Detecting Selective Protein Binding Inside Plasmonic Nanopores: Toward a Mimic of the Nuclear Pore Complex
Journal article, 2018

Biosensors based on plasmonic nanostructures offer label-free and real-time monitoring of biomolecular interactions. However, so do many other surface sensitive techniques with equal or better resolution in terms of surface coverage. Yet, plasmonic nanostructures offer unique possibilities to study effects associated with nanoscale geometry. In this work we use plasmonic nanopores with double gold films and detect binding of proteins inside them. By thiol and trietoxysilane chemistry, receptors are selectively positioned on the silicon nitride interior walls. Larger (similar to 150 nm) nanopores are used detect binding of averaged sized proteins (similar to 60 kg/mol) with high signal to noise (>100). Further, we fabricate pores that approach the size of the nuclear pore complex (diameter down to 50 nm) and graft disordered phenylalanine-glycine nucleoporin domains to the walls, followed by titration of karyopherin beta 1 transport receptors. The interactions are shown to occur with similar affinity as determined by conventional surface plasmon resonance on planar surfaces. Our work illustrates another unique application of plasmonic nanostructures, namely the possibility to mimic the geometry of a biological nanomachine with integrated optical sensing capabilities.

sensors

nanopores

nuclear pore complex

proteins

plasmons

Author

Bita Malekian

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Rafael L. Schoch

University of Basel

Timothy Robson

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Gustav Ferrand-Drake Del Castillo

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Kunli Xiong

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Gustav Emilsson

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Larisa E. Kapinos

University of Basel

Roderick Y. H. Lim

University of Basel

Andreas Dahlin

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Frontiers in Chemistry

22962646 (eISSN)

Vol. 6 December 2018 637

Polymerborstar och molekylär transport i nanokanaler

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2016-03319), 2017-01-01 -- 2020-12-31.

Subject Categories

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Biophysics

Medicinal Chemistry

DOI

10.3389/fchem.2018.00637

PubMed

30619840

More information

Latest update

2/8/2019 1