PM-IRRAS Investigation of the Interaction of Serum Albumin and Fibrinogen with a Biomedical-Grade Stainless Steel 316LVM Surface

Multiprotein Adsorption from Human Serum at Gold and Oxidized Iron Surfaces Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy and Polarization-Modulation Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy

Multiprotein adsorption from complex body fluids represents a highly important and complicated phenomenon in medicine. In this work, multiprotein adsorption from diluted human serum at gold and oxidized iron surfaces is investigated at different serum concentrations and pH values. Adsorption-induced changes in surface topography and the total amount of adsorbed proteins are quantified by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and polarization-modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), respectively. For both surfaces, stronger protein adsorption is observed at pH 6 compared to pH 7 and pH 8. PM-IRRAS furthermore provides some qualitative insights into the pH-dependent alterations in the composition of the adsorbed multiprotein films. Changes in the amide II/amide I band area ratio and in particular side-chain IR absorption suggest that the increased adsorption at pH 6 is accompanied by a change in protein film composition. Presumably, this is mostly driven by the adsorption of human serum albumin, which at pH 6 adsorbs more readily and thereby replaces other proteins with lower surface affinities in the resulting multiprotein film.

Deposition of Polymer Particles with Fibrinogen Corona at Abiotic Surfaces under Flow Conditions

The deposition kinetics of polymer particles with fibrinogen molecule coronas at bare and poly-L-lysine (PLL) modified mica was studied using the microfluid impinging-jet cell. Basic physicochemical characteristics of fibrinogen and the particles were acquired using dynamic light scattering and the electrophoretic mobility methods, whereas the zeta potential of the substrates was determined using streaming potential measurements. Subsequently, an efficient method for the preparation of the particles with coronas, characterized by a controlled fibrinogen coverage, was developed. This enabled us to carry out measurements, which confirmed that the deposition kinetics of the particles at mica vanished at pH above 5. In contrast, the particle deposition of PLL modified mica was at maximum for pH above 5. It was shown that the deposition kinetics could be adequately analyzed in terms of the mean-field approach, analogously to the ordinary colloid particle behavior. This contrasts the fibrinogen molecule behavior, which efficiently adsorbs at negatively charged substrates for the entire range pHs up to 9.7. These results have practical significance for conducting label-free immunoassays governed by the specific antigen/antibody interactions.

Nanostructured functional peptide films and their application in C-reactive protein immunosensors

Peptides with an active redox molecule are incorporated into nanostructured films for electrochemical biosensors with stable and controllable physicochemical properties. In this study, we synthesized three ferrocene (Fc)-containing peptides with the sequence Fc-Glu-(Ala)_n-Cys-NH₂, which could form self-assembled monolayers on gold and be attached to antibodies. The peptide with two alanines (n = 2) yielded the immunosensor with the highest performance in detecting C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation. Using electrochemical impedance-derived capacitive spectroscopy, the limit of detection was 240 pM with a dynamic range that included clinically relevant CRP concentrations. With a combination of electrochemical methods and polarization-modulated infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy, we identified the chemical groups involved in the antibody-CRP interaction, and were able to relate the highest performance for the peptide with n = 2 to chain length and efficient packing in the organized films. These strategies to design peptides and methods to fabricate the immunosensors are generic, and can be applied to other types of biosensors, including in low cost platforms for point-of-care diagnostics.

Further studies on the signal enhancement effect in laser diode thermal desorption-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry using microwell surface coatings

The laser diode thermal desorption (LDTD) ionization source allows ultrafast and sensitive analysis of small molecules by mass spectrometry. Signal enhancement in LDTD has been observed when coating the surface of sample microwells with a solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or nitrilotriacetic acid. Here we present a quantitative analysis of signal enhancement using solutions of diverse commercial proteins (lysozyme, immunoglobulin G, albumin, and fibrinogen) as coatings. Results showed that compounds with polar chemical functions such as carboxylic acid, sulfonyl, and nitro had signal enhancement factors, in most cases higher than 10, when using any of the tested proteins as coating agent. Analysis of variance revealed that immunoglobulin G and fibrinogen gave the best results. However, the signal enhancement factors obtained with these proteins were not superior to those observed with EDTA. To explain the signal enhancement effect of proteins, analysis by scanning electron microscopy of dried samples on the microwell sample plates was carried out. Images showed that salicylic acid, one of the compounds with the highest observed signal enhancement, formed a thick layer when applied directly on the uncoated surface, but it formed small crystals (<1 μm) in the presence of protein or EDTA coatings. Further crystallographic studies using powder X-ray diffraction showed that the crystalline form of salicylic acid is modified in the presence of EDTA. Salicylic acid when mixed with EDTA had a higher percentage of amorphous phase (38.1%) than without EDTA (23.1%). These results appear to confirm that the diminution of crystal size of analytes and the increase of amorphous phase are implicated in signal enhancement effect observed in LDTD using microwell surface coatings. To design better coatings and completely elucidate the signal enhancement effect in LDTD, more studies are necessary to understand the effects of coatings on the ionization of analytes.

