A highly sensitive ＂turn-on＂ fluorescent probe for bovine serum albumin protein detection and quantification based on AIE-active distyrylanthracene derivative

A sulfonated 9,10-distyrylanthracene derivative with aggregation-induced emission （AIE） property is designed and synthesized. It shows a highly sensitive and selective fluorescence enhancement property for bovine serum albumin （BSA） protein detection and quantification. Analysis on the interaction between the probe molecule and BSA reveals the essential role of the hydrophobic cavities of the protein folding structure.     

Fabrication,structure and surface charges of albumin-chitosan hybrids

Protein-polymer hybrids consisting of protein and natural polymers or synthetic polymers exhibit superior properties to unmodified proteins,generating a high demand for these materials in the fields of medicine,biotechnology,and nanotechnology.Herein,protein-polysaccharide hybrids were fabricated via the formation of an amide bond between bovine serum albumin(BSA) and chitosan(CS) using N-ethyl-N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride(EDC) as the couple reagent.FTIR spectrum reveals that the carboxyl group of BSA conjugated with the amino group of chitosan backbone.The molecular weight of BSA-CS hybrids was identified by matrix-associated laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectra(MALDI-TOF MS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE).The maximum number of chitosan chains binding to each BSA molecule was estimated as 6,and the optimal number was estimated as 2.In addition,the secondary structure and surface property of BSA were dependent upon the number of polymer conjugating on protein.The secondary structure of BSA was not significantly changed,if a few chitosans were coupled with BSA.By further increasing the molar ratio of chitosan to BSA,the secondary structure of BSA was markedly damaged.The surface’s negative charges of modified BSA also decreased.The result of native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(native-PAGE) also demonstrated the changes in surface charges and molecular weight of BSA-CS hybrids.     

Studies on Surface Properties and Cell Adhesion Properties of BSA Modified DBM Scaffold

As a scaffold material for bone tissue engineering, demineralized bone matrix(DBM) has such a limited ability to load cells and growth factors that the surface of the DBM scaffold was modified with bovine serum albumin(BSA) with different concentrations to improve the protein stmcture and physicochemical properties of the scaffold surface so as to enhance the adhesion of the cells. And the appropriate BSA concentration was explored. Compared with DBM, the scaffold with BSA coating had a smaller pore size and a lower porosity, also, the degradation rate was accelerated and the hydrophilic property was improved. Cells adhesion was observed inside the DBM seaffold before and after it had been modified, and the BSA modified scaffold had a good cell compatibility. Wlien the concentration of BSA was 20 mg/mL, the adhesion ability of the cells to modified scaffold was significantly increased, and the cell proliferation was facilitated.     

Multilayers and poly(allylamine hydrochloride)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) modified bovine serum albumin nanoparticles: Improved stability and pH-responsive drug delivery

To improve the colloidal stability of bovine serum albumin(BSA) nanoparticles(NPs) in diverse mediums, poly(allylamine hydrochloride)(PAH)/sodium poly(4-styrene sulfonate)(PSS) multilayers and poly(allylamine hydrochloride)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol)(PAH-g-PEG) coating were coated on the surface of BSA NPs.Stabilities of the BSA NPs in diverse mediums with different surfaces were detected by dynamic light scattering(DLS).Multilayers and PAH-g-PEG coated BSA NPs can be well dispersed in various mediums with a narrow polydispersity index(PDI).The BSA NPs with the highest surface density of PEG show the best stability.The multilayers and PAH-g-PEG coating do not deter the pH-dependent loading and release property of BSA NPs.At pH 9,the encapsulation efficiency of doxorubicin reaches almost 99%,and the release rate at pH 5.5 is significantly higher than that at pH 7.4.     

Studies on the Phenylfluorone-Mo(Ⅵ) Complex as Interacting Mode Spectroscopic Probe of Protein in OP Microemulsion Medium

The application of phenylfluorone (PF)-Mo(VI) complex as a spectroscopic probe is studied. In the presence of OP microemulsion at pH 3.04, PF-Mo(Ⅵ) complex combines protein rapidly to form a stable compound and the absorbance at 527 nm is in proportion to the concentration of protein in the range 0-16 μg mL-1 for bovine serum albumin (BSA). OP microemuslion media is introduced into protein determination, it has increased markedly the sensitivity of the system. The molar absorption coefficient was 5.98×l06 L mol-1 cm-1 for BSA. The assay, with sensitivity, simplicity and tolerance to many foreign substances, is applied to the determination of protein in samples with satisfactory results. Moreover, the binding number of BSA with the complex, which is determined by molar ratio and slope ratio methods, is in good agreement.     

