Electrochemically produced local pH changes stimulating (bio)molecule release from pH-switchable electrode-immobilized avidin-biotin systems

Immobilized avidin-biotin complexes were used to release biotinylated (bio)molecules upon producing local pH changes near an electrode surface by electrochemical reactions. The nitro-avidin complex with biotin was dissociated by increasing local pH with electrochemical O₂ reduction. The avidin complex with iminobiotin was split by decreasing local pH with electrochemical oxidation of ascorbate. Both studied systems were releasing molecule cargo species in response to small electrical potentials (-0.4 V or 0.2 V for the O₂ reduction or ascorbate oxidation, respectively) applied on the modified electrodes.

Electrochemically Stimulated Protein Release from pH-Switchable Electrode-Immobilized Nitroavidin-Biotin and Avidin-Iminobiotin Systems

Bovine serum albumin (BSA), used as a model protein, was immobilized at a buckypaper electrode by formation of pH-sensitive affinity bonds produced between avidin/iminobiotin or nitroavidin/biotin. Local (interfacial) pH was...

Biocathode design with highly-oriented immobilization of multi-copper oxidase from Pyrobaculum aerophilum onto a single-walled carbon nanotube surface via a carbon nanotube-binding peptide

Biofuel cells generate electric energy using an enzyme as a catalyst for an electrode but their stability and low battery output pose problems for practical use. To solve these problems, this study aimed to build a long-lasting and high-output biocathode as a catalyst using a highly stable hyperthermophilic archaeal enzyme, multi-copper oxidase, from Pyrobaculum aerophilum (McoP). To increase output, McoP was oriented and immobilized on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) with a high specific surface area, and the electrode interface was designed to achieve highly efficient electron transfer between the enzyme and electrode. Type 1 copper (T1Cu), an electron-accepting site in the McoP molecule, is located near the C-terminus. Therefore, McoP was prepared by genetically engineering a CNT-binding peptide with the sequence LLADTTHHRPWT, at the C-terminus of McoP (McoP-CBP). We then constructed an electrode using a complex in which McoP-CBP was aligned and immobilized on SWCNT, and then clarified the effect of CBP. The amounts of immobilized enzymes on McoP-SWCNT and (McoP-CBP)-SWCNT complexes were almost equal. CV measurement of the electrode modified with both complexes showed 5.4 times greater current density in the catalytic reaction of the (McoP-CBP)-SWCNT/GC electrode than in the McoP-SWCNT/GC electrode. This is probably because CBP fusion immobilize the enzyme on SWCNTs in an orientational manner, and T1Cu, the oxidation-reduction site in McoP, is close to the electrode, which improves electron transfer efficiency.

The influence of the shape of Au nanoparticles on the catalytic current of fructose dehydrogenase

Graphite electrodes were modified with triangular (AuNTrs) or spherical (AuNPs) nanoparticles and further modified with fructose dehydrogenase (FDH). The present study reports the effect of the shape of these nanoparticles (NPs) on the catalytic current of immobilized FDH pointing out the different contributions on the mass transfer-limited and kinetically limited currents. The influence of the shape of the NPs on the mass transfer-limited and the kinetically limited current has been proved by using two different methods: a rotating disk electrode (RDE) and an electrode mounted in a wall jet flow-through electrochemical cell attached to a flow system. The advantages of using the wall jet flow system compared with the RDE system for kinetic investigations are as follows: no need to account for substrate consumption, especially in the case of desorption of enzyme, and studies of product-inhibited enzymes. The comparison reveals that virtually identical results can be obtained using either of the two techniques. The heterogeneous electron transfer (ET) rate constants (k_S) were found to be 3.8 ± 0.3 s^-1 and 0.9 ± 0.1 s^-1, for triangular and spherical NPs, respectively. The improvement observed for the electrode modified with AuNTrs suggests a more effective enzyme-NP interaction, which can allocate a higher number of enzyme molecules on the electrode surface. Graphical abstract The shape of gold nanoparticles has a crucial effect on the catalytic current related to the oxidation of D-(-)-fructose to 5-keto-D-(-)-fructose occurring at the FDH-modified electrode surface. In particular, AuNTrs have a higher effect compared with the spherical one.

Immobilization of bilirubin oxidase on graphene oxide flakes with different negative charge density for oxygen reduction. The effect of GO charge density on enzyme coverage, electron transfer rate and current density

Previously we showed that an effective bilirubin oxidase (BOD)-based biocathode using graphene oxide (GO) could be prepared in 2 steps: 1. electrostatic adsorption of BOD on GO; 2. electrochemical reduction of the BOD-GO composite to form a BOD-ErGO (electrochemically reduced GO) film on the electrode. In order to identify an optimal charge density of GO for BOD-ErGO composite preparation, several GO fractions differing in an average flake size and ζ-potential were prepared using centrifugation and consequently employed for BOD-ErGO biocathode preparation. A simple way to express surface charge density of these particular GO nanosheets was developed. The values obtained were then correlated with biocatalytic and electrochemical parameters of the prepared biocathodes, i.e. electrocatalytically active BOD surface coverage (Γ), heterogeneous electron transfer rate (k_S) and a maximum biocatalytic current density. The highest bioelectrocatalytic current density of (597±25)μAcm^-2 and the highest Γ of (23.6±0.9)pmolcm^-2 were obtained on BOD-GO composite having the same moderate negative charge density, but the highest k_S of (79.4±4.6)s^-1 was observed on BOD-GO composite having different negative charge density. This study is a solid foundation for others to consider the influence of a charge density of GO on direct bioelectrochemistry/bioelectrocatalysis of other redox enzymes applicable for construction of biosensors, bioanodes, biocathodes or biofuel cells.

Interfacial behavior and activity of laccase and bilirubin oxidase on bare gold surfaces

Two blue multicopper oxidases (MCOs) (viz. Trametes hirsuta laccase (ThLc) and Myrothecium verrucaria bilirubin oxidase (MvBOx)) were immobilized on bare polycrystalline gold (Au) surfaces by direct adsorption from both dilute and concentrated enzyme solutions. The adsorption was studied in situ by means of null ellipsometry. Moreover, both enzyme-modified and bare Au electrodes were investigated in detail by atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as electrochemically. When adsorbed from dilute solutions (0.125 and 0.25 mg mL⁻¹ in the cases of ThLc and MvBOx, respectively), the amounts of enzyme per unit area were determined to be ca. 1.7 and 4.8 pmol cm⁻², whereas the protein film thicknesses were determined to be 29 and 30 Å for ThLc and MvBOx, respectively. A well-pronounced bioelectrocatalytic reduction of molecular oxygen (O₂) was observed on MvBOx/Au biocathodes, whereas this was not the case for ThLc-modified Au electrodes (i.e., adsorbed ThLc was catalytically inactive). The initially observed apparent k(cat)(app) values for adsorbed MvBOx and the enzyme in solution were found to be very close to each other (viz. 54 and 58 s⁻¹, respectively (pH 7.4, 25 °C)). However, after 3 h of operation of MvBOx/Au biocathodes, kcatapp dropped to 23 s⁻¹. On the basis of the experimental results, conformational changes of the enzymes (in all likelihood, their flattening on the Au surface) were suggested to explain the deactivation of MCOs on the bare Au electrodes.