title: Measurements of long-range interactions between protein-functionalized surfaces by total internal reflection microscopy.
abstract: Understanding the interaction between protein-functionalized surfaces is an important subject in a variety of protein-related processes, ranging from coatings for biomedical implants to targeted drug carriers and biosensors. In this work, utilizing a total internal reflection microscope (TIRM), we have directly measured the interactions between micron-sized particles decorated with three types of common proteins concanavalin A (ConA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), lysozyme (LYZ), and glass surface coated with soy proteins (SP). Our results show that the protein adsorption greatly affects the charge property of the surfaces, and the interactions between those protein-functionalized surfaces depend on solution pH values. At pH 7.5-10.0, all these three protein-functionalized particles are highly negatively charged, and they move freely above the negatively charged SP-functionalized surface. The net interaction between protein-functionalized surfaces captured by TIRM was found as a long-range, nonspecific double-layer repulsion. When pH was decreased to 5.0, both protein-functionalized surfaces became neutral and double-layer repulsion was greatly reduced, resulting in adhesion of all three protein-functionalized particles to the SP-functionalized surface due to the hydrophobic attraction. The situation is very different at pH = 4.0: BSA-decorated particles, which are highly charged, can move freely above the SP-functionalized surfaces, while ConA- and LYZ-decorated particles can only move restrictively in a limited range. Our results quantify these nonspecific kT-scale interactions between protein-functionalized surfaces, which will enable the design of surfaces for use in biomedical applications and study of biomolecular interactions.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: ‡School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China 510640.
authors.forename: Xiangjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
authors.forename: To
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ngai
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D008853:Microscopy; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D011137:Polystyrenes; D011506:Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D012822:Silicon Dioxide