MICROSTRUCTURED PEPTIDE-FUNCTIONALIZED SURFACES BY ELECTROCHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION

For the first time, antigenic peptides have been immobilised by electr ochemical polymerisation after having been modified with a polymerisab le functional group. 3-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid was chosen as the nove l polymerisable group. The synthetic peptides represent epitopes of th e bovine foot and mouth disease virus and of the sodium channel of the cardiac muscle. The polymerisation was performed by applying a consta nt anodic potential or by cyclic voltammetry. A combination of these t wo methods was also employed, that is, cyclic voltammetry with a delay at the anodic vertex potential. No additional free phenolic monomer w as required for the polymerisation. The layers formed by the polymeris ation were recognised by specific antibodies. The specific binding of the antibodies to the polymer film could be demonstrated by ELISA, an enzyme-linked amperometric immunoassay, and electrochemical impedance measurements, as well as by fluorescence-labelled antibodies. A peptid e derived from laminine was also immobilised by electrochemical polyme risation. It could be shown that neuroblastoma cells adhere to this la yer.