Magnetic beads modified with an electron-transfer carbohydrate-mimetic peptide for sensing of a galactose-dependent...

For use in the voltammetric sensing of galactose-dependent proteins, we modified magnetic beads with a peptide that had both electroactive- and molecular recognition properties. The peptide consisted of a YXY sequence and behaved as an electron-transfer carbohydrate-mimetic peptide that would combine with proteins. With this tool, the protein could be detected via a label-free system. We synthesized several penta- and hexa-peptides with a cysteine residue on the C-terminals to examine the properties of peptides. These peptides contained amino acid residues (X) of alanine, serine, or tyrosine. The peptides were immobilized on magnetic beads via N-(8-maleimidocapryloxy) succinimide. Soybean agglutinin(SBA), the in vivo function of which has been well established in animals, was selected as a model protein. The protein was detected via the changes in electrode response due to the oxidation of tyrosine residues from the phenol group to quinone. As a result, SBA was selectively accumulated on the beads modified with YYYYC. The calibration curve of SBA was linear and ranged from 2.5 × 10^-12 to 1.0 × 10^-10 M. With this system, SBA was recovered in human serum at values that ranged from 98 to 103%. Furthermore, the beads with peptides were regenerated five times using a protein denaturant. Accordingly, this electrochemical system was simple and could be rapidly applied to the detection of galactose-recognition proteins.