Surface-bound lipid vesicles encapsulating redox species for amperometric biosensing of pore-forming bacterial toxins

High-Performance All-Inorganic CsPbCl3 Perovskite Nanocrystal Photodetectors with Superior Stability

All-inorganic perovskites nanostructures, such as CsPbCl₃ nanocrystals (NCs), are promising in many applications including light-emitting diodes, photovoltaics, and photodetectors. Despite the impressive performance that was demonstrated, a critical issue remains due to the instability of the perovskites in ambient. Herein, we report a method of passivating crystalline CsPbCl₃ NC surfaces with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), and superior ambient stability is achieved. The printing of these colloidal NCs on the channel of graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) on solid Si/SiO₂ and flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates was carried out to obtain CsPbCl₃ NCs/GFET heterojunction photodetectors for flexible and visible-blind ultraviolet detection at wavelength below 400 nm. Besides ambient stability, the additional benefits of passivating surface charge trapping by the defects on CsPbCl₃ NCs and facilitating high-efficiency charge transfer between the CsPbCl₃ NCs and graphene were provided by MPA. Extraordinary optoelectronic performance was obtained on the CsPbCl₃ NCs/graphene devices including a high ultraviolet responsivity exceeding 10⁶ A/W, a high detectivity of 2 × 10¹³ Jones, a fast photoresponse time of 0.3 s, and ambient stability with less than 10% degradation of photoresponse after 2400 h. This result demonstrates the crucial importance of the perovskite NC surface passivation not only to the performance but also to the stability of the perovskite optoelectronic devices.

Responsive Polydiacetylene Vesicles for Biosensing Microorganisms

Polydiacetylene (PDA) inserted in films or in vesicles has received increasing attention due to its property to undergo a blue-to-red colorimetric transition along with a change from non-fluorescent to fluorescent upon application of various stimuli. In this review paper, the principle for the detection of various microorganisms (bacteria, directly detected or detected through the emitted toxins or through their DNA, and viruses) and of antibacterial and antiviral peptides based on these responsive PDA vesicles are detailed. The analytical performances obtained, when vesicles are in suspension or immobilized, are given and compared to those of the responsive vesicles mainly based on the vesicle encapsulation method. Many future challenges are then discussed.

Bioinspired Assemblies and Plasmonic Interfaces for Electrochemical Biosensing

Electrochemical biosensing represents a collection of techniques that may be utilized for capture and detection of biomolecules in both simple and complex media. While the instrumentation and technological aspects play important roles in detection capabilities, the interfacial design aspects are of equal importance, and often, those inspired by nature produce the best results. This review highlights recent material designs, recognition schemes, and method developments as they relate to targeted electrochemical analysis for biological systems. This includes the design of electrodes functionalized with peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipid membranes, along with nanoparticle mediated signal amplification mechanisms. The topic of hyphenated surface plasmon resonance assays is also discussed, as this technique may be performed concurrently with complementary and/or confirmatory measurements. Together, smart materials and experimental designs will continue to pave the way for complete biomolecular analyses of complex and technically challenging systems.

Reconstitution of cholesterol-dependent vaginolysin into tethered phospholipid bilayers: implications for bioanalysis

Functional reconstitution of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin vaginolysin (VLY) from Gardnerella vaginalis into artificial tethered bilayer membranes (tBLMs) has been accomplished. The reconstitution of VLY was followed in real-time by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Changes of the EIS parameters of the tBLMs upon exposure to VLY solutions were consistent with the formation of water-filled pores in the membranes. It was found that reconstitution of VLY is a strictly cholesterol-dependent, irreversible process. At a constant cholesterol concentration reconstitution of VLY occurred in a concentration-dependent manner, thus allowing the monitoring of VLY concentration and activity in vitro and opening possibilities for tBLM utilization in bioanalysis. EIS methodology allowed us to detect VLY down to 0.5 nM (28 ng/mL) concentration. Inactivation of VLY by certain amino acid substitutions led to noticeably lesser tBLM damage. Pre-incubation of VLY with the neutralizing monoclonal antibody 9B4 inactivated the VLY membrane damage in a concentration-dependent manner, while the non-neutralizing antibody 21A5 exhibited no effect. These findings demonstrate the biological relevance of the interaction between VLY and the tBLM. The membrane-damaging interaction between VLY and tBLM was observed in the absence of the human CD59 receptor, known to strongly facilitate the hemolytic activity of VLY. Taken together, our study demonstrates the applicability of tBLMs as a bioanalytical platform for the detection of the activity of VLY and possibly other cholesterol-dependent cytolysins.

Bacterial toxin-triggered drug release from gold nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes for the treatment of bacterial infection

We report a new approach to selectively deliver antimicrobials to the sites of bacterial infections by utilizing bacterial toxins to activate drug release from gold nanoparticle-stabilized phospholipid liposomes. The binding of chitosan-modified gold nanoparticles to the surface of liposomes can effectively prevent them from fusing with one another and from undesirable payload release in regular storage or physiological environments. However, once these protected liposomes "see" bacteria that secrete toxins, the toxins will insert into the liposome membranes and form pores, through which the encapsulated therapeutic agents are released. The released drugs subsequently impose antimicrobial effects on the toxin-secreting bacteria. Using methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as a model bacterium and vancomycin as a model anti-MRSA antibiotic, we demonstrate that the synthesized gold nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes can completely release the encapsulated vancomycin within 24 h in the presence of MRSA bacteria and lead to inhibition of MRSA growth as effective as an equal amount of vancomycin-loaded liposomes (without nanoparticle stabilizers) and free vancomycin. This bacterial toxin enabled drug release from nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes provides a new, safe, and effective approach for the treatment of bacterial infections. This technique can be broadly applied to treat a variety of infections caused by bacteria that secrete pore-forming toxins.

