Immobilization of DNA onto a polymer support and its potentiality as immunoadsorbent

Immobilization of DNA to the surface of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) microfibers with a high specific surface area of 0.83 m(2)/g was carried out to give the fiber surface an affinity for anti-DNA antibody. Following ozone oxidation, the microfibers were subjected to graft polymerization of monomers including acrylic acid, methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate, N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, N-vinylformamide, and glycidyl methacrylate. Calf thymus DNA was immobilized to the grafted fiber surface through either covalent binding or polyion complexation with the grafted polymer chains. The highest surface density of DNA immobilized (0.6 mug/cm(2)) was obtained when DNA was immobilized through formation of phosphodiester linkage between the hydroxyl group of DNA and the phosphate group in grafted poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate) using 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole, or through polyion complexation between the anionic DNA and the cationic grafted poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) chains. Batch adsorption of anti-DNA antibody to the grafted PET fibers with and without DNA immobilized on their surface was conducted with serum obtained from systemic lupus erythematosus model mice. The DNA-immobilized PET fibers exhibited a higher adsorption capacity and specificity than the others. In addition, the DNA-immobilized fibers effectively adsorbed human anti-DNA antibody.