes, such as, aromatic amines, phenolic compounds, glucose, lactate, neurotransmitters, etc. could be monitored by using bi- or multi-enzyme electrodes. In this review the heterogeneous electron transfer properties of peroxidases are discussed as a basis for the analytical application of the peroxidase-modified amperometric electrodes, and examples are given for various peroxidase electrode designs and their application.

Amperometric biosensors based on an apparent direct electron transfer between electrodes and immobilized peroxidases. Plenary lecture

An apparent direct electron transfer between various electrode materials and peroxidases immobilized on the surface of the electrode has been reported in the last few years. An electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide stars at about +600 mV versus a saturated calomel (reference) electrode (SCE) at neutral pH. The efficiency of the electrocatalytic current increases as the applied potential is made more negative and starts to level off at about –200 mV versus SCE. Amperometric biosensors for hydrogen peroxide can be constructed with these types of peroxidase modified electrodes. By co-immobilizing a hydrogen peroxide-producing oxidase with the peroxidase, amperometric biosensors can be made that respond to the substrate of the oxidase within a potential range essentially free of interfering electrochemical reactions. Examples of glucose, alcohol and amino acid sensors are shown.

Selective detection in flow analysis based on the combination of immobilized enzymes and chemically modified electrodes

The combination of immobilized enzymes and amperometry to build selective detection devices in flow-injection analysis and liquid chromatography is described. The pros and cons of enzyme electrodes and of immobilized enzyme reactors are discussed. The paper concentrates on the use of immobilized dehydrogenases, oxidases, peroxidases, and on electrodes on which these enzyme reactions can be selectively followed. The work in the field by the authors is reviewed.

Whole cell- and protein-based biosensors for the detection of bioavailable heavy metals in environmental samples:

The principal goal of this work was to establish the feasibility of two biosensor technologies with enhanced specificity and selectivity for the detection of several bioavailable heavy metals in environmental samples. Two parallel strategies have been followed. The first approach was to construct whole cell bacterial biosensors that emit a bioluminescent or fluorescent signal in the presence of a biologically available heavy metal. The molecular basis of σ-54 promoters as sensing elements of environmental pollutants has been determined and a number of metal-induced promoter regions have been identified, sequenced and cloned as promoter cassettes. The specificity of the promoter cassettes has been determined using luxCDABE reporter systems. Whole cell-biosensors containing metal-induced lux reporter systems have been incorporated into different matrices for their later immobilisation on optic fibres and characterised in terms of their sensitivity and storage capacity. The second type of sensors was based on the direct interaction between metal-binding proteins and heavy metal ions. In this case, the capacitance changes of the proteins, such as synechoccocal metallothionein (as a GST-SmtA fusion protein) and the mercury regulatory protein, MerR, were detected in the presence of femtomolar to millimolar metal ion concentrations.

Amperometric glucose sensors based on immobilized glucose-oxidizing enzymes and chemically modified electrodes

Amperometric biosensors based on two different reaction mechanisms are presented. Common to both types is the combination of a selective enzymatic reaction with a selective mediated reaction that can be followed amperometrically at 0 mV vs. SCE and below. One type is based on the chemical modification of carbon pastes with a dehydrogenase, the necessary cofactor NAD+ and a redox mediator. In the presence of the enzyme substrate NADH will be produced. The high overvoltage for the electrochemical oxidation of the NADH is decreased by the addition of the redox mediator to the paste. The redox mediators used are phenoxazine derivatives, making the electrocatalytic oxidation of NADH possible at 0 mV vs. SCE and below. A glucose sensor based on glucose dehydrogenase is described. Another type is based on the co-immobilization of a hydrogen peroxide-producing oxidase with horseradish peroxidase onto the surface of solid graphite. The detection is based on an apparent direct electron transfer from the electrode to the immobilized peroxidase starting at +600 mV and reaching a maximum at about 0 mV vs. SCE. The enzyme layer is stabilized by the addition of bovine serum albumin and cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. A glucose sensor based on glucose oxidase is presented.

Mediatorless electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide at graphite electrodes chemically modified with peroxidases

Abstract The electrocatalytic reduction of H 2 O 2 was studied for carbonaceous electrodes modified with horse-radish peroxidase (HRP), microperoxidase (MP), and lactoperoxidase (LP). The carbonaceous electrodes were of three different graphites, carbon and glassy carbon. The peroxidase modified electrode was inserted as the working electrode in a flow through amperometric cell of the wall jet type and connected to a flow injection system. The effect of different pretreatments of the electrode surface prior to adsorption of the enzyme was investigated. Heating the electrodes in a muffle furnace at 700°C for 1.5 min was found to yield the highest currents. The electrocatalytic current for HRP-modified electrodes starts at about +600 mV vs. Ag/AgCl (pH 7.0) and reaches a maximum value at about −200 mV. For MP- and LP-modified electrodes the currents start at a lower potential (≈ 300 mV). For the best electrode material for HRP, straight calibration curves were obtained between 1 and 500 μM H 2 O 2 at 0 mV. The mechanism for the electron transfer from the electrode to the adsorbed peroxidase is discussed. Deliberate modification of the electrode surface with quinoid type electroactive species was found to mediate the reaction. It is proposed that spontaneously occurring electrochemically active surface groups mediate the electron transfer to the adsorbed enzyme. However, a contribution to the observed current from a direct electron transfer cannot be ruled out.

