Synthesis of monodisperse biotinylated p(NIPAAm)-coated iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles and their bioconjugation to streptavidin

We describe here the synthesis of 10 nm, monodisperse, iron oxide nanoparticles that we have coated with temperature-sensitive, biotinylated p(NIPAAm) (b-PNIPAAm). The PNIPAAm was prepared by the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT), and one end was biotinylated with a PEO maleimide-activated biotin to form a stable thioether linkage. The original synthesized iron oxide particles were stabilized with oleic acid. They were dispersed in dioxane, and the oleic acid molecules were then reversibly exchanged with a mixture of PNIPAAm and b-PNIPAAm at 60 degrees C. The b-PNIPAAm-coated magnetic nanoparticles were found to have an average diameter of approximately 15 nm by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The ability of the biotin terminal groups on the b-PNIPAAm-coated nanoparticles to interact with streptavidin was confirmed by fluorescence and surface plasmon resonance. It was found that the b-PNIPAAm-coated iron oxide nanoparticles can still bind with high affinity to streptavidin in solution or when the streptavidin is immobilized on a surface. We have also demonstrated that the binding of the biotin ligands on the surface of the temperature-responsive magnetic nanoparticles to streptavidin can be turned on and off as a function of temperature.     

Controlling biotinylation of microgels and modeling streptavidin uptake

Compared are two approaches for the biotinylation of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-vinylacetic acid) microgels, 300-nm diameter, water swollen particles with a corona of carboxyl groups. The biotinylated microgels are a platform for bioactive water-based ink. Streptavidin binding was measured as a function of biotin density, and the results were interpreted with a new model that predicts the minimum local density of biotins required to capture a streptavidin. An amino-polyethylene glycol derivative of biotin gave higher biotin contents than a biotin hydrazide. However, the streptavidin content versus biotin content results for both biotin derivatives fell on the same master curve with maximum biotin coverage of 0.11?mg of bound streptavidin per milligram of biotinylated microgel. Exclusion experiments showed that streptavidin was too big to penetrate the cross-linked microgel structure; thus, the conjugated streptavidin was restricted to the microgel surface. The colloidal stability of the microgels was preserved, and the biotinylated products showed good hydrolytic stability.     

Preparation and application of streptavidin magnetic particles

Two kinds of streptavidin magnetic particles,namely streptavidin GoldMag particles and streptavidin amino terminal particles were prepared by the methods of physical adsorption and covalent interaction respectively.The streptavidin coated on magnetic particle surface,crucial to many applications,was greatly influenced by the choice of the different buffer.Compared with DynalbeadsM-270 streptavidin, the binding capacity for biotin of different streptavidin magnetic particles was determined by enzyme inhibition method,and the coupling capacity and activity of biotinylated oligonucleotide on their sur- face were also analyzed.The results indicated that the streptavidin GoldMag particle prepared by physical adsorption was stable in STE(NaCl-Tris-EDTA)buffer that was frequently used in nucleic acid hybridization and detection.The streptavidin amino terminal particles prepared by covalent interaction could be used both in STE buffer and PBS(phosphate buffered saline)buffer.The biotin binding ca- pacity for 1 mg of streptavidin GoldMag particles and streptavidin amino terminal particles was 4950 and 5115 pmol respectively.The capacity of biotinylated oligonucleotide(24 bp)coupled on 1 mg of GoldMag and amino terminal magnetic particles was 2839 and 2978 pmol separately.These data were about 6-7 times higher than those of DynabeadsM-270 streptavidin.The hybridization results with FITC-labeled complementary probe on magnetic particle surface demonstrated that the oligonucleotide coupled on streptavidin magnetic particles had high biological activity.     

Highly sensitive biomolecule detection on a quartz crystal microbalance using gold nanoparticles as signal amplification probes.

We report here a novel strategy for the high-sensitive detection of target biomolecules with very low concentrations on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) device using gold nanoparticles as signal enhancement probes. By employing a streptavidin-biotin interaction as a model system, we could prepare biotin-conjugated gold nanoparticles maintaining good dispersion and long-term stability by controlling the biotin density on the surface of gold nanoparticles that have been investigated by UV-vis spectra and AFM images. These results showed that 10 microM N-(6-[biotinamido]hexyl)-3'-(2'-pyridyldithio)propionamide (biotin-HPDP) was the critical concentration to prevent the nonspecific aggregation of gold nanoparticles in this system. For sensing streptavidin target molecules by QCM, biotinylated BSA was absorbed on the Au surface of the QCM electrode and subsequent coupling of the target streptavidin to the biotin in the sensing interface followed. Amplification of the sensing process was performed by the interaction of the target streptavidin on the sensing surface with gold nanoparticles modified with 10 microM biotin-HPDP. The biotinylated gold nanoparticles were used as signal amplification probes to improve the detection limit, which was 50 ng/ml, of the streptavidin detection system without signal enhancement, and the calibration curve determined for the net frequency changes showed good linearity over a wide range from 1 ng/ml to 10 microg/ml for the quantitative streptavidin target molecule analysis. In addition, the measured dissipation changes suggested that the layer of biotin-BSA adsorbed on the Au electrode and the streptavidin layer assembled on the biotin-BSA surface were highly compact and rigid. On the other hand, the structure formed by the biotinylated gold nanoparticles on the streptavidin layer was flexible and dissipative, being elongated outward from the sensing surface.     

