Engineering and rapid selection of a low-affinity glucose/galactose-binding protein for a glucose biosensor

Periplasmic expression screening is a selection technique used to enrich high-affinity proteins in Escherichia coli. We report using this screening method to rapidly select a mutated D-glucose/D-galactose-binding protein (GGBP) having low affinity to glucose. Wild-type GGBP has an equilibrium dissociation constant of 0.2 microM and mediates the transport of glucose within the periplasm of E. coli. The protein undergoes a large conformational change on binding glucose and, when labeled with an environmentally sensitive fluorophore, GGBP can relay glucose concentrations, making it of potential interest as a biosensor for diabetics. This use necessitates altering the glucose affinity of GGBP, bringing it into the physiologically relevant range for monitoring glucose in humans (1.7-33 mM). To accomplish this a focused library was constructed using structure-based site-saturation mutagenesis to randomize amino acids in the binding pocket of GGBP at or near direct H-bonding sites and screening the library within the bacterial periplasm. After selection, equilibrium dissociation constants were confirmed by glucose titration and fluorescence monitoring of purified mutants labeled site-specifically at E149C with the fluorophore IANBD (N,N'-dimethyl-N-(iodoacetyl)-N'-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)ethylene-diamine). The screening identified a single mutation A213R that lowers GGBP glucose affinity 5000-fold to 1 mM. Computational modeling suggested the large decrease in affinity was accomplished by the arginine side chain perturbing H-bonding and increasing the entropic barrier to the closed conformation. Overall, these experiments demonstrate the ability of structure-based site-saturation mutagenesis and periplasmic expression screening to discover low-affinity GGBP mutants having potential utility for measuring glucose in humans.     

Novel FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase for a dioxygen-insensitive glucose biosensor

A novel FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (FAD-GDH) was found and its enzymatic property for glucose sensing was characterized. FAD-GDH oxidized glucose in the presence of some artificial electron acceptors, except for O2, and exhibited thermostability, high substrate specificity and a large Michaelis constant for glucose. FAD-GDH was applied to an amperometric glucose sensor with Fe(CN)6(3-) as a soluble mediator. The use of a relatively high concentration of Fe(CN)6(3-) resulted in a good linearity between the current response and the glucose concentration, taking into account a large Michaelis constant for Fe(CN)6(3-). The glucose sensor was completely insensitive to O2 and responded linearly to glucose up to 30 mM. Compared to glucose, the response to other saccharides was negligible. The sensor can be stored at room temperature in a desiccator for at least one month without any change in the response or activity.     

Optimization of a polypyrrole glucose oxidase biosensor

An amperometric glucose biosensor was fabricated by the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole onto a platinum electrode in the presence of the enzyme glucose oxidase in a KCl solution at a potential of + 0·65 V versus SCE. The enzyme was entrapped into the polypyrrole film during the electropolymerization process. Glucose responses were measured by potentio-statting the enzyme electrode at a potential of + 0·7 V versus SCE in order to oxidize the hydrogen generated by the oxidation of glucose by the enzyme in the presence of oxygen. Experiments were performed to determined the optimal conditions of the polypyrrole glucose oxidase film preparation (pyrrole and glucose oxidase concentrations in the plating solution) and the response to glucose from such electrodes was evaluated as a function of film thickness, pH and temperature. It was found that a concentration of 0·3 M pyrrole in the presence of 65 U/ml of glucose oxidase in 0·01 M KCl were the optimal parameters for the fabrication of the biosensor. The optimal response was obtained for a film thickness of 0·17 μm (75 mC/cm²) at pH 6 and at a temperature of 313 K. The temperature dependence of the amperometric response indicated an activation energy of 41 kJ/mole. The linearity of the enzyme electrode response ranged from 1·0 mM to 7·5 mM glucose and kinetic parameters determined for the optimized biosensors were 33·4 mM for the K_m and 7·2 μA for the I_max. It was demonstrated that the internal diffusion of hydrogen peroxide through the polypyrrole layer to the platinum surface was the main limiting factor controlling the magnitude of the response of the biosensor to glucose. The response was directly related to the enzyme loading in the polypyrrole film. The shelf life and the operational stability of the optimized biosensor exceed 500 days and 175 assays, respectively. The substrate specificity of the entrapped glucose oxidase was not altered by the immobilization procedure.     

