Mixed Zwitterion-Based Self-Assembled Monolayer Interface for Impedimetric Glycomic Analyses of Human IgG Samples in an Array Format

Rapid assembly of mixed thiols for toll-like receptor-based electrochemical pathogen sensing

Herein, we describe a rapid and facile fabrication of electrochemical sensors utilizing two different toll-like receptor (TLR) proteins as biorecognition elements to detect bacterial pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Using potential-assisted self-assembly, binary mixtures of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH), or MUA and an in-house synthesized zwitterionic sulfobetaine thiol (DPS) were assembled on a gold working electrode within 5 minutes, which is >200 times shorter than other TLR sensors' preparation time. Electrochemical methods and X-ray photoelectron microscopy were used to characterize the SAM layers. SAMs composed of the betaine terminated thiol exhibited superior resistance to nonspecific interactions, and were used to develop the TLR sensors. Biosensors containing two individually immobilized TLRs (TLR4 and TLR9) were fabricated on separate MUA-DPS SAM modified Au electrodes (MUA-DPS/Au) and tested for their response towards their respective PAMPs. The changes to electron transfer resistance in EIS of the TLR4/MUA-DPS/Au sensor showed a detection limit of 4 ng mL-1 for E. coli 0157:H7 endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and a dynamic range of up to 1000 ng mL-1. The TLR4-based sensor showed negligible response when tested with LPS spiked human plasma samples, showing no interference from the plasma matrix. The TLR9/MUA-DPS/Au sensor responded linearly up to 350 μg mL-1 bacterial DNA, with a detection limit of 7 μg mL-1. The rapid assembly of the TLR sensors, excellent antifouling properties of the mixed SAM assembly, small size and ease of operation of EIS hold great promise for the development of a portable and automated broad-spectrum pathogen detection and classification tool.

Systematic review on lectin-based electrochemical biosensors for clinically relevant carbohydrates and glycoconjugates

Carbohydrates and glycoconjugates are involved in numerous natural and pathological metabolic processes, and the precise elucidation of their biochemical functions has been supported by smart technologies assembled with lectins, i.e., ubiquitous proteins of nonimmune origin with carbohydrate-specific domains. When lectins are anchored on suitable electrochemical transducers, sensitive and innovative bioanalytical tools (lectin-based biosensors) are produced, with the ability to screen target sugars at molecular levels. In addition to the remarkable electroanalytical sensitivity, these devices associate specificity, precision, stability, besides the possibility of miniaturization and portability, which are special features required for real-time and point-of-care measurements. The mentioned attributes can be improved by combining lectins with biocompatible 0-3D semiconductors derived from carbon, metal nanoparticles, polymers and their nanocomposites, or employing labeled biomolecules. This systematic review aims to substantiate and update information on the progress made with lectin-based biosensors designed for electroanalysis of clinically relevant carbohydrates and glycoconjugates (glycoproteins, pathogens and cancer biomarkers), highlighting their main detection principles and performance in highly complex biological milieus. Moreover, particular emphasis is given to the main advantages and limitations of the reported devices, as well as the new trends for the current demands. We believe that this review will support and encourage more cutting-edge research involving lectin-based electrochemical biosensors.

Effects of the surface polarity of nanomaterials on their interaction with complement protein gC1q

There are increasing studies about the biocompatibility of nanomaterials (NMs) as their applications in biomedicine become more widespread. The biocompatibility of NMs involves the recognition by the immune system including complement protein gC1q. In this work, the interaction of graphene oxide (GO) and self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-coated gold (111) surface with gC1q was studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The impacts of surface polarity of GO on its interaction with gC1q and the possible immune response were discussed by comparing the binding behavior of gC1q to the GO sheets with different oxidation degrees (i.e., C5O1(OH)1 and C20O1(OH)1). We find the ghB module of gC1q tends to bind to GO sheet (C5O1(OH)1) with strong surface polarity, as the ghB module forms more hydrogen bonds with this GO sheet. On the other hand, the ghC module of gC1q tends to bind to GO (C20O1(OH)1) with weak surface polarity, as the ghC module tends to form pi-pi stacking and stronger hydrophobic interaction with this GO sheet. Similar phenomena are also found in the adsorption of gC1q with SAM: ghC prefers to bind to hydrophobic CH3-SAM, and ghB prefers to bind to charged COO-SAM. The different binding modules of gC1q may result in different activation levels of complement system. Our findings suggest that the surface polarity of NMs regulates the interaction of NMs with gC1q and the subsequent immune response. In other words, the biocompatibility of NMs may be regulated by adjusting their surface polarity.

