Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy to Compare Natural versus Artificial Antibody-Antigen Interaction.
Biorecognition is central to various biological processes and finds numerous applications in virtually all areas of chemistry, biology, and medicine. Artificial antibodies, produced by imprinting synthetic polymers, are designed to mimic the biological recognition capability of natural antibodies, while exhibiting superior thermal, chemical, and environmental stability compared to their natural counterparts. The binding affinity of the artificial antibodies to their antigens characterizes the biorecognition ability of these synthetic nanoconstructs and their ability to replace natural recognition elements. However, a quantitative study of the binding affinity of an artificial antibody to an antigen, especially at the molecular level, is still lacking. In this study, using atomic force microscopy-based force spectroscopy, the authors show that the binding affinity of an artificial antibody to an antigen (hemoglobin) is weaker than that of natural antibody. The fine difference in the molecular interactions manifests into a significant difference in the bioanalytical parameters of biosensors based on these recognition elements.
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
Congzhou
C
Wang
Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China.
Rong
R
Hu
Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
Jeremiah J
JJ
Morrissey
Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.|The Center for Clinical Pharmacology, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington, University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
Evan D
ED
Kharasch
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.|Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
Srikanth
S
Singamaneni
D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry*; D000941:Antigens / Q000737:chemistry*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000379:methods*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D011108:Polymers; D006046:Gold
artificial antibodies; gold nanorods; molecular imprinting; plasmonic biosensor; surface force spectroscopy