Synergistic effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone and graphene nano-interface for facile fabrication of sensitive NADH biosensor

Three-dimensional titania arrays coupled with dopamine for visible-light-induced photoelectrochemical sensing

Three-dimensional TiO2 hierarchical nanowire arrays were synthesized featuring nanocavities via a hydrogen peroxide-assisted wet chemical reaction, followed by a simple liquid-phase deposition process. We subsequently decorated the TiO2 arrays with dopamine, leveraging its enediol ligand for chelation. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), a cofactor for over 300 dehydrogenases, serves as the targeted analyte to assess the PEC sensing performance of the sensor. The developed sensor exhibited a linear concentration range for NADH detection of 0.05 to 50 µM, achieving a high sensitivity of 0.29 μA∙μM-1∙cm-2 and a low detection limit of 0.03 μM (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). Notably, PEC performance of the resulting sensor surpassed that of commercial TiO2 (P25)-based sensors. The enhanced sensing capabilities can be attributed to several factors: the TiO2 hierarchical nanowire arrays with nanocavities provide a larger surface area, abundant active sites, and shorter molecular diffusion lengths for surface adsorption and reaction, thereby reducing response times and improving sensitivity. Additionally, the coupling of TiO2 with dopamine enhances visible light absorption and optimizes charge transfer dynamics. These findings open a new avenue for designing high-performance three-dimensional nanoarchitectures for PEC sensing applications.

Electrochemiluminescent imaging of a NADH-based enzymatic reaction confined within giant liposomes

Herein, transient releases either from NADH-loaded liposomes or enzymatic reactions confined in giant liposomes were imaged by electrochemiluminescence (ECL). NADH was first encapsulated with the [Ru(bpy)3]2+ luminophore inside giant liposomes (around 100 µm in diameter) made of DOPC/DOPG phospholipids (i.e., 1,2-dioleolyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) sodium salt) on their inner- and outer-leaflet, respectively. Then, membrane permeabilization triggered upon contact between the liposome and a polarized ITO electrode surface and ECL was locally generated. Combination of amperometry, photoluminescence, and ECL provided a comprehensive monitoring of a single liposome opening and content release. In a second part, the work is focused on the ECL characterization of NADH produced by glucose dehydrogenase (GDH)-catalyzed oxidation of glucose in the confined environment delimited by the liposome membrane. This was achieved by encapsulating both the ECL and catalytic reagents (i.e., the GDH, glucose, NAD+, and [Ru(bpy)3]2+) in the liposome. In accordance with the results obtained, NADH can be used as a biologically compatible ECL co-reactant to image membrane permeabilization events of giant liposomes. Under these conditions, the ECL signal duration was rather long (around 10 s). Since many enzymatic reactions involve the NADH/NAD+ redox couple, this work opens up interesting prospects for the characterization of enzymatic reactions taking place notably in artificial cells and in confined environments.

Engineering Oxygen-Independent NADH Oxidase Integrated with Electrocatalytic FAD Cofactor Regeneration

An electrochemically mediated enzyme process for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidation and biosensing has been developed in which the oxygen-dependent activities of wild-type NADH oxidase are replaced by electrochemical regeneration of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor in the active site. Consequently, the present bioelectrocatalysis does not rely on a continuous oxygen supply through bubbling air or pure oxygen in biosynthetic applications, which reduces enzyme stability. The coupled electrochemical and enzymatic catalysis is achieved through a combination of enzyme immobilization on the electrode and electrochemical oxidation of FADH2 in the active site mediated by the electron transfer mediator ferrocene carboxylic acid (FcCA). Furthermore, to minimize the effect of dissolved oxygen when the electrocatalytic process is exposed to air, we successfully designed mutations at the Leu40 and Cys42 sites of Leuconostoc mesenteroides (LmNOx) to block the oxygen passage into the active site and to eliminate the native FAD cofactor regeneration half-reaction. The engineered enzymes, whose activities are significantly reduced or inactive in solution, are electrocatalytically active toward conversion of NADH to NAD+, demonstrating successful FAD cofactor regeneration in the active site via electrochemistry. Finally, we developed two highly responsive electrochemical biosensors for NADH detection which has a superior substrate specific to standard detectors using metal electrodes, and comparable detection range and detection limit (1-3 μM).

