Two-dimensional Ising model for microarray hybridization: cooperative interactions between bound target molecules

The Langmuir adsorption model is widely used for description and quantification of microarray oligo-target hybridization. According to the model, the binding centers for adsorption of target molecules from solution are represented by oligo-probes. However, the Langmuir model does not consider the interactions between the targets adsorbed at the neighboring binding centers, which are possible due to high-density of array-bound probes. We have shown that the two-dimensional Ising model, which takes into account the nearest neighboring target molecules interactions, better describes the experimental data of oligo-target hybridization in comparison with the Langmuir model. Thus, we found an evidence for existence of positive cooperative interactions between adsorbed target molecules: so, binding of the first target molecules facilitates the binding of subsequent ones to the neighboring probes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.