A bioelectronic taste sensor based on bioengineered Escherichia coli cells combined with ITO-constructed electrochemical sensors.

In this study, we developed a novel bioelectronic taste sensor for the detection of specific bitter substances. A human bitter taste receptor, hT2R4, was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), which was used as the primary recognition element. A simple and low-cost electrochemical device based on ITO-based electrolyte-semiconductor (ES) structure was innovatively employed as the transducer to assess bacterial metabolic consequences of receptor activation in real time. An apparent increase in extracellular acidification rate was observed, which was resulted from the triggering of hT2R4 receptors by their target ligand of denatonium. The sensor showed dose-dependent responses to denatonuim ranging from 50 nM to 500 nM, while non-bioengineered bacteria without hT2R4 receptors exhibited negligible responses to the same stimulus. In addition, the specificity of the proposed taste biosensor was verified using other typical bitter substances such as quinine and alpha-naphthylthiourea (ANTU). This research provides a simple and inexpensive approach for the construction of bioelectronic taste sensors.

[1]  Dmitri B. Papkovsky,et al.  In vitro analysis of cell metabolism using a long-decay pH-sensitive lanthanide probe and extracellular acidification assay. , 2009, Analytical biochemistry.

[2]  Jian Wang,et al.  Surface modification and construction of LAPS towards biosensing applications , 2018, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical.

[3]  S. Merel,et al.  Denatonium - A so far unrecognized but ubiquitous water contaminant? , 2017, Water research.

[4]  Qingjun Liu,et al.  A novel microphysiometer based on high sensitivity LAPS and microfluidic system for cellular metabolism study and rapid drug screening. , 2013, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[5]  J. W. Parce,et al.  The cytosensor microphysiometer: biological applications of silicon technology. , 1992, Science.

[6]  M. Titirici,et al.  Photoelectrochemical response of carbon dots (CDs) derived from chitosan and their use in electrochemical imaging , 2018 .

[7]  Qingjun Liu,et al.  Bioelectronic tongue of taste buds on microelectrode array for salt sensing. , 2013, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[8]  Wei Chen,et al.  Dual functional extracellular recording using a light-addressable potentiometric sensor for bitter signal transduction. , 2018, Analytica chimica acta.

[9]  M. Schöning,et al.  Determination of the extracellular acidification of Escherichia coli by a light‐addressable potentiometric sensor , 2011 .

[10]  F. Hafner,et al.  Cytosensor Microphysiometer: technology and recent applications. , 2000, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[11]  Tai Hyun Park,et al.  "Bioelectronic super-taster" device based on taste receptor-carbon nanotube hybrid structures. , 2011, Lab on a chip.

[12]  De-Wen Zhang,et al.  Light-Addressable Potentiometric Sensors Using ZnO Nanorods as the Sensor Substrate for Bioanalytical Applications. , 2018, Analytical chemistry.

[13]  De-Wen Zhang,et al.  LAPS and SPIM Imaging Using ITO-Coated Glass as the Substrate Material. , 2017, Analytical chemistry.

[14]  Jian Wang,et al.  Photoelectrochemical Imaging System for the Mapping of Cell Surface Charges. , 2019, Analytical chemistry.

[15]  Ling Zou,et al.  A biomimetic bitter receptor-based biosensor with high efficiency immobilization and purification using self-assembled aptamers. , 2013, The Analyst.

[16]  Tai Hyun Park,et al.  Bioelectronic tongue using heterodimeric human taste receptor for the discrimination of sweeteners with human-like performance. , 2014, ACS nano.

[17]  Ling Zou,et al.  Label-free functional assays of chemical receptors using a bioengineered cell-based biosensor with localized extracellular acidification measurement. , 2014, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[18]  Tai Hyun Park,et al.  The bioelectronic nose and tongue using olfactory and taste receptors: Analytical tools for food quality and safety assessment. , 2017, Biotechnology advances.

[19]  Tai Hyun Park,et al.  A portable and multiplexed bioelectronic sensor using human olfactory and taste receptors. , 2017, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[20]  Hyun Seok Song,et al.  Single‐Carbon‐Atomic‐Resolution Detection of Odorant Molecules using a Human Olfactory Receptor‐based Bioelectronic Nose , 2009 .

[21]  Michael J. Schöning,et al.  Determination of the extracellular acidification of Escherichia coli K12 with a multi-chamber-based LAPS system , 2016 .

[22]  J. W. Parce,et al.  Detection of cell-affecting agents with a silicon biosensor. , 1989, Science.

[23]  Qingjun Liu,et al.  Extracellular potentials recording in intact taste epithelium by microelectrode array for a taste sensor. , 2013, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[24]  Hyun Seok Song,et al.  Duplex Bioelectronic Tongue for Sensing Umami and Sweet Tastes Based on Human Taste Receptor Nanovesicles. , 2016, ACS nano.

[25]  Qingjun Liu,et al.  A novel experimental research based on taste cell chips for taste transduction mechanism , 2008 .

[26]  J. Tack,et al.  Intragastric infusion of the bitter tastant quinine suppresses hormone release and antral motility during the fasting state in healthy female volunteers , 2018, Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society.

[27]  L. Du,et al.  An ATP sensitive light addressable biosensor for extracellular monitoring of single taste receptor cell , 2012, Biomedical Microdevices.

[28]  D. Buhler,et al.  Analysis of denatonium benzoate in Oregon consumer products by HPLC. , 1998, Chemosphere.

[29]  Tai Hyun Park,et al.  Human taste receptor-functionalized field effect transistor as a human-like nanobioelectronic tongue. , 2013, Nano letters.