The Utility of Nanopore Technology for Protein and Peptide Sensing

Controlled Sensing of User-Defined Aptamer-Based Targets Using Scanning Ionic Conductance Spectroscopy

Solid-state nanopores offer the possibility of detecting disease biomarkers in early diagnostic applications. Standard approaches harness fingerprinting, where protein targets are bound to DNA carriers and detected in free translocation with a solid-state nanopore. However, they suffer from several drawbacks, including uncontrolled fast translocations, which lead to low detection accuracy and a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This has hampered their application in clinical settings. Here, we propose a nanopore-based system capable of sensing selected molecules of interest from biological fluids by harnessing programmable aptamer sequences attached to DNA carrier systems that are tethered to glass surfaces. This allows for spatial and velocity control over translocation in the x, y, and z directions and enables the repeated scanning of the same analyte. The scanning ion conductance spectroscopy (SICS) based approach distinguishes itself from standard nanopore-based approaches with its ability to repeatedly scan the same aptamer molecule target site more than 5 times. We designed a DNA carrier with multiple binding sites for different aptamers to increase the yield of the experiment. Our approach achieves a detection rate of up to 74%, significantly higher than the 14% achieved with standard solid-state nanopore measurements. The strong spatial control also allows for significantly increased densities of aptamer target sites along the same DNA carrier, thereby paving the way for multiplexed sensing. The system offers user-defined programmability with different aptamer sequences, potentially expanding the use of our system to sense other disease biomarkers.

Recent Trends and Innovations in Bead-Based Biosensors for Cancer Detection

Demand is strong for sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective diagnostic tools for cancer detection. Accordingly, bead-based biosensors have emerged in recent years as promising diagnostic platforms based on wide-ranging cancer biomarkers owing to the versatility, high sensitivity, and flexibility to perform the multiplexing of beads. This comprehensive review highlights recent trends and innovations in the development of bead-based biosensors for cancer-biomarker detection. We introduce various types of bead-based biosensors such as optical, electrochemical, and magnetic biosensors, along with their respective advantages and limitations. Moreover, the review summarizes the latest advancements, including fabrication techniques, signal-amplification strategies, and integration with microfluidics and nanotechnology. Additionally, the challenges and future perspectives in the field of bead-based biosensors for cancer-biomarker detection are discussed. Understanding these innovations in bead-based biosensors can greatly contribute to improvements in cancer diagnostics, thereby facilitating early detection and personalized treatments.

Cluster-Enhanced Nanopore Sensing of Ovarian Cancer Marker Peptides in Urine

The development of novel methodologies that can detect biomarkers from cancer or other diseases is both a challenge and a need for clinical applications. This partly motivates efforts related to nanopore-based peptide sensing. Recent work has focused on the use of gold nanoparticles for selective detection of cysteine-containing peptides. Specifically, tiopronin-capped gold nanoparticles, trapped in the cis-side of a wild-type α-hemolysin nanopore, provide a suitable anchor for the attachment of cysteine-containing peptides. It was recently shown that the attachment of these peptides onto a nanoparticle yields unique current signatures that can be used to identify the peptide. In this article, we apply this technique to the detection of ovarian cancer marker peptides ranging in length from 8 to 23 amino acid residues. It is found that sequence variability complicates the detection of low-molecular-weight peptides (<10 amino acid residues), but higher-molecular-weight peptides yield complex, high-frequency current fluctuations. These fluctuations are characterized with chi-squared and autocorrelation analyses that yield significantly improved selectivity when compared to traditional open-pore analysis. We demonstrate that the technique is capable of detecting the only two cysteine-containing peptides from LRG-1, an emerging protein biomarker, that are uniquely present in the urine of ovarian cancer patients. We further demonstrate the detection of one of these LRG-1 peptides spiked into a sample of human female urine.

Ready-to-use nanopore platform for label-free small molecule quantification: Ethanolamine as first example

In recent decades, nanopores have become a promising diagnostic tool. Protein and solid-state nanopores are increasingly used for both RNA/DNA sequencing and small molecule detection. The latter is of great importance, as their detection is difficult or expensive using available methods such as HPLC or LC-MS. DNA aptamers are an excellent detection element for sensitive and specific detection of small molecules. Herein, a method for quantifying small molecules using a ready-to-use sequencing platform is described. Taking ethanolamine as an example, a strand displacement assay is developed in which the target-binding aptamer is displaced from the surface of magnetic particles by ethanolamine. Non-displaced aptamer and thus the ethanolamine concentration are detected by the nanopore system and can be quantified in the micromolar range using our in-house developed analysis software. This method is thus the first to describe a label-free approach for the detection of small molecules in a protein nanopore system.

Solid-State Nanopores for Biomolecular Analysis and Detection

Advances in nanopore technology and data processing have rendered DNA sequencing highly accessible, unlocking a new realm of biotechnological opportunities. Commercially available nanopores for DNA sequencing are of biological origin and have certain disadvantages such as having specific environmental requirements to retain functionality. Solid-state nanopores have received increased attention as modular systems with controllable characteristics that enable deployment in non-physiological milieu. Thus, we focus our review on summarizing recent innovations in the field of solid-state nanopores to envision the future of this technology for biomolecular analysis and detection. We begin by introducing the physical aspects of nanopore measurements ranging from interfacial interactions at pore and electrode surfaces to mass transport of analytes and data analysis of recorded signals. Then, developments in nanopore fabrication and post-processing techniques with the pros and cons of different methodologies are examined. Subsequently, progress to facilitate DNA sequencing using solid-state nanopores is described to assess how this platform is evolving to tackle the more complex challenge of protein sequencing. Beyond sequencing, we highlight the recent developments in biosensing of nucleic acids, proteins, and sugars and conclude with an outlook on the frontiers of nanopore technologies.

