Umbelliferone Phosphate as a Substrate for Acid and Alkaline Phosphatase

Abstract

The results of a complete study of 8 substrates for acid and alkaline phosphatase indicated 7-hydroxycoumarin (umbelliferone) phosphate to be the best substrate for the analysis of these enzymes. Using this ester, from 10^?6 to 2 × 10^?2 units per ml. of alkaline phosphatase and 10^?5 to 0.06 units per ml. of acid phosphatase can be determined with an accuracy and precision of about 1.5%. Samples of serum as small as 1 μ;1. can be assayed. Analysis is performed by a direct initial reaction rate method in 2–3 minutes.     

Highly sensitive assay for alkaline and acid phosphatase activities by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A highly sensitive and specific assay for alkaline and acid phosphatases in biological materials, such as plasma and saliva, has been established. Phenol, formed enzymatically from the substrate phenylphosphate, was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The retention time of phenol was 7 min and no other peaks were observed. The method is rapid and sensitive with a detection limit for phenol of as little as 5 pmol. Thus, as little as 0.5 microliter of rat plasma or 10 microliters of human saliva is required for both alkaline and acid phosphatase assays. The assay is accurate and reproducible. Using this assay, alkaline and acid phosphatase activities in saliva were found to be 1.12 +/- 0.12 nmol/min/ml and 9.79 +/- 1.23 nmol/min/ml, respectively. This new assay method should be applicable to extremely small biological samples.     

Interactions of ADP-stimulated human platelets with PEGylated polystyrene substrates prepared by surface amidation

A study primarily focused on the interactions between ADP-stimulated human platelets and PEGylated polystyrene substrates is described in this paper. The platelet–surface interactions were investigated using colorimetric acid phosphatase assay. Two types of amine-containing polymeric hydrogel materials based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), H₂N–PEG–OCH₃ and H₂N–PEG–NH₂, were used to PEGylate polystyrene surfaces derivatized with maleic anhydride by amidation at alkaline pH. In addition, comparative studies using surfaces non-covalently adsorbed by bovine serum albumin (BSA) or fibrinogen (Fg) were also conducted. The assay results showed that no significant platelet adhesion was observed when PEGylated surfaces or BSA-coated surfaces were exposed to unstimulated gel-filtered platelets (GFP). However, upon ADP-stimulation, platelet adhesion to the surfaces under investigation in this study all increased to varying degrees. Most importantly, the results showed that polystyrene surfaces PEGylated using H₂N–PEG–NH₂ were most effective in resisting platelet adhesion when assays were performed using ADP-stimulated GFP. By PEGylating the surfaces of polystyrene microtiter wells via the amidation reaction described in this paper, it is demonstrated that (i) higher degree of surface PEGylation is favored at more alkaline pH and (ii) polystyrene substrates capable of more effectively resisting the adhesion of ADP-stimulated GFP can be obtained by the PEGylation reaction carried out at pH 9.1 using H₂N–PEG–NH₂.     

Sol-gel materials as efficient enzyme protectors: preserving the activity of phosphatases under extreme ph conditions

By entrapment in (surfactant modified) silica sol-gel matrixes, alkaline phosphatase (AlP) -- naturally with optimum activity at pH 9.5 -- was kept functioning at extreme acidic environments as low as pH 0.9, and acid phosphatase (AcP) -- naturally with optimum activity at pH 4.5 -- was kept functioning at extreme alkaline environments, up to pH 13.0. Propositions are offered as to the origin of the ability of the matrixes to provide such highly efficient protection and as to the origin of the synergetic enhancing effect when both the silica and the surfactants are used as a combined entrapping environment. It was found that the protectability of the enzymes against harsh pH values is dependent on the nature of the surfactant.     

