Boronate‐Affinity Glycan‐Oriented Surface Imprinting: A New Strategy to Mimic Lectins for the Recognition of an Intact Glycoprotein and Its Characteristic Fragments

Lectins possess unique binding properties and are of particular value in molecular recognition. However, lectins suffer from several disadvantages, such as being hard to prepare and showing poor storage stability. Boronate‐affinity glycan‐oriented surface imprinting was developed as a new strategy for the preparation of lectin‐like molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The prepared MIPs could specifically recognize an intact glycoprotein and its characteristic fragments, even within a complex sample matrix. Glycan‐imprinted MIPs could thus prove to be powerful tools for important applications such as proteomics, glycomics, and diagnostics.     

A Boronate Affinity Sandwich Assay: An Appealing Alternative to Immunoassays for the Determination of Glycoproteins

Immunoassay has been an essential tool in many areas, including clinical diagnostics. However, it suffers from drawbacks, such as poor availability of high specificity antibodies, limited stability of biological reagents, as well as damage to health and susceptibility of chemical labels to the sample environment. Here we present a new approach, a boronate‐affinity sandwich assay (BASA), for the specific and sensitive determination of trace glycoproteins in complex samples. BASA relies on the formation of sandwiches between boronate‐affinity molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), target glycoproteins, and boronate‐affinity surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes. The MIP ensures the specificity, while the SERS detection provides the sensitivity. BASA overcomes the drawbacks of traditional immunoassays and offers a great prospect for application.     

Boronate Affinity–Molecularly Imprinted Biocompatible Probe: An Alternative for Specific Glucose Monitoring

A biocompatible probe for specific glucose recognition is based on photoinitiated boronate affinity–molecular imprinted polymers (BA‐MIPs). The unique pre‐self‐assembly between glucose and boronic acids creates glucose‐specific memory cavities in the BA‐MIPs coating. As a result, the binding constant toward glucose was enhanced by three orders of magnitude. The BA‐MIPs probe was applied to glucose determination in serum and urine and implanted into plant tissues for low‐destructive and long‐term in vivo continuous glucose monitoring.     

分子印迹技术用于模拟酶及分子反应器的研究进展

分子印迹技术是制备特异性分子识别材料的新技术. 分子印迹聚合物(Molecularly-imprinted polymer, MIP)具有可同酶相媲美的选择性识别能力, 能够催化手性及区域选择性的反应, 是一种新型的分子反应器; 同时MIP具有良好的化学和物理稳定性, 因而在替代酶用于某些苛刻条件下的催化反应方面有良好的应用前景. 就近年来利用MIP模拟酶催化有机合成反应, 以及利用MIP作为分子反应器反面的研究进展进行了综述.     

Molecular Imprinting of Cyclodextrin Supramolecular Hydrogels Improves Drug Loading and Delivery

Cyclodextrin‐based controlled delivery materials have previously been developed for controlled release of different therapeutic drugs. In this study, a supramolecular hydrogel made from cyclodextrin‐based macromonomers is subjected to molecular imprinting to investigate the impact on release kinetics and drug loading, when compared with non‐imprinted, or alternately imprinted hydrogels. Mild synthesis conditions are used to molecularly imprint three antibiotics—novobiocin, rifampicin, and vancomycin—and to test two different hydrogel chemistries. The release profile and drug loading of the molecularly imprinted hydrogels are characterized using ultraviolet spectroscopy over a period of 35 days and compared to non‐imprinted, and alternately imprinted hydrogels. While only modest differences are observed in the release rate of the antibiotics tested, a substantial difference is observed in the total drug‐loading amount possible for hydrogels releasing drugs which has been templated by those drugs. Hydrogels releasing drugs which are templated by other drugs do not show improved release or loading. Analysis by FTIR does not show substantial incorporation of drug into the polymer. Lastly, bioactivity assays confirmed long‐term stability and release of incorporated antibiotics.     

The Technique of Molecular Imprinting – Principle, State of the Art, and Future Aspects

Molecular imprinting has gained increasing research interest during the past few years. In this overview we would like to explain to the readers how a seemingly simple concept can eventually lead to useful applications in several areas. The main focus will be on the present state of the art of molecular imprinting, as several breakthroughs have occurred since most reviews by us and other groups have been written. In the last part of this article we would like to discuss future developments in the area of molecular imprinting.     

