A Bioluminescent Sensor for Rapid Detection of PPEP-1, a Clostridioides difficile Biomarker.

Current assays for Clostridioides difficile in nonhospital settings are outsourced and time-intensive, resulting in both delayed diagnosis and quarantining of infected individuals. We designed a more rapid point-of-care assay featuring a "turn-on" bioluminescent readout of a C. difficile-specific protease, PPEP-1. NanoLuc, a bright and stable luciferase, was "caged" with a PPEP-1-responsive peptide tail that inhibited luminescence. Upon proteolytic cleavage, the peptide was released and NanoLuc activity was restored, providing a visible readout. The bioluminescent sensor detected PPEP-1 concentrations as low as 10 nM. Sensor uncaging was achieved within minutes, and signal was captured using a digital camera. Importantly, the sensor was also functional at ambient temperature and compatible with fecal material, suggesting that it can be readily deployed in a variety of settings.

Structure/Function Analysis of Cotton-Based Peptide-Cellulose Conjugates: Spatiotemporal/Kinetic Assessment of Protease Aerogels Compared to Nanocrystalline and Paper Cellulose.

Nanocellulose has high specific surface area, hydration properties, and ease of derivatization to prepare protease sensors. A Human Neutrophil Elastase sensor designed with a nanocellulose aerogel transducer surface derived from cotton is compared with cotton filter paper, and nanocrystalline cellulose versions of the sensor. X-ray crystallography was employed along with Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics, and circular dichroism to contrast the structure/function relations of the peptide-cellulose conjugate conformation to enzyme/substrate binding and turnover rates. The nanocellulosic aerogel was found to have a cellulose II structure. The spatiotemporal relation of crystallite surface to peptide-cellulose conformation is discussed in light of observed enzyme kinetics. A higher substrate binding affinity (Km) of elastase was observed with the nanocellulose aerogel and nanocrystalline peptide-cellulose conjugates than with the solution-based elastase substrate. An increased Km observed for the nanocellulosic aerogel sensor yields a higher enzyme efficiency (kcat/Km), attributable to binding of the serine protease to the negatively charged cellulose surface. The effect of crystallite size and ß-turn peptide conformation are related to the peptide-cellulose kinetics. Models demonstrating the orientation of cellulose to peptide O6-hydroxymethyl rotamers of the conjugates at the surface of the cellulose crystal suggest the relative accessibility of the peptide-cellulose conjugates for enzyme active site binding.

Exploring the potential of water channels for developing MRI reporters and sensors without the need for exogenous contrast agents.

Genetically encoded reporters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer a valuable technology for making molecular-scale measurements of biological processes within living organisms with high anatomical resolution and whole-organ coverage without relying on ionizing radiation. However, most MRI reporters rely on contrast agents, typically paramagnetic metals and metal complexes, which often need to be supplemented exogenously to create optimal contrast. To eliminate the need for contrast agents, we previously introduced aquaporin-1, a mammalian water channel, as a new reporter gene for the fully autonomous detection of genetically labeled cells using diffusion-weighted MRI. In this study, we aimed to expand the toolbox of diffusion-based genetic reporters by modulating aquaporin membrane trafficking and harnessing the evolutionary diversity of water channels across species. We identified a number of new water channels that functioned as diffusion-weighted reporter genes. In addition, we show that loss-of-function variants of yeast and human aquaporins can be leveraged to design first-in-class diffusion-based sensors for detecting the activity of a model protease within living cells.

Exploring the potential of water channels for developing genetically encoded reporters and biosensors for diffusion-weighted MRI.

Genetically encoded reporters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer a valuable technology for making molecular-scale measurements of biological processes within living organisms with high anatomical resolution and whole-organ coverage without relying on ionizing radiation. However, most MRI reporters rely on synthetic contrast agents, typically paramagnetic metals and metal complexes, which often need to be supplemented exogenously to create optimal contrast. To eliminate the need for synthetic contrast agents, we previously introduced aquaporin-1, a mammalian water channel, as a new reporter gene for the fully autonomous detection of genetically labeled cells using diffusion-weighted MRI. In this study, we aimed to expand the toolbox of diffusion-based genetic reporters by modulating aquaporin membrane trafficking and harnessing the evolutionary diversity of water channels across species. We identified a number of new water channels that functioned as diffusion-weighted reporter genes. In addition, we show that loss-of-function variants of yeast and human aquaporins can be leveraged to design first-in-class diffusion-based sensors for detecting the activity of a model protease within living cells.

