Elsevier

Analytical Biochemistry

Volume 332, Issue 1, 1 September 2004, Pages 160-167
Analytical Biochemistry

Detection of subpicomolar concentrations of human matrix metalloproteinase-2 by an optical biosensor

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ab.2004.05.047Get rights and content

Abstract

We describe in this paper the development of a one-step sandwich assay for the highly sensitive and fast detection of human matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 (EC 3.4.24.24), using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). For the assay, two ligands were selected: monoclonal anti-MMP-2 antibody Ab-2 and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-2. They were chosen on the basis of (1) their affinities to MMP-2, (2) the efficiency of immobilization to the sensor chip, (3) the efficiency of adsorption to colloidal gold, and (4) the stability of these protein-coated gold particles. The assay included mixing of MMP-2 with antibody Ab-2 adsorbed to colloidal gold with a diameter of about 20 nm and injection into the flowcell of the SPR instrument containing immobilized TIMP-2. By using colloidal gold particles an amplification factor of 114 and a detection limit of 0.5 pM for MMP-2 were obtained. The precision of the assay was high even at low analyte concentrations, the standard deviation being 8.3% for five determinations of 1 pM MMP-2. No significant binding was observed with the structurally related MMP-9. The assay is far more sensitive and faster than commonly used methods for MMP-2 detection. As TIMP-bound MMP-2 is not detected by this method, the assay can be applied for measuring free MMP-2, reflecting the imbalance of free and inhibitor-bound enzyme in various pathological situations.

Section snippets

Surface plasmon resonance measurements

Binding experiments were done with the SPR-based instrument Biacore 2000 and sensor chips CM3 and CM5 using the control software version 2.1 and evaluation software version 3.0 (Biacore AB, Uppsala, Sweden). CM3 chips were used for the one-step sandwich assays, CM5 chips were used for ligand characterization.

The running buffer contained 7.8 mM NaH2PO4, 8 mM Na2HPO4, 137 mM NaCl, 0.1 mM CaCl2, 3 mM KCl, 1.5 mM KH2PO4 and 0.02% (v/v) Tween 20, pH 7.2 [4]. This buffer was also used for sample dilution.

Selection and characterization of two ligands for the development of a MMP-2 sandwich assay

To build up a sandwich assay for MMP-2 it was necessary to find two ligands recognizing different sites on the MMP-2 molecule. Three ligands were investigated with Biacore 2000 in detail—gelatine (substrate), anti-MMP-2 antibody Ab-2, and TIMP-2 (inhibitor). Binding of the ligands to MMP-2 was tested in two formats, with immobilized ligand proteins (Table 2, Fig. 1) and in the reverse format with immobilized MMP-2 (Table 3, Fig. 2). The binding response was read 10 s after the beginning of the

Discussion

A highly sensitive assay has been developed by combination of SPR with a particle-enhanced sandwich assay which allows the detection of subpicomolar concentrations of human MMP-2.

Using the proform of MMP-2 for calibration, the lower detection limit was 0.5 pM MMP-2. Since both TIMP-2 [4], [5] and the commercially available antibody Ab-2 bind both the proform and the active form of MMP-2, the assay should be applicable for the determination of both forms of MMP-2.

While optimizing the assay

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Thorsten Stroh for helpful discussions.

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    Financial support by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany (InnoRegio-BioHyTec Project No. 03i1304C) is gratefully acknowledged.

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