Xiaodi Su

Comparative Study of Random and Oriented Antibody Immobilization as Measured by Dual Polarization Interferometry and Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy

Dual polarization interferometry (DPI) is used for a detailed study of antibody immobilization with and without orientation control, using prostate specific antigen (PSA) and its antibody as model. Thiol modified DPI chips were activated by a heterobifunctional cross-linker (sulfo-GMBS). PSA antibody was either directly immobilized via covalent binding or coupled via the Fc-fragment to protein G covalently attached to the activated chip. The direct covalent binding leads to a random antibody orientation and the coupling through protein G leads to an end-on orientation. Ethanolamine (ETH) was used to block remaining active sites following the direct antibody immobilization and protein G immobilization. A homobifunctional cross-linker (BS3) was used to stabilize the antibody layer coupled on protein G. DPI provides a real-time measurement of the stepwise molecular binding processes and gives detailed geometrical and structural values of each layer, i.e., thickness, mass, and density. These values evidence the end-on orientation of closely packed antibody on protein G layer and reveal structural effects of ETH blocking/deactivation and BS3 stabilization. With the end-on immobilized antibody, PSA at 10 pg/mL can be detected by DPI through a sandwich complex that satisfies the clinical requirement (assuming <30 pg/mL as clinically safe). However, the randomly immobilized antibody failed to detect PSA at 1 ng/mL. In a parallel study using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, random and end-on antibody immobilization on streptavidin-modified gold surface was evaluated to further validate the importance of antibody orientation control. With the closely packed antibody layer on protein G surface, SPR can also detect PSA at 10 pg/mL.

Quartz tuning fork biosensor.

The use of quartz tuning forks for biosensor applications is investigated. The basis of the sensor is to coat the tuning fork surfaces with specific biomolecules and measure subsequent mass loading from the selective binding of complementary analytes. Two experimental set-ups are evaluated, direct mechanical excitation and self-excitation. Mechanical excitation is achieved by mounting the fork on a piezoelectric plate and it is found that the change in oscillation amplitude on adsorption can be monitored to give the change in mass. However, a major drawback is that the sensitivity is determined by the Q-factor, which varies significantly between different sensors and different experimental arrangements. In self-excitation mode, tuning fork motion is activated and detected by placing the fork within a tuned circuit. Using self-excitation mode, anti-human IgG modified tuning forks can sense the binding of human IgG in the range of 5-100 microg ml(-1). The significance of this study is that quartz tuning forks are routinely made using standard microfabrication process, thus suggesting the possibility of facile microfabrication of arrays of quartz sensors.

Gold-nanoparticle-based assay for instantaneous detection of nuclear hormone receptor-response elements interactions.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are widely used as colorimetric probes for biosensing, relying on their unique particle size-dependent and/or interparticle distance-dependent extinction spectrum and solution color. Herein, we describe an AuNP-based colorimetric assay to detect binding interactions between nuclear hormone receptors and their corresponding DNA-binding elements, particularly the human estrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta) and their cognate estrogen response elements (EREs). We found that the protein-DNA (ER-ERE) complexes can stabilize citrate anion-capped AuNPs against salt-induced aggregation to a larger extent than the protein (ER) or the DNA (ERE) alone, due to their unique molecular size and charge properties that provide a strong electrosteric protection. Moreover, our results show that the extent of stabilization is sequence-dependent and can distinguish a single base variation in the ERE associated with minor changes in protein-DNA binding affinity. With this assay, many important parameters of protein-DNA binding events (e.g., sequence selectivity, distinct DNA binding properties of protein subtypes, binding stoichiometry, and sequence-independent transient binding) can be determined instantly without using labels, tedious sample preparations, and sophisticated instrumentation. These benefits, in particular the high-throughput potential, could enable this assay to become the assay of choice to complement conventional techniques for large scale characterization of protein-DNA interactions, a key aspect in biological research.

Nanosized Pt and PtRu colloids as precursors for direct methanol fuel cell catalysts

Nanosized Pt and PtRu colloids have been prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process and transferred to a toluene solution of decanthiol. Vulcan XC-72 was then added to the toluene solution to adsorb the thiolated Pt and PtRu colloids. TEM examinations showed nearly spherical particles and narrow size distributions for both supported and unsupported metals, XPS characterization of the PtRu colloid revealed mostly Pt(0) and Ru(0), with some traces of Pt(IV) and Ru(IV). The carbon supported Pt and PtRu nanoparticles were activated by thermal treatment to remove the thiol stabilizing shell. The electrooxidation of liquid methanol on these catalysts was investigated at room temperature by linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results showed that the alloy catalyst was catalytically more active than pure platinum. The heat-treated catalyst was also expectedly more active than the non-heat-treated ones because of the successful removal of the organic shell which might interfere with reactant adsorption in the methanol oxidation reaction.

PEGylated Anti‐MUC1 Aptamer‐Doxorubicin Complex for Targeted Drug Delivery to MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells

Targeted drug delivery is especially important in cancer treatment as many anti-cancer drugs are non-specific and highly toxic to both cancer and normal cells. The targeted drug delivery of DOX to the MUC1-expressing breast cancer cell line (MCF7) was obtained using APT as a carrier. Modification of the APT-DOX complex by PEG increases the survivability of the macrophage control (RAW 264.7) by about six-fold as compared to free DOX treatment without significantly affecting the cytotoxicity toward the target cell line. Thus, PEG-APT-DOX is potentially a new therapeutic agent for targeted drug delivery to MUC1-expressing cell lines.