Patterning amyloid-β aggregation under the effect of acetylcholinesterase using a biological nanopore - an in vitro study

Aggregation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) is hypothesized to be the primary cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Aβ aggregation has been widely studied using conventional sensing tools like emission fluorescence, electron microscopy, mass spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. However, none of these techniques can provide cost-efficient, highly sensitive quantification of Aβ aggregation kinetics at the molecular level. Among the influences on Aβ aggregation of interest to disease progression is the acceleration of Aβ aggregation by acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which is present in the brain and inflicts the fast progression of disease due to its direct interaction with Aβ. In this work, we demonstrate the ability of a biological nanopore to map and quantify AChE accelerated aggregation of Aβ monomers to mixed oligomers and small soluble aggregates with single-molecule precision. This method will allow future work on testing direct and indirect effects of therapeutic drugs on AChE accelerated Aβ aggregation as well as disease prognosis.

Gating of β-Barrel Protein Pores, Porins, and Channels: An Old Problem with New Facets

β barrels are ubiquitous proteins in the outer membranes of mitochondria, chloroplasts, and Gram-negative bacteria. These transmembrane proteins (TMPs) execute a wide variety of tasks. For example, they can serve as transporters, receptors, membrane-bound enzymes, as well as adhesion, structural, and signaling elements. In addition, multimeric β barrels are common structural scaffolds among many pore-forming toxins. Significant progress has been made in understanding the functional, structural, biochemical, and biophysical features of these robust and versatile proteins. One frequently encountered fundamental trait of all β barrels is their voltage-dependent gating. This process consists of reversible or permanent conformational transitions between a large-conductance, highly permeable open state and a low-conductance, solute-restrictive closed state. Several intrinsic molecular mechanisms and environmental factors modulate this universal property of β barrels. This review article outlines the typical signatures of voltage-dependent gating. Moreover, we discuss recent developments leading to a better qualitative understanding of the closure dynamics of these TMPs.

Protein Sizing with 15 nm Conical Biological Nanopore YaxAB

Nanopores are promising single-molecule tools for the electrical identification and sequencing of biomolecules. However, the characterization of proteins, especially in real-time and in complex biological samples, is complicated by the sheer variety of sizes and shapes in the proteome. Here, we introduce a large biological nanopore, YaxAB for folded protein analysis. The 15 nm cis-opening and a 3.5 nm trans-constriction describe a conical shape that allows the characterization of a wide range of proteins. Molecular dynamics showed proteins are captured by the electroosmotic flow, and the overall resistance is largely dominated by the narrow trans constriction region of the nanopore. Conveniently, proteins in the 35-125 kDa range remain trapped within the conical lumen of the nanopore for a time that can be tuned by the external bias. Contrary to cylindrical nanopores, in YaxAB, the current blockade decreases with the size of the trapped protein, as smaller proteins penetrate deeper into the constriction region than larger proteins do. These characteristics are especially useful for characterizing large proteins, as shown for pentameric C-reactive protein (125 kDa), a widely used health indicator, which showed a signal that could be identified in the background of other serum proteins.

Improving Single-Molecule Antibody Detection Selectivity through Optimization of Peptide Epitope Presentation in OmpG Nanopore

Outer membrane protein G (OmpG) is a monomeric porin found in Escherichia coli, which possesses seven flexible loops. OmpG has been engineered as a nanopore sensor, where its loops can host affinity epitopes for selective detection of biological molecules. In this study, we investigated various loop positions to incorporate a FLAG peptide antigen epitope in the most flexible loop 6 and tested the efficacy and sensitivity of these nanopore constructs in antibody detection. We observed an OmpG construct containing inserted FLAG sequence, which exhibited strong interaction with anti-FLAG antibodies in flow cytometry; however, it could not translate molecule interactions into a readable signal in current recordings. Further optimization of the peptide presentation strategy by replacing specific sections of loop 6 sequences with the FLAG tag created a construct capable of generating unique and distinct signals when interacting with various monoclonal or polyclonal anti-FLAG clones IgG antibodies in the mixture. The peptide display scheme demonstrated in this study can be generalized for the engineering of OmpG sensors, which can be used for screening and validating positive clones during antibody development, as well as for real-time quality control of cell cultures in monoclonal antibody production.

Recent advances in top-down proteome sample processing ahead of MS analysis

Top-down proteomics is emerging as a preferred approach to investigate biological systems, with objectives ranging from the detailed assessment of a single protein therapeutic, to the complete characterization of every possible protein including their modifications, which define the human proteoform. Given the controlling influence of protein modifications on their biological function, understanding how gene products manifest or respond to disease is most precisely achieved by characterization at the intact protein level. Top-down mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of proteins entails unique challenges associated with processing whole proteins while maintaining their integrity throughout the processes of extraction, enrichment, purification, and fractionation. Recent advances in each of these critical front-end preparation processes, including minimalistic workflows, have greatly expanded the capacity of MS for top-down proteome analysis. Acknowledging the many contributions in MS technology and sample processing, the present review aims to highlight the diverse strategies that have forged a pathway for top-down proteomics. We comprehensively discuss the evolution of front-end workflows that today facilitate optimal characterization of proteoform-driven biology, including a brief description of the clinical applications that have motivated these impactful contributions.

