Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Supramolecular photochemical self-assemblies for fluorescence “turn on” and “turn off” assays for chem-bio-helices

  • Paper
  • Published:
Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We describe the development of an optical sensing system for the high-throughput screening (HTS) of a broad range of biological molecules, whole cells, organisms and pathogens, and illustrate the technology applications by a hyaluronidase enzyme activity assay as a specific example. At the core of the technology described in this paper, is the exciton concept that is relevant to molecular aggregation. J-aggregates of cyanine dyes have a narrower, red-shifted absorption band compared to monomer. We demonstrate that self-assembly may be driven by the helicogenic nature of the cyanine dye, converting the linear polymers of hyaluronic acid or carboxymethyl cellulose into supramolecular helical assemblies. This self-assembly is accompanied by an intense, sharp, red-shifted J-aggregate fluorescence. We utilized this property to develop an assay for the enzyme hyaluronidase, based upon the concept of “scaffold destruction,” whereby the disruption/destruction of the hyaluronic acid polymer by hyaluronidase is accompanied by an attenuation of light emission from the J-aggregate. The extent of light attenuation provides an index of hyaluronidase activity. Other polymers of carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids and chemical polymers (such as the carbon nanotube) might provide a similar scaffold for helicogenic dyes upon which molecular aggregation can occur. A key feature of these assays is that they are label-free.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Geometries of Nature, Living Systems and Human Cognition. New Interactions of Mathematics with Natural Sciences and Humanities, ed. L. Boi, World Scientific, Singapore, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  2. J-Aggregates, ed. T. Kobayashi, World Scientific, Singapore, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  3. C. Spitz, J. Knoester, A. Quart, S. Dahne, Chem. Phys., 2002, 275, 271.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. M. Bednarz, J. Knoester, J. Phys. Chem., 2001, B105, 12913–12923.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. J. Moll, W. J. Harrison, D. V. Brumbaugh, A. A. Muenter, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2000, 104, 8847–8854.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. G. D. Scholes, Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem., 2003, 54, 57–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. E. Yashima, K. Maeda, T. Nishimura, Chem.–Eur. J., 2004, 10, 42–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. D. J. Hill, J. S. Moore, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2002, 99, 5053–5057.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. D. B. Amabilino, J. F. Stoddart, Chem. Rev., 1995, 95, 2725–2828.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. B. Brodsky, N. K. Shah, FASEB J., 1995, 9, 1537–1546.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. K. Sakurai, S. Shinkai, J. Inclusion Phenom. Macrocyclic Chem., 2001, 41, 173–178.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. T. Sagawa, H. Tobata, S. Nagaoka, Y. Takiguchi and H. Ihara, Exciton Interactions in Cyanine Dye–Hyaluronic Acid Complex, International Symposium on Biomolecular Chemistry (ISBOC7), Sheffield, UK, 6.27-7.1, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  13. S. Iijima, Nature, 1991, 354, 56–58.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. O.-K. Kim, J. Je, J. W. Baldwin, S. Kooi, P. E. Pehrsson, L. J. Buckley, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2003, 125, 4426–4427.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. O.-K. Kim, J. Je, G. Jernigan, L. Buckley, D. Whitten, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128, 510–516.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. D. G. Whitten, K. E. Achyuthan, G. P. Lopez, O.-K. Kim, Pure Appl. Chem., 2006, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  17. G. Weindl, M. Schaller, M. Schafer-Korting, H. C. Korting, Skin Pharmacol. Physiol., 2004, 17, 207–213.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. T. Sagawa, H. Tobata, H. Ihara, Chem. Commun., 2004, 18, 2090–2091.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S. Arnott, A. K. Mitra, S. Raghunathan, J. Mol. Biol., 1983, 169, 861–872.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. R. Stern, M. J. Jedrzejas, Chem. Rev., 2006, 106, 818–839.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. W. Xia, F. Rininsland, S. K. Wittenburg, X. Shi, K. E. Achyuthan, D. W. McBranch, D. G. Whitten, Assay Drug Dev. Technol., 2004, 2, 183–192.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. K. E. Achyuthan, T. S. Bergstedt, L. Chen, R. M. Jones, S. Kumaraswamy, S. A. Kushon, K. D. Ley, L. Lu, D. McBranch, H. Mukundan, F. Rininsland, X. Shi, W. Xia, D. G. Whitten, J. Mater. Chem., 2005, 15, 2648–2656.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Z. Hadidian, N. W. Pirie, Biochem. J., 1948, 42, 266–274.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. T. Asteriou, J.-C. Vincent, F. Tranchepain, B. Deschrevel, Matrix Biol., 2006, 25, 166–174.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. K. Hirano, S. Sakai, T. Ishikawa, Y. F. Y. Avci, R. J. Linhardt, T. Toida, Carbohydr. Res., 2005, 340, 2297–2304.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. H. F. Gilbert, in Basic Concepts in Biochemistry, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 1992, pp. 81–108.

    Google Scholar 

  27. K. L. Vedvik, H. C. Eliason, R. L. Hoffman, J. R. Gibson, K. R. Kupcho, R. L. Somberg, K. W. Vogel, Assay Drug Dev. Technol., 2004, 2, 193–203.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. D. M. Olive, Expert Rev. Proteomics, 2004, 1, 327–341.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. K. E. Achyuthan, Luminescence, 2001, 16, 257–262.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biosensors and Nanomaterials Department, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, MS 1425, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185-1425, USA

    Komandoor E. Achyuthan

  2. Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Liangde Lu

  3. Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, 209 Farris Engineering Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131-0001, USA

    Gabriel P. Lopez & David G. Whitten

Authors
  1. Komandoor E. Achyuthan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Liangde Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gabriel P. Lopez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David G. Whitten
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Komandoor E. Achyuthan or David G. Whitten.

Additional information

This paper was published as part of the special issue in honour of the late Professor George S. Hammond.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Achyuthan, K.E., Lu, L., Lopez, G.P. et al. Supramolecular photochemical self-assemblies for fluorescence “turn on” and “turn off” assays for chem-bio-helices. Photochem Photobiol Sci 5, 931–937 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1039/b607884m

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/b607884m

Search

Navigation