Comparison of DNA, aminoethylglycyl PNA and pyrrolidinyl PNA as probes for detection of DNA hybridization using surface plasmon resonance technique

Pyrrolidinyl peptide nucleic acid bearing a D-prolyl-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid backbone (acpcPNA) has been evaluated as a new sensing probe for detection of DNA hybridization. In this study, the biotinylated acpcPNA was immobilized on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor chips via biotin-streptavidin interactions for solid-phase DNA hybridization. A critical comparison between acpcPNA, DNA and conventional peptide nucleic acid (aegPNA) probes of the same sequence was made by means of SPR on various important aspects. These include the effect of ionic strength on hybridization efficiency, the specificity to detect the mismatch(es) in target DNAs, the direction of binding (parallel or antiparallel) to target DNAs, and the effect of target DNA concentration on hybridization efficiency. Results indicated that the immobilized acpcPNA probe possesses distinct hybridization properties relative to aegPNA (and/or DNA) counterparts, including a higher single-base mismatch sensitivity, antiparallel selectivity and low ionic strength dependence of target hybridization. These properties substantiate the acpcPNA applicability as sensor probes for clinical and diagnostic applications. With a proper selection of regeneration conditions (10 mM NaOH, 2 min exposure), the sensor can be reused for multiple cycles of hybridization with as little as 1.3% loss in hybridization activity per regeneration cycle.

SPR study of DNA hybridization with DNA and PNA probes under stringent conditions.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy has been used for studying on-chip DNA hybridization to a PNA probe and its counterpart DNA probe of a 22-mer sequence. Two stringency control strategies are used for single base mismatch discrimination, namely (1) adding a denaturant, i.e. formamide (FA), into hybridization buffer and (2) coupling negative potentials for selective dehybridization of mismatch DNA. These two strategies have either not been used before or been less-well studied in SPR detection. An end-point SPR measurement protocol (no real-time hybridization profile recorded) is developed for detecting DNA hybridization in the presence of FA, to circumvent the problem that the refractive index of FA is out of the detectable range of the SPR equipment. The missing of real-time measurement of hybridization profile is compensated with QCM measurement. Under optimal conditions, i.e. 10mM PBS with 30% FA and 1mM PBS with 50% FA, single base mismatch DNA is detected with 1.7 and 2.8 times less hybridization signals compared with the perfect match DNA, with the DNA probe and PNA probe, respectively. Under negative potential of -0.2 to -0.4V (vs. Ag/AgCl), mismatch DNA dissociates more than perfect match DNA by 1.7-2.5 times from the DNA probe and 2.1-3.5 times from the PNA probe. The higher mismatch discrimination efficiency of the PNA probe under stringent conditions would be attributable to its higher intrinsic sequence selectivity.

Determination of liquid density with a low frequency mechanical sensor based on quartz tuning fork

Abstract A novel sensor is presented for measuring liquid density. It consists of a PZT rectangular plate as an actuator for piezoelectric excitation and a quartz tuning fork placed on top of PZT as a sensor for resonant frequency detection. The resonant frequency is determined from the sensing voltage created in tuning fork when the excitation frequencies of PZT actuator are swept around the resonant frequencies of tuning fork. And the liquid density result is extracted from the resonant frequency. The density values of five kinds of organic solvents are measured and compared with the standard values. All experimental results are in agreement with the standard values and the maximum standard deviation is less than ±8%.

Study of single-stranded DNA binding protein-nucleic acids interactions using unmodified gold nanoparticles and its application for detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms.

We have developed a label-free homogeneous phase bioassay to characterize the DNA binding properties of single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) protein, a key protein involved in various DNA processes such as DNA replication and repair. This assay uses gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as sensing probe and is based on the phenomenon that preformed SSB-single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) complexes can protect AuNPs against salt-induced aggregation better than SSB or ssDNA alone. With the controlled particle aggregation/dispersion as measure, this assay can be used to detect the formation of SSB complexes with ssDNA of different length and nucleotide composition and to assess their binding properties without tedious and complicated assay procedures. On the basis of the inverse relationship between DNA hybridization efficiency and the tendency of SSB to form protection complex with unhybridized ssDNA to AuNPs, this assay is further developed to detect DNA hybridization with single nucleotide polymorphism selectivity. Owing to the high affinity between SSB and dissociated ssDNA, single-base mismatch discrimination in a long sequence of 30-mer DNA was achieved for both the end- and center-base mismatch. Unlike the conventional techniques for DNA and protein analysis, current AuNPs-based sensing strategy is simple in design, fast in detection, and economical for operation without the need of sophisticated equipment.

Modified polyaniline through simultaneous electrochemical polymerization of aniline and metanilic acid

Abstract Simultaneous electropolymerization of aniline and metanilic acid in aqueous HClO 4 leads to a copolymer similar to that obtained by direct sulfonation of polyaniline. Characterization by electrochemical and spectroscopic methods (UV -visible, Fourier transform IR and proton NMR) indicated the presence of polyaniline linear chains in which metanilic acid units were inserted as spacers. Elemental analysis showed that the copolymer was 40% doped by the sulfonate side-groups intramolecularly (self-doping) and 20% doped by ClO 4 − intermolecularly. The presence of sulfonate functional groups decreased electronic conductivity and increased solubility in alkaline solvents, but the electtrochemical properties remained principally that of polyaniline.