Quantitation of phospholipase A2 and phospholipase C activity using alkaline phosphatase impregnated liposomes

Phospholipase A₂ and C activity was quantitated using liposomes impregnated with alkaline phosphatase. Release of alkaline phosphatase was dependent on phospholipase related hydrolysis of intact vesicles. Released alkaline phosphatase was quantitated after addition of its chromogenic substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The lower limit of detectability for phospholipase A₂ and C activity was 0.5 unit/ml. These limits were 10-fold lower than a titrimetric method. Liposome destruction as measured by alkaline phosphatase release was calcium dependent and inhibited by 1 mM EDTA and 1 mM ZnSO₄. The assay was technically simple, generated same day results, and used automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay instrumentation.     

Immunosensor for the Determination of Okadaic Acid Based on Screen-Printed Electrode

A disposable immunosensor for okadaic acid (OA), using a screen-printed electrode (SPE), was developed and characterised. Detection of the product, p-aminophenol, resulting from the reaction catalysed by alkaline phosphatase (AP), was carried out using an amperometric three-electrode system poised at a voltage of + 300 mV versus Ag/AgCl. Alkaline phosphatase was used as a label for the antigen, OA, and two kinds of alkaline phosphatase preparation were studied for the conjugation of okadaic acid. The calibration curve for okadaic acid obtained from the conjugate created from low-activity AP, 969 units/mg, was unsatisfactory in terms of sensitivity, but a high-activity conjugate delivered the required sensitivity and limit of detection. Studies on the stability of the sensor with α-OA antibody and OA-AP conjugate showed that the current response decreased drastically after one day. Stabilisation strategies have been formulated to overcome this problem. The calibration curve obtained with the high activity conjugate was linear up to 40 ng/ml of okadaic acid with a minimum concentration of analyte detected of 5 ng/ml and a detection limit of 2 ng/ml.     

Automated flow immunoassay for detection of food allergen using anion-exchange resin and alkaline phosphatase conjugated immunoglobulin G

A novel automated flow immunoassay system is developed for the detection of wheat protein as a food allergen. A polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody was isolated from serum of a rat with a wheat allergy, then reductively treated using dithiothreitol and covalently coupled to alkaline phosphatase. This conjugate was used in a non-competitive binding assay. The automated system was equipped with an immunoreaction column, an anion-exchange column, a luminescent reaction column and a photodetector. Antibody–antigen complexes were separated from their free conjugate on the basis of a difference in isoelectric point (pI) by an anion-exchange column. This simple technique permits the assay of wheat-protein allergen in 25 min with a reliable detection limit of 5 μg/ml. The anion-exchange column was regenerated by occasional elution with N-methylpiperazine buffer (pH 5.0) containing 0.5 M NaCl, to remove free conjugate. Free conjugate recovered in this manner could be reused up to four times without significant decrease in sensitivity of the immunoassay.     

4-Amino-1-naphthylphosphate as a substrate for the amperometric detection of alkaline phosphatase activity and its application for immunoassay

Immunosensors and biochemical array detection systems based on electrochemical transducers have many advantages such as low detection limit, fast response, simple design and ease of miniaturization. However, further development of such sensors will depend on the availability of suitable substrates that can be converted by a labeling enzyme to an electrochemically active product. Here, we report the synthesis of 4-amino-1-naphthylphosphate and it’s application as a new substrate for alkaline phosphatase. The electrochemical and enzymatic properties of this compound were investigated and compared with the properties of other aromatic 1,4-dihydroxy and 1,4-hydroxy-amine derivatives. The product of the enzyme reaction was 4-aminonaphthol, which was rapidly converted in the presences of air to 1,4-iminonaphthoquinone. This compound could then be detected in an amperometric flow injection assay (AFIA) with −200 mV versus Ag/AgCl potential application. The analytical range for mouse IgG, in an alkaline phosphatase amplified sandwich immuoassay with amperometric detection, was 0.01-100 μg ml⁻¹.     

