FRET-based quantum dot immunoassay for rapid and sensitive detection of Aspergillus amstelodami

In this study, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based quantum dot (QD) immunoassay for detection and identification of Aspergillus amstelodami was developed. Biosensors were formed by conjugating QDs to IgG antibodies and incubating with quencher-labeled analytes; QD energy was transferred to the quencher species through FRET, resulting in diminished fluorescence from the QD donor. During a detection event, quencher-labeled analytes are displaced by higher affinity target analytes, creating a detectable fluorescence signal increase from the QD donor. Conjugation and the resulting antibody:QD ratios were characterized with UV-Vis spectroscopy and QuantiT protein assay. The sensitivity of initial fluorescence experiments was compromised by inherent autofluorescence of mold spores, which produced low signal-to-noise and inconsistent readings. Therefore, excitation wavelength, QD, and quencher were adjusted to provide optimal signal-to-noise over spore background. Affinities of anti-Aspergillus antibody for different mold species were estimated with sandwich immunoassays, which identified A. fumigatus and A. amstelodami for use as quencher-labeled- and target-analytes, respectively. The optimized displacement immunoassay detected A. amstelodami concentrations as low as 10³ spores/mL in five minutes or less. Additionally, baseline fluorescence was produced in the presence of 10⁵ CFU/mL heat-killed E. coli O157:H7, demonstrating high specificity. This sensing modality may be useful for identification and detection of other biological threat agents, pending identification of suitable antibodies. Overall, these FRET-based QD-antibody biosensors represent a significant advancement in detection capabilities, offering sensitive and reliable detection of targets with applications in areas from biological terrorism defense to clinical analysis.

A novel ionic polymer metal ZnO composite (IPMZC)

The presented research introduces a new Ionic Polymer-Metal-ZnO Composite (IPMZC) demonstrating photoluminescence (PL)-quenching on mechanical bending or application of an electric field. The newly fabricated IPMZC integrates the optical properties of ZnO and the electroactive nature of Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMC) to enable a non-contact read-out of IPMC response. The electro-mechano-optical response of the IPMZC was measured by observing the PL spectra under mechanical bending and electrical regimes. The working range was measured to be 375–475 nm. It was noted that the PL-quenching increased proportionally with the increase in curvature and applied field at 384 and 468 nm. The maximum quenching of 53.4% was achieved with the membrane curvature of 78.74/m and 3.01% when electric field (12.5 × 10³ V/m) is applied. Coating IPMC with crystalline ZnO was observed to improve IPMC transduction.

Control of stilbene conformation and fluorescence in self-assembled capsules

The extensively studied trans-stilbene molecule is known to give only weak fluorescence in solution and inside loosely-fitting synthetic capsules. However, trans-stilbene has been recently studied in the context of antibody interiors, where binding results in strong blue fluorescence. The present research was undertaken to understand the spatial factors that influence stilbene fluorescence. trans-Stilbene was encapsulated in the snug, self-assembled complex 1.1 and exhibited fluorescence quenching due to the distortion of its ground-state geometry. When the complex is elongated by incorporating glycouril spacers, trans-stilbene is allowed to adapt a fully coplanar arrangement and fluorescence returns.

Antioxidant Activity of Caffeic Acid through a Novel Mechanism under UVA Irradiation

Effect of caffeic acid on the formation of hydroxyl radicals was examined during xanthone-mediated photosensitization. The reaction was performed on irradiation (λ = 365 nm) of the standard reaction mixture containing 15 µM xanthone, 0.1 M 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) with spin trapping. Caffeic acid inhibited the formation of hydroxyl radicals. Caffeic acid hardly scavenged both hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals under conditions employed in this paper in spite of its ability to act as a hydrogen donor or a reagent for the aromatic hydroxylation, because high concentration of DMPO trapped hydroxyl radicals overwhelmingly. Furthermore, caffeic acid inhibited the formation of hydroxyl radicals in the standard reaction mixture with EDTA under UVA irradiation. Accordingly, the inhibitory effect of caffeic acid on the formation of hydroxyl radicals in the standard reaction mixture under UVA irradiation is not due to its ability to chelate iron. Thus, the inhibitory effect of caffeic acid seems to occur in the standard reaction mixture under UVA irradiation through a novel antioxidation activity, i.e., ability to quench the exited xanthone.

Dendritic phosphorescent probes for oxygen imaging in biological systems

Oxygen levels in biological systems can be measured by the phosphorescence quenching method using probes with controllable quenching parameters and defined biodistributions. We describe a general approach to the construction of phosphorescent nanosensors with tunable spectral characteristics, variable degrees of quenching, and a high selectivity for oxygen. The probes are based on bright phosphorescent Pt and Pd complexes of porphyrins and symmetrically pi-extended porphyrins (tetrabenzoporphyrins and tetranaphthoporphyrins). pi-Extension of the core macrocycle allows tuning of the spectral parameters of the probes in order to meet the requirements of a particular imaging application (e.g., oxygen tomography versus planar microscopic imaging). Metalloporphyrins are encapsulated into poly(arylglycine) dendrimers, which fold in aqueous environments and create diffusion barriers for oxygen, making it possible to regulate the sensitivity and the dynamic range of the method. The periphery of the dendrimers is modified with poly(ethylene glycol) residues, which enhance the probe's solubility, diminish toxicity, and help prevent interactions of the probes with the biological environment. The probe's parameters were measured under physiological conditions and shown to be unaffected by the presence of biomacromolecules. The performance of the probes was demonstrated in applications, including in vivo microscopy of vascular pO(2) in the rat brain.

