Issue 10, 2016

Quantitative characterization of conformational-specific protein–DNA binding using a dual-spectral interferometric imaging biosensor

Abstract

DNA-binding proteins play crucial roles in the maintenance and functions of the genome and yet, their specific binding mechanisms are not fully understood. Recently, it was discovered that DNA-binding proteins recognize specific binding sites to carry out their functions through an indirect readout mechanism by recognizing and capturing DNA conformational flexibility and deformation. High-throughput DNA microarray-based methods that provide large-scale protein–DNA binding information have shown effective and comprehensive analysis of protein–DNA binding affinities, but do not provide information of DNA conformational changes in specific protein–DNA complexes. Building on the high-throughput capability of DNA microarrays, we demonstrate a quantitative approach that simultaneously measures the amount of protein binding to DNA and nanometer-scale DNA conformational change induced by protein binding in a microarray format. Both measurements rely on spectral interferometry on a layered substrate using a single optical instrument in two distinct modalities. In the first modality, we quantitate the amount of binding of protein to surface-immobilized DNA in each DNA spot using a label-free spectral reflectivity technique that accurately measures the surface densities of protein and DNA accumulated on the substrate. In the second modality, for each DNA spot, we simultaneously measure DNA conformational change using a fluorescence vertical sectioning technique that determines average axial height of fluorophores tagged to specific nucleotides of the surface-immobilized DNA. The approach presented in this paper, when combined with current high-throughput DNA microarray-based technologies, has the potential to serve as a rapid and simple method for quantitative and large-scale characterization of conformational specific protein–DNA interactions.

Graphical abstract: Quantitative characterization of conformational-specific protein–DNA binding using a dual-spectral interferometric imaging biosensor

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Oct 2015
Accepted
11 Feb 2016
First published
11 Feb 2016

Nanoscale, 2016,8, 5587-5598

Author version available

Quantitative characterization of conformational-specific protein–DNA binding using a dual-spectral interferometric imaging biosensor

X. Zhang, G. G. Daaboul, P. S. Spuhler, P. Dröge and M. S. Ünlü, Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 5587 DOI: 10.1039/C5NR06785E

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