Detection of Mycobacterial Mannose‐capped Lipoarabinomannan via Electrochemical Biosensor

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is one of the world’s most prevalent bacterial pathogens. However, Nontuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) are less recognized than M.tb while remaining a pressing public health risk. Often, NTM lung disease is confused with that of a tubercle infection leading to unreliable diagnosis. Additionally, the time spent to fully diagnose a mycobacterial disease is extensive and dependent on the species growth rate due to the necessity of culturing for identification. Thus, designing a sensitive, electrochemical DNA‐based (E‐DNA) biosensor as a diagnostic tool for NTM would dramatically decrease the timeline of diagnosis and therefore could improve patient outcomes. In this work, we pursued detection of the cell envelope of NTM, which includes many complex glycolipids and glycopeptidolipids—many of which are believed to have immunopathogenic mechanisms. As mannose‐capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM) is one of the most prevalent of the glycolipids, we adapted it as a biomarker for the sensitive detection of NTM. An aptamer specific to ManLAM was incorporated into our E‐DNA biosensor, and exhibits significant current change under square wave voltammetric interrogation.