Engineering a signal transduction mechanism for protein-based biosensors

Hybridization-induced conformational changes have been successfully used in biosensors for the transduction of DNA-binding events into readily observable optical or electronic signals. Similar signal transduction has not, however, proven of equal utility in protein-based biosensors. The discrepancy arises because, unlike ssDNA, most proteins do not undergo significant conformational changes upon ligand binding. Here, we describe a solution to this problem. We show that an arbitrarily selected, normally well folded protein can be rationally engineered such that it undergoes ligand-induced folding. The engineered protein responds rapidly (milliseconds) and selectively to its target, and it couples recognition with the largest possible conformational change: folding. These traits suggest that ligand-induced folding could serve as an ideal signal-transduction mechanism. Consistent with this claim, we demonstrate a label-free optical biosensor based on the effect that is sufficiently selective to detect its target even in complex, contaminant-ridden samples such as blood serum.

Chronic smoke exposure alters the phenotype pattern and the metabolic response in human alveolar macrophages

Smoking induces a chronic inflammatory process in the lower respiratory tract, where the alveolar macrophages (AM) are the main phagocytes. In the present study, the expressions of different membrane glycoproteins (CD11abc, CD71, CD54, CD14 and CD16) were determined by flow cytometry in AM from smokers and non-smokers after quenching of the intracellular autofluorescence. The metabolic activity of the AM was quantified as a functional test. The expressions of CD11a, CD54 and CD71 were higher in non-smokers' AM than in smokers'. The expressions of CD11b and CD16 were similar between the groups, while the CD11c was higher in smokers' AM compared with non-smokers'. The expression of CD14 was weak in both groups, therefore there was no clear-cut difference between the background and positively labelled cell populations. The metabolic response after in vitro stimulation with the phorbol ester phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was higher in non-smokers' than in smokers' AM. Our results indicate that chronic exposure to tobacco smoke influences both the expression of AM membrane antigens and the metabolic activity. AM from non-smokers express a phenotype more related to cell proliferation and an accessory function. In contrast, receptors reflecting adhesion and phagocytosis were unaltered or even increased in smokers' AM. The findings suggest a functional change in the AM population after chronic smoke exposure.

Anisotropy decays of single tryptophan proteins measured by GHz frequency-domain fluorometry with collisional quenching

We used harmonic-content frequency-domain fluorometry to determine the anisotropy decays of a variety of single tryptophan peptides and proteins. Resolution of the rapid and complex anisotropy decays was enhanced by global analysis of the data measured in the presence of quenching by either oxygen or acrylamide. For each protein, and for each quencher, data were obtained at four to six quencher concentrations, and the data analyzed globally to recover the anisotropy decay. The decrease in decay times produced by quenching allows measurements to an upper frequency limit of 2 GHz. The chosen proteins provided a range of exposures of the tryptophan residues to the aqueous phase, these being ACTH, monellin, Staphylococcus nuclease and ribonuclease T1, in order of decreasing exposure. Examination of indole and several small peptides demonstrates the resolution limitations of the measurements; a correlation time of 12 ps was measured for indole in methanol at 40 degrees C. Comparison of the anisotropy decays of gly-trp-gly with leu-trp-leu revealed stearic effects of the larger leucine side chains on the indole ring. The anisotropy decay of gly-trp-gly revealed a 40 ps component for the indole side chain, which was resolved from the overall 150 ps correlation time of the tripeptide. Only the longer correlation time was observed for leu-trp-leu. With the exception of ribonuclease T1, each of the proteins displayed a subnanosecond component in the anisotropy decay which we assign to independent motions of the tryptophan residues. For example, Staphylococcus nuclease and monellin displayed segmental tryptophan motions with correlation times of 80 and 275 ps, respectively. The amplitudes of the rapid components increased with increasing exposure to the aqueous phase. These highly resolved anisotropy decays for proteins of known structure are suitable for comparison with molecular dynamic simulations.

A fluorescent analog of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Nicotinamide 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine dinucleotide, a fluorescent analog of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, has been synthesized by the reaction of chloroacetaldehyde with the coenzyme. The technical fluorescence emission maximum of the analog is 410 nm, upon excitation at 300 nm. Its fluorescence yield is about 8% of that of the 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine 5'-phosphate, and its fluorescence lifteime is shorter. Upon hydrolysis of the modified coenzyme analog with Neurospora crassa NADase or phosphodiesterase I at room temperature, the intensity of fluorescence was increased 10-fold, corresponding to separation of the nicotinamide and ethenoadenine rings. The spectroscopic results with nicotinamide 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine dinucleotide are consistent with the concept of an intramolecular interaction between the modified adenine and pyridine moieties of the dinucleotide that is disrupted by enzymatic hydrolysis. The fluorescent analog showed reasonable activity as a substitute for NAD(+) in four different dehydrogenase-catalyzed reactions.

Zeeman Effect in Positronium Annihilation at Low Temperatures

The annihilation of positronium is discussed as a means of obtaining a precise measurement of the Compton wavelength of the electron. In particular the spectral line shape of the annihilation radiation is calculated for positronium thermalized in helium gas cooled to the region of its critical point with an applied magnetic field sufficient to yield a three photon to two photon branching ratio of unity for theS0 component. Under such conditions the rapid thermalization of the positronium and the long half-life of two photon decay out of the predominantly triplet state make possible the production of rather narrow spectral distributions. An exact solution of the Zeeman effect in positronium is included. This study suggests that a wavelength determination beyond the one part per million level is attainable within the range of present technology.