Bovine Serum Albumin Catalysed Hydrogen and Deuterium Evolution at Mercury Electrodes.

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), catalysed by proteins at mercury electrodes and reflected in chronopotentiometric stripping peak H, provides a label-free and reagentless analytical technique that is sensitive to protein structure. Here we show how the kinetic isotope effect affected the HER catalysed by the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA). We found that the deuteron bond, which is stronger than that of a proton, contributed to less effective transport of deuterons mediated by BSA at the Hg|D O interface, and enhanced structural stability of the surface-attached native BSA in D O solution.

Distinguishing the glycan isomers 2,3-sialyllactose and 2,6-sialyllactose by voltammetry after modification with osmium(VI) complexes.

Altered glycosylation is a universal feature of cancer cells and certain glycans are well-known markers of tumor progression. In this work we studied two glycan isomers, 2,3-sialyllactose (3-SL) and 2,6-sialyllactose (6-SL), frequently appearing in glycoproteins connected with cancer. A combination of square wave voltammetry and glycan modification with osmium(VI) N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (Os(VI)tem) allowed to distinguish between these regioisomers, since the 6-SL molecule can bind three Os(VI), while the 3-SL only two Os(VI) moieties, as experiments using capillary electrophoresis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and thin layer chromatography showed.

Adsorption/desorption of biomacromolecules involved in catalytic hydrogen evolution.

Previously, it has been shown that proteins and some polysaccharides (PSs) catalyse hydrogen evolution, producing electrochemical signals on mercury electrodes. The catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (CHER) of the above-mentioned biomacromolecules was studied by voltammetric and chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) methods. To obtain more information about electrode processes involving CHER, here we used protein such as BSA, and chitosan as a PS; in addition, we investigated dextran as a control PS not involved in CHER.

Label-free chronopotentiometric glycoprofiling of prostate specific antigen using sialic acid recognizing lectins.

In recent decades, it has become clear that most of human proteins are glycosylated and that protein glycosylation plays an important role in health and diseases. At present, simple, fast and inexpensive methods are sought for clinical applications and particularly for improved diagnostics of various diseases, including cancer. We propose a label- and reagent-free electrochemical method based on chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) analysis and a hanging mercury drop electrode for the detection of interaction of sialylated protein biomarker a prostate specific antigen (PSA) with two important lectins: Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) and Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA).

Immunoassays of chemically modified polysaccharides, glycans in glycoproteins and ribose in nucleic acids.

Glycosylation of proteins plays an important role in health and diseases. At present new simple and inexpensive methods of glycoprotein analysis are sought. We developed a monoclonal antibody Manost 2.

Electrochemical sensing of concanavalin A and ovalbumin interaction in solution.

In an attempt to develop a label- and reagent-free electrochemical method for the detection of lectin-glycoprotein interactions, we tested lectin-concanavalin A (ConA), glycoprotein-ovalbumin (Ova) and their complex using chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) analysis and a hanging mercury drop electrode. Incubation of ConA with Ova resulted in an increase of the CPS peak H of the complex as compared to the CPS peaks of individual Ova and ConA proteins. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with other glycoprotein-lectin couples (ConA-RNase B and lectin from Sambucus nigra-fetuin).

Electrochemical sensing of tumor suppressor protein p53-deoxyribonucleic acid complex stability at an electrified interface.

Electrochemical biosensors have the unique ability to convert biological events directly into electrical signals suitable for parallel analysis. Here we utilize specific properties of constant current chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) in the analysis of protein and DNA-protein complex nanolayers. Rapid potential changes at high negative current intensities (Istr) in CPS are utilized in the analysis of DNA-protein interactions at thiol-modified mercury electrodes.

Magnetic bead-based hybridization assay for electrochemical detection of microRNA.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), short non-coding RNA molecules regulating gene expression, is often found in tumor cells, making the miRNAs suitable candidates as cancer biomarkers. Electrochemistry is an interesting alternative to current standard methods of miRNA detection by offering cheaper instrumentation and faster assays times. In this paper, we labeled miRNA in a quick, simple, two-step procedure with electroactive complex of osmium(VI) and 2,2'-bipyridine, Os(VI)bipy, which specifically binds to the ribose at the 3'-end of the miRNA, and hybridized such labeled miRNA with biotinylated capture probe attached to the streptavidin magnetic beads.

Enzymatic activity and catalytic hydrogen evolution in reduced and oxidized urease at mercury surfaces.

It was originally shown [10] that urease retains its enzymatic activity when adsorbed at bare mercury and solid amalgam surfaces. However the opinion later prevailed that, when adsorbed at bare metal electrodes, proteins are irreversibly denatured. Here we confirm that urease is enzymatically active at a bare solid amalgam surface as found by Santhanam et al.

Preferential binding of hot spot mutant p53 proteins to supercoiled DNA in vitro and in cells.

Hot spot mutant p53 (mutp53) proteins exert oncogenic gain-of-function activities. Binding of mutp53 to DNA is assumed to be involved in mutp53-mediated repression or activation of several mutp53 target genes. To investigate the importance of DNA topology on mutp53-DNA recognition in vitro and in cells, we analyzed the interaction of seven hot spot mutp53 proteins with topologically different DNA substrates (supercoiled, linear and relaxed) containing and/or lacking mutp53 binding sites (mutp53BS) using a variety of electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation based techniques.

Biophysical properties and cellular toxicity of covalent crosslinked oligomers of α-synuclein formed by photoinduced side-chain tyrosyl radicals.