A yeast biosensor for glucose determination

Summary A yeast potentiometric biosensor for glucose determination is described. After induction of glycolytic enzyme synthesis a cell suspension of the yeast Hansenula anomala is retained in calcium alginate gel on the surface of a glass electrode. This biosensor gives a Nernstian response in glucose concentration of 5·10^–4–5·10^–3 mol/l with a response time of 5 min and a life-time of at least 2 months. Mannose and fructose are the only significantly interfering substances. The biosensor was used for measurement of glucose concentration in urine with results comparable to those obtained by a photometric enzymatic method.     

Cholinesterase biosensor construction - a review

Biosensors using cholinesterases as the biorecognition component have been used to assay organophosphates and carbamates for a long time. In this review, some strategies convenient for biosensor construction are presented. Solutions for cholinesterase immobilization and output signal monitoring are presented as the basic presumptions for successful biosensor construction.     

A nanoparticle label/immunochromatographic electrochemical biosensor for rapid and sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen

We present a nanoparticle (NP) label/immunochromatographic electrochemical biosensor (IEB) for rapid and sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in human serum. This IEB integrates the immunochromatographic strip with the electrochemical detector for transducing quantitative signals. The NP label, made of CdSe@ZnS, serves as a signal-amplifier vehicle. A sandwich immunoreaction was performed on the immunochromatographic strip. The captured NP labels in the test zone were determined by highly sensitive stripping voltammetric measurement of the dissolved metallic component (cadmium) with a disposable-screen-printed electrode, which is embedded underneath the membrane of the test zone. Several experimental parameters (e.g., immunoreaction time, the amount of anti-PSA-NP conjugations applied) and electrochemical detection conditions (e.g., preconcentration potential and time) were optimized using this biosensor for PSA detection. The analytical performance of this biosensor was evaluated with serum PSA samples according to the “figure-of-merits” (e.g., dynamic range, reproducibility, and detection limit). The results were validated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and showed high consistency. It is found that this biosensor is very sensitive with the detection limit of 0.02 ng mL⁻¹ PSA and is quite reproducible (with a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 6.4%). This method is rapid, clinically practical, and less expensive than other diagnostic tools for PSA; therefore, this IEB coupled with a portable electrochemical analyzer shows great promise for simple, sensitive, quantitative point-of-care testing of disease-related protein biomarkers.     

The comparison of different gold nanoparticles/graphene nanosheets hybrid nanocomposites in electrochemical performance and the construction of a sensitive uric acid electrochemical sensor with novel hybrid nanocomposites

In this paper, water soluble poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-graphene nanosheets (PDDA-GNs) were synthesized and characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). On the basis of PDDA-GNs, three different types of gold nanoparticles/graphene nanosheets (AuNPs/GNs) hybrid nanocomposites were obtained by one-pot synthesis, in situ reduction and adsorption methods, respectively. These nanocomposites were used as electrode materials for electrochemical determination of uric acid (UA). The results indicated adsorption to be the best method to synthesize hybrid nanocomposites from the electrochemical point of view. Given the fact positively charged PDDA-AuNPs could interact with negatively charged UA molecules, we then synthesized PDDA-protected gold nanoparticles/graphene nanosheets (PDDA-AuNPs/GNs) hybrid nanocomposites by adsorption method, for the first time. As were expected, PDDA-AuNPs/GNs gave better performance for UA than AuNPs/GNs obtained by adsorption, and the anodic peak current of UA obtained by cyclic voltammetry (CV) increased 102.1-fold in comparison to bare GCE under optimizing conditions. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to quantitatively determine UA. The linear range of UA was from 0.5μM to 20μM and the detection limit was 0.1μM (S/N=3) with a high sensitivity of 103.08μAμM(-1)cm(-2). The assay results of urine sample provided satisfying recoveries by standard addition method. In addition, the anodic peaks of adrenaline (AD) and UA were well resolved at PDDA-AuNPs/GNs modified electrode, while they were too overlapped to separate at bare electrode, as a result of that UA was successfully detected in the presence of AD. In conclusion, rapid synthesis of PDDA-AuNPs/GNs were realized and applied as an advanced hybrid electrode material for UA determination.     

