Microfabricated Channel Array Electrophoresis for Rapid Characterization and Screening of Enzymes using RGS-G Protein Interactions as a Model System

摘要

A microfluidic chip consisting of parallel channels designed for rapid electrophoretic enzyme assays was developed. Radial arrangement of channels and a common waste channel allowed chips with 16 and 36 electrophoresis units to be fabricated on a 7.62 × 7.62 cm glass substrate. Fluorescence detection was achieved using a Xe arc lamp source and commercial CCD camera to image migrating analyte zones in individual channels. Chip performance was evaluated by performing electrophoretic assays for G protein GTPase activity on chip using BODIPY-GTP as enzyme substrate. A 16-channel design proved to be useful in extracting kinetic information by allowing serial electrophoretic assays from 16 different enzyme reaction mixtures at 20 s intervals in parallel. This system was used to rapidly determine enzyme concentrations, optimal enzymatic reaction conditions, and Michaelis-Menton constants. A chip with 36 channels was used for screening for modulators of the G protein: RGS protein interaction by assaying the amount of product formed in enzyme reaction mixtures that contained test compounds. 36 electrophoretic assays were performed in 30 s suggesting the potential throughput up to 4,320 assays per hour with appropriate sample handling procedures. Both designs showed excellent reproducibility of peak migration time and peak area. Relative standard deviations of normalized peak area of enzymatic product BODIPY-GDP were 5% and 11% respectively in the 16 and 36-channel designs.