Mechanism of fibrinogen /microparticle complex deposition on solid substrates: Role of pH

Deposition kinetics of fibrinogen/polystyrene particle complexes on mica and the silicon/silica substrates was studied using the direct optical and atomic force microscopy. Initially, basic physicochemical characteristics of fibrinogen and the microparticles were acquired using the dynamic light scattering and the electrophoretic mobility methods, whereas the zeta potential of the substrates was determined using the streaming potential measurements. Subsequently an efficient method for the preparation of fibrinogen/polymer microparticle complexes characterized by controlled coverage and molecule orientation was developed. It was demonstrated that for a lower suspension concentration the complexes are stable for pH range 3-9 and for a large concentration for pH below 4.5 and above 5.5. This enabled to carry out thorough pH cycling experiments where their isoelectric point was determined to appear at pH 5. Kinetic measurements showed that the deposition rate of the complexes vanished at pH above 5, whereas the kinetics of the positively charged amidine particles, used as control, remained at maximum for pH up to 9. These results were theoretically interpreted using the hybrid random sequential adsorption model. It was confirmed that the deposition kinetics of the complexes can be adequately analyzed in terms of the mean-field approach, analogously to the ordinary colloid particle behavior. This is in contrast to the fibrinogen molecule behavior, which efficiently adsorb on negatively charged substrates for the entire range pHs up to 9.7. These results have practical significance for conducting efficient immunoassays governed by the specific antigen/antibody interactions.

Effect of Terminal Modifications on the Adsorption and Assembly of hIAPP(20-29)

The assembly of peptides and proteins into nanoscale amyloid fibrils via formation of intermolecular β-sheets not only plays an important role in the development of degenerative diseases but also represents a promising approach for the synthesis of functional nanomaterials. In many biological and technological settings, peptide assembly occurs in the presence of organic and inorganic interfaces with different physicochemical properties. In an attempt to dissect the relative contributions of the different molecular interactions governing amyloid assembly at interfaces, we here present a systematic study of the effects of terminal modifications on the adsorption and assembly of the human islet amyloid polypeptide fragment hIAPP(20-29) at organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) presenting different functional groups (cationic, anionic, polar, or hydrophobic). Using a selection of complementary in situ and ex situ analytical techniques, we find that even this well-defined and comparatively simple model system is governed by a rather complex interplay of electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, and hydrogen bonding, resulting in a plethora of observations and dependencies, some of which are rather counterintuitive. In particular, our results demonstrate that terminal modifications can have tremendous effects on peptide adsorption and assembly dynamics, as well as aggregate morphology and molecular structure. The effects exerted by the terminal modifications can furthermore be modulated in nontrivial ways by the physicochemical properties of the SAM surface. Therefore, terminal modifications are an important factor to consider when conducting and comparing peptide adsorption and aggregation studies and may represent an additional parameter for guiding the assembly of peptide-based nanomaterials.

Adsorption and Fibrillization of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide at Self-Assembled Monolayers Studied by QCM-D, AFM, and PM-IRRAS

Aggregation and fibrillization of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) plays an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Understanding the interaction of hIAPP with interfaces such as cell membranes at a molecular level therefore represents an important step toward new therapies. Here, we investigate the fibrillization of hIAPP at different self-assembled alkanethiol monolayers (SAMs) by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). We find that hydrophobic interactions with the CH₃-terminated SAM tend to retard hIAPP fibrillization compared to the carboxylic acid-terminated SAM where attractive electrostatic interactions lead to the formation of a three-dimensional network of interwoven fibrils. At the hydroxyl- and amino-terminated SAMs, fibrillization appears to be governed by hydrogen bonding between the peptide and the terminating groups which may even overcome electrostatic repulsion. These results thus provide fundamental insights into the molecular mechanisms governing amyloid assembly at interfaces.

