Protein post-translational modification analyses using on-chip immunoprobed isoelectric focusing.

Post-translational modifications play a critical role in regulating protein function. Increasingly, determination of protein identity, estimation of abundance, and characterization of post-translational modifications are required for analysis of protein-mediated cell signaling networks. As such, we report an integrated and rapid multispectral immunoprobed isoelectric focusing technique for identifying specific proteins bearing post-translational modifications. Immunoprobed isoelectric focusing is composed of isoelectric focusing in a large pore-size polyacrylamide gel to determine protein pI followed by immobilization of pI-resolved proteins. Proteins are immobilized via covalent attachment to a channel-filling benzophenone-functionalized polyacrylamide gel via brief UV exposure (photoblot), followed by multispectral antibody-based detection. The assay correlates observed post-translational modifications to pI shifts relative to the unmodified protein of interest. During the electrokinetically driven antibody probing stage, we observed nonuniform electrophoretic probe mobility along the channel axis. The spatially varying mobility is attributed to nonuniform charge arising from covalent attachment of ampholytes to the benzophenone-functionalized gel matrix during the photoblotting step. Using the multistep microfluidic assay, phosphorylated and acetylated forms of heat shock protein 27 and superoxide dismutase 2 were detected, respectively. The assay reported protein isoforms in immune-purified sample and raw cell lysate in 2 hours with sample volume requirements of 2 µL. This new assay is well-matched to systems biology frameworks for study of protein post-translational modifications.

Electrostatic protein immobilization using charged polyacrylamide gels and cationic detergent microfluidic Western blotting.

We report a novel protein immobilization matrix for fully integrated microfluidic Western blotting (WB). The electrostatic immobilization gel (EIG) enables immobilization of all proteins sized using cetyl trimethylammonium bromide polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (CTAB-PAGE), for subsequent electrophoretic probing with detection affinity reagents (e.g., labeled antibodies). The "pan-analyte" capture strategy introduced here uses polyacrylamide gel grafted with concentrated point charges (zwitterionic macromolecules), in contrast to existing microfluidic WB strategies that rely on a sandwich immunoassay format for analyte immobilization and detection. Sandwich approaches limit analyte immobilization to capture of only a priori known targets. A charge interaction mechanism study supports the hypothesis that electrostatic interaction plays a major role in analyte immobilization on the EIG. We note that protein capture efficiency depends on both the concentration of copolymerized charges and ionic strength of the gel buffer. We demonstrate pan-analyte immobilization of sized CTAB-laden model proteins (protein G, ovalbumin, bovine serum albumin, ß-galactosidase, lactoferrin) on the EIG with initial capture efficiencies ranging from 21 to 100%. Target proteins fixed on the EIG (protein G, lactoferrin) are detected using antibody probes with signal-to-noise ratios of 34 to 275. The approach advances protein immunoblotting performance through 200× reduction on sample consumption, 12× reduction in assay duration, and automated assay operation, compared to slab-gel WB. Using the microfluidic WB assay, assessment of lactoferrin in human tear fluid is demonstrated with a goal of advancing toward nonbiopsy-based diagnosis of Sjögren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease.

Multianalyte on-chip native Western blotting.

We introduce and characterize multiplexed native Western blotting in an automated and unified microfluidic format. While slab gel Western blotting is slow and laborious, conventional multiplexed blotting ("reblotting": probing one sample with multiple antibodies) requires even more resources. Here we detail three key advances that enable an automated and rapid microfluidic alternative to slab gel reblotting. First, we introduce both assay and microdevice designs that integrate protein blotting against multiple antibody blotting regions with native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This microfluidic integration strategy overcomes nonspecific material losses inherent to harsh antibody stripping steps typically needed for conventional reblotting; said conditions can severely limit analyte quantitation. Second, to inform rational design of the multiplexed microfluidic device we develop an analytical model for analyte capture on the blotting regions. Comparison to empirical observations is reported, with capture efficiencies of >85%. Third, we introduce label free detection that makes simultaneous and quantitative multiplexed measurements possible without the need for prelabeling of sample. Assay linear dynamic range spans 8-800 nM with assay completion in 5 min. Owing to the speed, automation, enhanced quantitation capability, and the difficulty of conventional slab gel Western reblotting, microfluidic multiplexed native Western blotting should find use in systems biology, in particular in analyses of protein isoforms and multimeric protein complexes.