[Electrochemical methods for biomedical investigations]

In the review, authors discussed recently published experimental data concerning highly sensitive electrochemical methods and technologies for biomedical investigations in the postgenomic era. Developments in electrochemical biosensors systems for the analysis of various bio objects are also considered: cytochrome P450s, cardiac markers, bacterial cells, the analysis of proteins based on electro oxidized amino acids as a tool for analysis of conformational events. The electroanalysis of catalytic activity of cytochromes P450 allowed developing system for screening of potential substrates, inhibitors or modulators of catalytic functions of this class of hemoproteins. The highly sensitive quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) immunosensor has been developed for analysis of bio affinity interactions of antibodies with troponin I in plasma. The QCM technique allowed real-time monitoring of the kinetic differences in specific interactions and nonspecific sorption, with out multiple labeling procedures and separation steps. The affinity binding process was characterized by the association (ka) and the dissociation (kd) kinetic constants and the equilibrium association (K) constant, calculated using experimental data. Based on the electroactivity of bacterial cells, the electrochemical system for determination of sensitivity of the microbial cells to antibiotics cefepime, ampicillin, amikacin, and erythromycin was proposed. It was shown that the minimally detectable cell number corresponds to 106 CFU per electrode. The electrochemical method allows estimating the degree of E.coli JM109 cells resistance to antibiotics within 2-5 h. Electrosynthesis of polymeric analogs of antibodies for myoglobin (molecularly imprinted polymer, MIP) on the surface of graphite screen-printed electrodes as sensor elements with o- phenylenediamine as the functional monomer was developed. Molecularly imprinted polymers demonstrate selective complementary binding of a template protein molecule (myoglobin) by the "key-lock" principle.

[Oligo(2'-O-methylribonucleotides) and their derivatives: III. 5'-mono- and 5'-bispyrenyl derivatives of oligo(2'-O-methylribonucleotides) and their 3'-modified analogues: synthesis and properties]

5'-Pyrenylmethylphosphoramidite and 5'-bispyrenylmethylphosphordiamidite derivatives of oligo(2'-O-methylribonucleotides) and their analogues with thymidine attached at their 3'-termini by a 3'-3'-phosphodiester internucleotide bond (inverted thymidine) were synthesized. The effect of the pyrene residue(s) on the thermal stability of duplexes of the modified oligonucleotides with RNA and DNA was studied. A possibility of detection of hybridization of 5'-mono- and 5'-bispyrenyl derivatives with RNA and DNA targets in solution was demonstrated according to the changes in fluorescence. 5'-Pyrenylmethylphosphoramidite derivatives of oligo(2'-O-methylribonucleotides) and their inverted analogues were shown to serve as sensitive probes for the detection of oligonucleotide substitutions in RNA and DNA by the method of thermal denaturation of the formed duplexes detected according to changes in their fluorescence.

Perfluoroarylazide derivatives of 2'-O-modified oligoribonucleotides: efficient reagents for RNA photomodification

Site-specific photomodification of the 5'-terminal fragment of MDR1 mRNA by perfluoroarylazide derivatives of 2'-O-modified (2'-O-methyl or 2'-O-tetrahydropyranyl) oligoribo- and oligodeoxyribonucleotides was investigated. The conjugates built of 2'-O-modified oligoribonucleotides demonstrate beneficial features compared with their deoxyribo analogs: the extent of RNA modification by 2'-O-modified oligoribonucleotides and oligodeoxyribonucleotide conjugates was 40- 50% and 20%, respectively.

New photoreactive oligoribonucleotide conjugates: hybridization and modification assays

An evaluation of hybridization and modification abilities of new types of photoactivatable oligoribonucleotide conjugates bearing p-azidotetrafluorobenzamide group at the N4 of cytosine is presented.

Oligoribonucleotides with functionalized nucleobases as new modifiers of biopolymers

Synthesis and evaluation of hybridization and modification abilities of the new types of photoactivatable oligoribonucleotide conjugates are presented.