Low-Density Protein Microarray on Nitrocellulose Membrane for the Detection of Human Cytokines
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C. Y. Yu, M. L. Liu, I. C. Kuan, et al Low-Density Protein Microarray on Nitrocellulose Membrane for the Detection of Human Cytokines Chi-Yang Yu, Mao-Lung Liu, I-Ching Kuan and Shiow-Ling Lee Department of Bioengineering, Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China A low-cost, low-density protein microarray on nitrocellulose membrane was developed for the de- tection of human cytokines. The microarray was derived from chemiluminescent sandwich-type immunoassay. Anti-human IL-2 and anti-human IL-4 polyclonal antibodies were arrayed and im- mobilized on the membrane. After the membrane was blocked and then incubation with human cytokines IL-2 and IL-4, biotinylated anti-human IL-2 and anti-human IL-4 monoclonal antibodies were added to form complexes with the cytokines and the immobilized polyclonal antibodies. Streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate was applied to detect the level of biotin. Finally, substrates for peroxidase were added to initiate chemiluminescence. The printed spots were uni- form and consistent in size. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection for human IL-2 and IL-4 were 0.5 and 0.125 ng/ml, respectively. The linear range of the calibration curves spanned over two orders of magnitude. The application of 10 ng/ml streptavidin-peroxidase polymer was found to facilitate the analysis process. Key words: Chemiluminescence, cytokine, microarray, nitrocellulose tions [5]. Human cytokines IL-2 and IL-4 were selected Introduction as model analytes to compare our system with others [6,7]. The microarray was based on chemiluminescent Protein microarray has become an important research sandwich-type immunoassay. Anti-human IL-2 and tool in proteomics. While the combination of two- anti-human IL-4 polyclonal antibodies were printed and dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes with a manual is very useful for discovery-oriented proteomics, protein microarrayer. The membrane was then blocked with bo- microarray is well suited for the study of a collection of vine serum albumin (BSA). After the membrane was related proteins [1]. The most important advantage of incubated with human cytokines, biotinylated anti-human protein microarray is the ability to perform multiplexed IL-2 and anti-human IL-4 monoclonal antibodies were analysis. Other advantages include small sample vol- added to form sandwiched complexes with the cytokines umes, low reagent consumption, low limit of detection and the polyclonal antibodies immobilized on the mem- (LOD), and high sensitivity [2]. brane. The biotin label was detected by adding strepta- Although protein microarray is a powerful research vidin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (SA-HRP). The tool, one major disadvantage is its high cost. The cost of peroxidase emitted chemiluminescence when its sub- a commercial system ranges from 25,000 to 220,000 strate was added. A digital camera originally designed USD [3]. Colorimetric detection has been applied to for fluorescence microscopy was converted to a simple protein microarray as a low-cost alternative [4]. How- detector for the chemiluminescence. ever, the LOD remains high compared to fluorescence or chemiluminescence. Materials and Methods We developed a low-cost, low-density protein mi- croarray system suitable for protein-detecting applica- Substrate Preparation and Printing Received: June 1, 2006 Revised: July 31, 2006 Accepted: September 11, 2006 Address for correspondence: Chi-Yang Yu, 40 Chung-Shan N. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei, Taiwan 104, R.O.C., Tel: 886-2-25925252-3315-27 Fax: 886-2-25854735 E-mail: [email protected] J Biomed Lab Sci 2006 Vol 18 No 1~4 15 Protein microarray for cytokine detection Protran® nitrocellulose membrane (Schleicher & Schuell, streptavidin-peroxidase polymer (Sigma, St. Louis, USA). Dassel, Germany) was cut into 2.2×6 cm. Two pieces of 2.2×0.3 cm double-sided tapes were attached to the 2.2 cm sides of the membrane. The membrane was then at- Results and Discussion tached to a standard glass slide using the tapes; the 2.2 cm side of the membrane was flushed with one of the Printing Quality of the Microarray short sides of the slide. The margins from the 6 cm sides of the membrane to the long sides of the slide were kept MicroCaster hand–held microarray system has a maxi- × equal. Pins of the MicroCaster hand–held microarray mal printing density of 768 spots (24 32; x-axis pitch= μ μ × system (Schleicher & Schuell, Dassel, Germany) were 750 m and y-axis pitch=1125 m) in a 1.8 3.6 cm area. coated with the supplier’s pin conditioner according to The capillary action of the porous membrane may their protocol. enlarge