Continued advancement of protein array, bioelectrode, and biosensor technologies will necessitate development of methods that allow for increased protein immobilization capacity and more control over protein orientation. Toward these ends, we developed a method involving modification of chitosan with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) to achieve immobilization of a larger amount of His-tagged protein than is possible with current methods. The immobilization capacity of our method was evaluated using His-tagged GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) as a model protein. The average immobilization density on modified glass was about 32 ng/mm 2. Our method is suitable for use on a variety of solid surfaces, including glassy carbon, silicon wafers, polycarbonate, and beaten gold.

We developed two labeling methods for the direct observation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), using a ssDNA binding protein and a ssDNA recognition peptide. The first approach involved protein fusion between the 70-kDa ssDNA-binding domain of replication protein A and enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (RPA-YFP). The second method used the ssDNA binding peptide of Escherichia coli RecA labeled with Atto488 (ssBP-488; Atto488-IRMKIGVMFGNPETTTGGNALKFY). The labeled ssλDNA molecules were visualized over time in micro-flow channels. We report substantially different dynamics between these two labeling methods. When ssλDNA molecules were labeled with RPA-YFP, terminally bound fusion proteins were sheared from the free ends of the ssλDNA molecules unless 25-mer oligonucleotides were annealed to the free ends. RPA-YFP-ssλDNA complexes were dissociated by the addition of 0.2 M NaCl, although complex reassembly was possible with injection of additional RPA-YFP. In contrast to the flexible dynamics of RPA-YFP-ssλDNA complexes, the ssBP-488-ssλDNA complexes behaved as rigid rods and were not dissociated even in 2 M NaCl.

No abstract

Using a single-stranded region tracing system, single-molecule DNA synthesis reactions were directly observed in microflow channels. The direct single-molecule observations of DNA synthesis were labeled with a fusion protein consisting of the ssDNA-binding domain of a 70-kDa subunit of replication protein A and enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (RPA-YFP). Our method was suitable for measurement of DNA synthesis reaction rates with control of the ssλDNA form as stretched ssλDNA (+flow) and random coiled ssλDNA (−flow) via buffer flow. Sequentially captured photographs demonstrated that the synthesized region of an ssλDNA molecule monotonously increased with the reaction time. The DNA synthesis reaction rate of random coiled ssλDNA (−flow) was nearly the same as that measured in a previous ensemble molecule experiment (52 vs. 50 bases/s). This suggested that the random coiled form of DNA (−flow) reflected the DNA form in the bulk experiment in the case of DNA synthesis reactions. In addition, the DNA synthesis reaction rate of stretched ssλDNA (+flow) was approximately 75% higher than that of random coiled ssλDNA (−flow) (91 vs. 52 bases/s). The DNA synthesis reaction rate of the Klenow fragment (3′-5′exo–) was promoted by DNA stretching with buffer flow.