Glycomics of prostate cancer: updates

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a life-threatening disease affecting millions of men. The current best PCa biomarker (level of prostate-specific antigen in serum) lacks specificity for PCa diagnostics and this is why novel PCa biomarkers in addition to the conventional ones based on biomolecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins need to be identified. Areas covered: This review details the potential of glycans-based biomarkers to become diagnostic, prognostic, predictive and therapeutic PCa biomarkers with a brief description of the innovative approaches applied to glycan analysis to date. Finally, the review covers the possibility to use exosomes as a rich source of glycans for future innovative and advanced diagnostics of PCa. The review covers updates in the field since 2016. Expert commentary: The summary provided in this review paper suggests that glycan-based biomarkers can offer high-assay accuracy not only for diagnostic purposes but also for monitoring/surveillance of the PCa disease.

Glycomics meets artificial intelligence - Potential of glycan analysis for identification of seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis patients revealed

In this study, one hundred serum samples from healthy people and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were analyzed. Standard immunoassays for detection of 10 different RA markers and analysis of glycan markers on antibodies in 10 different assay formats with several lectins were applied for each serum sample. A dataset containing 2000 data points was data mined using artificial neural networks (ANN). We identified key RA markers, which can discriminate between healthy people and seropositive RA patients (serum containing autoantibodies) with accuracy of 83.3%. Combination of RA markers with glycan analysis provided much better discrimination accuracy of 92.5%. Immunoassays completely failed to identify seronegative RA patients (serum not containing autoantibodies), while glycan analysis correctly identified 43.8% of these patients. Further, we revealed other critical parameters for successful glycan analysis such as type of a sample, format of analysis and orientation of captured antibodies for glycan analysis.

Label-free chronopotentiometric glycoprofiling of prostate specific antigen using sialic acid recognizing lectins

In recent decades, it has become clear that most of human proteins are glycosylated and that protein glycosylation plays an important role in health and diseases. At present, simple, fast and inexpensive methods are sought for clinical applications and particularly for improved diagnostics of various diseases, including cancer. We propose a label- and reagent-free electrochemical method based on chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) analysis and a hanging mercury drop electrode for the detection of interaction of sialylated protein biomarker a prostate specific antigen (PSA) with two important lectins: Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) and Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA). Incubation of PSA-modified electrode with specific SNA lectin resulted in an increase of CPS peak H of the complex as compared to this peak of individual PSA. By adjusting polarization current and temperature, PSA-MAA interaction can be either eliminated or distinguished from the more abundant PSA-SNA complex. CPS data were in a good agreement with the data obtained by complementary methods, namely surface plasmon resonance and fluorescent lectin microarray. It can be anticipated that CPS will find application in glycomics and proteomics.

Nanotechnology in Glycomics: Applications in Diagnostics, Therapy, Imaging, and Separation Processes

This review comprehensively covers the most recent achievements (from 2013) in the successful integration of nanomaterials in the field of glycomics. The first part of the paper addresses the beneficial properties of nanomaterials for the construction of biosensors, bioanalytical devices, and protocols for the detection of various analytes, including viruses and whole cells, together with their key characteristics. The second part of the review focuses on the application of nanomaterials integrated with glycans for various biomedical applications, that is, vaccines against viral and bacterial infections and cancer cells, as therapeutic agents, for in vivo imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, and for selective drug delivery. The final part of the review describes various ways in which glycan enrichment can be effectively done using nanomaterials, molecularly imprinted polymers with polymer thickness controlled at the nanoscale, with a subsequent analysis of glycans by mass spectrometry. A short section describing an active glycoprofiling by microengines (microrockets) is covered as well.

Optimization of the Small Glycan Presentation for Binding a Tumor-Associated Antibody: Application to the Construction of an Ultrasensitive Glycan Biosensor

The main aim of the study was to optimize the interfacial presentation of a small antigen-a Tn antigen (N-acetylgalactosamine)-for binding to its analyte anti-Tn antibody. Three different methods for the interfacial display of a small glycan are compared here, including two methods based on the immobilization of the Tn antigen on a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) (2D biosensor) and the third one utilizing a layer of a human serum albumin (HSA) for the immobilization of a glycan forming a 3D interface. Results showed that the 3D interface with the immobilized Tn antigen is the most effective bioreceptive surface for binding its analyte. The 3D impedimetric glycan biosensor exhibited a limit of detection of 1.4 aM, a wide linear range (6 orders of magnitude), and high assay reproducibility with an average relative standard deviation of 4%. The buildup of an interface was optimized using various techniques with the visualization of the glycans on the biosensor surface by atomic force microscopy. The study showed that the 3D biosensor is not only the most sensitive compared to other two biosensor platforms but that the Tn antigen on the 3D biosensor surface is more accessible for antibody binding with better kinetics of binding (t_50% = 137 s, t_50% = the time needed to attain 50% of a steady-state signal) compared to the 2D biosensor configuration with t_50% = 354 s. The 3D glycan biosensor was finally applied for the analysis of a human serum sample spiked with an analyte.