Metal-Organic Cage as Single-Molecule Carrier for Solid-State Nanopore Analysis

The ability to detect biomolecules at the single-molecule level is at the forefront of biological research, precision medicine, and early diagnosis. Recently, solid-state nanopore sensors have emerged as a promising technique for label-free and precise diagnosis assay. However, insufficient sensitivity and selectivity for small analytes are a great challenge for clinical diagnosis applications via solid-state nanopores. Here, for the first time, a metal-organic cage, PCC-57, is employed as a carrier to increase the sensitivity and selectivity of solid-state nanopores based on the intrinsic interaction of the nanocage with biomolecules. Firstly, it is found that the carrier itself is undetectable unless bound with the target analytes and used oligonucleotides as linkers to attach PCC-57 and target analytes. Secondly, two small analytes, oligonucleotide conjugated angiopep-2 and polyphosphoric acid, are successfully distinguished using the molecular carrier. Finally, selectivity of nanopore detection is achieved by attaching PCC-57 to oligonucleotide-tailed aptamers, and the human alpha-thrombin sample is successfully detected. It is believed that the highly designable metal-organic cage could serve as a rich carrier repository for a variety of biomolecules, facilitating single-molecule screening of clinically relevant biomolecules based on solid-state nanopores in the future.

Selective Detection and Characterization of Small Cysteine-Containing Peptides with Cluster-Modified Nanopore Sensing

It was recently demonstrated that one can monitor ligand-induced structure fluctuations of individual thiolate-capped gold nanoclusters using resistive-pulse nanopore sensing. The magnitude of the fluctuations scales with the size of the capping ligand, and it was later shown one can observe ligand exchange in this nanopore setup. We expand on these results by exploring the different types of current fluctuations associated with peptide ligands attaching to tiopronin-capped gold nanoclusters. We show here that the fluctuations can be used to identify the attaching peptide through either the magnitude of the peptide-induced current jumps or the onset of high-frequency current fluctuations. Importantly, the peptide attachment process requires that the peptide contains a cysteine residue. This suggests that nanopore-based monitoring of peptide attachments with thiolate-capped clusters could provide a means for selective detection of cysteine-containing peptides. Finally, we demonstrate the cluster-based protocol with various peptide mixtures to show that one can identify more than one cysteine-containing peptide in a mixture.

A Nanopore Sensor for Multiplexed Detection of Short Polynucleotides Based on Length-Variable, Poly-Arginine-Conjugated Peptide Nucleic Acids

Real-time and easy-to-use detection of nucleic acids is crucial for many applications, including medical diagnostics, genetic screening, forensic science, or monitoring the onset and progression of various diseases. Herein, an exploratory single-molecule approach for multiplexed discrimination among similar-sized single-stranded DNAs (ssDNA) is presented. The underlying strategy combined (i) a method based on length-variable, short arginine (poly-Arg) tags appended to peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes, designed to hybridize with selected regions from complementary ssDNA targets (cDNA) in solution and (ii) formation and subsequent detection with the α-hemolysin nanopore of (poly-Arg)-PNA-cDNA duplexes containing two overhangs associated with the poly-Arg tail and the non-hybridized segment from ssDNA. We discovered that the length-variable poly-Arg tail marked distinctly the molecular processes associated with the nanopore-mediated duplexes capture, trapping and unzipping. This enabled the detection of ssDNA targets via the signatures of (poly-Arg)-PNA-cDNA blockade events, rendered most efficient from the β-barrel entrance of the nanopore, and scaled proportional in efficacy with a larger poly-Arg moiety. We illustrate the approach by sensing synthetic ssDNAs designed to emulate fragments from two regions of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid phosphoprotein N-gene.

Translocation Behaviors of Synthetic Polyelectrolytes through Alpha-Hemolysin (α-HL) and Mycobacterium smegmatis Porin A (MspA) Nanopores

DNAs have been used as probes for nanopore sensing of noncharged biomacromolecules due to its negative phosphate backbone. Inspired by this, we explored the potential of diblock synthetic polyelectrolytes as more flexible and inexpensive nanopore sensing probes by investigating translocation behaviors of PEO-b-PSS and PEO-b-PVBTMA through commonly used alpha-hemolysin (α-HL) and Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) nanopores. Translocation recordings in different configurations of pore orientation and testing voltage indicated efficient PEO-b-PSS translocations through α-HL and PEO-b-PVBTMA translocations through MspA. This work provides insight into synthetic polyelectrolyte-based probes to expand probe selection and flexibility for nanopore sensing.

Biological nanopores for single-molecule sensing

Evolution has found countless ways to transport material across cells and cellular compartments separated by membranes. Protein assemblies are the cornerstone for the formation of channels and pores that enable this regulated passage of molecules in and out of cells, contributing to maintaining most of the fundamental processes that sustain living organisms. As in several other occasions, we have borrowed from the natural properties of these biological systems to push technology forward and have been able to hijack these nano-scale proteinaceous pores to learn about the physical and chemical features of molecules passing through them. Today, a large repertoire of biological pores is exploited as molecular sensors for characterizing biomolecules that are relevant for the advancement of life sciences and application to medicine. Although the technology has quickly matured to enable nucleic acid sensing with transformative implications for genomics, biological pores stand as some of the most promising candidates to drive the next developments in single-molecule proteomics.

Current noise of a protein-selective biological nanopore

1/f current noise is ubiquitous in protein pores, porins, and channels. We have previously shown that a protein-selective biological nanopore with an external protein receptor can function as a 1/f noise generator when a high-affinity protein ligand is reversibly captured by the receptor. Here, we demonstrate that the binding affinity and concentration of the ligand are key determinants for the nature of current noise. For example, 1/f was absent when a protein ligand was reversibly captured at a much lower concentration than its equilibrium dissociation constant against the receptor. Furthermore, we also analyzed the composite current noise that resulted from mixtures of low-affinity and high-affinity ligands against the same receptor. This study highlights the significance of protein recognition events in the current noise fluctuations across biological membranes.

