Effect of cysteine mutations on direct electron transfer of horseradish peroxidase on gold

Advanced Electroanalysis for Electrosynthesis

Electrosynthesis is a popular, environmentally friendly substitute for conventional organic methods. It involves using charge transfer to stimulate chemical reactions through the application of a potential or current between two electrodes. In addition to electrode materials and the type of reactor employed, the strategies for controlling potential and current have an impact on the yields, product distribution, and reaction mechanism. In this Review, recent advances related to electroanalysis applied in electrosynthesis were discussed. The first part of this study acts as a guide that emphasizes the foundations of electrosynthesis. These essentials include instrumentation, electrode selection, cell design, and electrosynthesis methodologies. Then, advances in electroanalytical techniques applied in organic, enzymatic, and microbial electrosynthesis are illustrated with specific cases studied in recent literature. To conclude, a discussion of future possibilities that intend to advance the academic and industrial areas is presented.

Disposable biosensors based on metal nanoparticles

The coronavirus disease2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the need for disposable biosensors that can detect viruses in infected patients quickly due to fast response and also at a low cost.The present review provides an overview of the applications of disposable biosensors based on metal nanoparticles in enzymatic and non-enzymatic sensors with special reference to glucose and H₂O₂, immunosensors as well as genosensors (DNA biosensors in which the recognized event consists of the hybridization reaction)for point-of-care diagnostics. The disposable biosensors for COVID19 have also been discussed.

Recent Progress in Applications of Enzymatic Bioelectrocatalysis

Bioelectrocatalysis has become one of the most important research fields in electrochemistry and provided a firm base for the application of important technology in various bioelectrochemical devices, such as biosensors, biofuel cells, and biosupercapacitors. The understanding and technology of bioelectrocatalysis have greatly improved with the introduction of nanostructured electrode materials and protein-engineering methods over the last few decades. Recently, the electroenzymatic production of renewable energy resources and useful organic compounds (bioelectrosynthesis) has attracted worldwide attention. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the applications of enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis.

Electrochemical Biosensors Employing Natural and Artificial Heme Peroxidases on Semiconductors

Heme peroxidases are widely used as biological recognition elements in electrochemical biosensors for hydrogen peroxide and phenolic compounds. Various nature-derived and fully synthetic heme peroxidase mimics have been designed and their potential for replacing the natural enzymes in biosensors has been investigated. The use of semiconducting materials as transducers can thereby offer new opportunities with respect to catalyst immobilization, reaction stimulation, or read-out. This review focuses on approaches for the construction of electrochemical biosensors employing natural heme peroxidases as well as various mimics immobilized on semiconducting electrode surfaces. It will outline important advances made so far as well as the novel applications resulting thereof.

Direct Electron Transfer-Type Bioelectrocatalysis of Redox Enzymes at Nanostructured Electrodes

Direct electron transfer (DET)-type bioelectrocatalysis, which couples the electrode reactions and catalytic functions of redox enzymes without any redox mediator, is one of the most intriguing subjects that has been studied over the past few decades in the field of bioelectrochemistry. In order to realize the DET-type bioelectrocatalysis and improve the performance, nanostructures of the electrode surface have to be carefully tuned for each enzyme. In addition, enzymes can also be tuned by the protein engineering approach for the DET-type reaction. This review summarizes the recent progresses in this field of the research while considering the importance of nanostructure of electrodes as well as redox enzymes. This review also describes the basic concepts and theoretical aspects of DET-type bioelectrocatalysis, the significance of nanostructures as scaffolds for DET-type reactions, protein engineering approaches for DET-type reactions, and concepts and facts of bidirectional DET-type reactions from a cross-disciplinary viewpoint.