Preparation of biotinylated glyconanoparticles via a photochemical process and study of their bioconjugation to streptavidin

We report here the preparation of novel biotinylated glyconanoparticles from well-defined biotinylated glycopolymers and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) synthesized via the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization process. The in situ reduction of the biotinylated glycopolymers, PNIPAAm, poly(ethylene glycol), and HAuCl4 via a photochemical process resulted in the formation of biotinylated gold nanoparticles. The multifunctional biotinylated glyconanoparticles were then evaluated for their bioconjugation toward streptavidin using UV-vis spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The biotinylated nanoparticles underwent aggregation in the presence of streptavidin as revealed by spectrophotometry, which indicates the accessibility of the biotin for conjugation. These results were further confirmed by surface plasmon resonance even in the case of surface-immobilized streptavidin.     

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy: combined tools for monitoring the process of patterning and layer-by-layer assembly of synthetic and biological materials

We have employed time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF SIMS), fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to monitor the immobilization of biotinylated shell-crosslinked nanoparticles (SCKs) on biotin/streptavidin-functionalized, UV-photopatterned self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). TOF SIMS and fluorescence microscopy images showed that the streptavidin was immobilized primarily in the biotin-functionalized SAM areas. Biotinylated SCKs underwent both streptavidin-biotin recognition and electrostatic interactions to the underlying substrate. Upon adsorption, the biotinylated SCKs deformed significantly; their cross-sectional diameter increased by approximately 36% from 65+/-7 nm to 90+/-2 nm. Using the SCK contact area, we estimate that one SCK was bound between one and five streptavidin proteins. These data suggest that functionalized SCKs can be employed as biomolecule mimics to investigate the factors that control biomolecule adsorption on functionalized surfaces.     

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to enzyme-amplified biochemical detection for the analysis of hemoglobin after pre-column biotinylation

The determination of proteins with enzyme-amplified biochemical detection (EA-BCD) coupled on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is demonstrated. The EA-BCD system was developed to detect biotin-containing compounds. Hemoglobin, which was used as a model compound, was biotinylated prior to sample introduction. Several biotinylation parameters, such as pH and removal of excess biotinylation reagent, were investigated. After biotinylation samples were introduced to HPLC followed by EA-BCD. To the HPLC effluent, alkaline phosphatase label streptavidin (S-AP) was added, which possesses high affinity to biotin and biotin-containing compounds. Excess S-AP was removed by means of an immobilized biotin column followed by substrate addition. The non-fluorescent substrate is converted to a highly fluorescent product by the enzyme label. A detection limit of 2 femtomol biotinylated Hb was achieved with good reproducibility and linearity. However, biotinylation at low analyte concentration suffers from low yield due to slow reaction kinetics. Finally, Hb was successfully extracted from urine with a recovery of 94%.     

Steric crowding effects on target detection in an affinity biosensor

This work quantifies the impact of steric crowding on whole antibody (Ab) receptor immobilization and target Ab detection and also demonstrates how the versatile biotin/streptavidin receptor immobilization system must be tuned to optimize target detection in designing biosensors. Results are demonstrated on a label-free optical biosensor fabricated from n-type macroporous porous silicon (PSi) with approximately 88-107 nm diameter pores. We employ a sandwich assay scheme comprising a linking chemistry (biotin/streptavidin) to attach biotinylated anti-rabbit IgG (receptor) to detect rabbit IgG (target). A "bottom-up" approach was taken to investigate each layer of the sandwich assay to optimize target binding. Steric crowding was observed to hinder subsequent layer binding for each layer in the sandwich (biotin, streptavidin, and receptor). Our results give definitive evidence that the onset of steric crowding within the biotin layer occurs at a surface coverage of 57%, which is much higher compared to that from published work on well-ordered self-assembled biotin monolayers on planar gold surfaces. This difference is attributed to the topographical heterogeneity of the PSi substrate. Streptavidin (SA) binding to surface-linked biotin was altered by preblocking the streptavidin binding sites with biotin. Through consistent trends in data, preblocking SA was shown to reduce steric crowding within the SA layer, which translated into increased receptor immobilization. The final detection range of rabbit IgG was 0.07-3 mg mL(-1) (0.4-17 ng mm(-2)), and binding specificity was demonstrated by employing an anti-chicken IgG control receptor. This study underlines the importance of considering binding avidity and surface topography in optimizing chip-based biosensors.     