Alpha-synuclein (αS), a 140 amino acid presynaptic protein, is the major component of the fibrillar aggregates (Lewy bodies) observed in dopaminergic neurons of patients affected by Parkinson's disease. It is currently believed that noncovalent oligomeric forms of αS, arising as intermediates in its aggregation, may constitute the major neurotoxic species. However, attempts to isolate and characterize such oligomers in vitro, and even more so in living cells, have been hampered by their transient nature, low concentration, polymorphism, and inherent instability.

Voltammetric determination of Os(VI)-modified oligosaccharides at nanomolar level.

Glycoproteins participate in various biological events, including disease progression. Currently, there is a pressing need for development of new simple and inexpensive methods for glycoprotein carbohydrate component (mostly oligosaccharides, OLSs) analysis and electrochemical methods were little applied in their analysis. Polysaccharides and OLS were long time considered as electroinactive compounds.

Native and denatured forms of proteins can be discriminated at edge plane carbon electrodes.

In an attempt to develop a label-free electrochemical method for detection of changes in protein structures based on oxidizability of tyrosine and tryptophan residues we tested different types of carbon electrodes. We found that using edge plane pyrolytic graphite electrode (EPGE) we can discriminate between native and denatured forms of human serum albumin (HSA) and of other proteins, such as bovine and chicken serum albumin, aldolase and concanavalin. Treatment of natively unfolded α-synuclein with 8 M urea resulted only in a small change in the tyrosine oxidation peak, in a good agreement with absence of highly ordered structure in this protein.

Simple protein structure-sensitive chronopotentiometric analysis with dithiothreitol-modified Hg electrodes.

We have shown that proteins produce at bare mercury electrodes a well-developed chronopotentiometric peak H. At sufficiently high current densities and low ionic strengths, this peak is sensitive to changes in protein structures. At higher ionic strengths this sensitivity can be lost but it can be restored, when instead of bare, thiol-modified Hg electrodes are used.

Electrocatalysis in proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates.

The ability of proteins to catalyze hydrogen evolution has been known for more than 80 years, but the poorly developed d.c. polarographic "pre-sodium wave" was of little analytical use.

Electrocatalytic monitoring of metal binding and mutation-induced conformational changes in p53 at picomole level.

We developed an innovative electrochemical method for monitoring conformational transitions in proteins using constant current chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) with dithiothreitol-modified mercury electrodes. The method was applied to study the effect of oncogenic mutations on the DNA-binding domain of the tumor suppressor p53. The CPS responses of wild-type and mutant p53 showed excellent correlation with structural and stability data and provided additional insights into the differential dynamic behavior of the proteins.

Ternary monolayers as DNA recognition interfaces for direct and sensitive electrochemical detection in untreated clinical samples.

Detection of specific DNA sequences in clinical samples is a key goal of studies on DNA biosensors and gene chips. Herein we present a highly sensitive electrochemical genosensor for direct measurements of specific DNA sequences in undiluted and untreated human serum and urine samples. Such genosensing relies on a new ternary interface involving hexanedithiol (HDT) co-immobilized with the thiolated capture probe (SHCP) on gold surfaces, followed by the incorporation of 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) as diluent.

Electrocatalytic detection of polysaccharides at picomolar concentrations.

Electroinactive polysaccharides (PS) modified by osmium(VI) complexes with nitrogenous ligands produce redox couples at carbon and mercury electrodes. We show that PS adducts with Os(VI) 2,2'-bipyridine produce at ~-1.2 V (against Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl electrode) an additional peak at mercury and solid amalgam electrodes.

Protein structure-sensitive electrocatalysis at dithiothreitol-modified electrodes.

Dithiothreitol (DTT)-mercury and DTT-solid amalgam electrodes are proposed for protein microanalysis by means of constant current chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS). At the DTT-modified hanging mercury drop electrode (DTT-HMDE), proteins at nanomolar concentrations produce the CPS peak H, which is due to the protein catalyzed hydrogen evolution. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of DTT at the electrode surface protected surface-attached proteins from the electric field-driven denaturation, but did not interfere with the electrocatalysis.

Fabrication and characterization of solid mercury amalgam electrodes for protein analysis.

Gold and carbon electrodes have been largely used as transducers in protein and DNA sensors and arrays. Liquid mercury electrodes, with potential windows allowing detection of DNA and protein reduction processes at highly negative potentials, were considered as useless in such arrays. Here, we show that solid amalgam electrode (SAE) arrays can be prepared as a substitution of liquid mercury in the analysis of the above biomacromolecules.

Potential-dependent surface denaturation of BSA in acid media.

In contrast to previous reports claiming bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation at mercury surfaces, recently it has been shown that BSA and other proteins do not denature as a result of adsorption to the mercury electrodes at alkaline and neutral pH values. In this pH range, constant current chronopotentiometry (CPS) with mercury or solid amalgam electrodes can be used to distinguish between native, denatured and damaged BSA. Here we show that at acid pH values (around pH 4.

Electrochemistry of riboflavin-binding protein and its interaction with riboflavin.

Riboflavin-binding protein (RBP, a carrier of riboflavin) plays an essential role in embryo development. Electrochemical studies of the riboflavin-RBP interactions have been so far limited to changes in polarographic and voltammetric responses of riboflavin because of lack of methods capable to detect electrochemical changes in the RBP responses. Here we used constant current chronopotentiometric stripping analysis (CPSA) with the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) with carbon paste electrode (CPE) to investigate RBP.

Ionic strength-dependent structural transition of proteins at electrode surfaces.

Using constant current chronopotentiometry we showed that in 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7) bovine serum albumin and some other proteins were not significantly denatured at a bare mercury electrode while at higher phosphate concentrations they underwent electric field-driven denaturation on the electrode surface.