Machine Learning Assisted Simultaneous Structural Profiling of Differently Charged Proteins in a Mycobacterium smegmatis Porin A (MspA) Electroosmotic Trap

The nanopore is emerging as a means of single-molecule protein sensing. However, proteins demonstrate different charge properties, which complicates the design of a sensor that can achieve simultaneous sensing of differently charged proteins. In this work, we introduce an asymmetric electrolyte buffer combined with the Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) nanopore to form an electroosmotic flow (EOF) trap. Apo- and holo-myoglobin, which differ in only a single heme, can be fully distinguished by this method. Direct discrimination of lysozyme, apo/holo-myoglobin, and the ACTR/NCBD protein complex, which are basic, neutral, and acidic proteins, respectively, was simultaneously achieved by the MspA EOF trap. To automate event classification, multiple event features were extracted to build a machine learning model, with which a 99.9% accuracy is achieved. The demonstrated method was also applied to identify single molecules of α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin directly from whey protein powder. This protein-sensing strategy is useful in direct recognition of a protein from a mixture, suggesting its prospective use in rapid and sensitive detection of biomarkers or real-time protein structural analysis.

Macromolecule sensing and tumor biomarker detection by harnessing terminal size and hydrophobicity of viral DNA packaging motor channels into membranes and flow cells

Biological nanopores for single-pore sensing have the advantage of size homogeneity, structural reproducibility, and channel amenability. In order to translate this to clinical applications, the functional biological nanopore must be inserted into a stable system for high-throughput analysis. Here we report factors that control the rate of pore insertion into polymer membrane and analyte translocation through the channel of viral DNA packaging motors of Phi29, T3 and T7. The hydrophobicity of aminol or carboxyl terminals and their relation to the analyte translocation were investigated. It was found that both the size and the hydrophobicity of the pore terminus are critical factors for direct membrane insertion. An N-terminus or C-terminus hydrophobic mutation is crucial for governing insertion orientation and subsequent macromolecule translocation due to the one-way traffic property. The N- or C-modification led to two different modes of application. The C-terminal insertion permits translocation of analytes such as peptides to enter the channel through the N terminus, while N-terminus insertion prevents translocation but offers the measurement of gating as a sensing parameter, thus generating a tool for detection of markers. A urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (uPAR) binding peptide was fused into the C-terminal of Phi29 nanopore to serve as a probe for uPAR protein detection. The uPAR has proven to be a predictive biomarker in several types of cancer, including breast cancer. With an N-terminal insertion, the binding of the uPAR antigen to individual peptide probe induced discretive steps of current reduction due to the induction of channel gating. The distinctive current signatures enabled us to distinguish uPAR positive and negative tumor cell lines. This finding provides a theoretical basis for a robust biological nanopore sensing system for high-throughput macromolecular sensing and tumor biomarker detection.

Nanopore sensing of γ-cyclodextrin induced host-guest interaction to reverse the binding of perfluorooctanoic acid to human serum albumin

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been one of the most common perfluorochemicals, which are globally pervasive contaminants that are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, and have adverse impacts on human health. The highest concentration of PFOA occurs in the blood, where it strongly binds to human serum albumins (HSA). Thus, a method to reverse the HSA-PFOA binding is critical to help facilitate the faster elimination of PFOA from the body to minimize its toxicological effects. Inspired by the remediation effect of cyclodextrin (CD) to PFOA through host-guest interactions, herein, by elucidating inter-molecular interactions using a nanopore sensor, we demonstrated in vitro reversal of the binding of PFOA to HSA using γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD). The competition behavior for the complexation of PFOA between HSA and γ-CD was discussed in combination with in situ nanopore current recording and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterization. The present work not only demonstrates the potential therapeutic application of γ-CD for PFOA removal from human blood, but also provides an emerging method for investigating interactions between organic compounds and proteins.

Automated Electrical Quantification of Vitamin B1 in a Bodily Fluid using an Engineered Nanopore Sensor

The ability to measure the concentration of metabolites in biological samples is important, both in the clinic and for home diagnostics. Here we present a nanopore-based biosensor and automated data analysis for quantification of thiamine in urine in less than a minute, without the need for recalibration. For this we use the Cytolysin A nanopore and equip it with an engineered periplasmic thiamine binding protein (TbpA). To allow fast measurements we tuned the affinity of TbpA for thiamine by redesigning the π-π stacking interactions between the thiazole group of thiamine and TbpA. This substitution resulted furthermore in a marked difference between unbound and bound state, allowing the reliable discrimination of thiamine from its two phosphorylated forms by residual current only. Using an array of nanopores, this will allow the quantification within seconds, paving the way for next-generation single-molecule metabolite detection systems.

Protein identification by nanopore peptide profiling

Nanopores are single-molecule sensors used in nucleic acid analysis, whereas their applicability towards full protein identification has yet to be demonstrated. Here, we show that an engineered Fragaceatoxin C nanopore is capable of identifying individual proteins by measuring peptide spectra that are produced from hydrolyzed proteins. Using model proteins, we show that the spectra resulting from nanopore experiments and mass spectrometry share similar profiles, hence allowing protein fingerprinting. The intensity of individual peaks provides information on the concentration of individual peptides, indicating that this approach is quantitative. Our work shows the potential of a low-cost, portable nanopore-based analyzer for protein identification.

Peptide mass fingerprinting is a traditional approach for protein identification by mass spectrometry. Here, the authors provide evidence that peptide mass fingerprinting is also feasible using FraC nanopores, demonstrating protein identification based on nanopore measurements of digested peptides.

Herding cats: Label-based approaches in protein translocation through nanopore sensors for single-molecule protein sequence analysis

Proteins carry out life's essential functions. Comprehensive proteome analysis technologies are thus required for a full understanding of the operating principles of biological systems. While current proteomics techniques suffer from limitations in sensitivity and/or throughput, nanopore technology has the potential to enable de novo protein identification through single-molecule sequencing. However, a significant barrier to achieving this goal is controlling protein/peptide translocation through the nanopore sensor for processive strand analysis. Here, we review recent approaches that use a range of techniques, from oligonucleotide conjugation to molecular motors, aimed at driving protein strands and peptides through protein nanopores. We further discuss site-specific protein conjugation chemistry that could be combined with these translocation approaches as future directions to achieve single-molecule protein detection and sequencing of native proteins.

