Biosensor device and method

• US 6,461,490 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McGill University, Pence Incorporated
• Original Assignee: McGill University, Pence Incorporated
• Inventors: Lennox, R. Bruce, Hodges, Robert S., Irvin, Randall T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOGUEROLA, ALEXANDER STEPHAN
• Application Number:
  US09/626,775
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 204/403, 204/416, 204/418, 204/403.01, 204/403.08, 435/817, 436/164, 436/172, 436/908
• US Class Current: 204/403.08
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00653 the compounds being bound to electrodes embedded in or on the solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00704 integrated with the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/003 Functionalisation
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6825 Nucleic acid detection involving sensors
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/607 being a sensor, e.g. electrode
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54373 involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5438 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/908 Gravimetric analysis

Abstract

A biosensor apparatus for detecting a binding event between a ligand and receptor. The apparatus includes a biosensor surface and surface-bound two-subunit heterodimer complexes composed of first and second, preferably oppositely charged peptides that together form an α-helical coiled-coil heterodimer. The-first peptide is attached to the biosensor surface, and the second peptide carries the ligand, accessible for binding by a ligand-binding agent. Binding of anti-ligand binding agent to the surface-bound ligand is detected by a suitable detector. A ligand-specific biosensor surface can be readily prepared from a universal template containing the first charged peptide, by addition of a selected ligand attached to the second peptide.

Claims

1. A array device comprising

an assay support surface defining an array of surface regions,

a two-subunit heterodimer complex composed of first and second peptides that together form an α

-helical coiled-coil heterodimer carried on each of said regions where said first peptide is attached to each surface region, and

a region-specific ligand covalently attached to the second peptide in the two-subunit heterodimer complex in each region, and accessible for binding by a ligand-binding agent.

2. The device of claim 1, which further includes a detector for detecting the binding of a ligand-binding agent to the ligand in each of said surface regions.

3. The array device of claim 1, wherein the ligands in the surface regions are polypeptides, wherein the second peptide in each region is synthesized to include the polypeptide at the end of the second peptide that will orient distally in the assembled heterodimer complex.