Fabrication of hollow porous PLGA microspheres for controlled protein release and promotion of cell compatibility

This letter reports on the fabrication of hollow,porous and non-porous poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres(MSs) for the controlled release of protein and promotion of cell compatibility of tough hydrogels.PLGA MSs with different structures were prepared with modified double emulsion methods,using bovine serum albumin(BSA) as a porogen during emulsification.The release of the residual BSA from PLGA MSs was investigated as a function of the MS structure.The hollow PLGA MSs show a faster protein release than the porous MSs,while the non-porous MSs have the slowest protein release.Compositing the PLGA MSs with poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) hydrogels promoted chondrocyte adhesion and proliferation on the hydrogels.     

APPLICATION OF NONIONIC TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE HYDROGEL FOR CONCENTRATION OF PROTEIN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

Six different N-alkyl substituted acrylarnide nonionic hydrogels were prepared and their swelling characteristics were measured. Poly N-isopropyl acrylamide (PNIPA) and poly N-n-propyl-acrylamide (PNNPA) temperature sensitive hydrogels were chosen as the nonionic temperature sensitive hydrogels for concentration of very dilute aqueous protein solution. The separation properties of PNIPA and PNNPA hydr0gels with different network dimensions were studied and the modification of the hydrogels was surveyed in order to decrease their surface adsorption of protein molecules. The experimental results of the concentration of BSA (Bovin serum albumin) dilute aqueous solution by hydroxylpropyl methacrylate (HPMA) copolymerized PNIPA hydrogel were given. The value and the limitation of concentration of dilute aqueous protein solution by this method was evaluated.     

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF MICROPOROUS POLYPROPYLENE MEMBRANES BY GRAFT POLYMERIZATION OF N,N-DIMETHYLAMINOETHYL METHACRYLATE

Surface modification of microporous polypropylene hollow fiber membranes was performed by radical-induced graft polymerization of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). The influences of temperature, monomer concentration and pre-adsorbed amount of benzoyl peroxide on grafting degree were studied respectively. It was found that the appropriate graft temperature was 75℃, at which the grafting degree was the highest and the hydrolytic decomposition of DMAEMA the lowest. Scanning electron photomicrography and the average pore diameters of the modified membranes demonstrated that part of the micropores on the membrane surface was plugged by the grafted polyDMAEMA chains, especially at high grafting degree. Contact angle and water swelling experiments showed that a moderate grafting degree could improve the hydrophilicity of the membranes. In the range of I 1.3%o-12.0% grafting degree, the water swelling percentage reached its maximum (51.1%) and the contact angle reached its minimum (74 degrees). The bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption experiment indicated that the grafted polyDMAEMA had a dual effect on protein adsorption. At the first stage, the BSA adsorption decreased with increasing of DMAEMA grafting degree. As the interaction between BSA and polyDMAEMA on membrane surface increased, the BSA adsorption increased with increasing of DMAEMA grafting degree.     

Surface plasmon resonance sensor chips for the recognition of bovine serum albumin via electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymers

In this paper,a surface plasmon resonance(SPR)sensor chip for detection of bovine serum album(BSA)was prepared by electropolymerization of 3-aminophenylboronic acid(3-APBA)based on molecularly imprinted polymer(MIP)technique.The surface morphology of MIP and non-imprinted(NIP)flms were characterized by scanning electroscopy(SEM).SEM images exhibited nanoscale cavities formed on the MIP films surface homogeneously due to the removal of BSA templates.The effects of pH,ion strength of rebinding BSA,the specific binding and selective recognition were studied for MIP films.Results indicated that the BSA-imprinted films exhibited a good adsorption of template protein(0.02–0.8 mg/mL)in0.05 mol/L sodium phosphate buffer at pH 5.0 with the limit of detection(LOD)of 0.02 mg/mL.     

Effect of bovine serum albumin on the micellization of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers in aqueous solutions by fluorescence spectroscopy

Effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the temperature-dependent association behavior of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymers was investigated using pyrene fluorescence spectroscopy. The critical micellization temperature (CMT) of pluronics in aqueous solution was increased by the addition of BSA. A closed association model was used to obtain the standard free energies (△G0), enthalpies (△H 0), and entropies (△S 0) of micellization. The standard enthalpy and entropy of micellization for pluronic polymers in water were decreased with an increase of the BSA content. The more PPO component in the pluronic polymer, the higher the changed values of micellization enthalpy and entropy. The hydrophobic part of the pluronics, PPO, was responsible for the interaction between pluronics and BSA. Hydrophobic interaction between PPO and BSA was correlated to the alternation of the PPO-PPO interaction by the addition of BSA, which would shift the CMT toward higher temperature and alter the thermodynamic parameters of micellization for pluronics in aqueous solutions.     