Carboxylated or aminated polyaniline-multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanohybrids for immobilization of cellobiose dehydrogenase on gold electrodes

Polymer-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanohybrids, which differ in surface charge have been synthesized to study the bioelectrocatalysis of adsorbed cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from Phanerochaete sordida on gold electrodes. To obtain negatively charged nanohybrids, poly(3-amino-4-methoxybenzoic acid-co-aniline) (P(AMB-A)) was covalently linked to the surface of MWCNTs while modification with p-phenylenediamine (PDA) converted the COOH-groups to positively charged amino groups. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements verified the p-phenylenediamine (PDA) modification of the polymer-CNT nanohybrids. The positively charged nanohybrid MWCNT-P(AMB-A)-PDA promoted direct electron transfer (DET) of CDH to the electrode and bioelectrocatalysis of lactose was observed. Amperometric measurements gave an electrochemical response with KMapp = 8.89 mM and a current density of 410 nA/cm(2) (15 mM lactose). The catalytic response was tested at pH 3.5 and 4.5. Interference by ascorbic acid was not observed. The study proves that DET between the MWCNT-P(AMB-A)-PDA nanohybrids and CDH is efficient and allows the sensorial detection of lactose.

Simple approach for the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase on poly-l-histidine modified reduced graphene oxide for amperometric determination of dopamine and H2O2

In this work, immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on poly-l-histidine (P-l-His) modified reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was demonstrated.

Cysteamine-palladium complex ([Pd(μ-OAc)(ppy)]2, ppy:2-phenylpyridine, PhMe)-modified peroxidase biosensor immobilized on a gold electrode

A new peroxidase biosensor was developed using cysteamine-palladium complex-modified gold electrode. The principle of the measurements is based on monitoring increase in the oxidation potential of palladium complex (at + 0.47 V vs Ag/AgCl) using amperometric detection. In the optimization studies of the biosensor, effects of enzyme amount, palladium complex amount, and duration of SAM formation on biosensor responses were investigated to optimize the bioactive layer. The biosensor has a fast response time of less than 10 s to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), with a linear range of 5.0 × 10(- 6) to 150 × 10(- 6) M and a detection limit of 3.38 × 10(- 6) M.

Metallophthalocyanines and metalloporphyrins as electrocatalysts: a case of hydrogen peroxide and glucose detection

This review summarizes the applications of metallophthalocyanine (MPc) and metallo-porphyrin (MP) complexes as electrocatalysts immobilized onto various electrodes for the detection of hydrogen peroxide and glucose. The uses of MPc and MP complexes as electron mediators for the detection of glucose at glucose oxidase modified surfaces are discussed.

Applications of polymerized metal tetra-amino phthalocyanines towards hydrogen peroxide detection

This work reports the use of metallo tetra-amino phthalocyanines ( MTAPc, M = Co and Mn ) polymer thin films on gold and glassy carbon electrode surfaces for the detection and monitoring of hydrogen peroxide ( H2O2 ). The polymer-modified electrodes were characterized using electrochemical and microscopic-based methods. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the bare and polymer-modified ITO surfaces. The electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2 with glassy carbon polymer-modified electrodes gave higher current densities compared to their gold counterparts. The electroanalytical properties of H2O2 were obtained using a real-time calibration curve of the amperometric determination in pH 7.4 aqueous solution. The limits of detection (LoD) of the polymer-modified electrodes towards electroreduction of H2O2 were of the order of 10–7 M, with high sensitivity ranging from 6.0–15.4 mA.mM-1.cm-2.

Control of protein immobilization: coupling immobilization and site-directed mutagenesis to improve biocatalyst or biosensor performance