Adsorption of bovine serum albumin on silver surfaces enhances the release of silver at pH neutral conditions

Metallic biomaterials are widely used to replace and/or restore the function of damaged bodily parts. The use of silver as antibacterial coatings onto implants has recently gained large interest in medical applications. The extent of silver that can be released into different biological fluids from such coatings is, except for the surface characteristics of the coating, governed by parameters such as protein characteristics, adsorbed layer properties, formation of silver-protein complexes as well as concentrations of proteins in the solution. This study aims to relate the structure of adsorbed net negatively charged bovine serum albumin (BSA), which is the most abundant protein in serum, to the release of silver from metallic silver surfaces in order to elucidate if the net charge of the protein has any effect of the silver release. Simultaneous adsorption measurements were performed in real time on the very same surface using combined ellipsometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) measurements to provide a more comprehensive understanding on adsorption kinetics and layer structures. The amount of released silver into solution was measured by means of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS). The structure of the adsorbed BSA layer largely influenced the amount of released silver, an enhancement that increased with BSA concentration. These observations are in complete contrast to the effect of net positively charged lysozyme (LSZ) adsorbed on silver, previously studied by the authors, for which a complete surface coverage suppressed the possibility for silver release. The underlying mechanisms behind the enhanced release of silver in the presence of BSA were mainly attributed to surface complexation between BSA and silver followed by an enhanced exchange rate of these surface complexes with BSA molecules in the solution, which in turn increase the amount of released silver in solution.

Adlayer-mediated antibody immobilization to stainless steel for potential application to endothelial progenitor cell capture

This work describes the straightforward surface modification of 316L stainless steel with BTS, S-(11-trichlorosilylundecanyl)-benzenethiosulfonate, a thiol-reactive trichlorosilane cross-linker molecule designed to form intermediary coatings with subsequent biofunctionalization capability. The strategy is more specifically exemplified with the immobilization of intact antibodies and their Fab' fragments. Both surface derivatization steps are thoroughly characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The antigen binding capability of both types of biofunctionalized surfaces is subsequently assessed by fluorescence microscopy. It was determined that BTS adlayers achieve robust immobilization of both intact and fragmented antibodies, while preserving antigen binding activity. Another key finding was the observation that the Fab' fragment immobilization strategy would constitute a preferential option over that involving intact antibodies in the context of in vivo capture of endothelial progenitor cells in stent applications.

Structure of collagen adsorbed on a model implant surface resolved by polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy

The polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectra of collagen adsorbed on a titania surface and quantum chemical calculations are used to describe components of the amide I mode to the protein structure at a sub-molecular level. In this study, imino acid rich and poor fragments, representing the entire collagen molecule, are taken into account. The amide I mode of the collagen triple helix is composed of three absorption bands which involve: (i) (∼1690cm(-1)) the CO stretching modes at unhydrated groups, (ii) (1655-1673cm(-1)) the CO stretching at carbonyl groups at imino acids and glycine forming intramolecular hydrogen bonds with H atoms at both NH2 and, unusual for proteins, CH2 groups at glycine at a neighbouring chain and (iii) (∼1640cm(-1)) the CO stretching at carbonyl groups forming hydrogen bonds between two, often charged, amino acids as well as hydrogen bonds to water along the entire helix. The IR spectrum of films prepared from diluted solutions (c<50μgml(-1)) corresponds to solution spectra indicating that native collagen molecules interact with water adsorbed on the titania surface. In films prepared from solutions (c⩾50μgml(-1)) collagen multilayers are formed. The amide I mode is blue-shifted by 18cm(-1), indicating that intramolecular hydrogen bonds at imino acid rich fragments are weakened. Simultaneous red-shift of the amide A mode implies that the strength of hydrogen bonds at the imino acid poor fragments increases. Theoretically predicted distortion of the collagen structure upon adsorption on the titania surface is experimentally confirmed.