Recent Advances in Electrochemical Detection of Cell Energy Metabolism

Cell energy metabolism is a complex and multifaceted process by which some of the most important nutrients, particularly glucose and other sugars, are transformed into energy. This complexity is a result of dynamic interactions between multiple components, including ions, metabolic intermediates, and products that arise from biochemical reactions, such as glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), the two main metabolic pathways that provide adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main source of chemical energy driving various physiological activities. Impaired cell energy metabolism and perturbations or dysfunctions in associated metabolites are frequently implicated in numerous diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disorders. As a result, altered metabolites hold value as potential disease biomarkers. Electrochemical biosensors are attractive devices for the early diagnosis of many diseases and disorders based on biomarkers due to their advantages of efficiency, simplicity, low cost, high sensitivity, and high selectivity in the detection of anomalies in cellular energy metabolism, including key metabolites involved in glycolysis and mitochondrial processes, such as glucose, lactate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutamate, and ATP, both in vivo and in vitro. This paper offers a detailed examination of electrochemical biosensors for the detection of glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolites, along with their many applications in cell chips and wearable sensors.

Optical/electrochemical methods for detecting mitochondrial energy metabolism

This review highlights the biological importance of mitochondrial energy metabolism and the applications of multiple optical/electrochemical approaches to determine energy metabolites. Mitochondria, the main sites of oxidative phosphorylation and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) biosynthesis, provide the majority of energy required by aerobic cells for maintaining their physiological activity. They also participate in cell growth, differentiation, information transmission, and apoptosis. Multiple mitochondrial diseases, caused by internal or external factors, including oxidative stress, intense fluctuations of the ionic concentration, abnormal oxidative phosphorylation, changes in electron transport chain complex enzymes and mutations in mitochondrial DNA, can occur during mitochondrial energy metabolism. Therefore, developing accurate, sensitive, and specific methods for the in vivo and in vitro detection of mitochondrial energy metabolites is of great importance. In this review, we summarise the mitochondrial structure, functions, and crucial energy metabolic signalling pathways. The mechanism and applications of different optical/electrochemical methods are thoroughly reviewed. Finally, future research directions and challenges are proposed.

A biocomputing platform with electrochemical and fluorescent signal outputs based on multi-sensitive copolymer film electrodes with entrapped Au nanoclusters and tetraphenylethene and electrocatalysis of NADH

In this work, poly(N,N'-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymer films were polymerized on the surface of Au electrodes with a facile one-step method, and Au nanoclusters (AuNCs) and tetraphenylethene (TPE) were synchronously embedded in the films, designated as P(DMA-co-NIPA)/AuNCs/TPE. Ferrocene dicarboxylic acid (FDA), an electroactive probe in solution displayed inverse pH- and SO42--sensitive on-off cyclic voltammetric (CV) behaviors at the film electrodes. The electrocatalytic oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) mediated by FDA in solution could substantially amplify the CV response difference between the on and off states. Moreover, the two fluorescence emission (FL) signals from the TPE constituent at 450 nm and AuNCs component at 660 nm in the films also demonstrated SO42-- and pH-sensitive behaviors. Based on the aforementioned results, a 4-input/9-output biomolecular logic circuit was constructed with pH, Na2SO4, FDA and NADH as the inputs, and the CV signals and the FL responses at 450 and 660 nm at different levels as the outputs. Additionally, some functional non-Boolean devices were elaborately designed on an identical platform, including a 1-to-2 decoder, a 2-to-1 encoder, a 1-to-2 demultiplexer and different types of keypad locks. This work combines copolymer films, bioelectrocatalysis, and fluorescence together so that more complicated biocomputing systems could be established. This work may pave a new way to develop advanced and sophisticated biocomputing logic circuits and functional devices in the future.

A boronic acid carbon nanodots/poly(thionine) sensing platform for the accurate and reliable detection of NADH

In this work, a novel electrochemical sensing platform was designed and fabricated by the modification of boronic acid functionalized carbon nanodots (B-CNDs) and poly(thionine) (pTHI) on an electrode surface. B-CNDs can not only accelerate electron transfer but also covalently interact with cis-diol groups of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) through functionalized boronic acid groups. Meanwhile, pTHI served as an inner reference element to provide a built-in correction, which enabled the sensor to detect NADH with high accuracy and reliability based on a ratiometric signal (∆I_NADH/∆I_THI). The electrochemical experimental results demonstrated that the ratiometric strategy-based sensor possessed good selectivity and high sensitivity. A linear range of 5.0 × 10^-7 - 2.0 × 10^-4 mol/L for NADH detection was obtained with a limit of detection of 1.5 × 10^-7 mol/L. The sensor has been applied to analyze NADH in human serum samples with satisfactory results. The simple and effective ratiometric strategy reported here can be further used to prepare electrochemical sensors for selective, sensitive, and reliable detection of other cis-diol compounds.