Sol-gel-derived titanium oxide/copolymer composite based glucose biosensor

A new type of sol-gel-derived titanium oxide/copolymer composite material was developed and used for the construction of glucose biosensor. The composite material merged the best properties of the inorganic species, titanium oxide and the organic copolymer, poly(vinyl alcohol) grafting 4-vinylpyridine (PVA-g-PVP). The glucose oxidase entrapped in the composite matrix retained its bioactivity. Morphologies of the composite-modified electrode and the enzyme electrode were characterized with a scanning electron microscope. The dependence of the current responses on enzyme-loading and pH was studied. The response time of the biosensor was < 20 s and the linear range was up to 9 microM with a sensitivity of 405 nA/microM. The biosensor was stable for at least 1 month. In addition, the tetrathiafulvalene-mediated enzyme electrode was constructed for the decrease of detection potential and the effect of three common physiological sources that might interfere was also investigated.     

Elements of biosensor construction

The diverse configurations observed in amperometric biosensors can be attributed to the manipulation of several interrelated elements in the construction of these devices. This article highlights these elements and identifies approaches taken and the factors influencing the choice of the approaches. The results of a systematic literature review over a 2.5-year period (18 May 1992–21 November 1994) encompassing all of the elements in biosensor construction are used to evaluate the prevalence, and hence, acceptance of recent approaches with critical analysis applied to certain techniques. Future trends are predicted and possible directions discussed.     

Tonometric biosensor with a differential pressure sensor for chemo-mechanical measurement of glucose

A tonometric biosensor for glucose was constructed using a chemo-mechanical reaction unit and a differential pressure sensor. The reaction unit was fabricated by using both liquid and gas cells separated by an enzyme diaphragm membrane, in which glucose oxidase was immobilized onto the single (gas cell) side of the dialysis membrane. By applying glucose solution (0, 25.0, 50.0, 100, 150 and 200 mmol/l) into the liquid cell of the chemo-mechanical reaction unit, the pressure in the gas cell decreased continuously with a steady de-pressure slope because the oxygen consumption in the gas cell was induced by the glucose oxidase (GOD) enzyme reaction at the enzyme side of the porous diaphragm membrane. The steady de-pressure slope in the gas cell showed the linear relationship with the glucose concentration in the liquid cell between 25.0 and 200.0 mmol/l (correlation coefficient of 0.998). A substrate regeneration cycle coupling GOD with l-ascorbic acid (AsA: 0, 1.0, 3.0, 10.0 and 50.0 mmol/l; as reducing reagent system) was applied to the chemo-mechanical reaction unit in order to amplify the output signal of the tonometric biosensor. 3.0 mmol/l concentration of AsA could optimally amplify the sensor signal more than 2.5 times in comparison with that of non-AsA reagent.     

Immobilization and direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase on a tetragonal pyramid-shaped porous ZnO nanostructure for a glucose biosensor

