Utilization of albumin-based sensor chips for the detection of metal content and characterization of metal–protein interaction by surface plasmon resonance

Abstract We report here the use of albumin-based biosensor chips for the determination of metal content and characterization of metal–protein interaction by surface plasmon resonance. Bovine serum albumin was immobilized onto a carboxymethylated dextran matrix and used for metal detection. The temperature for the analysis was defined and the highest interaction was observed at 25 °C. The albumin sensor chip binds cadmium, zinc or nickel in a concentration-dependent manner, but not magnesium, manganese and calcium. The optimal buffer condition used for the analysis contains 0.01 M HEPES, pH 7.4, 1 mM NaCl and 0.005% Tween-20. Using this condition, a linear calibration curve within the range of 10 −8 to 10 −4  M can be established for the metals. However, a dramatic increase in binding capacity was observed when metal concentration was higher than 10 −4  M and reached a plateau at 10 −2  M. The detection limit for Cd can reach as low as 1 ppb. When measuring a solution containing two species of metal ions with the albumin chip, an additive effect was observed for Ni and Zn. However, 20–30% reduction in resonance response was found upon mixing Cd with Zn or Ni. These observations are consistent with the binding characteristics of albumin. The feasibility of measuring serum metal content by the albumin chip was examined. A linear calibration curve can be established if the samples are boiled and passed through a gel filtration column. The binding affinity of metal with albumin can also be achieved by using the sensor chip. The binding affinity follows the order of Ni > Zn > Cd. These results indicate that the albumin-based sensor chip is useful not only in the quantification of metal content, but also in the characterization of the biochemical properties of albumin.

[1]  D. Gianfaldoni,et al.  Comparison of a conventional immunoassay (ELISA) with a surface plasmon resonance-based biosensor for IGF-1 detection in cows' milk. , 2001, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[2]  P. Schechter,et al.  A study of zinc distribution in human serum. , 1976, Bioinorganic chemistry.

[3]  D. Carter,et al.  Atomic structure and chemistry of human serum albumin , 1992, Nature.

[4]  B. Sarkar,et al.  Ternary coordination complex between human serum albumin, copper (II), and L-histidine. , 1971, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[5]  A. Ewing,et al.  Dynamic electrochemistry: methodology and application. , 1984, Analytical chemistry.

[6]  Juewen Liu,et al.  New highly sensitive and selective catalytic DNA biosensors for metal ions. , 2003, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[7]  E. Pişkin,et al.  Investigation of complexation of immobilized metallothionein with Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions using piezoelectric crystals. , 2003, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[8]  S. Akilesh,et al.  Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements of Ni(II) and Cu(II) binding to His, GlyGlyHis, HisGlyHis, and bovine serum albumin: a critical evaluation. , 2000, Inorganic chemistry.

[9]  B. Sarkar,et al.  Characterization of the copper(II)- and nickel(II)-transport site of human serum albumin. Studies of copper(II) and nickel(II) binding to peptide 1-24 of human serum albumin by 13C and 1H NMR spectroscopy. , 1984, Biochemistry.

[10]  S. H. Laurie,et al.  Copper-albumin: what is its functional role? , 1986, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[11]  Wilfred Chen,et al.  Novel synthetic phytochelatin-based capacitive biosensor for heavy metal ion detection. , 2003, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[12]  C. Schauer,et al.  Color changes in chitosan and poly(allyl amine) films upon metal binding , 2003 .

[13]  B Mattiasson,et al.  Detection of heavy metal ions at femtomolar levels using protein-based biosensors. , 1998, Analytical chemistry.

[14]  M. Otagiri,et al.  Practical aspects of the ligand-binding and enzymatic properties of human serum albumin. , 2002, Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin.

[15]  R. Hay,et al.  Kinetic and thermodynamic studies of the copper (II) and nickel(II) complexes of glycylglycyl-L-histidine. , 1993, Journal of inorganic biochemistry.

[16]  J. Osterloh,et al.  Determination of lead in blood by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry at a carbon disk ultramicroelectrode. , 1994, Analytical chemistry.

[17]  Christopher Rensing,et al.  Issues underlying use of biosensors to measure metal bioavailability. , 2003, Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.

[18]  P. Sadler,et al.  Interdomain zinc site on human albumin , 2003, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[19]  D G Myszka,et al.  High-resolution and high-throughput protocols for measuring drug/human serum albumin interactions using BIACORE. , 2001, Analytical biochemistry.

[20]  B. Sarkar,et al.  Binding of cadmium(II) and zinc(II) to human and dog serum albumins. An equilibrium dialysis and 113Cd-NMR study. , 1991, Biochemistry and cell biology = Biochimie et biologie cellulaire.

[21]  K. Firman,et al.  Protein-Protein and Protein-DNA Interactions in the Type I. Restriction Endonuclease R.EcoR124I , 1998, Biological chemistry.

[22]  Ching-Mei Wu,et al.  Immobilization of metallothionein as a sensitive biosensor chip for the detection of metal ions by surface plasmon resonance. , 2004, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[23]  J. H. Viles,et al.  Involvement of a lysine residue in the N-terminal Ni2+ and Cu2+ binding site of serum albumins. Comparison with Co2+, Cd2+ and Al3+. , 1994, European journal of biochemistry.