Selected landscape phage probe as selective recognition interface for sensitive total prostate-specific antigen immunosensor

The level of total prostate-specific antigen (t-PSA) is generally known as the key index of prostate cancer. Here, phage probes against t-PSA were selected from f8/8 landscape phage library. After three rounds of biopanning, four t-PSA-binding phage clones were isolated and identified by the DNA sequencing. Based on the phage capture assay, the phage clone displaying the fusion peptide ATRSANGM showed highest affinity and specificity against t-PSA. Subsequently, the t-PSA-specific phage was used as t-PSA capture probe in a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) assay systems. Both assay methods showed high specificity and acceptable reliability for real serum samples analysis. By comparison, DPV method showed wider linear range (0.01-100 ng mL−1) and lower limit of detection (3 pg mL−1) than those (3.3-330 ng mL−1 and 1.6 ng mL−1) of ELISA. Moreover, DPV system showed smaller distinction to the authoritative method in real samples assay. Excitingly, the phage probe based DPV immunosensor showed high sensitivity for the detection of t-PSA and LOD achieved the pg mL−1 level, which was far lower than those values (usually above 0.1 ng mL−1) for reported immunosensors based on antibodies. Due to the biocompatibility, multivalency, stability, and high structural homogeneity, the t-PSA-specific landscape phage demonstrates as a novel specific interface in biosensors.