A tetragonal pyramid-shaped porous ZnO (TPSP-ZnO) nanostructure is used for the immobilization, direct electrochemistry and biosensing of proteins. The prepared ZnO has a large surface area and good biocompatibility. Using glucose oxidase (GOD) as a model, this shaped ZnO is tested for immobilization of proteins and the construction of electrochemical biosensors with good electrochemical performances. The interaction between GOD and TPSP-ZnO is examined by using AFM, N(2) adsorption isotherms and electrochemical methods. The immobilized GOD at a TPSP-ZnO-modified glassy carbon electrode shows a good direct electrochemical behavior, which depends on the properties of the TPSP-ZnO. Based on a decrease of the electrocatalytic response of the reduced form of GOD to dissolved oxygen, the proposed biosensor exhibits a linear response to glucose concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 8.2mM with a detection limit of 0.01mM at an applied potential of -0.50V which has better biosensing properties than those from other morphological ZnO nanoparticles. The biosensor shows good stability, reproducibility, low interferences and can diagnose diabetes very fast and sensitively. Such the TPSP-ZnO nanostructure provides a good matrix for protein immobilization and biosensor preparation.     

Optimisation of the biosensor for in situ fermentation monitoring of glucose concentration

The optimisation of a mediated amperometric glucose biosensor designed for in situ bioprocess monitoring leading to improved stability (4 days of continuous use) and extended working range (up to 20 g 1⁻¹) is described. An example of its application to fermentation monitoring is given in the model system of a pulse-fed baker's yeast cultivation on defined medium.     

Using silver nanoparticle to enhance current response of biosensor

In this paper, we present a simple procedure to increase the sensitivity of a glucose biosensor. The feasibility of an amperometric glucose biosensor based on immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) in silver (Ag) sol was investigated for the first time. GOx was simply mixed with Ag nanoparticles and cross-linked with a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) medium by glutaraldehyde. Then a platinum electrode was coated with the mixed solution. The effects of the amount of the Ag particles used, with respect to the current response for enzyme electrodes, were studied. A set of experimental results indicate that the current response for the enzyme electrode containing hydrophobic Ag sol increased from 0.531 to 31.17 microA in the solution of 10 mmol/L beta-D glucose. The time reaching the steady-state current response reduced from 60 to 20s, three times less than those without Ag particles involved.     

Genetic modification of glucose oxidase for improving performance of an amperometric glucose biosensor

Glucose oxidase (GOD) was genetically modified by adding a poly-lysine chain at the C-terminal with a peptide linker inserted between the enzyme and poly-lysine chain. The poly-lysine chain was added in order to anchor more electron transfer mediator, ferrocenecarboxylic acid, to GOD for the purpose of improving sensitivity and stability of glucose biosensors. The modified GOD had similar K(m) and K(cat) to those of the wild type enzyme. After interacted with the electron transfer mediator, the modified enzyme retained 90.01% of its native activity, while the commercial GOD and the wild type GOD (Aspergillus niger) retained only 22.43 and 22.17%, respectively. Screen-printed electrodes coated with the modified GOD, wild type yeast-derived GOD or the commercial GOD were tested in glucose solution of different concentrations. Experimental results showed that the biosensor based on the modified GOD gave the largest signal among the three. In addition, the linear range of the biosensor prepared by the modified GOD could extend to 45 mM, while they were about 20 mM for the biosensors based on the wild type yeast-derived enzyme and the commercial enzyme.     

Development of a disposable glucose biosensor using electroless-plated Au/Ni/copper low electrical resistance electrodes

This paper presents a glucose biosensor, which was developed using a Au/Ni/copper electrode. Until now, research regarding the low electrical resistance and uniformity of this biosensor electrode has not been conducted. Glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilized on the electrode effectively plays the role of an electron shuttle, and allows glucose to be detected at 0.055 V with a dramatically reduced resistance to easily oxidizable constituents. The Au/Ni/copper electrode has a low electrical resistance, which is less than 0.01 Ω, and it may be possible to mass produce the biosensor electrode with a uniform electrical resistance. The low electrical resistance has the advantage in that the redox peak occurs at a low applied potential. Using a low operating potential (0.055 V), the GOD/Au/Ni/copper structure creates a good sensitivity to detect glucose, and efficiently excludes interferences from common coexisting substances. The GOD/Au/Ni/copper sensor exhibits a relatively short response time (about 3 s), and a sensitivity of 0.85 μA mM⁻¹ with a linear range of buffer to 33 mM of glucose. The sensor has excellent reproducibility with a correlation coefficient of 0.9989 (n = 100 times) and a total non-linearity error of 3.17%.     