Interaction between Janus Green B and bovine serum albumin:Electrochemistry and spectroscopy studies

In this study,voltammetric and spectroscopic investigation of the interaction between Janus Green B(JGB) and bovine serum albumin(BSA) was reported.The interaction was observed at Britton-Robinson buffer(pH 7.0).When JGB was added to solution containing BSA,the peak currents of BSA decrease with the increasing of JGB concentrations which is due to the interaction of JGB and BSA.The binding constant of JGB with BSA was obtained by voltammetric data.Also,this interaction was supported by means of UV-vis spectroscopic measurements.The UV-vis absorption spectra of JGB in the presence of BSA decrease with the increasing of BSA concentrations.     

Antioxidant activity of bovine serum albumin binding amino acid Schiff-bases metal complexes

Glutamic acid-salicylaldehyde Schiff-base metal complexes are bound into bovine serum albumin (BSA),which afforded BSA binding Schiff-base metal complexes (BSA-SalGluM,M=Cu,Co,Ni,Zn).The BSA binding metal complexes were characterized by UV-vis spectra and Native PAGE.It showed that the protein structures of BSA kept after coordinating amino acid Schiff-bases metal complexes.The effect of the antioxidant activity was investigated.The results indicate that the antioxidant capacity of BSA increased more than 10 times after binding Schiff-base metal complexes.     

Determination of Protein via Resonance Light Scattering Technique with （NH4）2SO4

Be able to form large particles with protein via electrostatic force to enhance the intensity of resonance light scattering(RLS),(NH4)2SO4 was used as a RLS probe to determine bovine serum albumin(BSA),human serum albumin(HSA) and ovum albumin(OVA).The experimental conditions were investigated,including the acidity and saturation degree of (NH4)2SO4.Under the optimum conditions,the enhanced RLS intensity is proportional to the concentration of BSA,HSA and OVA in the ranges of 5×10-8―1×10-6,2.5×10-8―8×10-7 and 5×10-8―1.5×10-6 mol/L,respectively.The detection limits for BSA,HAS and OVA are 6.6×10-9,3.8×10-9 and 7.4×10-9 mol/L,respectively.The effects of foreign substances were also examined.The practical and synthetic samples were analyzed with satisfactory results.     

Non－decoloured In－gel Digestion of Coomassie Blue－stained Proteins

A simplified method is presented for tryptic digestion of Coomassie brilliant blue(CBB)-stained proteins in polyacrylamide gels. Compared with conventional methods, the proposed method does not require a re-moval of the dye before digestion, and is thus faster and saves a lot of labor. The resulted digest canbe ana-lyzed by either RPLC/ESIMS or MALDI MS for identification of the protein in a conventional way. Model studies with bovine serum albumin(BSA) showed that 50 ng of the protein could be routinely identified. The simplified procedure displays a tendency to produce more incompletely cleaved peptides, which is favorable for improving the sequence coverage.     

Enhancing hydrophilicity and protein resistance of silicone hydrogels by plasma induced grafting with hydrophilic polymers

<正>The hydrophilicity of silicone hydrogels used as soft corneal contact lens plays an important role in wearing comfort.In order to enhance hydrophilicity and protein resistance,silicone hydrogel membranes were modified by atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma(APGDP) induced surface graft polymerization of N-vinyl pyrrolidone(NVP) and poly(oligoethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate)(PEGMA) in this paper.XPS analysis demonstrated the success of graft polymerization of NVP and PEGMA onto the surface of silicone hydrogel membranes.The hydrophilicity of silicone hydrogels was characterized by the measurement of water contact angle(WCA).The result showed that NVP grafted silicone hydrogel has the WCA of about 68°and PEGMA grafted silicone hydrogel has the lowest WCA of about 62°,while the pristine silicone hydrogel is hydrophobic with the WCA of about 103°.Protein resistance of silicone hydrogels was investigated by the method of bicinchoninic acid assay using bovine serum albumin(BSA) as a model.It's found that the grafted silicone hydrogel has a significant improvement of protein resistance,and PEGMA grafting is more efficient for the reduction of protein adsorption than NVP grafting.The silicone hydrogel membranes grafted with NVP and PEGMA are good candidates of soft corneal contact lenses.     

Fabrication of Macroporous Protein-containing Films through the Reverse Emulsions Approach Featuring β-Cyclodextrin-conjugated PEG-PLGA Copolymers

A series of β-cyclodextrin-conjugated 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide-co-glycolide)(4-arm PEG-PLGA)copolymers were synthesized by a ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide and glycolide using 4-arm PEG as initiator,and then conjugated with mono(6-ethylenediamine-6-deoxy)- β-cyclodextrin(CDen) or ethylenediamino-bridged bis- β-CD(BCDen). The chemical structures of copolymers were confirmed by ~1H-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. The β-CD-conjugated PEG-PLGA formed stable reverse micelles due to the formation of β-CD and bovine serum albumin(BSA) inclusion complexation, which could accommodate BSA in the organic solvent with improved encapsulation efficiency. Moreover, we demonstrated a one-step approach to construct macroporous protein-containing films using these reverse micelles. The films with ordered pore arrays were directly prepared from reverse micelles. Interestingly, the protein was totally located in the whole matrix except for the pores.     

