Electrophoresis-laser Induced Fluorescence Detection Research Articles

Simple, rapid, and reproducible capillary gel electrophoresis separation and laser-induced fluorescence detection of DNA topoisomers with unmodified fused silica separation capillaries.

The topology of DNA is a critical quality attribute for plasmid-based pharmaceuticals, making quantification of trace levels of plasmid topoisomers an important analytical priority. An automated and cost-effective method based on capillary gel electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence detection is described. The method outlined in this report is significant because it is easily implemented by any laboratory for which routine analyses of plasmid topology are critical for the development of new plasmid-based therapies as well as for quality control of gene therapies utilizing supercoiled DNA. Detection of topoisomers was achieved by incorporating ethidium bromide in the separation medium. The detector response was improved by 3 orders of magnitude by utilizing a 605-nm optical filter with a 15-nm bandwidth. Separations of linear, open circle, supercoiled, and multimer DNAplasmids ranging from 4.2 to 10.5kbp were accomplished in under 6min using an unmodified fused silica capillary (50-μm internal diameter). The background electrolyte was comprised of 0.5% gel, which was hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, 1mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and 50mMN-(2-acetamido)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (pH of 6.25). The separations, which balanced the bulk electroosmotic flow, the electrophoretic mobility of the DNA, and gel sieving were dependent upon the pH of the electrolyte and the gel concentration. Reproducibility was dependent upon the procedure used to prepare the gel as well as other factors including the ethidium bromide concentration and capillary conditioning. A single unmodified capillary operated for more than 150 runs had an across-day migration time precision of 1% relative standard deviation and percent area precision of 10% relative standard deviation.

A novel intracellular signal amplification strategy for the quantification of ATP in single cells by microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection.

An intracellular signal amplification strategy was developed for the quantification of ATP in single cells by microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. By using the method proposed, intracellular ATP levels in single HeLa, HepG2 and HL-7702 cells were found to be in the range of 30-150, 30-140, and 19-120 fmol per cell, respectively.

A novel microchip electrophoresis laser induced fluorescence detection method for the assay of T4 polynucleotide kinase activity and inhibitors

T4 polynucleotide kinase (T4 PNK) may catalyze the phosphorylation of 5′-hydroxyl termini in nucleic acids, which play a crucial role in DNA recombination, replication and damage repair. Here, a microchip electrophoresis laser induced fluorescence (MCE-LIF) method based on biochemical reaction was developed for the detection of T4 PNK activity and inhibitors. In this method, the single strand DNA (ssDNA) was hybridized with the 5-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) labeled single strand DNA (ssDNA-FAM) to form FAM labeled double-stranded DNA (dsDNA-FAM). In the presence of T4 PNK and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), T4 PNK catalyzes the transfer of γ-phosphate residues from ATP to the 5-hydroxyl terminal of dsDNA-FAM. The phosphorylated dsDNA-FAM can be gradually hydrolyzed by λexo to produce a FAM labeled single nucleotide fragment. Then the FAM labeled single nucleotide fragment and the unhydrolyzed dsDNA-FAM were separated by MCE, and two electrophoresis peaks appeared in the electrophoretogram. The detection of T4 PNK activity and inhibitors was realized by measuring the peak height of the FAM labeled single nucleotide fragment in electrophoretogram. This assay is very sensitive with a limit of detection of 0.002 U/mL, and it can be further used to screen the T4 PNK inhibitors.

Safe and rapid development of capillary electrophoresis for ultratrace uranyl ions in radioactive samples by way of fluorescent probe selection for actinide ions from a chemical library

After the serious nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the development of feasible, safe, and highly sensitive analytical methods (in terms of low levels of radiation exposure and radioactive waste generation) for radioactive samples, especially actinide (An) ions, represents an important challenge. Here we propose a methodology for selecting appropriate emissive probes for An ions with very low consumption and emission of radioactivity by capillary electrophoresis–laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF), using a small chemical library of probes with eight different chelating moieties. It was found that the emissive probe L1, which possesses the tetradentate chelating moiety 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid (PDA), was suitable for detecting uranyl ions. The detection limit for the uranyl–L1 complex using CE-LIF combined with dynamic ternary complexation and on-capillary concentration techniques was determined to be 2.9 × 10−12 M (0.7 ppt). No interference from the large excess of matrix metal ions was observed. This method was successfully applied to real radioactive liquid samples collected from nuclear facilities, including the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This strategy not only permitted the development of a safe and rapid analytical method but also provided insight into the coordination chemistry of An ion complexes. Specifically, the PDA structure provided substantial kinetic inertness to its uranyl complex; the formation of a ternary complex between uranyl–L1 and carbonate was revealed; and unusual interactions were observed between the π-electron systems of uranyl and the phenanthroline ring, which stabilized the uranyl–PDA interaction.

