Cell Imaging with Fluorescent Bi-Metallic Nanoparticles

Last decades various imaging techniques have been applied in biological and biomedical research, such as magnetic resonance imaging, different types of tomography, fluorescence/bioluminescence, ultrasound, as well as multimodality approaches. Fluorescence imaging, especially in combination with nanoscale materials, is a very prospective tool for experiments in vivo and clinical applications due to its high temporal and spatial resolutions. Fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs), having ability to interact with biomolecules both on the surface of and inside the cells, may revolutionize the cell imaging approaches for diagnostics and therapy. In our investigation we report about new method of cell imaging with fluorescent bi-metallic NPs synthesized by chemical reduction of the relevant ions. As the model of living organism, the cells of yeast Hansenula polymorpha were used. All NPs in minimal concentration (up to 0.05 mM) was proved to be non-toxic for yeast cells. The NPs and NPs-modified cells were characterized with the methods of UV-VIS spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atom force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The bimetallic NPs, possessing the stable fluorescence in solution and inside the cells, allow to observe the phenomenon of NPs transferring from parental to daughter cells through at least three generations followed by releasing from the modified cells. The fluorescent NPs synthesized being small, non-toxic and fluorescent was shown to be perspective tool for cell imaging

Isolation and characterization of mutated alcohol oxidases from the yeast Hansenula polymorpha with decreased affinity toward substrates and their use as selective elements of an amperometric biosensor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Accurate, rapid, and economic on-line analysis of ethanol is very desirable. However, available biosensors achieve saturation at very low ethanol concentrations and thus demand the time and labour consuming procedure of sample dilution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>Hansenula polymorpha </it>(<it>Pichia angusta</it>) mutant strains resistant to allyl alcohol in methanol medium were selected. Such strains possessed decreased affinity of alcohol oxidase (AOX) towards methanol: the K_Mvalues for AOX of wild type and mutant strains CA2 and CA4 are shown to be 0.62, 2.48 and 1.10 mM, respectively, whereas V_maxvalues are increased or remain unaffected. The mutant AOX alleles from <it>H. polymorpha </it>mutants CA2 and CA4 were isolated and sequenced. Several point mutations in the AOX gene, mostly different between the two mutant alleles, have been identified. Mutant AOX forms were isolated and purified, and some of their biochemical properties were studied. An amperometric biosensor based on the mutated form of AOX from the strain CA2 was constructed and revealed an extended linear response to the target analytes, ethanol and formaldehyde, as compared to the sensor based on the native AOX.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The described selection methodology opens up the possibility of isolating modified forms of AOX with further decreased affinity toward substrates without reduction of the maximal velocity of reaction. It can help in creation of improved ethanol biosensors with a prolonged linear response towards ethanol in real samples of wines, beers or fermentation liquids.</p

Methylamine-Sensitive Amperometric Biosensor Based on (His)6-Tagged Hansenula polymorpha Methylamine Oxidase Immobilized on the Gold Nanoparticles

A novel methylamine-selective amperometric bienzyme biosensor based on recombinant primary amine oxidase isolated from the recombinant yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae and commercial horseradish peroxidase is described. Two amine oxidase preparations were used: free enzyme (AMO) and covalently immobilized on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AMO-nAu). Some bioanalytical parameters (sensitivity, selectivity, and storage stability) of the developed biosensors were investigated. The sensitivity for both sensors is high: 1450 ± 113 and 700 ± 30 A−1·M−1·m−2 for AMO-nAu biosensor, respectively. The biosensors exhibit the linear range from 15 μM to 150 μM (AMO-nAu) and from 15 μM to 60 μM (AMO). The developed biosensor demonstrated a good selectivity toward methylamine (MA) (signal for dimethylamine and trimethylamine is less than 5% and for ethylamine 15% compared to MA output) and reveals a satisfactory storage stability. The constructed amperometric biosensor was used for MA assay in real samples of fish products in comparison with chemical method. The values obtained with both approaches different methods demonstrated a high correlation

Amperometric L-arginine biosensor based on a novel recombinant arginine deiminase

The authors describe an amperometric biosensor for the amino acid L-arginine (L-Arg). It is based on the use of a Nafion/Polyaniline (PANi) composite on a platinum screen-printed electrode (Pt-SPE) using a novel recombinant arginine deiminase isolated from Mycoplasma hominis. The protein was over-expressed, purified and employed as a biorecognition element of the sensor. Enzymatic hydrolysis of L-Arg leads to the formation of ammonium ions which diffuse into the Nafion/PANi layer and induce the electroreduction of PANi at a potential of -0.35 V (vs Ag/AgCl). L-Arg sensitivity is 684 +/- 32 A.M-1.m(-2), and the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant K-M(app)) is 0.31 +/- 0.05 mM. The calibration plot is linear over the range 3-200 mu M L-Arg, the limit of detection is 1 mu M, and the response time (for 90% of the total signal change to occur) is 15 s. The sensor is selective and exhibits good storage stability (amp;gt; 1 month without loss in signal). The biosensor was applied to the analysis of L-Arg in pharmaceutical samples and of ammonium and L-Arg in spiked human plasma obtained from blood of healthy volunteers and those with a hepatic disorder. Data generated were found to be in good agreement with a reference fluorometric enzymatic assay.Funding Agencies|European Community [PIRSES-GA-2012-318053]; NATO Science for Peace (SFP) [CBP.NUKR.SFPP 984173]</p