Molecular modeling and spectroscopic studies on the binding of guaiacol to human immunoglobulin

The fluorogenic property of guaiacol was exploited for the first time to analyze the interaction with target protein as a probe by molecular modeling, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Molecular docking was performed to reveal the possible binding mode or mechanism and suggested that guaiacol can strongly bind to human immu- noglobulin (HIgG). It is considered that guaiacol binds to HIgG mainly by a hydrophobic interaction and there are two hydrogen bond interactions between the drug and the residues LEU 80 and ASP 65, which is in good agreement with the results from the experimental thermodynamic parameters (the enthalpy change △H0 and the entropy change △S0 were calculated to be 65.55 kJ·mol-1 and 132.95 J·mol-1·K-1 according to the Vant’ Hoff equation). Data obtained by the fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that binding of guaiacol with HIgG leads to dramatic enhancement in the fluorescence emission intensity along with significant occurrence of efficient Frster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the residue of HIgG to the protein bound guaiacol. From the low value of fluorescence anisotropy (r = 0.06), it is argued that the probe molecule is located in the motionally unrestricted environment of the protein. The alterations of protein’s secondary structure in the presence of guaiacol in aqueous solution were quantitatively calculated by the evidences from FT-IR and CD spectroscopes.     

Bioactivated in vivo assembly(BIVA) peptide-tetraphenylethylene(TPE) probe with controllable assembled nanostructure for cell imaging

The emergence of fluorescent light-up molecular probe, which can specifically turn on their fluorescent in the presence of stimulation factors, has open up a new opportunity to advance biosensing and bioimaging. In this work, we designed and synthesized a peptide-AIE conjugate probe for cell imaging with controlled in situ assembled nanostructures. The modular designed probe is consisted of a selfassembled peptide-tetraphenylethene(TPE) motif, a fibroblast activation protein alpha(FAP-α)responsive motif, a hydrophilic motif and a targeting motif. The probe exhibits typically turn-on fluorescence property specifically triggered by FAP-α, which is a significant overexpressed membrane protein on pancreatic tumor cells. Interestingly, the peptide modified the TPE dramatically impacts the assembled nanostructure, which can be modulated by peptide sequences. As a result, the peptide FF(PhePhe) modification of TPE as the self-assembled motif provides a suitable balance of the probe with lightup property and nanofiber assembled structure in situ. Finally, our probe could effectively detect the FAP-α on tumor cells with high specificity. Meantime, the nanofibers in situ assembled on the surface of CAFs enhanced the probe accumulation and prolonged the retention for cell imaging. We envision that this study may inspire new insights into the design of nanostructure controlled AIE light-up bio-probe.     

REDUCING NONSELECTIVE PROTEIN ADSORPTION AND CELL ADHESION ON POLYACRYLONITRILE FILMS BY COPOLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLONITRILE WITH α-ALLYL GLUCOSIDE

In this work, the surface properties of novel sugar-containing polymers, α-allyl glucoside (AG)/acrylonitrile (AN)copolymers, were studied by contact angle, protein adsorption and cell adhesion measurements. It was found that the contactangle of the copolymer films decreased from 68° to 30° with the increase of AG content in the copolymer. The adsorptionamount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the adhesive macrophage onto the film surface also decreased significantly withincreasing α-allyl glucoside content from 0 to 42 wt% in the copolymer. These preliminary results reveal that both thehydrophilicity and the biocompatibility of polyacrylonitrile-based membranes could be improved by copolymerizing acrylonitrile with vinyl carbohydrates.     

2D-QSAR Studies on the Norcantharidin Analogues as Protein Phosphatase 1 and 2A Inhibitors

The Two-dimensional Quantitative Structure-activity Relationship(2D-QSAR) of a series of novel norcantharidin analogues,which exhibit inhibitory activities of protein phosphatase 1 and 2A(PP1 and PP2A),has been studied with a combined method of ab initio(HF),molecular mechanics(MM+) and statistics.The established 2D-QSAR model(Eq.1) for PP1 shows a reasonable regressive performance(R2 = 0.749),and the hydrophobic property of this molecule plays a decisive role in determining the inhibitory activity of PP1.In addition,the established 2D-QSAR model(Eq.2) for PP2A also shows an acceptable regressive performance(R2 = 0.701),and the dipole moment of the molecule determines the inhibitory activity of PP2A.