Biomolecule-recognition gating membrane using biomolecular cross-linking and polymer phase transition

Anal Chem. 2011 Dec 15;83(24):9226-9. doi: 10.1021/ac202629h. Epub 2011 Nov 28.

Abstract

We present for the first time a biomolecule-recognition gating system that responds to small signals of biomolecules by the cooperation of biorecognition cross-linking and polymer phase transition in nanosized pores. The biomolecule-recognition gating membrane immobilizes the stimuli-responsive polymer, including the biomolecule-recognition receptor, onto the pore surface of a porous membrane. The pore state (open/closed) of this gating membrane depends on the formation of specific biorecognition cross-linking in the pores: a specific biomolecule having multibinding sites can be recognized by several receptors and acts as the cross-linker of the grafted polymer, whereas a nonspecific molecule cannot. The pore state can be distinguished by a volume phase transition of the grafted polymer. In the present study, the principle of the proposed system is demonstrated using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) as the stimuli-responsive polymer and avidin-biotin as a multibindable biomolecule-specific receptor. As a result of the selective response to the specific biomolecule, a clear permeability change of an order of magnitude was achieved. The principle is versatile and can be applied to many combinations of multibindable analyte-specific receptors, including antibody-antigen and lectin-sugar analogues. The new gating system can find wide application in the bioanalytical field and aid the design of novel biodevices.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Acrylamides / chemistry*
  • Acrylic Resins
  • Avidin / chemistry
  • Biotin / chemistry
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Nanopores
  • Phase Transition
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Porosity
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared*

Substances

  • Acrylamides
  • Acrylic Resins
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Polymers
  • Avidin
  • poly-N-isopropylacrylamide
  • Biotin