A highly selective biosensor with nanomolar sensitivity based on cytokinin dehydrogenase

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 4;9(3):e90877. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090877. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We have developed a N6-dimethylallyladenine (cytokinin) dehydrogenase-based microbiosensor for real-time determination of the family of hormones known as cytokinins. Cytokinin dehydrogenase from Zea mays (ZmCKX1) was immobilised concurrently with electrodeposition of a silica gel film on the surface of a Pt microelectrode, which was further functionalized by free electron mediator 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP) in supporting electrolyte to give a bioactive film capable of selective oxidative cleavage of the N6- side chain of cytokinins. The rapid electron shuffling between freely diffusible DCPIP and the FAD redox group in ZmCKX1 endowed the microbiosensor with a fast response time of less than 10 s. The immobilised ZmCKX1 retained a high affinity for its preferred substrate N6-(Δ2-isopentenyl) adenine (iP), and gave the miniaturized biosensor a large linear dynamic range from 10 nM to 10 µM, a detection limit of 3.9 nM and a high sensitivity to iP of 603.3 µAmM-1cm-2 (n = 4, R2 = 0.9999). Excellent selectivity was displayed for several other aliphatic cytokinins and their ribosides, including N6-(Δ2-isopentenyl) adenine, N6-(Δ2-isopentenyl) adenosine, cis-zeatin, trans-zeatin and trans-zeatin riboside. Aromatic cytokinins and metabolites such as cytokinin glucosides were generally poor substrates. The microbiosensors exhibited excellent stability in terms of pH and long-term storage and have been used successfully to determine low nanomolar cytokinin concentrations in tomato xylem sap exudates.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Cytokinins / analysis*
  • Cytokinins / metabolism
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / chemistry
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / metabolism*
  • Isopentenyladenosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Isopentenyladenosine / analysis*
  • Isopentenyladenosine / metabolism
  • Limit of Detection
  • Oxidoreductases / chemistry
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism*
  • Zea mays / enzymology*

Substances

  • Cytokinins
  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • N(6)-(delta(2)-isopentenyl)adenine
  • Isopentenyladenosine
  • zeatin riboside
  • Oxidoreductases
  • cytokinin oxidase