Electrochemical sensing of concanavalin A and ovalbumin interaction in solution

• Label-free electrochemical methods for detection of glycoprotein-lectin interactions.
• Chronopotentiometric detection of ovalbumin-concanavalin A complex formation.
• Conformational changes in lectin-glycoprotein complex detected by peak H.

In an attempt to develop a label- and reagent-free electrochemical method for the detection of lectin-glycoprotein interactions, we tested lectin-concanavalin A (ConA), glycoprotein-ovalbumin (Ova) and their complex using chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) analysis and a hanging mercury drop electrode. Incubation of ConA with Ova resulted in an increase of the CPS peak H of the complex as compared to the CPS peaks of individual Ova and ConA proteins. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with other glycoprotein-lectin couples (ConA-RNase B and lectin from Sambucus nigra-fetuin). Using the CPS method, we were able to follow the course of complex formation in solution. Comparable responses of Ova, ConA and ConA-Ova complex were obtained not only at the mercury electrode but also with solid amalgam electrodes, which are more suitable for parallel analysis. It can be anticipated that electrochemical methods, namely CPS, will find application in glycomics and proteomics.

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