Label-free detection microarray for novel peptide ligands screening base on MS–SPRi combination

Abstract

Peptides ligands with high affinity and high specificity towards specific targets is catching a good deal of interests in biomedical field. Traditional peptide screening procedure involves selection, sequencing and characterization and each step is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The combination between different analytical methods could provide an integrated plan for efficient peptide screening. We report herein a label-free detection microarray system to facilitate the whole one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) peptide screening process. A microwell array chip with two identical units can trap the candidate peptide beads in one-well-one-bead manner. Peptides on beads were photo-released in situ in the well and partly transferred to two identical chips for Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi), and peptide left in the bi-unit microwell array chip was remain for in situ single bead sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Using the bi-unit imprinted chip system, affinity peptides towards AD protein were efficiently screened out both qualitatively and quantitatively from 104 candidates. The method provides a universal solution for high efficiency and high throughput ligands screening.