A soluble form of phosphatase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae capable of converting farnesyl diphosphate into E,E-farnesol

After anion-exchange chromatography, the soluble fraction of a cell-free extract of Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed two phosphatase activity peaks when p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) was used as the substrate. However, only the second pNPP active peak demonstrated the ability to convert farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) into E,E-farnesol. N-terminal sequence analysis of the purified pNPP/FPP phosphatase revealed that it was a truncated form of alkaline phosphatase Pho8 lacking 62 amino acids from the N-terminus and was designated Pho8Δ62. Although other isoprenyl diphosphates such as geranyl diphosphate (GPP) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) could also be hydrolyzed by Pho8Δ62 to the corresponding alcohols, selectivity was observed among these substrates. The optimum pH was 7.0 for all three isoprenyl diphosphate substrates. Although lower hydrolytic activity was observed for FPP and GGPP at pH 6.0 and 8.5, hydrolysis of GPP was observed only at pH 7.0. Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ inhibited hydrolysis of FPP and GGPP, and GGPP was more sensitive to Mg²⁺ inhibition than FPP. The rate of FPP hydrolysis increased in the presence of Triton X-100.     

A soluble form of phosphatase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae capable of converting farnesyl diphosphate into E,E-farnesol

After anion-exchange chromatography, the soluble fraction of a cell-free extract of Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed two phosphatase activity peaks when p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) was used as the substrate. However, only the second pNPP active peak demonstrated the ability to convert farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) into E,E-farnesol. N-terminal sequence analysis of the purified pNPP/FPP phosphatase revealed that it was a truncated form of alkaline phosphatase Pho8 lacking 62 amino acids from the N-terminus and was designated Pho8Delta62. Although other isoprenyl diphosphates such as geranyl diphosphate (GPP) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) could also be hydrolyzed by Pho8Delta62 to the corresponding alcohols, selectivity was observed among these substrates. The optimum pH was 7.0 for all three isoprenyl diphosphate substrates. Although lower hydrolytic activity was observed for FPP and GGPP at pH 6.0 and 8.5, hydrolysis of GPP was observed only at pH 7.0. Mg2+ and Mn2+ inhibited hydrolysis of FPP and GGPP, and GGPP was more sensitive to Mg2+ inhibition than FPP. The rate of FPP hydrolysis increased in the presence of Triton X-100.     

Fluorimetric determination of alkaline phosphatase in solid and fluid dairy products

A new assay has been developed for measuring residual alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in a wide variety of dairy products. The method proposed is simple, rapid and directly applicable to solid and liquid dairy samples. ALP in the test sample hydrolyzes a non fluorescent substrate, trifluoromethyl-β-umbelliferone phosphate, to its highly fluorescent phenolate product. The assay is performed in a reverse micellar medium composed of mixed buffer (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol buffer pH 9.0 and borate buffer pH 9.0) in AOT/isooctane, at a temperature of 38 °C. Total test time is 450 s. Reaction rates are linear (except for butter) up to 8.5 and 11% (v/v) raw milk, for whole milk and chocolate milk, respectively. The detection limits are 0.04, 0.4 and 0.22% (v/v) raw milk, for whole milk, chocolate milk and butter, respectively. The precision of the fluorimetric method was assessed by repeated analysis of a pasteurized milk sample spiked with mixed herd raw milk. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by comparison with an official colorimetric assay using p-nitrophenylphosphate as ALP substrate.     

Determination of midazolam and its α-hydroxy metabolite in plasma by gas chromatography with electron capture detection

A sensitive GC-ECD assay has been developed for the simultaneous determination of midazolam (I) and its α-hydroxy metabolite (II) in plasma. The assay involves extraction of both compounds into ether at alkaline pH (pH 12), followed by silylation of the α-hydroxy metabolite with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA). On extracting 0.5 ml of plasma, the sensitivity limits are 4ng/ml for I and 3ng/ml for II. If present, the minor urinary metabolites, the 4-hydroxy (III) and the α,4-dihydroxy compound (IV), can also be determined by this method.     