Molecularly Imprinted Multi‐Layer Core‐Shell Nanoparticles – A Surface Grafting Approach

Surface initiated living‐radical polymerization (SIP) based on dithiocarbamate iniferters has been used to create molecularly imprinted core‐shell (CS) nanoparticles. Using this approach, propranolol, morphine and naproxen have been successfully imprinted in particle shells (the latter could not be imprinted using conventional aqueous‐based CS methods). Rebinding properties of the imprinted particles appear to be similar to those made by alternative methods. The living radical initiation mechanism makes it possible to build complex multi‐layer particles sequentially. As a demonstration, multi‐layer propranolol‐imprinted particles were generated. Two additional functional shells were grown over the imprinted shell, while the propranolol binding was retained, albeit at a reduced level.

     

A Programmable Signaling Molecular Recognition Nanocavity Prepared by Molecular Imprinting and Post‐Imprinting Modifications

Inspired by biosystems, a process is proposed for preparing next‐generation artificial polymer receptors with molecular recognition abilities capable of programmable site‐directed modification following construction of nanocavities to provide multi‐functionality. The proposed strategy involves strictly regulated multi‐step chemical modifications: 1) fabrication of scaffolds by molecular imprinting for use as molecular recognition fields possessing reactive sites for further modifications at pre‐determined positions, and 2) conjugation of appropriate functional groups with the reactive sites by post‐imprinting modifications to develop programmed functionalizations designed prior to polymerization, allowing independent introduction of multiple functional groups. The proposed strategy holds promise as a reliable, affordable, and versatile approach, facilitating the emergence of polymer‐based artificial antibodies bearing desirable functions that are beyond those of natural antibodies.     

Semi‐Covalent Surface Molecular Imprinting of Polymers by One‐Stage Mini‐emulsion Polymerization: Glucopyranoside as a Model Analyte

This paper describes a new type of surface imprinting technique that combines the advantages of both the semi‐covalent approach and one‐stage miniemulsion polymerization. This process has been successfully applied for the preparation of glucose surface‐imprinted nanoparticles. The selective artificial receptors for glucopyranoside were fully characterized by IR, TEM and BET analyses, and their molecular recognition abilities by binding experiments carried out in batch processes. The molecular affinity and selectivity of the glucose molecularly imprinted polymers were accurately quantified. These characteristics are essential for verification of the efficiency of the developed surface imprinting process. The imprinting effect was clearly demonstrated using the batch rebinding method. We have found that the glucose imprinted polymers produced using the optimized one‐stage mini‐emulsion exhibited quite fast kinetics of binding and equilibration with glucopyranoside templates, compared to polymers prepared by bulk polymerization technique, as well as extremely low levels of unspecific bindings. We also demonstrated that glucose molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) exhibited very good selectivity for its original template compared to other glycopyranoside derivatives, such as galactose. Finally, the extraction of the binding properties from isotherms of binding by fitting to the bi‐Langmuir and Freundlich models allowed the determination of the affinity constant distribution of the binding sites. This imprinting protocol allowed the determination of an affinity constant (K_D), involving exclusively H‐bonding interactions, for the glucose MIP ( P2C ) with the best template 1 , in CH₃CN as the solvent system.

     

分子烙印亲和色谱与质谱联用实现中草药活性成分分离鉴定一体化

以骆驼蓬种籽中抗肿瘤活性化合物哈尔明及哈马灵的结构类似物哈尔满作为模 板,用非共价键法制备了对哈尔明及哈马灵具有强亲和性的分子烙印聚合物。此分 子烙印聚合物作为液相色谱固定相与大气压电离飞行时间质谱联用,直接分离鉴定 了草药骆驼蓬种籽甲醇粗提物中所含的哈尔明及哈灵两种抗肿瘤活性成分。实验结 果证明了通过分子烙印亲和色谱与质谱联用方法,快速有效地对中草药活性成分分 离鉴定是可能是。     

A phosphotyrosine-imprinted polymer receptor for the recognition of tyrosine phosphorylated peptides

Hyperphosphorylation at tyrosine is commonly observed in tumor proteomes and, hence, specific phosphoproteins or phosphopeptides could serve as markers useful for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. The analysis of such targets is, however, a challenging task, because of their commonly low abundance and the lack of robust and effective preconcentration techniques. As a robust alternative to the commonly used immunoaffinity techniques that rely on phosphotyrosine(pTyr)-specific antibodies, we have developed an epitope-imprinting strategy that leads to a synthetic pTyr-selective imprinted polymer receptor. The binding site incorporates two monourea ligands placed by preorganization around a pTyr dianion template. The tight binding site displayed good binding affinities for the pTyr template, in the range of that observed for corresponding antibodies, and a clear preference for pTyr over phosphoserine (pSer). In further analogy to the antibodies, the imprinted polymer was capable of capturing short tyrosine phosphorylated peptides in the presence of an excess of their non-phosphorylated counterparts or peptides phosphorylated at serine.     