Electrochemical characterization of pore formation by bacterial protein toxins on hybrid supported membranes

The interaction of pore-forming streptolysin O (SLO) with biomimetic lipid membranes has been studied by electrochemical methods. Phosphatidylcholine lipid vesicles were deposited onto gold electrodes modified with supporting layers of hexyl thioctate (HT) or thioctic acid tri(ethylene glycol) ester (TA-TEGE), and integrity and permeability of the resulting membranes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. Both positively and negatively charged electrochemical probes, potassium ferrocyanide, hexaammineruthenium(III) chloride, and ferrocene carboxylic acid (FCA), were employed to evaluate their suitability to probe the membrane permeability properties, with FCA exhibiting ideal behavior and thus employed throughout the work. Fusion of vesicles incubated with SLO on the electrodes yielded membranes that showed a distinctive response pattern for FCA as a function of SLO concentration. A direct dependence of both the currents and peak separation of FCA in the cyclic voltammograms was observed over a concentration range of 0-10 hemolytic units (HU)/microL of the toxin. The interaction of SLO with preformed supported lipid membranes was also investigated, and much lower response was observed, suggesting a different extent of membrane-toxin interactions on such an interface. Nonionic surfactant Triton was found to disrupt the vesicle structure but could not completely remove a preformed membrane to fully restore the electrode response. The information reported here offers some unique insight into toxin-surface interactions on a hybrid membrane, facilitating the development of electrochemically based sensing platforms for detecting trace amounts of bacterial toxins via the perforation process.

Attachment and phospholipase A2-induced lysis of phospholipid bilayer vesicles to plasma-polymerized maleic anhydride/SiO2 multilayers

This article describes a method by which intact vesicles can be chemically attached to hydrolyzed maleic anhydride films covalently bound to plasma-polymerized SiO2 on Au substrates. Surface plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS) combined with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) was used to monitor the activation of plasma-deposited maleic anhydride (pp-MA) film with EDC/NHS and the subsequent coupling of lipid vesicles. The vesicles were formed from a mixture of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipids, with a water-soluble fluorophore encapsulated within. Vesicle attachment was measured in real time on plasma films formed under different pulse conditions (plasma duty cycle). Optimum vesicle attachment was observed on the pp-MA films containing the highest density of maleic anhydride groups. Phospholipase A2 was used to lyse the surface-bound vesicles and to release the encapsulated fluorophore.

Atomic force microscopy observation of highly arrayed phospholipid bilayer vesicle on a gold surface

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) imaging of a phospholipid bilayer vesicle (liposome) immobilized on a gold surface was performed to investigate morphologies of the electrode surfaces produced through application of three different sample preparation methods. We compared both methods from a morphological viewpoint using TM-AFM images. Liposomes, composed of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids, were prepared by extrusion. Results indicate that the surface with immobilized L1-liposome, which was fabricated by the amino coupling method, seemed to form large amounts of aggregated or fused liposomes. In contrast, L2-liposome-containing 1-octadecanthiol that was directly attached on the gold surface using thiol-gold binding force was immobilized as a uniform surface topology without liposome aggregation. Finally, we attempted to arrange individual L3-liposome, prepared by mixing zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids, onto the gold layer by electron-beam (e-beam) lithography technique. A third method, L3-liposome formation on the sensor surface, is greatly anticipated for biosensor applications.

Nanometre-sized molecular oxygen sensors prepared from polymer stabilized phospholipid vesicles

Nanometre-sized, chemically-stabilized phospholipid vesicle sensors have been developed for detection of dissolved molecular oxygen. Sensors were prepared by forming 150 nm phospholipid vesicles from 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) or DOPC doped with small (<1%) mole percentages of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanol amine-N-(7-nitro-2-1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl) (NBD-PE). Sensors were stabilized via cross-linking polymerization of hydrophobic methacrylate monomers partitioned into the hydrophobic interior of the DOPC bilayer. The resultant unilamellar, nanometre-sized, polymer-lipid vesicles are spherical, biocompatible and protect sensing components that are loaded into the aqueous interior of the vesicle from interfering species in the exterior environment. For O(2) detection, the oxygen-sensitive fluorescent dye, tris(1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II) chloride (Ru(phen)(3)) was encapsulated into the aqueous interior of the polymerized phospholipid vesicle. NBD-PE was introduced into the phospholipid bilayer of the sensor as a reference dye, allowing ratiometric sensors to be constructed. The resultant sensors show high sensitivity, excellent reversibility and excellent linearity over a physiological range of dissolved oxygen concentrations. These results suggest that polymerized phospholipid vesicle sensors can be used for monitoring intracellular O(2) dynamics.

Spontaneous Immobilization of Liposomes on Electron-Beam Exposed Resist Surfaces

We have found an interesting immobilization technique of liposomes on electron-beam exposed resist surfaces. The immobilized liposomes have been visualized by the atomic force microscope and have shown well-organized three-dimensional physical structures, in which the liposomes maintain their shapes and sizes similar to those of the original design in prepared solution. The immobilization is based on a strong static charge interaction between the resist surface and the liposomes. Further experiments show that very strong charge in the surfaces produces the firm immobilization of the liposome. We believe these findings can be related to various liposome applications such as drug delivery system, electrochemical or biosensors, and nanoscale membrane function studies.