Biodesign Center for Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
Nat Commun. 2020 Sep 21;11(1):4768. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18547-w.
Detection and identification of proteins are typically achieved by analyzing protein size, charge, mobility and binding to antibodies, which are critical for biomedical research and disease diagnosis and treatment. Despite the importance, measuring these quantities with one technology and at the single-molecule level has not been possible. Here we tether a protein to a surface with a flexible polymer, drive it into oscillation with an electric field, and image the oscillation with a near field optical imaging method, from which we determine the size, charge, and mobility of the protein. We also measure antibody binding and conformation changes in the protein. The work demonstrates a capability for comprehensive protein analysis and precision protein biomarker detection at the single molecule level.
蛋白质的检测和鉴定通常通过分析蛋白质的大小、电荷、迁移率以及与抗体的结合情况来实现，这些对于生物医学研究以及疾病的诊断和治疗至关重要。尽管如此，利用单一技术在单分子水平上测量这些参数目前还难以实现。在这里，我们通过一种柔性聚合物将蛋白质固定在一个表面上，然后利用电场驱动其振荡，并通过近场光学成像方法对其振荡进行成像，由此我们可以确定蛋白质的大小、电荷和迁移率。我们还测量了蛋白质与抗体的结合情况以及构象变化。这项工作展示了在单分子水平上进行全面蛋白质分析和精确蛋白质生物标志物检测的能力。
