Aptamer-Based Electrochemical Sensing of Lysozyme

Abstract

Protein analysis and quantification are required daily by thousands of laboratories worldwide for activities ranging from protein characterization to clinical diagnostics. Multiple factors have to be considered when selecting the best detection and quantification assay, including the amount of protein available, its concentration, the presence of interfering molecules, as well as costs and rapidity. This is also the case for lysozyme, a 14.3-kDa protein ubiquitously present in many organisms, that has been identified with a variety of functions: antibacterial activity, a biomarker of several serious medical conditions, a potential allergen in foods or a model of amyloid-type protein aggregation. Since the design of the first lysozyme aptamer in 2001, lysozyme became one of the most intensively-investigated biological target analytes for the design of novel biosensing concepts, particularly with regards to electrochemical aptasensors. In this review, we discuss the state of the art of aptamer-based electrochemical sensing of lysozyme, with emphasis on sensing in serum and real samples.

sIgA and Lisozim as Biomarker of Early Childhood Caries Risk

“…The lysozyme (or muramidase) (EC 3.2.1.17) is a small protein (14.6 kDa) with isoelectric points (pI) 10-11 and is cationic [35]. Lysozyme can be divided into several types based on the sequence of similarities and its three dimensional structure: 1).…”

Electrochemical Immunosensors and Aptasensors

“…The review by Oliveira-Brett and Chiorcea-Paquim [17] deals with the electrochemical characterization of four-stranded guanine structures (G-quadruplex), discussing the development of G-quadruplex aptasensors and hemin/G-quadruplex biosensors with peroxidase activity. Szunerits, Vasilescu et al [18] review recent research on the development of aptamers-based electrochemical sensors suitable to detect lysozyme, an ubiquitous protein with antibacterial activity; this protein is also a potential biomarker for several diseases and can act as an allergen in foods. The review by Qi, Xu and coworkers [19] presents and discusses recent research aimed at combining aptasensing with stripping voltammetry.…”

Electrochemical Affinity Biosensors Based on Disposable Screen-Printed Electrodes for Detection of Food Allergens

“…Examples of biosensors based on screen-printed electrodes for the detection of allergens given in Table 1 offer only a glimpse of the wide possibilities that could be considered in the future. Many of the biosensing strategies reported in literature for allergens, using different electrode materials [7,10,11,98,99] could be adapted to detection with screen-printed electrodes. Several electrochemical biosensors for the determination of allergens in food samples will be detailed further.…”

“…Lysozyme, also called “muramidase” is a 14 kDa enzyme found in the human body, bird eggs, plants and bacteria that catalyses the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in peptigoglycan, in the cellular walls of Gram-positive bacteria [99]. Highly relevant to human health as “body’s own antibiotic”, lysozyme has also significant economic importance in the food industry–particularly in the production of wine, beer, cheese and sausages- as a fining or antimicrobial agent [99].…”