Mutagenesis and immobilization are usually considered to be unrelated techniques with potential applications to improve protein properties. However, there are several reports showing that the use of site-directed mutagenesis to improve enzyme properties directly, but also how enzymes are immobilized on a support, can be a powerful tool to improve the properties of immobilized biomolecules for use as biosensors or biocatalysts. Standard immobilizations are not fully random processes, but the protein orientation may be difficult to alter. Initially, most efforts using this idea were addressed towards controlling the orientation of the enzyme on the immobilization support, in many cases to facilitate electron transfer from the support to the enzyme in redox biosensors. Usually, Cys residues are used to directly immobilize the protein on a support that contains disulfide groups or that is made from gold. There are also some examples using His in the target areas of the protein and using supports modified with immobilized metal chelates and other tags (e.g., using immobilized antibodies). Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis to control immobilization is useful for improving the activity, the stability and even the selectivity of the immobilized protein, for example, via site-directed rigidification of selected areas of the protein. Initially, only Cys and disulfide supports were employed, but other supports with higher potential to give multipoint covalent attachment are being employed (e.g., glyoxyl or epoxy-disulfide supports). The advances in support design and the deeper knowledge of the mechanisms of enzyme-support interactions have permitted exploration of the possibilities of the coupled use of site-directed mutagenesis and immobilization in a new way. This paper intends to review some of the advances and possibilities that these coupled strategies permit.

Electrochemical detection of glyphosate herbicide using horseradish peroxidase immobilized on sulfonated polymer matrix

This paper describes the use of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) based biosensor for novel detection of glyphosate herbicide. The biosensor was prepared by electrochemically depositing poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSS) onto the surface of a gold electrode followed by electrostatic attachment of the enzyme HRP onto the PDMA-PSS composite film. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV-Vis spectrometry inferred that HRP was not denatured during its immobilization on PDMA-PSS composite film. The biosensing principle was based on the determination of the cathodic responses of the immobilized HRP to H(2)O(2), before and after incubation in glyphosate standard solutions. Glyphosate inhibited the activity of HRP causing a decrease in its response to H(2)O(2). The determination of glyphosate was achieved in the range of 0.25-14.0 microg L(-1) with a detection limit of 1.70 microg L(-1). The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (calculated for the HRP/PDMA-PSS biosensor in the presence and absence of glyphosate was found to be 7.73 microM and 7.95 microM respectively.

The electrodeposition of Ag nanoparticles on a type I collagen-modified glassy carbon electrode and their applications as a hydrogen peroxide sensor

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) attached to type I collagen-modified glassy carbon (GC) electrodes were successfully synthesized by the electrodepositing method. Atomic force microscopy images showed that many Ag NPs with homogeneous size were formed and uniformly distributed on the type I collagen/GC electrode. The amount, size and distribution of Ag NPs could be controlled by the collagen. The results of electrochemical experiments showed that Ag NPs had an excellent catalytic ability for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), suggesting that they could be used as a sensor to determine H(2)O(2). The good catalytic activity of the Ag NPs was ascribed to the type I collagen that resulted in the homogeneous distribution of Ag NPs with small size. The effects of type I collagen concentration and electrodeposition time on Ag NPs were investigated. When the Ag NPs were used as a sensor to determine H(2)O(2), the sensor could achieve 95% of the steady-state current in less than 2 s and had a linear range of 5.0 microM to 40.6 mM and a 0.7 microM detection limit of H(2)O(2) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.

A mediatorless and label-free amperometric immunosensor for detection of h-IgG

A novel experimental methodology for studying a mediatorless and label-free immunosensor is proposed by immobilizing antibody on gold nanoparticle/L-cysteine coated electrode (nano-Au/L-cysteine electrode). Differential pulse voltammograms (DPV) resulting from the assembled immunosensor indicate that the immunosensor shows excellent electrochemical response to dopamine so that the electrochemical response is utilized for the signal generation step of the immunosensor. Therefore, by means of unenzymatic-labeling procedure combined with the amperometric detection using dopamine as substrate, the immunological reaction can be detected. After the immunosensor is incubated with h-IgG solution, the access of electrocatalytic behavior center of the immunosensor to dopamine is partly inhibited, which leads to a linear decrease in amperometric response of the immunosensor with h-IgG concentration over a range 0.82-90 ng mL(-1) by DPV.

