Sugar-sensitive thin films composed of concanavalin A and glycogen.

Sugar-sensitive thin films were prepared by a layer-by-layer deposition of concanavalin A (Con A) and glycogen on the surface of a quartz slide and their sugar-induced decomposition was studied. The Con A/glycogen multilayer films can be decomposed by exposing them to sugar solutions (D-glucose, D-mannose, methyl-alpha-D-glucose and methyl-alpha-D-mannose), as a result of displacement of sugar residues of glycogen from the binding sites of Con A by the free sugar added in the solution. The rate of decomposition significantly depended on the type of sugar and its concentration.