To monitor protein-glycoprotein interactions on magnetic beads, the present study developed an electrochemical assay of the binding between concanavalin A (ConA) and ovalbumin (OVA). The system was a powerful model that could be used to evaluate cell junctions. ConA with an electroactive daunomycin was immobilized on 6 different sizes of magnetic beads (diameter: 1.0-8.9 μm) through a cross-linking agent. Six sizes of OVA-beads (diameter: 1.0-8.9 μm) were also prepared using a similar method. The binding was evaluated using an oxidation peak of ConA with daunomycin because ConA recognized OVA with α-mannose residues. When binding took place on the beads' surface, the peak current was decreased due to the electroactive moieties being covered with OVA. When ConA/daunomycin-OVA binding was evaluated, the change of the peak current obtained by the beads (diameter: 8.9 μm) modified with ConA and daunomycin was the greatest in the presence of OVA-modified beads (diameter: 2.5 μm). In contrast, particle agglomeration was observed for the smallest beads (diameter: 1.0 μm) with ConA/daunomycin and OVA. The results suggested that ConA-OVA binding depended on the size of beads. Thus, this method could be applied to measure protein-glycoprotein interactions on the cell surface.
An electrochemical method that uses glucose labeled with an electroactive compound was developed to evaluate the binding of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) to cellohexose-modified magnetic microbeads. Cellohexose was attached to amino groups on the magnetic bead surface via formation of a Schiff's base. The labeled glucose acts as an electrochemical probe to monitor binding events between WGA and the cellohexose-modified beads. For a known quantity of cellohexose-modified beads, binding of WGA with cellohexose-modified beads was evaluated based on changes in electrochemical response of the labeled glucose. In particular, the peak current decreased as the concentration of WGA increased. Furthermore, the binding affinities of WGA for beads modified with four different cello-oligosaccharides were systematically compared using a voltammetric method.
Voltammetric detection of biological molecules was carried out using chopped carbon fibers produced from carbon fiber reinforced plastics that are biocompatible and inexpensive. Because chopped carbon fibers normally are covered with a sizing agent, they are difficult to use as an electrode. However, when the surface of a chopped carbon fiber was treated with ethanol and hydrochloric acid, it became conductive. To evaluate the functioning of chopped carbon fibers, voltammetric measurements of [Fe(CN)6] 3-were carried out. Redoxes of FAD, ascorbic acid and NADH as biomolecules were recorded using cyclic voltammetry. The sizing agents used to bundle the fibers were epoxy, polyamide and polyurethane resins. The peak currents were the greatest when using the chopped carbon fibers that were created with epoxy resins. When the electrode response of the chopped carbon fibers was compared with that of a glassy carbon electrode, the peak currents and the reversibility of the electrode reaction were sufficient. Therefore, the chopped carbon fibers will be useful as disposable electrodes for the sensing of biomolecules.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.