Enzyme amplification as detection tool in continuous-flow systems. II. On-line coupling of liquid chromatography to enzyme-amplified biochemical detection after pre-column derivatization with biotin.

Enzyme-amplified biochemical detection (EA-BCD) was used as a post-column detection technique, coupled on-line with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The enzyme detection system was developed to detect biotin or biotin containing compounds. Biotinylation is widely used to label analytes of interest ranging from small molecules to proteins and DNA. Naphthalene aldehyde and anthracene aldehyde were used as model compounds. Both compounds were biotinylated off-line with biotin aminocaproic hydrazide (BACH). On-column biotinylation was performed by preconcentration of anthracene aldehyde on copper phthalocyanine. After biotinylation, samples were introduced to the HPLC system. Enzyme-labeled streptavidin, which possesses high affinity to biotin, was added post-column to the HPLC effluent. Excess of enzyme-labeled affinity protein was removed by means of an immobilized biotin column. After separation of free and bound fraction, substrate was added, which was converted to a fluorescent product by the enzyme label. Using alkaline phosphatase as an enzyme label, a mass detection limit after on-column preconcentration and biotinylation of 250 fmol was achieved.     

实时生物分子相互作用分析技术用于链霉亲和素-生物素化抗体的层层组装研究

使用生物分子相互作用分析（Biomolecular interaction analysis,BIA)技术实时监测了在链霉素和素表面层层组装亲和素－生物素化抗体多层膜的过程，结果表明，通过链霉素和素与生物素之间的强亲和作用，能够在表面形成均一的多层膜，并用实时BIA技术求得了每层蛋白质的表面浓度，对于生物素化抗体，单层吸附表面浓度为1.32ng/mm^2；对于链霉亲和素，单层吸附表面浓度为2.93ng/mm^2。同时对蛋白质在表面的排列状态进行了探讨。     

Dual magnetic-/temperature-responsive nanoparticles for microfluidic separations and assays

A stimuli-responsive magnetic nanoparticle system for diagnostic target capture and concentration has been developed for microfluidic lab card settings. Telechelic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) polymer chains were synthesized with dodecyl tails at one end and a reactive carboxylate at the opposite end by the reversible addition fragmentation transfer technique. These PNIPAAm chains self-associate into nanoscale micelles that were used as dimensional confinements to synthesize the magnetic nanoparticles. The resulting superparamagnetic nanoparticles exhibit a gamma-Fe2O3 core ( approximately 5 nm) with a layer of carboxylate-terminated PNIPAAm chains as a corona on the surface. The carboxylate group was used to functionalize the magnetic nanoparticles with biotin and subsequently with streptavidin. The functionalized magnetic nanoparticles can be reversibly aggregated in solution as the temperature is cycled through the PNIPAAm lower critical solution temperature (LCST). While the magnetophoretic mobility of the individual nanoparticles below the LCST is negligible, the aggregates formed above the LCST are large enough to respond to an applied magnetic field. The magnetic nanoparticles can associate with biotinylated targets as individual particles, and then subsequent application of a combined temperature increase and magnetic field can be used to magnetically separate the aggregated particles onto the poly(ethylene glycol)-modified polydimethylsiloxane channel walls of a microfluidic device. When the magnetic field is turned off and the temperature is reversed, the captured aggregates redisperse into the channel flow stream for further downstream processing. The dual magnetic- and temperature-responsive nanoparticles can thus be used as soluble reagents to capture diagnostic targets at a controlled time point and channel position. They can then be isolated and released after the nanoparticles have captured target molecules, overcoming the problem of low magnetophoretic mobility of the individual particle while retaining the advantages of a high surface to volume ratio and faster diffusive properties during target capture.     