An Unexpected Molecular Imprinting Effect for a Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon,Anthracene, Using Uniform Size Ethylene Dimethacrylate Particles

A non-covalent type of molecular imprinting effect toward a polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), viz. anthracene, was studied utilizing uniformly sized ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) polymer particles without functional host monomers. Although polymerization at 0°C initiated by a redox initiation system was expected to afford larger molecular imprinting effect due to stronger and more effective intermolecular interaction between the template and surface functional groups of the polymer, almost no imprinting effect was observed, while a much higher polymerization temperature of 70°C unexpectedly afforded a larger molecular imprinting effect for the template anthracene. In order to determine the unexpected imprinting effects observed, uniformly sized, macroporous un-imprinting EDMA polymer particles (base particles) were prepared by various polymerization techniques at different polymerization temperature as well as with different initiation systems. The careful studies proved that each kind of base polymer particle showed different molecular recognition ability, especially toward anthracene, which is depends upon the physical properties of each kind of base polymer particle. On the basis of these facts, we would propose that the potential molecular recognition ability of the un-imprinted base polymer particles is another important factor for realization of effective molecular imprinting alongside the factors reported previously.     

手性拆分l-脯氨酸分子印迹聚合物的制备及其性能

以壳聚糖(CTS)为功能基体,以L-脯氨酸(L-Pro)为模板分子,采用分子印迹技术,在水溶液中合成了在空间结构和结合位点上与L-脯氨酸匹配的分子印迹聚合物(L-Pro-M IPs)。利用红外、扫描电镜和热失重分析,对相关化合物进行了表征,并对合成机理进行初步探索;通过对pH值、反应时间、交联剂用量的调节,获得最佳的反应条件为:制备壳聚糖-L-脯氨酸复合物的pH=10.7,干复合物1.0 g,交联剂8 mL,室温下反应18 h。结果表明,在水相中,L-Pro-M IPs对L-Pro具有良好的吸附选择性和高效分离特性,分离因子为4.67。     

Molecular Imprinting in Sol-Gel Materials: Recent Developments and Applications

Since its inception five decades ago, imprinted sol-gel materials went practically unnoticed, until in the 1970s the conceptual introduction of molecular imprinting in synthetic polymers triggered a new interest in this field. The recent growth in interest in organic–inorganic hybrid materials prepared by sol-gel chemistry and the development of a variety of new strategies for imprinting polymeric matrices have led to a growing activity in what became known as molecularly imprinted sol-gel materials. This paper intends to give an overview of recent progress in molecular imprinting in sol-gel matrices, the potential analytical applications of these tailor-made materials and their limitations, with the aim of drawing attention to useful information and to enhancing interest in this practically unexplored but promising field.     

A Pretreatment‐Free,Polymer‐Based Platform Prepared by Molecular Imprinting and Post‐Imprinting Modifications for Sensing Intact Exosomes

Exosomes are small (30–100 nm) membrane vesicles that serve as regulatory agents for intercellular communication in cancers. Currently, exosomes are detected by immuno‐based assays with appropriate pretreatments like ultracentrifugation and are time consuming (>12 h). We present a novel pretreatment‐free fluorescence‐based sensing platform for intact exosomes, wherein exchangeable antibodies and fluorescent reporter molecules were aligned inside exosome‐binding cavities. Such antibody‐containing fluorescent reporter‐grafted nanocavities were prepared on a substrate by well‐designed molecular imprinting and post‐imprinting modifications to introduce antibodies and fluorescent reporter molecules only inside the binding nanocavities, enabling sufficiently high sensitivity to detect intact exosomes without pretreatment. The effectiveness of the system was demonstrated by using it to discriminate between normal exosomes and those originating from prostate cancer and analyze exosomes in tear drops.     

Designing Molecular Printboards: A Photolithographic Platform for Recodable Surfaces

A light induced strategy for the design of β‐cyclodextrin (CD) based supramolecular devices is introduced, presenting a novel tool to fabricate multifunctional biointerfaces. Precision photolithography of a modified β‐CD was established on a light sensitive tetrazole surface immobilized on a bioinspired polydopamine (PDA) anchor layer via various shadow masks, as well as via direct laser writing (DLW), in order to craft any desired printboard design. Interfacial molecular recognition provided by light generated cavitate domains was demonstrated via spatially resolved encoding, erasing, and recoding of distinct supramolecular guest patterns. Thus, the light directed shaping of receptor monolayers introduces a powerful path to control supramolecular assemblies on various surfaces.