the printed spots. To examine this effect, we Enzymes, antibodies, and recombinant human cyto- printed 0.3 % methylene blue on the membrane. Maxi- kines were purchased from Pierce (Rockford, USA). mal printing density was obtained without overlapping PBS buffer was printed as negative control; 0.1 mg /ml spots. The spots were almost circular under microscope × of horseradish peroxidase and 0.5 μg /ml of biotinylated (4 10 magnification). Using ocular micrometer, the av- anti-IL-4 monoclonal antibody were printed as positive erage diameter of the spots was 634.6±12.3 μm (CV= controls. For the detection of cytokines, 0.1 and 1 mg/ml 1.9 %, n=60). The arrayer has eight printing pins. We polyclonal antibody were used. used average diameter from each grid (spots printed by the same pin, n=8) to determine the variation in diameter Detection of Cytokines caused by individual printing pins. The CV between grids was only 0.5 %, suggesting the pins were almost The membrane was detached from the slide after print- identical in terms of printing size. ing and placed in a small zip-locked plastic bag. All in- The radial diffusion of the chemiluminescent reac- cubation steps were performed at room temperature on tion intermediates often results in a larger spot image an orbital shaker. The membrane was blocked in 1 ml of than the actual printed size. This effect may cause larger PBS containing 1 % (w/v) BSA for 1 h. After blocking, variation in spot diameter and decrease the practical ar- the membrane was incubated with 0.5 ml of cytokine raying density. We printed 25 μg/ml horseradish peroxi- standard (mixture of IL-2 and IL-4) prepared in the dase onto the membrane and initiated the chemilumi- blocking solution for 2 h. The membrane was then nescence reaction by incubating the membrane with Su- washed three times with 15 ml of PBS containing 0.1 % perSignal West Femto substrate for 5 min. The diameter (v/v) Tween 20 in a petri dish for 5 min. One milliliter of of the chemiluminescent spot determined in pixel num- 62.5 ng/ml biotinylated antibody (mixture of anti-human bers using Scion Image software (www.scioncorp.com) IL-2 and anti-human IL-4) in PBS was added and incu- was uniform (CV=3 %, n=60). Maximal printing density bated for 2 h, and then the membrane was washed as (768=24×32) could not be achieved due to spot overlap- previously described. After incubation with 1 ml of 10 ping. The highest printing density was decreased to 192 ng/ml SA-HRP in PBS for 1 h, the membrane was (12×16; x-axis pitch=1500 μm and y-axis pitch=2250 washed again, followed by incubation with 0.5 ml of μm). A 10×10 pixel area within the spot was selected to SuperSignal West Femto substrate (Pierce, Rockford, determine the uniformity of chemiluminescence. The CV USA) for 5 min. The membrane was covered in Saran of the intensity ranged from 1.5 to 5 % (n=60), suggest- wrap and placed in the detector. ing the printed spots were uniform. The simple chemiluminescence detector was based The complete system can be built for less than on a Penguin 600CLM digital camera (Pixera, Los Gatos, 10,000 USD. The cost of the printing substrate is under 1 USA) that is originally designed for fluorescence mi- USD, which is at least ten times lower than most com- croscopy imaging. The camera was first attached to a mercial products [3]. macro video zoom lens (Optem, Fairport, USA) and the assembly was mounted on a dark box. The exposure Optimization of Cytokine Detection time was set to 60 s (2 integrated frames, ISO=400). The images were analyzed using ScanAlyze software The specificity of the antibodies was examined by incu- (rana.lbl.gov/EisenSoftware.htm). For signal amplifica- bating the microarrays with 12.5 ng/ml IL-2 or IL-4 in tion, SA-HRP was replaced by various concentrations of PBS containing 1 % (w/v) BSA. No cross-reaction be- 16 J Biomed Lab Sci 2006 Vol 18 No1~4 C. Y. Yu, M. L. Liu, I. C. Kuan, et al tween the antibody pairs was observed when compared antibody pairs. The faint spots from 0.1 mg/ml poly- to the blank. clonal antibody also made the analysis difficult since the To optimize the detection, 0.1 or 1 mg/ml polyclonal ScanAlyze software requires the user visually identify antibody, 20, 62.5, or 200 ng/ml biotinylated monoclonal the locations and contours of the spots. We therefore antibody, 2 or 10 ng/ml SA-HRP were tested. Using 0.1 conclude that 1 mg/ml polyclonal antibody was optimal. mg/ml polyclonal antibody resulted in poor response to Similar result was also reported by others [7]. the cytokines (Fig. 1, grid 3 and 4). For IL-2, the chemi- Although the membrane was blocked in PBS con- luminescence increased slightly, compared to the blank taining 1 % (w/v) BSA for 1 h, the background increased when the highest concentration of cytokine standard was significantly as the concentration of the biotinylated an- applied.