Enhanced identification of Tau acetylation and phosphorylation with an engineered aerolysin nanopore

Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) affect protein function/dysfunction, playing important roles in the occurrence and development of tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease. PTM detection is significant and still challenging due to the requirements of high sensitivity to identify the subtle structural differences between modifications. Herein, in terms of the unique geometry of the aerolysin (AeL) nanopore, we elaborately engineered a T232K AeL nanopore to detect the acetylation and phosphorylation of Tau segment (Pep). By replacing neutral threonine (T) with positively charged lysine (K) at the 232 sites, the T232K and K238 rings of this engineered T232K AeL nanopore corporately work together to enhance electrostatic trapping of the acetylated and phosphorylated Tau peptides. Translocation speed of the monophosphorylated Pep-P was decelerated by up to 46 folds compared to the wild-type (WT) AeL nanopore. The prolonged residences within the T232K AeL nanopore enabled to simultaneously identify the monoacetylated Pep-Ac, monophosphorylated Pep-P, di-modified Pep-P-Ac and non-modified Pep. The tremendous potential is demonstrated for PTM sensing by manipulating non-covalent interactions between nanopores and single analytes.

Digital immunoassay for biomarker concentration quantification using solid-state nanopores

Single-molecule counting is the most accurate and precise method for determining the concentration of a biomarker in solution and is leading to the emergence of digital diagnostic platforms enabling precision medicine. In principle, solid-state nanopores—fully electronic sensors with single-molecule sensitivity—are well suited to the task. Here we present a digital immunoassay scheme capable of reliably quantifying the concentration of a target protein in complex biofluids that overcomes specificity, sensitivity, and consistency challenges associated with the use of solid-state nanopores for protein sensing. This is achieved by employing easily-identifiable DNA nanostructures as proxies for the presence (“1”) or absence (“0”) of the target protein captured via a magnetic bead-based sandwich immunoassay. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate quantification of the concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone from human serum samples down to the high femtomolar range. Further optimization to the method will push sensitivity and dynamic range, allowing for development of precision diagnostic tools compatible with point-of-care format.

The concentration of a biomarker in solution can be determined by counting single molecules. Here the authors report a digital immunoassay scheme with solid-state nanopore readout to quantify a target protein and use this to measure thyroid-stimulating hormone from human serum.

Real-Time and Label-Free Measurement of Deubiquitinase Activity with a MspA Nanopore

Covalently attaching ubiquitin (Ub) to cellular proteins as a post-translational modification can result in altered function of modified proteins. Enzymes regulating Ub as a post-translational modification, such as ligases and deubiquitinases, are challenging to characterize in part due to the low throughput of in-vitro assays. Single-molecule nanopore based assays have the advantage of detecting proteins with high specificity and resolution, and in a label-free, real-time fashion. Here we demonstrate the use of a MspA nanopore for discriminating and quantifying Ub proteins. We further applied the MspA pore to measure the Ub-chain disassembly activity of UCH37, a proteasome associated deubiquitinase. The implementation of this MspA system into nanopore arrays could enable high throughput characterizations of unknown deubiquitinases as well as drug screening against disease related enzymes.

Nanopore sensing: A physical-chemical approach

Protein nanopores have emerged as an important class of sensors for the understanding of biophysical processes, such as molecular transport across membranes, and for the detection and characterization of biopolymers. Here, we trace the development of these sensors from the Coulter counter and squid axon studies to the modern applications including exquisite detection of small volume changes and molecular reactions at the single molecule (or reactant) scale. This review focuses on the chemistry of biological pores, and how that influences the physical chemistry of molecular detection.

Single-molecule, hybridization-based strategies for short nucleic acids detection and recognition with nanopores

DNA nanotechnology has seen large developments over the last 30 years through the combination of detection and discovery of DNAs, and solid phase synthesis to increase the chemical functionalities on nucleic acids, leading to the emergence of novel and sophisticated in features, nucleic acids-based biopolymers. Arguably, nanopores developed for fast and direct detection of a large variety of molecules, are part of a revolutionary technological evolution which led to cheaper, smaller and considerably easier to use devices enabling DNA detection and sequencing at the single-molecule level. Through their versatility, the nanopore-based tools proved useful biomedicine, nanoscale chemistry, biology and physics, as well as other disciplines spanning materials science to ecology and anthropology. This mini-review discusses the progress of nanopore- and hybridization-based DNA detection, and explores a range of state-of-the-art applications afforded through the combination of certain synthetically-derived polymers mimicking nucleic acids and nanopores, for the single-molecule biophysics on short DNA structures.

In Vitro Biosensing of β-Amyloid Peptide Aggregation Dynamics using a Biological Nanopore

Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders are becoming more prevalent as advances in technology and medicine increase living standards and life expectancy. Alzheimer's disease is thought to initiate development early in the patient's life and progresses continuously into old age. This process is characterized molecularly by the amyloid hypothesis, which asserts that self-aggregating amyloid peptides are core to the pathophysiology in Alzheimer's progression. Precise quantification of amyloid peptides in human bodily fluid samples (i.e. cerebrospinal fluid, blood) may inform diagnosis and prognosis, and has been studied using established biosensing technologies like liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and immunoassays. However, existing methods are challenged to provide single molecule, quantitative analysis of the disease-causing aggregation process. Ultra-sensitive nanopore biosensors can step in to fill this role as a dynamic mapping tool. The work in this paper establishes characteristic signals of β-amyloid 40 monomers, oligomers, and soluble aggregates, as well as a proof-of-concept foundation where a biological nanopore biosensor is used to monitor the extent of in vitro β-amyloid 40 peptide aggregation at the single molecule level. This foundation allows for future work to expand in drug screening, diagnostics, and aggregation dynamic experiments.