Enzyme assay for d-amino acid oxidase using optically gated capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection

Because d-amino acids (AAs) play an essential role in the regulation of many processes in living cells, detection of D-AAs and assay of d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) activity are of vital importance in bioanalytical science. However, the reliability and accuracy of DAAO assays could be interfered due to the facts that DAAO presents broad substrate activity towards different D-AAs and there could be abundant L-AA enantiomers in biological samples. In this study we presented the first application of optically gated capillary electrophoresis with LIF detection (OGCE-LIF) for efficient assay of DAAO activity. High repeatability of the OGCE-LIF assay of amino acids (AAs) was achieved with relative standard deviation (RSD) (n = 15) less than 1.5% and 2.7% for migration time and peak height, respectively. Under the optimal OGCE-LIF conditions, five pairs of D/L-AA enantiomers were efficiently separated in less than 1 min with low limit of detection of 1.3 μM. Enzymatic assays of DAAO were successfully achieved by detection the substrate consumption with OGCE-LIF, for either single or mixed AA substrates. Kinetic analysis of the parallel oxidation reactions of two different substrates was performed, which was in good agreement with the experimental results. Our study indicates OGCE-LIF can perform rapid and efficient separation of mixed pairs of AA enantiomers and is a promising method for quantitatively assaying DAAO catalyzed reaction with the presence of L-AA enantiomers in the sample. Our study would pave the way for accurate determination of D-AAs and DAAO enzymes in complicated biological samples.

Detection of adenosine triphosphate in HeLa cell using capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection based on aptamer and graphene oxide

A method for ATP quantification based on dye-labeled aptamer/graphene oxide (aptamer/GO) using capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detecting technique has been established. In this method, the carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labelled ATP aptamers were adsorbed onto the surface of GO, leading to the fluorescence quenching of FAM; after the incubation with a limited amount of ATP, stronger affinity between ATP aptamer and ATP resulted in the desorption of aptamers and the fluorescence restoration of FAM. Then, aptamer-ATP complex and excess of aptamer/GO and GO were separated and quantified by CE-LIF detection. It was shown that a linear relation was existing in the CE-LIF peak intensity of aptamer-ATP and ATP concentration in range of 10–700μM, the regression equation was F=1.50+0.0470C(ATP) (R2=0.990), and the limit of detection was 1.28μM (3S/N, n=5), which was one order magnitude lower than that of detection in solution by fluorescence method. The approach with excellent specificity and reproducibility has been successfully applied to detecting concentration of ATP in HeLa cell.

Sensitive determination of rose bengal in brown sugar by a molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction monolithic capillary column coupled with capillary electrophoresis

A method employing molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) coupled with capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) was developed for the determination of rose bengal in brown sugar. The rose bengal imprinted monolithic column was prepared by in situ polymerization, utilizing rose bengal as a template, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer and ethylene dimethacrylate as a cross-linker. The capacity and specificity of this column were evaluated by CE-LIF, and the morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The recoveries ranged from 89.7% to 90.3% (relative standard deviation 3.6–4.5%, n = 5). The capacities of the molecularly imprinted polymer and non-imprinted polymer columns were 1.314 μg mg−1 and 0.531 μg mg−1, respectively. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 3 ng mL−1. The enrichment factor was higher than 63-fold and the MISPE column managed to remove rose bengal from the matrix of brown sugar effectively. This method can be applied to sensitively and effectively determine rose bengal in brown sugar.

Determination of herbicides and its metabolite in soil and water samples by capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection using microwave-assisted derivatization.

Methods were developed to determine glufosinate (GLUF), glyphosate (GLYP) and its metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) by capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection using 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazinylamino) fluorescein (DTAF) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as the derivatizing reagents. To accelerate the labeling speed, a microwave-assisted derivatization method was adopted. The derivatizing reaction time was reduced to 180 and 150 s for DTAF and FITC, whose reaction time for conventional labeling was 50 min and 5 h, respectively. The optimum separation conditions for derivatives were as follows: a back ground electrolyte (BGE) of 30 mmol L(-1) sodium tetraborate containing 15 mmol L(-1) brij-35, hydrodynamic injection 15 s and a 10 kV separation voltage. Under these conditions, the LODs (S/N = 3) for DTAF derivatives were 0.32, 0.19 and 0.15 nmol L(-1) for GLUF, GLYP, and AMPA, respectively. The LODs (S/N = 3) for FITC derivatives were 2.60, 3.88 and 2.42 nmol L(-1) for GLUF, GLYP, and AMPA, respectively. The applicability of the developed method was demonstrated by the detection of the above herbicides and metabolite in water and soil samples.

Capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection of GABA and its analogs in human serum with solid-phase extraction and fluorescein-based probes

Three fluorescein-based probes, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazinylamino) fluorescein (DTAF) and 6-oxy-(N-succinimidylacetate)-9-(2′-methoxycarbonyl) fluorescein (SAMF), were adopted for the analysis of gabapentin (GBP), baclofen (BAL) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by CE-LIF. The derivatization, separation, and analytical characteristics of three methods using the above-mentioned reagents were all carefully studied and compared. The optimal derivatization yield of SAMF was achieved in borate buffer (pH 8.0) for 15 min at 20 °C. It was demonstrated that the derivatization with SAMF is faster and simple. For SAMF, a solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure was further developed and a SPE-CE-LIF method was resultantly established to analyze GABA and its analogs. Under optimum conditions, the analytes were baseline separated and the LODs ranged from 2 × 10−11 mol L−1 to 3 × 10−11 mol L−1 in the SPE-CE-LIF method, which were about 20 times lower than those in the CE-LIF method with SAMF as the derivatizing reagent. The newly established SPE-CE-LIF method was used for the determination of GABA and its analogs spiked into human serum.

Classification of Three Green Tea Varieties by Micellar Electrokinetic Electrophoresis-Laser Induced Fluorescence and Pattern Recognition Methods

A micellar electrokinetic electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection (MEKC-LIF) method was applied for the profiling of native fluorescence in three different kinds of Chinese green teas. The running buffer was 100 mM sodium borate (pH9.8) containing 20 mM SDS, and tea infusion was injected at the pressure of 0.5 psi for 5 seconds. The applied voltage was set at 25 kV, and the excited wavelength was 488 nm, and the detected wavelength was 520 nm. Ten tea samples were collected and analyzed by the developed method. Eighteen common peaks in the MEKC-LIF profiling of green teas were selected and these samples were classified into 3 groups by cluster analysis and partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Our primary results indicated that the developed method could be applied for the classification of three different Chinese green teas

Determination of gabapentin in human plasma by capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection with and without solid-phase extraction

We have developed two methods for the quantitation of gabapentin in human plasma. They are based on capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) with and without solid-phase extraction (SPE) and the derivatizing reagent 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazinyl)amino fluoresencin. The conditions for derivatization, separation and extraction were investigated in detail, and the optimal labeling conditions include a temperature of 40 °C, a reaction time of 30 min, and the use of a borate buffer of pH 9.0 as the reaction medium. A borate buffer of pH 9.2 served as a background electrolyte for CE separations. The CE-LIF and SPE-CE-LIF methods have linear ranges of 5–200 nmol L−1 and 0.2–10 nmol L−1, respectively, and the limits of detection are 0.5 and 0.02 nmol L−1, respectively. The SPE-CE-LIF method was successfully applied to the determination of gabapentin in blood plasma samples.

Occurrence of oligosaccharides in feces of breast-fed babies in their first six months of life and the corresponding breast milk

The characterization of oligosaccharides in the feces of breast-fed babies is a valuable tool for monitoring the gastrointestinal fate of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). In the present study we monitored fecal oligosaccharide profiles together with the HMO-profiles of the respective breast milks up to six months postpartum, by means of capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection and mass spectrometry. Eleven mother/child pairs were included. Mother’s secretor- and Lewis-type included all combinations [Le(a−b+), Le(a+b−), Le(a−b−)]. The fecal HMO-profiles in the first few months of life are either predominantly composed of neutral or acidic HMOs and are possibly effected by the HMO-fingerprint in the respective breast milk. Independent of the initial presence of acidic or neutral fecal HMOs, a gradual change to blood-group specific oligosaccharides was observed. Their presence pointed to a gastrointestinal degradation of the feeding-related HMOs, followed by conjugation with blood group specific antigenic determinants present in the gastrointestinal mucus layer. Eleven of these ‘hybrid’-oligosaccharides were annotated in this study. When solid food was introduced, no HMOs and their degradation- and metabolization products were recovered in the fecal samples.