Electrical Property of Graphene and Its Application to Electrochemical Biosensing

Graphene, a single atom thick layer of two-dimensional closely packed honeycomb carbon lattice, and its derivatives have attracted much attention in the field of biomedical, due to its unique physicochemical properties. The valuable physicochemical properties, such as high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, remarkable biocompatibility and ease of surface functionalization have shown great potentials in the applications of graphene-based bioelectronics devices, including electrochemical biosensors for biomarker analysis. In this review, we will provide a selective overview of recent advances on synthesis methods of graphene and its derivatives, as well as its application to electrochemical biosensor development. We believe the topics discussed here are useful, and able to provide a guideline in the development of novel graphene and on graphene-like 2-dimensional (2D) materials based biosensors in the future.

A review on graphene-based nanocomposites for electrochemical and fluorescent biosensors

Biosensors with high sensitivity, selectivity and a low limit of detection, reaching nano/picomolar concentrations of biomolecules, are important to the medical sciences and healthcare industry for evaluating physiological and metabolic parameters.

RuO2/graphene nanoribbon composite supported on screen printed electrode with enhanced electrocatalytic performances toward ethanol and NADH biosensing

In this work, we aimed to propose a newly synthesized composite material with enhanced electrocatalytic properties as a novel screen-printed sensor for the quantification of NADH. Additionally, the surface was modified with alcohol dehydrogenase for the preparation of an amperometric biosensor for analysis of ethanol. Synthesized material was characterized using several microstructural (FE-SEM, HR-TEM, XRD) and electrochemical (CV, EIS) techniques. The electrochemical response of the tested analytes was investigated as a function of important parameters. Under optimal conditions, the working linear range and limit of detection for ethanol sensing was 1-1800 µM and 0.19 µM, respectively. For NADH, the linear range was from 1 to 1300 µM with limit of detection of 0.52 µM. Moreover, effects of some possible interfering compounds were investigated and the developed procedure was applied to commercial alcoholic beverages. The results obtained showed satisfactory precision and accuracy of the developed method and confirm the proposed approach could be a possible replacement for the currently used techniques for ethanol and NADH quantification.

Targeted redox and energy cofactor metabolomics in Clostridium thermocellum and Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum

BACKGROUND

Clostridium thermocellum and Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum are prominent candidate biocatalysts that, together, can enable the direct biotic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol. The imbalance and suboptimal turnover rates of redox cofactors are currently hindering engineering efforts to achieve higher bioproductivity in both organisms. Measuring relevant intracellular cofactor concentrations will help understand redox state of these cofactors and help identify a strategy to overcome these limitations; however, metabolomic determinations of these labile metabolites have historically proved challenging.

RESULTS

Through our validations, we verified the handling and storage stability of these metabolites, and verified extraction matrices and extraction solvent were not suppressing mass spectrometry signals. We recovered adenylate energy charge ratios (a main quality indicator) above 0.82 for all extractions. NADH/NAD+ values of 0.26 and 0.04 for an adhE-deficient strain of C. thermocellum and its parent, respectively, reflect the expected shift to a more reduced redox potential when a species lacks the ability to re-oxidize NADH by synthesizing ethanol. This method failed to yield reliable results with C. bescii and poor-growing strains of T. saccharolyticum.

CONCLUSIONS

Our validated protocols demonstrate and validate the extraction and analysis of selected redox and energy-related metabolites from two candidate consolidated bioprocessing biocatalysts, C. thermocellum and T. saccharolyticum. This development and validation highlights the important, but often neglected, need to optimize and validate metabolomic protocols when adapting them to new cell or tissue types.

Highly sensitive amperometric biosensor for determination of NADH and ethanol based on Au-Ag nanoparticles/poly(L-Cysteine)/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

This work presents the fabrication of a novel nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) sensor using gold-silver bimetallic nanoparticles (Au-AgNPs), poly(L-Cysteine) (P(L-Cys)) and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE/Au-AgNPs/P(L-Cys)-ERGO). The composite electrode exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic response towards NADH at a low oxidation potential (+ 0.35V) and minimization of surface contamination due to the synergistic effects of the Au-AgNPs, polymer and ERGO. Under optimum conditions, modified sensors allowed the detection of NADH with a wide linear range from 0.083µM to 1.05mM with a low detection limit of 9.0nM (S/N = 3). Moreover, this modified electrode was also used as a sensitive ethanol biosensor, which was prepared with alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) via glutaraldehyde, bovin serum albumin and nafion (Naf). There was a linear response for ethanol in the concentration range from 0.017 to 1.845mM with a low detection limit of 5.0µM (S/N = 3). The GCE/Au-AgNPs/P(L-Cys)-ERGO/ADH/Naf electrode can be successfully used for the determination of ethanol in different commercial beverages.