Non-specific and specific interactions on functionalized polymer surface studied by FT-SPR

Fourier transform surface plasmon resonance (FT-SPR) was utilized to study specific and non-specific interactions between proteins and a biotinylated polymer film by monitoring adsorptions of streptavidin (SAv) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the polymer films. The biotinylated polymer, poly(lactide-co-2,2-dihydroxymethyl-propylene carbonate-graft-biotin) [P(LA-co-DHC/biotin)], was prepared by ring-opening copolymerization of lactide and a OH-bearing cyclic carbonate monomer, followed by biotinylation of the OH groups. The copolymer was coated onto the FT-SPR chip and vacuum-dried, hydrated at 70°C, and treated with a blocking agent respectively to achieve different surface status. The FT-SPR results showed that the vacuum-dried film had the most BSA adsorption; hydration treatment led to migration of the biotin moieties from inner film to surface and thus resulted in less BSA adsorption; blocking layer on the polymer surface saturated the active sites for physical and chemical adsorptions on the surface and thus weakened the BSA adsorption. Adsorption of SAv displayed similar polymer-surface-status dependence, i.e., more adsorption on vacuum-dried surface, less adsorption on hydrated surface and the least adsorption on blocked surface. Compared with BSA, SAv showed more enhanced adsorptions on P(LA-co-DHC/biotin) surface because of the specific interaction of biotin moieties in the polymer with SAv molecules, especially on the blocked surface. The above semi-quantified results further indicate that the FT-SPR system is suitable for investigating interactions between polymer surface and bio-molecules.     

Adsorption and stability of streptavidin on cluster-assembled nanostructured TiOx films

The study of the adsorption of proteins on nanostructured surfaces is of fundamental importance to understand and control cell-surface interactions and, notably, cell adhesion and proliferation; it can also play a strategic role in the design and fabrication of nanostructured devices for postgenomic and proteomic applications. We have recently demonstrated that cluster-assembled nanostructured TiO x films produced by supersonic cluster beam deposition possess excellent biocompatibility and that these films can be functionalized with streptavidin, allowing the immobilization of biotinylated retroviral particles and the realization of living-cell microarrays for phenotype screening. Here we present a multitechnique investigation of the adsorption mechanisms of streptavidin on cluster-assembled TiO x films. We show that this nanostructured surface provides an optimal balance between adsorption efficacy and protein functionality. By using low-resolution protein arrays, we demonstrate that a layer of adsorbed streptavidin can be stably maintained on a cluster-assembled TiO x surface under cell culture conditions and that streptavidin retains its biological activity in the adsorbed layer. The adsorption mechanisms are investigated by atomic force microscopy in force spectroscopy mode and by valence-band photoemission spectroscopy, highlighting the potential role of the interaction of the exposed carboxyl groups on streptavidin with the titanium atoms of the nanostructured surface.     

Specific interaction of desthiobiotin lipids and water-soluble biotin compounds with streptavidin

As shown for biotin lipids (Ref. 1), the formation of perfect 2-D crystalline streptavidin domains can also be observed in the plane of desthiobiotin lipid monolayers. The binding constant of streptavidin with desthiobiotin (K_a = 5·10¹³ mol⁻¹) is lower than that with biotin (K_a = 10¹⁵ mol⁻¹) (Ref. 2). By adding free biotin into the subphase a competitive replacement and a detaching of the streptavidin domains from the desthiobiotin lipid monolayer takes place. Streptavidin domains built at receptor lipid monolayers are still functional. As could be shown, there are two biotin binding sites at each protein molecule that are fully accessible to biotin (Ref. 1). This can be proven by the interaction with biotinylated ferritin and fluoresceinated biotin. Further coupling of an anti-FITC-antibody can proceed and a second protein layer can be formed. Using a bifunctional biotin linker a second crystalline streptavidin layer underneath the first one can be obtained.     

Self-assembly of biotin and thio-functionalized carboxymethyl celluloses on gold and molecular recognition of streptavidin detected by surface plasmon resonance

Biotin was attached via a spacer group to thiomethyl and thiosulfate derivatives of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) by DCC coupling. A degree of substitution (DS) 0.3 per modified anhydroglucose unit was reached for the biotin moieties. These biotinylated CMCs are able to recognize the receptor protein streptavidin in aqueous solution as demonstrated by gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, they spontaneously form stable monolayers of 1–2 nm thickness on planar gold surfaces as evidenced by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). These monolayers irreversibly bind streptavidin. The observed increase of layer thickness of 6 nm resembles the size of a single streptavidin molecule. Consequently, dense streptavidin monolayers must have been formed. The resulting functional monolayers of CMC derivatives on gold are interesting platforms for biosensors, because they are very stable, hydrophilic, and formed in a reproducible way.     