New tetrazolium method for phosphatase assay using ascorbic acid 2-phosphate as a substrate

A new method to assay alkaline and acid phosphatases assay using ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AsA-P) and ditetrazolium salt nitroblue tetrazolium chloride (NBT) was developed. AsA-P is hydrolyzed in the presence of phosphatase to yield ascorbic acid. In turn, the ascorbic acid reduces NBT directly or indirectly, opening the tetrazole ring to produce an insoluble formazan as a colored precipitate. The proposed method for alkaline phosphatase was compared with a conventional method in which 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate (BCIP) is used in combination with NBT in the dot blots of a dilution series of β-lactoglobulin. AsA-P reduced NBT more effectively than BCIP in the presence of alkaline phosphatase. AsA-P could be also used as the chromogenic substrate for an acid phosphatase assay in the presence of phenazinium methylsulfate and NBT.     

Single-label kinase and phosphatase assays for tyrosine phosphorylation using nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence detection

The collision-induced fluorescence quenching of a 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene-labeled asparagine (Dbo) by hydrogen atom abstraction from the tyrosine residue in peptide substrates was introduced as a single-labeling strategy to assay the activity of tyrosine kinases and phosphatases. The assays were tested for 12 different combinations of Dbo-labeled substrates and with the enzymes p60c-Src Src kinase, EGFR kinase, YOP protein tyrosine phosphatase, as well as acid and alkaline phosphatases, thereby demonstrating a broad application potential. The steady-state fluorescence changed by a factor of up to 7 in the course of the enzymatic reaction, which allowed for a sufficient sensitivity of continuous monitoring in steady-state experiments. The fluorescence lifetimes (and intensities) were found to be rather constant for the phosphotyrosine peptides (ca. 300 ns in aerated water), while those of the unphosphorylated peptides were as short as 40 ns (at pH 7) and 7 ns (at pH 13) as a result of intramolecular quenching. Owing to the exceptionally long fluorescence lifetime of Dbo, the assays were alternatively performed by using nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence (Nano-TRF) detection, which leads to an improved discrimination of background fluorescence and an increased sensitivity. The potential for inhibitor screening was demonstrated through the inhibition of acid and alkaline phosphatases by molybdate.     

Dephosphorylation of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-derived Schiff bases in the presence of bovine alkaline phosphatase

The present paper reports on the study of the dephosphorylation of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and four derived hydrazones (containing the residues of pyrazine, 2-furan, 2-thiophene, 3-pyridine carboxylic acids) induced by bovine alkaline phosphatase from intestinal mucosa at 298.2 K and pH 10 (0.05 m Tris–HCl buffer). We observed and discussed characteristic changes in the UV–vis and fluorescent spectra of substrates. Michaelis–Menten parameters of the enzymatic dephosphorylation are calculated. The stability of alkaline phosphatase in the presence of hydrazones is confirmed. The dephosphorylation of the Zn(II) complex with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-derived hydrazone is analyzed.     

Non‐Invasive Monitoring of Osteogenic Differentiation on Microtissue Arrays under Physiological Conditions Using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

In this paper, we present a non‐invasive assay using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) for detecting osteogenic differentiation at physiological conditions (pH 7.5) on arrays of C2C12 microtissues. Upon exposure to bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP‐2), C2C12 microtissues differentiate and express alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which is indirectly detected through an enzymatic assay producing an electroactive species. The latter is detected using SECM by scanning at constant height over live microtissues at physiological pH (7.5) as well as more alkaline pH (8.5). As a control, expression of ALP is confirmed using a standard colorimetric assay. Detecting differentiation on live samples at physiological conditions represents a significant improvement for continuous monitoring of tissue differentiation or further use of the microtissues for, e.g., regenerative medicine.     