Discrimination of α-Thrombin and γ-Thrombin Using Aptamer-Functionalized Nanopore Sensing

Protein detection and identification at the single-molecule level are major challenges in many biotechnological fields. Solid-state nanopores have raised attention as label-free biosensors with high sensitivity. Here, we use solid-state nanopore sensing to discriminate two closely related proteins, α-thrombin and γ-thrombin. We show that aptamer functionalization improves protein discrimination thanks to a significant difference in the relative current blockade amplitude. To enhance discrimination, we postprocessed the signals using machine learning and training algorithms and we were able to reach an accuracy of 98.8% using seven features and ensemble methods.

Insight into the effects of electrochemical factors on host-guest interaction induced signature events in a biological nanopore

The signature events caused by host-guest interactions in the nanopore system can be used as a novel and characteristic signal in quantitative detection and analysis of various molecules. However, the effect of several electrochemical factors on the host-guest interactions in nanopore still remains unknown. Here, we systematically studied host-guest interactions, especially oscillation of DNA-azide adamantane@cucurbit[6] in α-Hemolysin nanopore under varying pH, concentration of electrolytes and counterions (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺). Our results indicate correlations between the change of pH and the duration of the oscillation signal. In addition, the asymmetric electrolyte concentration and the charge of the counterions affects the frequency of signature events in oscillation signals, and even the integrity of the protein nanopore. This study provides insight into the design of a future biosensing platform based on signature oscillation signals of the host-guest interaction within a nanopore.

Laser-based temperature control to study the roles of entropy and enthalpy in polymer-nanopore interactions

Single-molecule approaches for probing the free energy of confinement for polymers in a nanopore environment are critical for the development of nanopore biosensors. We developed a laser-based nanopore heating approach to monitor the free energy profiles of such a single-molecule sensor. Using this approach, we measure the free energy profiles of two distinct polymers, polyethylene glycol and water-soluble peptides, as they interact with the nanopore sensor. Polyethylene glycol demonstrates a retention mechanism dominated by entropy with little sign of interaction with the pore, while peptides show an enthalpic mechanism, which can be attributed to physisorption to the nanopore (e.g., hydrogen bonding). To manipulate the energetics, we introduced thiolate-capped gold clusters [Au25(SG)18] into the pore, which increases the charge and leads to additional electrostatic interactions that help dissect the contribution that enthalpy and entropy make in this modified environment. These observations provide a benchmark for optimization of single-molecule nanopore sensors.

Tuning Protein Discrimination Through Altering the Sampling Interface Formed between the Analyte and the OmpG Nanopore

Nanopore sensors capable of distinguishing homologous protein analytes are highly desirable tools for proteomics research and disease diagnostics. Recently, an engineered outer membrane protein G (OmpG) nanopore with a high-affinity ligand attached to a gating loop 6 showed specificity for distinguishing homologous proteins in complex mixtures. Here, we report the development of OmpG nanopores with the other six loops used as the anchoring point to host an affinity ligand for protein sensing. We investigated how the analyte binding to the affinity ligand located at different loops affects the detection sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity. Our results reveal that analytes weakly attracted to the OmpG nanopore surface are only detectable when the ligand is tethered to loop 6. In contrast, protein analytes that form a strong interaction with the OmpG surface via electrostatic attractions are distinguishable by all seven OmpG nanopore constructs. In addition, the same analyte can generate distinct binding signals with different OmpG nanopore constructs. The ability to exploit all seven OmpG loops will aid the design of a new generation of OmpG sensors with increased sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity for biomarker sensing.

Nanopore sensing of single-biomolecules: a new procedure to identify protein sequence motifs from molecular dynamics

Solid-state nanopores have emerged as one of the most versatile tools for single-biomolecule detection and characterization. Nanopore sensing is based on the measurement of variations in ionic current as charged biomolecules immersed in an electrolyte translocate through nanometer-sized channels, in response to an external voltage applied across the membrane. The passage of a biomolecule through a pore yields information about its structure and chemical properties, as demonstrated experimentally with sub-microsecond temporal resolution. However, extracting the sequence of a biomolecule without the information about its position remains challenging due to the fact there is a large variability of sensing events recorded. In this paper, we performed microsecond time scale all-atom non-equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of peptide translocation (motifs of alpha-synuclein, associated with Parkinson's disease) through single-layer MoS2 nanopores. First, we present an analysis based on the current threshold to extract and characterize meaningful sensing events from ionic current time series computed from MD. Second, a mechanism of translocation is established, for which side chains of each amino acid are oriented parallel to the electric field when they are translocating through the pore and perpendicular otherwise. Third, a new procedure based on the permutation entropy (PE) algorithm is detailed to identify protein sequence motifs related to ionic current drop speed. PE is a technique used to quantify the complexity of a given time series and it allows the detection of regular patterns. Here, PE patterns were associated with protein sequence motifs composed of 1, 2 or 3 amino acids. Finally, we demonstrate that this very promising procedure allows the detection of biological mutations and could be tested experimentally, despite the fact that reconstructing the sequence information remains unachievable at this time.

Force-Controlled Formation of Dynamic Nanopores for Single-Biomolecule Sensing and Single-Cell Secretomics

Nanopore sensing of single nucleotides has emerged as a promising single-molecule technology for DNA sequencing and proteomics. Despite the conceptual simplicity of nanopores, adoption of this technology for practical applications has been limited by a lack of pore size adjustability and an inability to perform long-term recordings in complex solutions. Here we introduce a method for fast and precise on-demand formation of a nanopore with controllable size between 2 and 20 nm through force-controlled adjustment of the nanospace formed between the opening of a microfluidic device (made of silicon nitride) and a soft polymeric substrate. The introduced nanopore system enables stable measurements at arbitrary locations. By accurately positioning the nanopore in the proximity of single neurons and continuously recording single-molecule translations over several hours, we have demonstrated this is a powerful approach for single-cell proteomics and secretomics.