Preparation, photocatalytic activities, and dye-sensitized solar-cell performance of submicron-scale TiO2 hollow spheres

We prepared submicron-scale spherical hollow particles of anatase TiO2 by using a polystyrene-bead template. The obtained particles were very uniform in size, with a diameter of 490 nm and a shell thickness of 30 nm. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements revealed a large value of 70 m2/g. The photocatalytic property was investigated by the complete decomposition of gaseous isopropyl alcohol under UV irradiation. It was indicated that the activity of the hollow spheres was 1.8 times higher than that of the conventional P25 TiO2 nanoparticles with a diameter of 30 nm. Furthermore, we fabricated a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) using an electrode of the TiO2 hollow spheres, and examined the photovoltaic performance under simulated sunlight. Although the per-area efficiency was rather low (1.26%) because of a low area density of TiO2 on the electrode, the per-weight efficiency was 2.5 times higher than those of the conventional DSCs of TiO2.     

Synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with mesoporous anatase wall and high photocatalytic activity

Mesoporous titanium dioxide nanosized powder with high specific surface area and anatase wall was synthesized via hydrothermal process by using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant-directing agent and pore-forming agent. The resulting materials were characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption, FESEM, TEM, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The as-synthesized mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles have mean diameter of 17.6 nm with mean pore size of 2.1 nm. The specific surface area of the as-synthesized mesoporous nanosized TiO2 exceeded 430 m2/g and that of the samples after calcination at 600 degrees C still have 221.9 m2/g. The mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles show significant activities on the oxidation of Rhodamine B (RB). The large surface area, small crystalline size, and well-crystallized anatase mesostructure can explain the high photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles calcined at 400 degrees C.     

生物素化高分子涂层的制备与评价

制备了一种能固载目标蛋白质, 却没有非特异性蛋白质吸附的高分子涂层. 该涂层是可生物降解的油水两亲性的三嵌段聚合物, 即生物素偶联的聚乙二醇-聚丙交酯-聚赖氨酸共聚物. 将高分子溶解于N,N-二甲基甲酰胺中, 并涂布在预先包被了聚赖氨酸的脱脂玻片基质上, 形成高分子涂层, 在其表面包被一层由明胶和聚N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮组成的封闭剂. 使用酶标免疫分析法, 对高分子涂层表面的生物活性进行评价. 依次将辣根过氧化物酶标记的链亲和素和生物素偶联的小鼠球蛋白抗原和碱性磷酸酯酶标记的马抗小鼠抗体固载在高分子涂层表面上, 通过标记酶与底物作用生色. 分析结果表明, 经过封闭以后, 生物素化的高分子涂层表面能够排斥非特异性的蛋白质; 同时特异性蛋白质之间(如生物素和链亲和素之间、抗原和抗体之间)的相互作用依然保留, 并且固定在表面的蛋白质依然保留其生物活性. 因此生物素化的聚乙二醇-聚丙交酯-聚赖氨酸三嵌段高分子可以作为生物活性材料, 用于蛋白质固载和蛋白质分离及分析.     

吸附相反应技术用于不同载体表面纳米TiO2的制备

研究了不同载体对吸附相反应技术制备TiO2粒子的影响, 设计了两种不同表面形貌载体的温度实验(A型SiO2: 粒径20 nm, 比表面积640 m2·g-1; B型SiO2: 粒径12 nm, 比表面积200 m2·g-1), 并用电子能谱仪测定了两种载体表面TiO2含量随温度的变化. 结果表明, 两种载体表面Ti含量都随着温度的升高而减少, 且在一定温度范围内存在着突变, 但A载体突变的温度范围是40-60 ℃, 而B载体为30-50 ℃. TEM表征结果则显示, B表面TiO2粒子要比A表面的均匀. XRD得到的晶粒粒径曲线表明, A 载体表面TiO2晶粒粒径随着温度升高而减小并存在着突变, B载体表面粒子粒径则基本不变. 根据硅胶表面的吸附特性, 提出SiO2吸附的共性导致载体表面Ti含量变化曲线存在着共同点, 而载体内外表面的不同形貌则引起其表面吸附层的形貌以及温度敏感性不同, 最终导致两种载体表面Ti含量、晶粒粒径以及形貌上的差别.     

Synthesis of biotinylated diazinon: Lessons learned for biotinylation of thiophosphate esters

Biotinylation permits recovery of a molecule from a complex mixture, with commercially available streptavidin containing products (such as streptavidin-coated beads). As part of a larger effort to evaluate reagents capable of degrading diazinon, a thiophosphate insecticide, we pursued biotinylation of this molecule. Our strategy focused on replacing a single thiophosphate ethyl ester with an ester linkage that contains biotin. Multiple approaches—using published methods—were unsuccessful and resulted in no reactivity, or degradation of starting material. Here, we report a successful strategy for the synthesis of biotinylated diazinon, which is likely applicable to alternative thiophosphate esters and other biotinylated molecules.