A simple and sensitive electrochemical sensor for the detection of peptidase activity

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2023 May;415(12):2209-2215. doi: 10.1007/s00216-023-04628-4. Epub 2023 Mar 1.

Abstract

In this work, a simple and sensitive electrochemical sensor was proposed for the detection of β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) activity. Firstly, the BACE1 specific peptide was modified onto the Au electrode to graft a single-strand DNA with polycytosine DNA sequence (dC12) via amide bonding between peptide and dC12. Because the dC12 is abundant in phosphate groups, thus it can react with molybdate to form redox molybdophosphate, which can generate electrochemical current. Using BACE1 as a model peptidase, the proposed sensor shows a linear response range from 1 to 15 U/mL and limit of detection down to 0.05 U/mL. The sensor displays good performance for the BACE1 activity detection in human serum samples, which may have potential applications in the clinical diagnostics of Alzheimer's disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; BACE1; Electrochemical sensor; Molybdate; Redox molybdophosphate; β-Site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1.

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases* / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Humans
  • Peptides / genetics

Substances

  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • Peptides
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides