MODELING OF SEARCH AND RECOGNITION FOR TARGET-CELLS BY PROTEIN-LINEARPOLYELECTROLYTE CONJUGATES

The interaction of alpha-chymotrypsin covalently bound to quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) with oppositely charged latex particles was inve stigated and compared with that of free alpha-chymotrypsin. The free e nzyme and the corresponding polymer conjugates were added to a mixture of two latexes: one coated with bovine serum albumin and the other wi th specific inhibitor of alpha-chymotrypsin. The polycations themselve s were found to be nonselectively adsorbed on oppositely charged latex surfaces. However, the alpha-chymotrypsin-polycation conjugates, as w ell as the free enzyme, were selectively adsorbed on the latex surface s coated with the enzyme inhibitor. The results are considered to mimi c the search and recognition mechanism for target cells by polyelectro lytes carrying a specific vector moiety.