“Green” Prussian Blue Analogues as Peroxidase Mimetics for Amperometric Sensing and Biosensing

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) are well-known artificial enzymes with peroxidase (PO)-like activity. PBAs have a high potential for applications in scientific investigations, industry, ecology and medicine. Being stable and both catalytically and electrochemically active, PBAs are promising in the construction of biosensors and biofuel cells. The “green” synthesis of PO-like PBAs using oxido-reductase flavocytochrome b2 is described in this study. When immobilized on graphite electrodes (GEs), the obtained green-synthesized PBAs or hexacyanoferrates (gHCFs) of transition and noble metals produced amperometric signals in response to H2O2. HCFs of copper, iron, palladium and other metals were synthesized and characterized by structure, size, catalytic properties and electro-mediator activities. The gCuHCF, as the most effective PO mimetic with a flower-like micro/nano superstructure, was used as an H2O2-sensitive platform for the development of a glucose oxidase (GO)-based biosensor. The GO/gCuHCF/GE biosensor exhibited high sensitivity (710 A M−1m−2), a broad linear range and good selectivity when tested on real samples of fruit juices. We propose that the gCuHCF and other gHCFs synthesized via enzymes may be used as artificial POs in amperometric oxidase-based (bio)sensors

Metallic Nanoparticles Obtained via “Green” Synthesis as a Platform for Biosensor Construction

Novel nanomaterials, including metallic nanoparticles obtained via green synthesis (gNPs), have a great potential for application in biotechnology, industry and medicine. The special role of gNPs is related to antibacterial agents, fluorescent markers and carriers for drug delivery. However, application of gNPs for construction of amperometric biosensors (ABSs) is not well documented. The aim of the current research was to study potential advantages of using gNPs in biosensorics. The extracellular metabolites of the yeast Ogataea polymorpha were used as reducing agents for obtaining gNPs from the corresponding inorganic ions. Several gNPs were synthesized, characterized and tested as enzyme carriers on the surface of graphite electrodes (GEs). The most effective were Pd-based gNPs (gPdNPs), and these were studied further and applied for construction of laccase- and alcohol oxidase (AO)-based ABSs. AO/GE, AO-gPdNPs/GE, laccase/GE and laccase-gPdNPs/GE were obtained, and their analytical characteristics were studied. Both gPdNPs-modified ABSs were found to have broader linear ranges and higher storage stabilities than control electrodes, although they are less sensitive toward corresponding substrates. We thus conclude that gPdNPs may be promising for construction of ABSs for enzymes with very high affinities to their substrates

Formaldehyde-sensitive conductometric sensors based on commercial and recombinant formaldehyde dehydrogenase

Novel formaldehyde-sensitive conductometric biosensors have been developed that are based on commercial bacterial formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH) from Pseudomonas putida and recombinant formaldehyde dehydrogenase (rFDH) from the yeast Hansenula polymorpha as the bio-recognition elements. The bio-recognition membranes have mono-layer architecture and consist of enzyme cross-linked with albumin and of the cofactors NAD (for FDH-based sensor) or NAD and glutathione (for rFDH-based sensor). This architecture of the biosensor allows the determination of formaldehyde without adding NAD and glutathione to the analyzed sample at every analysis and conducting measurements on the same transducer without cofactors regeneration since the bio-membrane contains it at high concentration (100 mM for NAD and 20 mM for glutathione). The response is linear in the range from 10 to 200 mM of formaldehyde concentration depending on the enzyme used. The dependence of the biosensor output signals on pH and buffer concentration as well as operational/storage stability and selectivity/specificity of the developed conductometric biosensors have been investigated. The relative standard deviation of the intra-sensor response did not exceed 4% and 10% for rFDH- and FDH-based sensors, respectively. The relative standard deviation of the inter-sensor response constituted 20% for both dehydrogenases used. The biosensors have been validated for formaldehyde detection in some real samples of pharmaceutical (Formidron), disinfectant (Descoton forte) and an industrial product (Formalin). A good correlation does exist between the concentration values measured by the conductometric biosensor developed in this work, an enzymatic method, amperometric biosensors developed earlier, and standard analytical methods of formaldehyde determination