A Novel Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate-dependent Amino Acid Racemase in the Aplysia californica Central Nervous System

D-aspartate (D-Asp) is found in specific neurons, transported to neuronal terminals and released in a stimulation-dependent manner. Because D-Asp formation is not well understood, determining its function has proved challenging. Significant levels of D-Asp are present in the cerebral ganglion of the F- and C-clusters of the invertebrate Aplysia californica, and D-Asp appears to be involved in cell-cell communication in this system. Here, we describe a novel protein, DAR1, from A. californica that can convert aspartate and serine to their other chiral form in a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent manner. DAR1 has a predicted length of 325 amino acids and is 55% identical to the bivalve aspartate racemase, EC 5.1.1.13, and 41% identical to the mammalian serine racemase, EC 5.1.1.18. However, it is only 14% identical to the recently reported mammalian aspartate racemase, DR, which is closely related to glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase, EC 2.6.1.1. Using whole-mount immunohistochemistry staining of the A. californica central nervous system, we localized DAR1-like immunoreactivity to the medial region of the cerebral ganglion where the F- and C-clusters are situated. The biochemical and functional similarities between DAR1 and other animal serine and aspartate racemases make it valuable for examining PLP-dependent racemases, promising to increase our knowledge of enzyme regulation and ultimately, D-serine and D-Asp signaling pathways.

Quantification of neurotransmitter amino acids by capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence detection in biological fluids

The role of neurotransmitter amino acids (NAAs) in the functioning of the nervous system has been the focus of increasingly intense research over the past several years. Among the various amino acids that have important roles as neurotransmitters, there are alanine (Ala), glutamic acid (Glu), aspartic acid (Asp), serine (Ser), taurine (Tau) and glycine (Gly). NAAs are present in plasma, cells and--at trace levels--in all biological fluids, but complex components in biological matrices make it difficult to determine them in biological samples. We describe a new capillary electrophoresis (CE) method with laser-induced fluorescence detection by which analytes are resolved in less than 12 minutes in a 18 mmol/L phosphate run buffer at pH 11.6. The use of elevated temperatures during sample derivatization leads to a drastic reduction in the reaction time, down to 20 min, compared to the 6-14 h usually described for reactions between FITC and amino acids at room temperature. In order to demonstrate its wide range of applications, the method was applied to the analysis of NAA in human plasma and in other sample types, such as red blood cells, urine, cultured cells, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva and vitreous humor, thus avoiding the typical limitations of other methods, which are normally suitable for use with only one or two matrix types.

Taurine determination by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection: from clinical field to quality food applications

In this work we describe a new method for taurine quantification in plasma by capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence detection. Taurine is derivatized with fluorescein isothiocyanate at 100 degrees C in 20 min. These conditions allow to reduce the pre-analytical times and to derivatize quantitatively the taurine contained in the reaction mixture, contrary to the room temperature derivatization commonly adopted. FITC-taurine adduct is analyzed in an uncoated fused-silica capillary, 75 mum ID and 40 cm effective length using a 20 mmol/L tribasic sodium phosphate buffer pH 11.8, at 22 kV. To avoid the typical problems due to instability of FITC-adduct, we use the homocysteic acid as internal standard. The loss of FITC-taurine signal during the sequence analysis is compensated by the same loss of FITC-internal standard adduct, thus giving a noteworthy improvement in the assay precision. The method shows a good reproducibility of the migration times (coefficient of variation, CV%, 1.93) and the peak areas (CV%, 3.65). Intra- and interassay CV were 4.63 and 6.44%, respectively, and analytical recovery was between 98.1 and 102.3%. Assay application was tested measuring taurine plasma levels in 50 healthy volunteers in which a mean value of 60.2 +/- 17.9 micromol/L was found. Moreover, the applicability of the method was also checked on energy drinks and milk.

Analysis of amino acid neurotransmitters by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence using a new fluorescein-derived label

A capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence detection method (CE-LIF) was developed for the separation of eight neurotransmitters tagged on their amino function with 6-oxy-(N-succinimidyl acetate)-9-(2′-methoxycarbonyl) fluorescein (SAMF), a new fluorescent reagent synthesized in our lab. Derivatization was performed in boric acid buffer (pH = 7.75) at 37 °C over 15 min. The pH-independent fluorescence of SAMF (pH 4–9) permits background buffers over a wide range of pH. It was demonstrated that an acidic running buffer offers a better resolution compared to basic medium in terms of resolution and peak shapes. Employing Cu2+ as the additive, the molecules were baseline-separated using a running buffer consisting of 40 mM sodium acetate and 2 mM Cu2+ (pH 6.0). The detection limits ranged from 1 to 2 × 10−10 M. The method has been validated for the characterization of lymphocyte samples. The results obtained illustrate the advantages of combining SAMF derivatization with CE-LIF for determining neurotransmitters.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS) study of Huperzine A, a natural anti-Alzheimer's disease product, its derivatization and its detection by highly sensitive laser induced fluorescence (LIF)

