Synthesis and properties of polymer latex with carboxylic acid functional groups for immunological studies

The poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(methyl methacrylate)-poly(methyl acrylate acid) copolymer (PMMA-PMAA) composite polymer latex were synthesiz ed by the method of soapless seeded emulsion polymerization. The morphology of the composite polymer latex was core-shell structure. The core was PMMA and shell was PMMA-PMAA copolymer. Because the PMMA-PMAA copolymer was she ll, the carboxylic acid functional groups (COOH) of MAA distributed on the surface of composite polymer latex. The concentration of carboxylic acid gr oups distributed on the surface of composite polymer latex could be control led by the amount of MAA. Antigens (Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) or Anti-huma n IgG) were chemically bound onto the surface of PMMA/PMMA-PMAA core-shed c omposite latex by the method of either pre-activation or pre-adsorption to form the protein-coated latex (immunolatices). The more the carboxylic acid groups on the latex, the more the antigens were bound onto the surface of PMMA/PMMA-PMAA core-shell composite latex. The immunolatices had the higher stability than the parent composite latex due to the effect of steric hind rance of the antigens. Moreover, the sensitivity of the immunological agglu tination of immunolatices was significantly influenced by the amount of cov alently bound antigens and temperature. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.