Enabling nanopore technology for sensing individual amino acids by a derivatization strategy

Nanopore technology holds remarkable promise for sequencing proteins and peptides. To achieve this, it is necessary to establish a characteristic profile for each individual amino acid through the statistical description of its translocation process. However, the subtle molecular differences among all twenty amino acids along with their unpredictable conformational changes at the nanopore sensing region result in very low distinguishability. Here we report the electrical sensing of individual amino acids using an α-hemolysin nanopore based on a derivatization strategy. Using derivatized amino acids as detection surrogates not only prolongs their interactions with the sensing region, but also improves their conformational variation. Furthermore, we show that distinct characteristics including current blockades and dwell times can be observed among all three classes of amino acids after 2,3-naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde (NDA)- and 2-naphthylisothiocyanate (NITC)-derivatization, respectively. These observable characteristics were applied towards the identification and differentiation of 9 of the 20 natural amino acids using their NITC derivatives. The method demonstrated herein will pave the way for the identification of all amino acids and further protein and peptide sequencing.

Leveraging nature's biomolecular designs in next-generation protein sequencing reagent development

Next-generation approaches for protein sequencing are now emerging that could have the potential to revolutionize the field in proteomics. One such sequencing method involves fluorescence-based imaging of immobilized peptides in which the N-terminal amino acid of a polypeptide is readout sequentially by a series of fluorescently labeled biomolecules. When selectively bound to a specific N-terminal amino acid, the NAAB (N-terminal amino acid binder) affinity reagent identifies the amino acid through its associated fluorescence tag. A key technical challenge in implementing this fluoro-sequencing approach is the need to develop NAAB affinity reagents with the high affinity and selectivity for specific N-terminal amino acids required for this biotechnology application. One approach to develop such a NAAB affinity reagent is to leverage naturally occurring biomolecules that bind amino acids and/or peptides. Here, we describe several candidate biomolecules that could be considered for this purpose and discuss the potential for developability of each. Key points • Next-generation sequencing methods are emerging that could revolutionize proteomics. • Sequential readout of N-terminal amino acids by fluorescent-tagged affinity reagents. • Native peptide/amino acid binders can be engineered into affinity reagents. • Protein size and structure contribute to feasibility of reagent developability.

N-Terminal Derivatization-Assisted Identification of Individual Amino Acids Using a Biological Nanopore Sensor

Nanopore technology has been employed as a powerful tool for DNA sequencing and analysis. To extend this method to peptide sequencing, a necessary step is to profile individual amino acids (AAs) through their nanopore stochastic signals, which remains a great challenge because of the low signal-to-noise ratio and unpredictable conformational changes of AAs during their translocation through nanopores. We showed that the combination of an N-terminal derivatization strategy of AAs with nanopore technology could lead to effective in situ differentiation of AAs. Four different derivatization reactions have been tested with five selected AAs: Ala, Phe, Tyr, His, and Asp. Using an α-hemolysin nanopore, we demonstrated the feasibility of derivatization-assisted identification of AAs regardless of their charge composition and polarity. The method was further applied to discriminate each individual AA in testing data sets using their established nanopore profiles from training data sets. We envision that this proof-of-concept study will not only pave a way for identification of individual AAs but also lead to future applications in protein/peptide sequencing using the nanopore technology.

Electro-Osmotic Vortices Promote the Capture of Folded Proteins by PlyAB Nanopores

Biological nanopores are emerging as powerful tools for single-molecule analysis and sequencing. Here, we engineered the two-component pleurotolysin (PlyAB) toxin to assemble into 7.2 × 10.5 nm cylindrical nanopores with a low level of electrical noise in lipid bilayers, and we addressed the nanofluidic properties of the nanopore by continuum simulations. Surprisingly, proteins such as human albumin (66.5 kDa) and human transferrin (76-81 kDa) did not enter the nanopore. We found that the precise engineering of the inner surface charge of the PlyAB induced electro-osmotic vortices that allowed the electrophoretic capture of the proteins. Once inside the nanopore, two human plasma proteins could be distinguished by the characteristics of their current blockades. This fundamental understanding of the nanofluidic properties of nanopores provides a practical method to promote the capture and analysis of folded proteins by nanopores.

Actinoporins: From the Structure and Function to the Generation of Biotechnological and Therapeutic Tools

Actinoporins (APs) are a family of pore-forming toxins (PFTs) from sea anemones. These biomolecules exhibit the ability to exist as soluble monomers within an aqueous medium or as constitutively open oligomers in biological membranes. Through their conformational plasticity, actinoporins are considered good candidate molecules to be included for the rational design of molecular tools, such as immunotoxins directed against tumor cells and stochastic biosensors based on nanopores to analyze unique DNA or protein molecules. Additionally, the ability of these proteins to bind to sphingomyelin (SM) facilitates their use for the design of molecular probes to identify SM in the cells. The immunomodulatory activity of actinoporins in liposomal formulations for vaccine development has also been evaluated. In this review, we describe the potential of actinoporins for use in the development of molecular tools that could be used for possible medical and biotechnological applications.