Huperzine A, a reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer disease (HupA), was studied using an (MALDI TOF MS) instrument in MALDI mode. The formation of a HupA dimmer in a vacuum was observed and several matrices were found that were able to inhibit its formation. The structures of the neutral and protonated form of the HupA molecule were calculated and optimized using a Hyperchem program. Detection limit using MALDI TOF MS in the model sample was 5.3 pg. MALDI TOF MS was also applied to the direct detection of the drug in medical preparations and in human serum. The limit of detection in plasma was 14.2 pg with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1. However, the sensitivity was not as high as it usually is in MALDI. Therefore, a new method for the derivatization of HupA was developed using fluorescent labelling with rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RBITC). A limit of detection using capillary electrophoresis laser induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) equal to 4 × 10 −9 mol l −1 was reached.

Determination of glyphosate using off-line ion exchange preconcentration and capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection

An enrichment method for the herbicide glyphosate is presented based on ion exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) technique. A 200-μl micro-pipette tip packed with 50 mg of Bio-Rad AG1-X8 anion exchanger beads was used for offline extraction of glyphosate from 50 ml of spiked river water sample. The retained glyphosate was eluted with 10 mM HCl and then converted quantitatively to the corresponding amine (glycine) using hypochlorite. Subsequent fluorescent labeling using naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA)–cyanide allowed micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) separation and laser-induced fluorescence detection (LIF) with a violet diode laser. Optimization of the sample clean-up, extraction, elution, conversion and labeling steps enabled analysis of glyphosate in river water in the nanomolar range. Detection limits were 0.04 nM glyphosate in standards and 1.6 nM in spiked river.

Determination of picomolar concentrations of proteins using novel amino reactive chameleon labels and capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence detection

Py-1 and Py-6 are novel amino-reactive fluorescent reagents. The names given to them reflect that they consist of a pyrylium group attached to small aromatic moieties. Upon reaction with a primary amine there is a large spectral shift in the reagent, rendering them effectively fluorogenic. In this study, these reagents were used to label a test protein, (human serum albumin), and the sample was analyzed by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection. Detection limits after a 60 min labeling reaction at 22 degrees C (Py-1) and 50 degrees C (Py-6) were 6.5 ng/mL (98 pM) for Py-1 and 1.2 ng/mL (18 pM) for Py-6. Separation of immunoglobulin G (IgG), human serum albumin, lipase, and myoglobin after labeling with Py-6 were performed. The method was further modified to make it amenable to automation. Unlike many other amino reactive reagents used to label protein amino groups, reaction with Py-1 and Py-6 do not alter the charge of the protein and the advantage of this with respect to electrophoretic separations is discussed.

Thiol redox status evaluation in red blood cells by capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection

Thiols and in particular glutathione (GSH) play a central role in human metabolism, including the detoxification of xenobiotics, cell homeostasis, radioprotection, and antioxidant defence. Here, a new method is provided for the measurement of reduced and total forms of thiols in red blood cells. In order to minimize oxidation of reduced thiols, a water erythrocyte lysis (15 min at 4 degrees C) was performed followed by a protein precipitation step with acetonitrile. The supernatant was rapidly derivatized with 5-iodoacetoamidefluorescein that trapped thiol groups, thus minimizing auto-oxidation. Derivatized samples were separated in a 57 cm x 75 microm ID capillary by using 5 mmol/L sodium phosphate, 4 mmol/L boric acid as electrolyte solution with 75 mmol/L N-methyl-D-glucamine at pH 11.0. Under these conditions, cysteinylglycine (CysGly), cysteine (Cys), glutathione, and gamma-glutamylcysteine (GluCys) were baseline-resolved in approximately 4 min. Precision tests showed a good repeatability of our method both for migration times (coefficient of variation CV < 0.8%) and areas (CV < 3.3%). Furthermore, a good reproducibility of intrassay and interassay tests was obtained (CV < 5% and CV < 8%, respectively). The method was employed to investigate the effect of acidic precipitation on intracellular thiol concentration. Our data suggest that sample acidification causes a modification of the measured redox thiol status due to the development of a pro-oxidant environment; moreover, the thiol redox status of red blood cells was evaluated in 22 healthy volunteers.