Receptor Arrays for the Selective and Efficient Capturing of Viral Particles

• Published in: Bioconjugate chemistry 2009-03, Vol.20 (3), p.466-475
• Main Authors: Pollheimer, Philipp D, Kastner, Markus, Ebner, Andreas, Blaas, Dieter, Hinterdorfer, Peter, Gruber, Hermann J, Howorka, Stefan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Glass - chemistry; Glass substrates; Gold; Gold - chemistry; Human rhinovirus; Lipoproteins, VLDL - chemistry; Low density lipoprotein; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Polyethylene glycol; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Receptors, LDL - chemistry; Receptors, LDL - metabolism; Rhinovirus - isolation & purification; Rhinovirus - metabolism; Surface Properties; Virion - isolation & purification; Virion - metabolism; Viruses
• ISSN: 1043-1802; 1520-4812
• DOI: 10.1021/bc800357j

We describe microarrays of receptors on gold/glass substrates for the selective capturing of viral particles at high density. Microscale gold squares were surface-modified with alkanethiol derivatives which enabled the immobilization of the His6-tagged virus-binding domain from the very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL) receptor. The free glass areas surrounding the gold squares were passivated with a dense film of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). As assessed by atomic force microscopy, human rhinovirus particles were captured onto the VLDL-receptor patches with a high surface coverage but were effectively repelled by the PEG layer, resulting in a 330 000-fold higher density of the particles on the gold as compared to the glass surfaces. The metal chelate-based coupling strategy was found to be superior to two alternative routes, which used the covalent coupling of viral particles or viral receptors to the substrate surface. The high-density receptor arrays were employed for sensing and characterizing viral particles with so far unprecedented selectivity.