Construction of a sensitive protease sensor with DNA-peptide conjugates for single-molecule detection of multiple matrix metalloproteinases.

Protease expression is closely linked to various pathological phenomena, and their accurate quantification is essential to clinical diagnosis and cancer therapy. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the construction of a sensitive protease sensor by integrating protease-sensitive cleavage with nicking enzyme-assisted signal amplification (NESA) for single-molecule detection of multiple matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This protease sensor involves two DNA-peptide conjugates which contain both specific protease cleavage sites and trigger DNAs and two report DNAs which are modified with a fluorophore (Cy3 or Cy5) and a quencher (BHQ2). In the presence of specific MMPs, MMPs-mediated cleavage reactions lead to the release of specific trigger DNAs from the corresponding DNA-peptide conjugates. After the magnetic separation, the resultant trigger DNAs may hybridize with the corresponding report DNAs to initiate the cyclic NESA reaction, releasing large amounts of Cy3/Cy5 fluorescent molecules which can be simply quantified by using total internal reflection fluorescence-based single-molecule detection. Taking advantage of the high specificity of proteolytic cleavage, the high amplification efficiency of cyclic NESA, and the high sensitivity of single-molecule detection, this protease sensor can simultaneously detect multiple MMPs with a detection limit of 3.33 pM for MMP-2 and 1.71 pM for MMP-7, superior to the target peptide-based methods. Moreover, this protease sensor can be applied for the measurement of MMP-2 and MMP-7 in cancer cells and the screening of protease inhibitors, holding great promise in clinic diagnosis and drug discovery.

High-Affinity Antibody Detection with a Bivalent Circularized Peptide Containing Antibody-Binding Domains.

Direct chemical labeling of antibody produces molecules with poorly defined modifications. Use of a small antibody-binding protein as an adapter can simplify antibody functionalization by forming a specific antibody-bound complex and introducing site-specific modifications. To stabilize a noncovalent antibody complex that may be used without chemical crosslinking, a bivalent antibody-binding protein is engineered with an improved affinity of interaction by joining two Z domains with a conformationally flexible linker. The linker is essential for the increase in affinity because it allows simultaneous binding of both domains. The molecule is further circularized using a split intein, creating a novel adapter protein ("lasso"), which binds human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) with K D = 0.53 n m and a dissociation rate that is 55- to 84-fold slower than Z. The lasso contains a unique cysteine for conjugation with a reporter and may be engineered to introduce other functional groups, including a biotin tag and protease recognition sequences. When used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the lasso generates a stronger reporter signal compared to a secondary antibody and lowers the limit of detection by 12-fold. The small size of the lasso and a long half-life of dissociation make the peptide a useful tool in antibody detection and immobilization.

Facile electrochemical detection of botulinum neurotoxin type E using a two-step proteolytic cleavage.

Facile electrochemical methods for measuring protease concentration or protease activity are essential for point-of-care testing of toxic proteases. However, electrochemical detection of proteases, such as botulinum neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E), that cleave a peptide bond between two specific amino acid residues is challenging. This study reports a facile and sensitive electrochemical method for BoNT/E detection. The method is based on a two-step proteolytic cleavage using a target BoNT/E light chain (BoNT/E-LC) and an externally supplemented exopeptidase, L-leucine-aminopeptidase (LAP). BoNT/E-LC cleaves a peptide bond between arginine and isoleucine in IDTQNRQIDRI-4-amino-1-naphthol (oligopeptide-AN) to generate isoleucine-AN. Subsequently, LAP cleaves a bond between isoleucine and AN to liberate a free electroactive AN species. The liberated AN participates in electrochemical-chemical-chemical (ECC) redox cycling involving Ru(NH3)6(3+), AN, and a reducing agent, which allows a high signal amplification. Electrochemical detection is carried out without surface modification of indium-tin oxide electrodes. We show that dithiothreitol is beneficial for enhancing the enzymatic activity of BoNT/E-LC and also for achieving a fast ECC redox cycling. An incubation temperature of 37°C and the use of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) buffer resulted in optimal signal-to-background ratios for efficient BoNT/E detection. BoNT/E-LC could be detected at concentrations of approximately 2.0 pg/mL, 0.2, and 3 ng/mL after 4h, 2h, and 15 min incubation in PBS buffer, respectively, and approximately 0.3 ng/mL after 2-h incubation in bottled water. The method developed could be applied in fast, sensitive, and selective detection of any protease that cleaves a peptide bond between two specific amino acid residues.