Protein-polyelectrolyte conjugates

Recently [49] the advanced procedure for the synthesis of protein-polyelectrolyte conjugates using reversed micelles as microreactors has been proposed, which permits easy control of their composition and results in high yields. Hence, it may stimulate some additional efforts in the study and application of IPEC incorporated proteins. 

Stabo-Eeg F, Lindgren M, Nilsson KPR, Inganas O, Hammarstrdm P (2007) Quantum efficiency and two-photon absorption cross-section of conjugated polyelectrolytes used for protein conformation measurements with applications on amyloid structures. Chem Phys 336 121-126... 

Keywords Conjugated polyelectrolyte DNA Energy transfer Fluorescence Protein Sensor... 

Similar assays for measuring protease activity were also reported by Whitten and coworkers [49], These assays utilize polystyrene microspheres that are coated with streptavidin (a biotin-binding protein) and a biotinylated anionic fluorescent conjugated polyelectrolyte or a cationic polyelectrolyte, A biotinylated quencher-labeled peptide serves as a substrate for the enzyme and when mixed with the microspheres, a strong complex similar to the one in the DNA assays described in Section 13,3,1, through the biotin-avidin interaction is created [49], A schematic drawing of the assay is shown in Figure 13,7,... 

FIGURE 13.16 Description of the detection of amyloid fibrils in proteins with an anionic conjugated polyelectrolyte. (From Nilsson, K.P.R., Herland, A., Hammarstiom, R, and Inganas, O., Biochemistry, 44, 3718, 2005.)... 

Apart from specific interactions between a target protein and a ligand-polymer conjugate, nonspecific interactions of protein impurities with the polymer backbone could take place. The nonspecific interactions limit the efficiency of the affinity precipitation technique, and significant efforts were made to reduce these interactions. The advantage of polyelectrolyte complexes as carriers for affinity precipitation is low nonspecific coprecipitation of proteins when the polymer undergoes a soluble-insoluble transition (10). 

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