concanavalin-a and dodecylmercaptan

Functionalized vesicles composed of glycolipid and alkanethiol lipids have been immobilized onto gold surface through one-step self-assembly to construct an electrochemical biosensor for Concanavalin A (Con A) detection. Incorporation of alkanethiol lipid molecules into the vesicles allows for firm attachment of the vesicles onto a gold surface to form a sensing interface. At the same time, the introduction of alkanethiol lipid avoids cumbersome organic syntheses of sulfur-containing compound, making the biosensor greater applied prospect. Through the recognition of Con A by glycolipid which was immobilized on the surface of electrode, a decrease of electrochemical signal was observed. This decrease was restored when the electrode was immersed in a stronger binding solution such as glucose. The repeated usability of the novel sensor is excellent.

Topics: Acetylglucosamine; Biosensing Techniques; Concanavalin A; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Gold; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Sulfhydryl Compounds

In this paper, an improved method for detection of Concanavalin A (Con A) with label-free optical biosensors is reported. 1-Dodecanethiol (DDT) was self-assembled onto gold nanoparticles which were deposited on glass slides, and then glycolipid molecules were inserted into dodecanethiol by physical interactions only. The recognition between Con A and carbohydrate was observed by UV-vis spectrophotometry. The absorption spectrum shifted when Con A was bound to the sugar residues of glycolipids immobilized onto nanogold slides, while almost no spectrum change was observed when another nonspecific protein molecule met the nanogold slides. The self-assembled bilayer on nanogold substrates had very high sensitivity for Con A, the minimum detection concentration of Con A can be down to 0.1 nM. In addition to the ultra sensitivity for investigating carbohydrate-lectin interaction, the self-assembled bilayer structure, is expected to replace many receptors which require time-consuming organic syntheses for the fixation to the transducer. The simplicity and sensitivity of this biosensor architecture once again show the prospect of nanogold application in biosensor.

Topics: Biosensing Techniques; Concanavalin A; Glycolipids; Gold Colloid; Nanoparticles; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sulfhydryl Compounds