Beyond mass spectrometry, the next step in proteomics

Proteins can be the root cause of a disease, and they can be used to cure it. The need to identify these critical actors was recognized early (1951) by Sanger; the first biopolymer sequenced was a peptide, insulin. With the advent of scalable, single-molecule DNA sequencing, genomics and transcriptomics have since propelled medicine through improved sensitivity and lower costs, but proteomics has lagged behind. Currently, proteomics relies mainly on mass spectrometry (MS), but instead of truly sequencing, it classifies a protein and typically requires about a billion copies of a protein to do it. Here, we offer a survey that illuminates a few alternatives with the brightest prospects for identifying whole proteins and displacing MS for sequencing them. These alternatives all boast sensitivity superior to MS and promise to be scalable and seem to be adaptable to bioinformatics tools for calling the sequence of amino acids that constitute a protein.

The applications of nanopores in studies of proteins

Nanopores are a label-free platform with the ability to detect subtle changes in the activities of individual biomolecules under physiological conditions. Here, we comprehensively review the technological development of nanopores, focusing on their applications in studying the physicochemical properties and dynamic conformations of peptides, individual proteins, protein-protein complexes and protein-DNA complexes. This is followed by a brief discussion of the potential challenges that need to be overcome before the technology can be widely accepted by the scientific community. We believe that with continued refinement of the technology, significant understanding can be gained to help clarify the role of protein activities in the regulation of cellular physiology and pathogenesis.

Polarization Induced Electro-Functionalization of Pore Walls: A Contactless Technology

This review summarizes recent advances in micro- and nanopore technologies with a focus on the functionalization of pores using a promising method named contactless electro-functionalization (CLEF). CLEF enables the localized grafting of electroactive entities onto the inner wall of a micro- or nano-sized pore in a solid-state silicon/silicon oxide membrane. A voltage or electrical current applied across the pore induces the surface functionalization by electroactive entities exclusively on the inside pore wall, which is a significant improvement over existing methods. CLEF's mechanism is based on the polarization of a sandwich-like silicon/silicon oxide membrane, creating electronic pathways between the core silicon and the electrolyte. Correlation between numerical simulations and experiments have validated this hypothesis. CLEF-induced micro- and nanopores functionalized with antibodies or oligonucleotides were successfully used for the detection and identification of cells and are promising sensitive biosensors. This technology could soon be successfully applied to planar configurations of pores, such as restrictions in microfluidic channels.

Translocation intermediates of ubiquitin through an α-hemolysin nanopore: implications for detection of post-translational modifications

Nanopore based sensors constitute a promising approach to single molecule protein characterization being able, in principle, to detect sequences, structural elements and folding states of proteins and polypeptide chains. In narrow nanopores, one of the open issues concerns the coupling between unfolding and translocation. Here, we studied the ubiquitin translocation in an α-hemolysin nanopore, the most widely used pore for nanopore sensing, via all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We completely characterize the co-translocational unfolding pathway finding that robust translocation intermediates are associated with the rearrangement of secondary structural elements, as also confirmed by coarse grained simulations. An interesting recurrent pattern is the clogging of the α-hemolysin constriction by an N-terminal β-hairpin. This region of ubiquitin is the target of several post-translational modifications. We propose a strategy to detect post-translational modifications at the N-terminal using the α-hemolysin nanopore based on the comparison of the co-translocational unfolding signals associated with modified and unmodified proteins.

Insights into protein sequencing with an α-Hemolysin nanopore by atomistic simulations

Single molecule protein sequencing would represent a disruptive burst in proteomic research with important biomedical impacts. Due to their success in DNA sequencing, nanopore based devices have been recently proposed as possible tools for the sequencing of peptide chains. One of the open questions in nanopore protein sequencing concerns the ability of such devices to provide different signals for all the 20 standard amino acids. Here, using equilibrium all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we estimated the pore clogging in α-Hemolysin nanopore associated to 20 different homopeptides, one for each standard amino acid. Our results show that pore clogging is affected by amino acid volume, hydrophobicity and net charge. The equilibrium estimations are also supported by non-equilibrium runs for calculating the current blockades for selected homopeptides. Finally, we discuss the possibility to modify the α-Hemolysin nanopore, cutting a portion of the barrel region close to the trans side, to reduce spurious signals and, hence, to enhance the sensitivity of the nanopore.

Aerolysin, a Powerful Protein Sensor for Fundamental Studies and Development of Upcoming Applications

The nanopore electrical approach is a breakthrough in single molecular level detection of particles as small as ions, and complex as biomolecules. This technique can be used for molecule analysis and characterization as well as for the understanding of confined medium dynamics in chemical or biological reactions. Altogether, the information obtained from these kinds of experiments will allow us to address challenges in a variety of biological fields. The sensing, design, and manufacture of nanopores is crucial to realize these objectives. For some time now, aerolysin, a pore forming toxin, and its mutants have shown high potential in real time analytical chemistry, size discrimination of neutral polymers, oligosaccharides, oligonucleotides and peptides at monomeric resolution, sequence identification, chemical modification on DNA, potential biomarkers detection, and protein folding analysis. This review focuses on the results obtained with aerolysin nanopores on the fields of chemistry, biology, physics, and biotechnology. We discuss and compare as well the results obtained with other protein channel sensors.

FraC nanopores with adjustable diameter identify the mass of opposite-charge peptides with 44 dalton resolution

A high throughput single-molecule method for identifying peptides and sequencing proteins based on nanopores could reduce costs and increase speeds of sequencing, allow the fabrication of portable home-diagnostic devices, and permit the characterization of low abundance proteins and heterogeneity in post-translational modifications. Here we engineer the size of Fragaceatoxin C (FraC) biological nanopore to allow the analysis of a wide range of peptide lengths. Ionic blockades through engineered nanopores distinguish a variety of peptides, including two peptides differing only by the substitution of alanine with glutamate. We also find that at pH 3.8 the depth of the peptide current blockades scales with the mass of the peptides irrespectively of the chemical composition of the analyte. Hence, this work shows that FraC nanopores allow direct readout of the mass of single peptide in solution, which is a crucial step towards the developing of a real-time and single-molecule protein sequencing device.