Biosensors based on novel peroxidases with improved properties in direct and mediated electron transfer

Native horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on graphite has revealed approximately 50% of the active enzyme molecules to be in direct electron transfer (ET) contact with the electrode surface. Some novel plant peroxidases from tobacco, peanut and sweet potato were kinetically characterised on graphite in order to find promising candidates for biosensor applications and to understand the nature of the direct ET in the case of plant peroxidases. From measurements of the mediated and mediatorless currents of hydrogen peroxide reduction at the peroxidase-modified rotating disk electrodes (RDE), it was concluded that the fraction of enzyme molecules in direct ET varies substantially for the different plant peroxidases. It was observed that the anionic peroxidases (from sweet potato and tobacco) demonstrated a higher percentage of molecules in direct ET than the cationic ones (HRP and peanut peroxidase). The peroxidases with a high degree of glycosylation demonstrated a lower percentage of molecules in direct ET. It could, thus, be concluded that glycosylation of the peroxidases hinders direct ET and that a net negative charge on the peroxidase (low pI value) is beneficial for direct ET. Especially noticeable are the values obtained for sweet potato peroxidase (SPP), revealing both a high percentage in direct ET and a high rate constant of direct ET. The peroxidase electrodes were used for determination of hydrogen peroxide in RDE mode (mediatorless). SPP gave the lowest detection limit (40 nM) followed by HRP and peanut peroxidase.

Novel synthetic phytochelatin-based capacitive biosensor for heavy metal ion detection.

A novel capacitance biosensor based on synthetic phytochelatins for sensitive detection of heavy metals is described. Synthetic phytochelatin (Glu-Cys)(20)Gly (EC20) fused to the maltose binding domain protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified for construction of the biosensor. The new biosensor was able to detect Hg(2+), Cd(2+), Pb(2+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) ions in concentration range of 100 fM-10 mM, and the order of sensitivity was S(Zn)>S(Cu)>S(Hg)>>S(Cd) congruent with S(Pb). The biological sensing element of the sensor could be regenerated using EDTA and the storage stability of the biosensor was 15 days.

On-line glucose monitoring by using microdialysis sampling and amperometric detection based on 'wired' glucose oxidase in carbon paste

In-vitro on-line glucose monitoring is described, based on microdialysis sampling and amperometric detection operated in a flow-injection system. Samples were injected into a two-electrode microcell containing an Ag/AgCl quasi-reference electrode and a glucose enzyme electrode as the working electrode, operated at + 0.15 Vvs. Ag/AgCl. The enzyme electrode is constructed by mixing the ‘wired’ glucose oxidase into carbon paste. {Poly[1-vinylimidazole osmium(4,4′-dimethylbipyridine)2Cl)]}+/2+ was used to ‘wire’ the enzyme. The non-coated electrodes, cross-linked with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether, responded linearly to glucose concentrations up to 60 mM, and were characterized by a sensitivity of 0.23 μA mM−1 cm−2, when operated in flow injection mode and of 5.4 μAmM–1 cm–2 in steady-state conditions. This sensitivity of the resulting enzyme electrode was 50% lower than that of similarly prepared but non-cross-linked electrodes. However, the cross-linked electrodes showed superior operational and storage stabilities, which were further improved by coating the electrodes with a negatively charged Eastman AQ film. An in-house designed microdialysis probe, equipped with a polysulphone cylindrical dialysis membrane, yielded a relative recovery of 50–60% at a perfusion rate of 2.5 μl/min–1 in a well stirred glucose solution. The on-line set up effectively rejected common interferences such as ascorbic acid and 4-acetaminophen when present at their physiological concentrations.

Purification and substrate specificity of peroxidase from sweet potato tubers

Previously the screening of tropical plants demonstrated a high peroxidase activity in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) tubers. The major peroxidase pool is localized in peel. Using peel of sweet potato as a source, the sweet potato peroxidase (SPP) has been isolated and purified to homogeneity. The enzyme purification included homogenization, extraction of colored compounds and consecutive chromatographies on Phenyl-Sepharose and DEAE-Toyopearl. The purified SPP had specific activity of 4900 U mg(-1) protein, RZ (ratio of absorbances at 403 and 280 nm, respectively) 3.4, molecular mass of 37 kDa and isoelectric point of 3.5. The spectrum of peroxidase from sweet potato is typical for plant peroxidases with a Soret maximum at 401 nm and the maxima in the visible region at 497 and 638 nm, respectively. The substrate specificity of SPP is distinct from the specificity of other plant peroxidases, ferulic acid being the best substrate for SPP. (Less)