Fluorine-fluorine interactions in the solid state: an experimental and theoretical study

The solid state structures of three compounds that contain a perfluorinated chain, CF(3)(CF(2))(5)CH(2)CH(CH(3))CO(2)H, CF(3)(CF(2))(5)(CH(2))(4)(CF(2))(5)CF(3) and {CF(3)(CF(2))(5)CH(2)CH(2)}(3)P═O have been compared and a number of C-F···F-C and C-F···H-C interactions that are closer than the sum of the van der Waals radii have been identified. These interactions have been probed by a comprehensive computational chemistry investigation and the stabilizing energy between dimeric fragments was found to be 0.26-29.64 kcal/mol, depending on the type of interaction. An Atoms-in-Molecules (AIM) study has confirmed that specific C-F···F-C interactions are indeed present, and are not due simply to crystal packing. The weakly stabilizing nature of these interactions has been utilized in the physisorption of a selected number of compounds containing long chain perfluorinated ponytails onto a perfluorinated self-assembled monolayer, which has been characterized by IRRAS (Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy).

Physico-chemical characterization of bovine serum albumin in solution and as deposited on surfaces

The interactions between proteins and solid surfaces are important for the formation of biocompatible materials. In this study, the physicochemical properties of Bovin serum albumin (BSA) in solution and on a solid surface were studied. The zeta potential and number of uncompensated charges on BSA surfaces were determined from electrophoretic mobility measurements. The dynamic viscosity was also measured to determine BSA conformations in solution, and the data were converted to the effective length L(ef) of the BSA molecule. The length of a BSA molecule was measured to be 8.3 nm in the compact state (N form at pH 4-9) and 26.7 nm in the extended state (F-form). This study demonstrates that the relationship between the hydrodynamic radius, dynamic viscosity and electrophoretic mobility can provide information about the shape and conformation of biopolymer in solution. The contact angle measurements and deposition of fluorescent latex particles were used to characterise BSA monolayers on a mica surface, which were produced by controlled adsorption under diffusion transport. The results suggest that the distribution of charge across a BSA molecule is heterogeneous as evidenced by the presence of positive and negative patches. The maximum contact angle was observed under conditions in which both BSA and mica were oppositely charged. A higher positive zeta potential of BSA was observed to correlate with a higher contact angle. However, at a higher negative zeta potential, BSA exhibited a lower binding affinity. The charge distribution across BSA monolayers was also studied via the colloidal deposition method using negatively charged fluorescent latex particles. Unexpectedly, the fluorescent latex particles adsorbed onto BSA monolayers, even when the effective zeta potential of BSA was negative. This phenomenon may originate from the heterogeneous charge distribution across BSA molecules.

Conformational behavior of fibrinogen on topographically modified polymer surfaces

The influence of topographical surface features at the submicron scale on the structural changes in the surface-adsorbed fibrinogen was investigated on poly(lactic-co-glycolic-acid) (PLGA) films. Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was employed in this study for the induced conformational change of fibrinogen over various adsorption times, while the adsorption kinetics of fibrinogen was quantified by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). When a PLGA surface is modified topographically, the adsorbed fibrinogen undergoes less conformational change when compared to adsorption on the pristine PLGA surface. The extent of conformational change is related to platelet adhesion. Reduced thrombogenicity was demonstrated by the higher ratios of alpha-helix to beta-turn and beta-sheet to beta-turn structures on the topographic PLGA film, which suggests that topographical manipulation of surfaces is a viable approach to influence the thrombogenicity of surfaces.

The positive influence of electrochemical cyclic potentiodynamic passivation (CPP) of a SS316LS surface on its response to fibronectin and pre-osteoblasts

The influence of an electrochemical surface passivation technique (cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, CPP) on the physico-chemical surface properties of SS316LS and its subsequent response to fibronectin (Fn) and pre-osteoblasts were investigated. Contact angle and zeta-potential measurements showed that the CPP-modified surface is more hydrophilic and more positively charged than the unmodified surface. Polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) was used to investigate the interaction of Fn with both surfaces. The saturated surface concentration of adsorbed Fn was higher on the CPP-modified surface. As well, significant changes were identified in the secondary structure of Fn adsorbed on both surfaces, in comparison to its native state. This data also indicated a higher degree of Fn unfolding on the CPP-modified surface. Cell studies indicated that the attachment, proliferation and morphology of pre-osteoblasts were significantly improved on the CPP-modified surface, which was attributed to the more open conformation of Fn on the CPP-modified surface. Thus, the CPP surface passivation method was demonstrated to yield a SS316LS surface of enhanced biocompatibility.

