An anionic polyelectrolyte induced aggregate assembly of Thioflavin-T: A prospective platform for Protamine sensing

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry and Biophysics
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Protamine is a medically significant polycation protein with diverse biological roles.
• Clinically, protamine is the sole approved antidote for Heparin, necessitating precise dosage control.
• Developing sensitive and reliable protamine detection methods is crucial for medical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a sensitive and selective fluorescent sensor for protamine detection.
• To utilize a label-free, dye-polyelectrolyte assembly for sensing applications.
• To demonstrate the sensor's utility in complex biological samples like diluted serum.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a fluorescent sensor based on a Thioflavin-T (molecular rotor dye) and polystyrene sulfonate (anionic polyelectrolyte) assembly.
• Monitoring spectral changes in the dye-polyelectrolyte assembly upon protamine addition.
• Evaluating sensor selectivity against other proteins and performance in diluted serum samples.

Main Results:

• The proposed sensor demonstrated sensitive detection of protamine through significant spectral modulations.
• The sensing platform exhibited high selectivity for protamine over other proteins.
• The sensor successfully detected protamine in diluted serum, indicating practical applicability.

Conclusions:

• A novel, label-free fluorescent sensor based on dye-polyelectrolyte assembly enables sensitive and selective protamine detection.
• The sensor utilizes inexpensive, readily available materials, offering an advantage over complex synthesis methods.
• The demonstrated utility in diluted serum highlights the potential of this sensor system for clinical applications.