Microdrop analysis of a bead-based immunoassay

The progress to electrochemical detection of a microbead-based immunoassay in small volumes has led to a reduced assay time and lower detection limits. Three electrochemical techniques are described for an immunoassay with detection in a microdrop. The techniques are amperometric detection with a rotating disk electrode (RDE), a microelectrode, and an interdigitated array (IDA) electrode. An enzyme-labeled sandwich immunoassay with mouse IgG as the model analyte is used to demonstrate the three techniques. The microbead assay is carried out in a test tube using a magnet to control bead collection. Once the immunocomplex is formed on the microbead, the beads are transferred to a microdrop where the enzyme, either alkaline phosphatase or β-galactosidase, generates 4-aminophenol (PAP). PAP is oxidized at the electrode with an applied potential of +290 mV vs. Ag/AgCl. For all three techniques, the upper limit of the dynamic range was 1000 ng/ml mouse IgG, and the detection limits were: 50 ng/ml for the RDE, 40 ng/ml for the microelectrode, and 26 ng/ml for the IDA electrode.     

Zn(II) and Cd(II)-based complexes for probing the enzymatic hydrolysis of Na4P2O7 by alkaline phosphatase in physiological conditions

Newly synthesized Zn(II) and Cd(II)-based complexes show unique selectivity towards inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) in 100% aqueous medium at pH = 7.4 and act as a "turn-on" and "turn-off" real-time assay, respectively, for the evaluation of the enzymatic activity of alkaline phosphatase.     

Antigenic specificity of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase studied with monoclonal antibodies: Immunological characterization of E. coli and Shigella strains

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) to the alkaline phosphatase of Escherichia coli were produced from spleen cells of BALB/c mice primed with purified alkaline phosphatase of E. coli and SP₂O/Ag-14 myeloma cells. Five stable clones were established. They all produced antibodies which reacted by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with alkaline phosphatase of all E. coli (25 strains) independently of their origin (drinking water, saline water, surface water, faecal or clinical origin), and with that of four Shigella species (7 strains) tested. Four of these MoAb gave a positive reaction with 52 % (MoAb 4G10), 73 % (MoAb 4F8, MoAb 4G6) and 89 % (MoAb 3C8) of 14 other bacterial species (30 strains) studied, while one (MoAb 2E5) did not react with alkaline phosphatase of these unrelated bacterial strains and thus appeared specific for E. coli and Shigella species. This MoAb was still detectable in ascitic fluids at 1/500,000 in ELISA, and detected all E. coli strains in an indirect immunofluorescence assay at 1/100. It could therefore be used as a reagent for routine detection of E. coli in drinking water, food or clinical specimens.     

Immunosensors for pollutants working in organic media. Study of performances of different tracers with luminescent detection

A comparative study of enzymatic and non-enzymatic labels combined with luminescence detection, developed for immunosensing of pesticide residues (carbaryl, 1-naphthol, irgarol 1051) in organic media, is presented. Peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes with fluorogenic (3-p-hydroxyphenylpropanoic acid) and luminogenic (AMPPD derivative) substrates, respectively, were assessed as enzymatic markers. As an alternative, terbium(III) chelate, with time-resolved fluorescence detection, was evaluated as a non-enzymatic label. The best sensitivity was achieved by use of alkaline phosphatase in an immunocomplex capture assay format (I ₅₀ values 0.06, 0.27, and 7.45 μg L⁻¹ in buffer, 1:1 methanol–buffer, and methanol, respectively). Results were also good (I ₅₀ 1.00 and 6.30 μg L⁻¹ for water and aqueous–organic mixture, respectively) for Tb(III) chelate in an immobilized conjugate assay format. Use of alkaline phosphatase label to measure carbaryl (100 ng L⁻¹) in different spiked river water samples, after solid-phase extraction and analyte elution with an ethyl acetate–methanol mixture, resulted in recoveries ranging from 81 to 98%, with acceptable precision (CV 4–14%, n=4).