Protein electrodes with direct electrochemical communication

Electrochemistry using direct electron transfer between an electrode and a protein or an enzyme has developed into a means for studying biological redox reactions and for bioanalytics, biosynthesis and bioenergetics. This review summarizes recent work on direct protein electrochemistry with special emphasis on our results in bioelectrocatalysis using isolated enzymes and enzyme-protein couples.

Protein engineering and electrochemical biosensors

Protein engineered biosensors provide the next best step in the advancement of protein-based sensors that can specifically identify chemical substrates. The use of native proteins for this purpose cannot adequately embrace the limits of detection and level of stability required for a usable sensor, due to globular structure restraints. This review chapter attempts to give an accurate representation of the three main strategies employed in the engineering of more suitable biological components for use in biosensor construction. The three main strategies in protein engineering for electrochemical biosensor implementation are: rational protein design, directed evolution and de novo protein design. Each design strategy has limitations to its use in a biosensor format and has advantages and disadvantages with respect to each. The three design techniques are used to modify aspects of stability, sensitivity, selectivity, surface tethering, and signal transduction within the biological environment. Furthermore with the advent of new nanomaterials the implementation of these design strategies, with the attomolar promise of nanostructures, imparts important generational leaps in research for biosensor construction, based on highly specific, very robust, and electrically wired protein engineered biosensors.

A high-sensitive amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on the immobilization of hemoglobin on gold colloid/l-cysteine/gold colloid/nanoparticles Pt–chitosan composite film-modified platinum disk electrode

A hemoglobin (Hb)/gold colloid (nano-Au)/L-cysteine (L-cys)/nano-Au/nanoparticles Pt (nano-Pt)-chitosan (CHIT) composite film-modified platinum disk electrode (abbreviated to modified electrode) has been prepared to construct a biosensor for determination of H(2)O(2). The electrochemical characteristics of the biosensor were studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The modified process was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The morphologies of different composite film were investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the element of composite film was investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Analytical parameters such as pH and temperature were also studied. The linear range for the determination of H(2)O(2) is 1.4 x 10(-7) to 6.6 x 10(-3)mol/L with a detection limit of 4.5 x 10(-8)mol/L (S/N=3). The sensor achieved 95% of the steady-state current within 10s. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity (17.62 microA/(mmol L)), selectivity and stability. The method is applied to the determination of H(2)O(2) with satisfactory results.

Arginine-to-lysine substitutions influence recombinant horseradish peroxidase stability and immobilisation effectiveness

Background

Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) plays important roles in many biotechnological fields, including diagnostics, biosensors and biocatalysis. Often, it is used in immobilised form. With conventional immobilisation techniques, the enzyme adheres in random orientation: the active site may face the solid phase rather than bulk medium, impeding substrate access and leading to sub-optimal catalytic performance. The ability to immobilise HRP in a directional manner, such that the active site would always face outwards from the insoluble matrix, would maximise the immobilised enzyme's catalytic potential and could increase HRP's range of actual and potential applications.

Results

We have replaced arginine residues on the face of glycan-free recombinant HRP opposite to the active site by lysines. Our strategy differs from previous reports of specific HRP immobilisation via an engineered affinity tag or single reactive residue. These conservative Arg-to-Lys substitutions provide a means of multipoint covalent immobilisation such that the active site will always face away from the immobilisation matrix.

One triple and one pentuple mutant were generated by substitution of solvent-exposed arginines on the "back" of the polypeptide (R118, R159 and R283) and of residues known to influence stability (K232 and K241). Orientated HRP immobilisation was demonstrated using a modified polyethersulfone (PES) membrane; the protein was forced to orientate its active site away from the membrane and towards the bulk solution phase.

Mutant properties and bioinformatic analysis suggested the reversion of K283R to improve stability, thus generating two additional mutants (K118/R159K and R118K/K232N/K241F/R283K). While most mutants were less stable in free solution than wild type rHRP, the quadruple revertant regained some stability over its mutant counterparts. A greater degree of immobilisation on CNBr-activated Sepharose™ was noted with increased lysine content; however, only marginal gains in solvent stability resulted from immobilisation on this latter matrix.