Glucose oxidase enzyme immobilized porous silica for improved performance of a glucose biosensor

High activity of glucose oxidase (GOD) enzyme (immobilized in porous silica particles) is desirable for a better glucose biosensor. In this work, effect of pore diameter of two porous hosts on enzyme immobilization, activity and glucose sensing was compared. The hosts were amine functionalized: (i) microporous silica (NH₂-MS) and (ii) mesoporous silica (NH₂-SBA-15). Based on whether the dimension of GOD is either larger or smaller than the pore diameter, GOD was immobilized on either external or internal surface of NH₂-MS and NH₂-SBA-15, with loadings of 512.5 and 634 mg/g, respectively. However, GOD in NH₂-SBA-15 gave a higher normalized absolute activity (NAA), which led to an amperometric sensor with a larger linear range of 0.4–13.0 mM glucose. In comparison, GOD in NH₂-MS had a lower NAA and a smaller linear range of 0.4–3.1 mM. In fact, the present GOD-NH₂-SBA-15 electrode based sensor was better than other MS and SBA-15 based electrodes reported in literature. Thus, achieving only a high GOD loading (as in NH₂-MS) does not necessarily give a good sensor performance. Instead, a host with a relatively larger pore than enzyme, together with optimized electrode composition ensures the sensor to be functional in both hyper- and hypoglycemic range.     

Adaptation of a manometric biosensor to measure glucose and lactose

A manometric sensor previously developed to measure urea was modified to measure glucose and lactose through enzymatic oxidation. Change in pressure in an enclosed cavity was correlated to the depletion of oxygen resulting from the enzymatic oxidation of glucose or lactose. The response of the sensor was linear and could be made adjustable over a large range by adjusting the amount of sample loaded into the fixed volume reactor. Because of the slow mutarotation of glucose, the oxidation of glucose was not allowed to proceed to completion. Therefore, the precision of the sensor (approximately 0.2 mM in a range from 0 to 5 mM) was limited by variations in the oxidation rate of glucose by glucose oxidase. Because the assay for lactose measured glucose subsequent to the hydrolysis of lactose by beta-galactosidase, the same degree of precision was observed in lactose. Milk lactose, typically at concentrations of about 150 mM, was estimated using the lactose assay after first diluting the samples. For many fluids such as milk, the use of manometric sensors for oxidizable substrates may be preferable to optical and electrochemical methods because they are robust and suffer a low degree of optical and chemical interferences. Glucose and lactose are representative of many important oxidizable substrates, which may be determined in this manner, many of which do not suffer from limitations caused by mutarotation. In theory, detection limits less than 1 microM may be achieved using these methods.     

Construction of a reagentless glucose biosensor using molecular exciton luminescence

Fluorescent protein biosensors, which exhibit a significant change in fluorescence based on the physical interaction between protein and ligand, may prove to be effective tools to measure a variety of analytes. In particular, real-time monitoring of glucose levels has potential applications in bioprocess monitoring and in minimizing health complications caused by diabetes. In this work, site-directed mutagenesis of the Escherichia coli glucose/galactose binding protein (GGBP) was used to engineer double-cysteine mutations that allowed selective covalent attachment of thiol-reactive dyes. Because GGBP undergoes a large conformational change on the addition of glucose, rational placement of these sites allowed glucose-dependent spatial realignment of the two fluorophores, which was monitored as a change in fluorescence intensity and extinction coefficients. Using targeted mutagenesis of the GGBP binding pocket, glucose biosensors were created to measure concentrations spanning five orders of magnitude (0.04-12,000 microM). The glucose biosensor retained its function in complex solutions that contained realistic concentrations of protein and potential interfering agents found in blood serum. In addition to the development of a fluorescent protein sensor for glucose, this work helps to expand the spectroscopic tools used for the detection of conformational movements within a single polypeptide chain.