Structure of fibrinogen in electrolyte solutions derived from dynamic light scattering (DLS) and viscosity measurements

Bulk physicochemical properties of bovine plasma fibrinogen (Fb) in electrolyte solutions were characterized. These comprised determination of the diffusion coefficient (hydrodynamic radius), electrophoretic mobility, and isoelectric point (iep). The hydrodynamic radius of Fb for the ionic strength of 0.15 M was 12.7 nm for pH 7.4 (physiological conditions) and 12 nm for pH 9.5. Using these values, the number of uncompensated (electrokinetic) charges on the protein N(c) was calculated from the electrophoretic mobility data. It was found that for physiological condition (pH 7.4, I = 0.15), N(c) = -7.6. For pH 9.5 and I = 10(-2), N(c) = -26. On the other hand, N(c) became zero independent of the ionic strength at pH 5.8, which was identified as the iep. Consequently, for pH < 5.8, N(c) attained positive values, approaching 26 for lower ionic strength and pH 3.5. It was also found from the hydrodynamic diameter measurements that for a pH range close to the iep, that is, 4-7, the stability of Fb suspension was very low. These physicochemical characteristics were supplemented by dynamic viscosity measurements, carried out as a function of Fb bulk volume concentration, for various pH values. Using these experimental data the contour length of 80 nm was predicted for Fb molecules in electrolyte solutions. On the other hand, the effective length of the molecule was 53-55 nm for physiological conditions, which suggested a collapsed state of the terminal chains. However, for the range of pH outside the iep, its effective length increased to 65-68 nm. This was interpreted in terms of a significant unfolding of the terminal chains of Fb caused by electrostatic repulsion. The effective charge, contour length, and effective length data derived in this work seem to be the first of this type reported in the literature.

Characterization of globular protein solutions by dynamic light scattering, electrophoretic mobility, and viscosity measurements

In this work, physicochemical properties of two globular proteinsbovine serum albumin (BSA) having a molecular weight of 67 kDa and human serum albumin (HSA) having a molecular weight of 69 kDawere characterized. The bulk characteristics of these proteins involved the diffusion coefficient (hydrodynamic radius), electrophoretic mobility, and dynamic viscosity as a function of protein solution concentration for various pH values. The hydrodynamic radius data suggested an association of protein molecules, most probably forming compact dimers. Using the hydrodynamic diameter and the electropheretic mobility data allowed the determination of the number of uncompensated (electrokinetic) charges on protein surfaces. The electrophoretic mobility data were converted to zeta potential values, which allowed one to determine the isoelectric point (iep) of these proteins. It was found to be at pH 5.1 for both proteins, in accordance with previous experimental data and theoretical estimations derived from amino acid composition and p K values. To determine further the stability of protein solutions, dynamic viscosity measurements were carried out as a function of their bulk volume concentration for various pH values. The intrinsic viscosity derived from these measurements was interpreted in terms of the Brenner model, which is applicable to hard spheroidal particles. It was found that the experimental values of the intrinsic viscosity of these proteins were in good agreement with this model when assuming protein dimensions of 9.5 x 5 x 5 nm3 (prolate spheroid). The possibility of forming linear aggregates of association degree higher than 2 was excluded by these measurements. It was concluded that the combination of dynamic viscosity and dynamic light scattering can be exploited as a convenient tool for detecting not only the onset of protein aggregation in suspensions but also the form and composition of these aggregates.

PM-IRRAS Investigation of the Interaction of Serum Albumin and Fibrinogen with a Biomedical-Grade Stainless Steel 316LVM Surface

Polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) was applied to investigate the interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fibrinogen with a biomedical-grade 316LVM stainless steel surface, in terms of the adsorption thermodynamics and adsorption-induced secondary structure changes of the proteins. Highly negative apparent Gibbs energy of adsorption values revealed a spontaneous adsorption of both proteins onto the surface, accompanied by significant changes in their secondary structure. It was determined that, at saturated surface coverages, lateral interactions between the adsorbed BSA molecules induced rather extensive secondary structure changes. Fibrinogen's two coiled coils appeared to undergo negligible secondary structure changes upon adsorption of the protein, while large structural rearrangements of the protein's globular domains occurred upon adsorption. The secondary structure of adsorbed fibrinogen was not influenced by lateral interactions between the adsorbed fibrinogen molecules. PM-IRRAS was deemed to be viable for investigating protein adsorption and for obtaining information on adsorption-induced changes in their secondary structures.