Conclusion

Directional, orientated, immobilisation of rHRP mutants onto an activated, modified polyethersulfone membrane has been achieved with excellent retention of catalytic activity; however, re-engineering of acceptable stability characteristics into the "immobilisation mutants" will determine their applicability in diagnosis and biosensor development.

A mediator-free amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on HRP immobilized on a nano-Au/poly 2,6-pyridinediamine-coated electrode

A mediator-free amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor was prepared by immobilizing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme on colloidal Au modified platinum (Pt) wire electrode, which was modified by poly 2,6-pyridinediamine (pPA). The modified process was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and the electrochemical characteristics of the biosensor were studied by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The biosensor displayed an excellent electrocatalytical response to reduction of H(2)O(2) without the aid of an electron mediator, the linear range was 4.2 x 10(-7)-1.5 x 10(-3) mol/L (r = 0.9977), with a detection limit of 1.4 x 10(-7) mol/L. Moreover, the performance and factors influencing the resulted biosensor were studied in detail. The studied biosensor exhibited permselectivity, good stability and good fabrication reproducibility.

An interface comprising molecular wires and poly(ethylene glycol) spacer units self-assembled on carbon electrodes for studies of protein electrochemistry

The characterization and application of a modified electrode interface for protein electrochemistry is reported. This generic interface is composed of a mixed monolayer of oligo(phenylethynylene) molecular wires (MWs) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) deposited on glassy carbon electrodes by reductive adsorption of the respective aryl diazonium salts. Electrochemistry and scanning electron microscopy demonstrate that the PEG component exhibits a distinct decrease in nonspecific adsorption of blood serum and the proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) relative to a bare glassy carbon electrode. The ability of the MWs to facilitate efficient electron transfer through the PEG layer to the underlying electrode was demonstrated by covalently attaching ferrocenemethylamine to the end of the MWs. The calculated rate constant for this system was 229 +/- 30 s(-1). Covalent attachment of HRP to the MWs allowed direct electron transfer to the redox protein with almost ideal electrochemistry, indicating a specific interaction between the MW and HRP, with a rate constant of 13.4 +/- 2.3 s(-1). This rate constant is more rapid than previously reported for HRP shown to still be catalytically active. Retained catalytic activity of HRP was demonstrated by the enzyme responding to the addition of hydrogen peroxide. Similarly, by attaching myoglobin to the end of the MWs, a rate constant for this protein of 2 s(-1) was measured. The rigidity of the MWs, as well as it being longer than the PEG diluent, means this generic interface can be employed to investigate the electrochemistry of a wide range of redox proteins.

Engineered Superoxide Dismutase Monomers for Superoxide Biosensor Applications

Because of its high reaction rate and specificity, the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) offers great potential for the sensitive quantification of superoxide radicals in electrochemical biosensors. In this work, monomeric mutants of human Cu,Zn-SOD were engineered to contain one or two additional cysteine residues, which could be used to bind the protein to gold surfaces, thus making the use of promotor molecules unnecessary. Six mutants were successfully designed, expressed, and purified. All mutants bound directly to unmodified gold surfaces via the sulfur of the cysteine residues and showed a quasi-reversible, direct electron transfer to the electrode. Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the electron transfer were characterized and showed only slight variations between the individual mutants. For one of the mutants, the interaction with the superoxide radical was studied in more detail. For both partial reactions of the dismutation, an interaction between protein and radical could be shown. In an amperometric biosensorial approach, the SOD-mutant electrode was successfully applied for the detection of superoxide radicals. In the oxidation region, the electrode surpassed the sensitivity of the commonly used cytochrome c electrodes by approximately 1 order of magnitude while not being limited by interferences, but the electrode did not fully reach the sensitivity of dimeric Cu,Zn-SOD immobilized on MPA-modified gold.