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Blocking Nonspecific Interactions Using Y-Shape Poly(ethylene glycol).

Zhengyu XuQingtai LiYaying HuangKaiqiang GuoBin XueYi CaoYiran Li
Published in: International journal of molecular sciences (2023)
Nonspecific interactions play a significant role in physiological activities, surface chemical modification, and artificial adhesives. However, nonspecificity sometimes causes sticky problems, including surface fouling, decreased target specificity, and artifacts in single-molecule measurements. Adjusting the liquid pH, using protein-blocking additives, adding nonionic surfactants, or increasing the salt concentration are common methods to minimize nonspecific binding to achieve high-quality data. Here, we report that grafting heteromorphic polyethylene glycol (Y-shape PEG) with two inert terminates could noticeably decrease nonspecific binding. As a proof-of-concept, we performed single-molecule force spectroscopy and fluorescence staining imaging experiments to verify the feasibility of Y-shape PEG in blocking nonspecific interactions. Our results indicate that Y-shape PEG could serve as a prominent and efficient candidate to minimize nonspecificity for scientific and biomedical applications.
Keyphrases
  • single molecule
  • living cells
  • atomic force microscopy
  • drug delivery
  • high resolution
  • mental health
  • ionic liquid
  • binding protein
  • computed tomography
  • magnetic resonance
  • amino acid
  • big data
  • quantum dots