Biomimetic Principles to Develop Blood Compatible Surfaces

Functionalized biomaterial surface patterns capable of resisting nonspecific adsorption while retaining their bioactivity are crucial in the advancement of biomedical technologies, but currently available biomaterials intended for use in whole blood frequently suffer from nonspecific adsorption of proteins and cells, leading to a loss of activity over time. In this review, we address two concepts for the design and modification of blood compatible biomaterial surfaces, zwitterionic modification and surface functionalization with glycans – both of which are inspired by the membrane structure of mammalian cells – and discuss their potential for biomedical applications.

Dual-mode refractive index and charge sensing to investigate complex surface chemistry on nanostructures

This work presents a novel dual-mode charge and refractive index sensitive device integrated with nanoplasmonic islands, for the first time, on insulator-semiconductor junctions. The developed nano-metal-insulator semiconductor (nMIS) sensor facilitates simultaneous detection of charge and mass changes on the nanoislands due to the binding of biomolecules. The charging of the nanoislands is traced by using the capacitive field-effect electrolyte-metal-insulator-semiconductor structure and the refractive index changes are quantified by measuring the change in the localized surface plasmon resonances of the nanoislands. To demonstrate the performance of our dual-mode sensor we study the effect of oxygen plasma on immobilized biomolecules. As a case study biotinylated aptamers specific to interleukin 6 (IL-6) were chosen to conduct the immunoassay studies. We confirm that the adsorbed aptamers on the nanoislands do not lose their functionality after exposure to low energy oxygen plasma (<600 J). This finding is critical for the development of 'ready-to-use' microfluidic immunoassay platforms (glass-PDMS based) where immobilizing biomolecules on one of the substrates is often required prior to the bonding of glass and PDMS. Our results also open new opportunities for utilizing plasma to encapsulate biomolecules in polymers and hydrogels. More significantly, nMIS sensors can readily be adopted for multiplexed and high throughput label free immunoassay systems, further driving innovations in biomedical and healthcare research.

Recent Progress in Electrochemical Biosensors for Glycoproteins

This review provides an overview of recent progress in the development of electrochemical biosensors for glycoproteins. Electrochemical glycoprotein sensors are constructed by combining metal and carbon electrodes with glycoprotein-selective binding elements including antibodies, lectin, phenylboronic acid and molecularly imprinted polymers. A recent trend in the preparation of glycoprotein sensors is the successful use of nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotube, and metal nanoparticles. These nanomaterials are extremely useful for improving the sensitivity of glycoprotein sensors. This review focuses mainly on the protocols for the preparation of glycoprotein sensors and the materials used. Recent improvements in glycoprotein sensors are discussed by grouping the sensors into several categories based on the materials used as recognition elements.

Probing Mannose-Binding Proteins That Express on Live Cells and Pathogens with a Diffusion-to-Surface Ratiometric Graphene Electrosensor

This paper describes the development of a "diffusion-to-surface" ratiometric graphene electrosensor for the selective detection of live cells and pathogens that highly express mannose-binding proteins (MBPs). MBPs have been implicated in many pathological processes and are identified on specific types of bacteria. Consequently, MBPs are a promising biomarker for targeted disease diagnosis and therapy. Here, we develop a unique electrosensor that features a ratiometric voltammetric signal for the selective probing of MBPs. Self-assembly of mannosyl anthraquinone (AQ) to a graphene oxide-decorated screen-printed electrode produces the sensor with an inherent surface-controlled voltammetric signal. Subsequently, addition of a redox probe (RP) imparts the system with a diffusion-controlled current, thus enabling a ratiometric sensing rationale for which AQ serves as a reference. While the reference current is hardly compromised by adding analytes, RP exhibits a concentration-dependent current quenching on addition of mannose-selective lectins over other proteins. Importantly, this ratiometric electrosensor has proven to be applicable for the ratiometric probing of alternatively activated macrophages and a Gram-negative bacterium highly expressing MBPs, but shows minimal response to a series of control live cells and bacteria without mannose receptor expression.