Abstract
A new method of monitoring drug binding to DNA, in real-time, by means of the piezoelectric quartz-crystal-impedance (PQCI) technique, is proposed. The method was used to monitor the binding of an anticancer drug, mitoxantrone (MX), to double-stranded calf-thymus DNA covalently immobilized on the thioglycollic acid-modified gold electrode surface of a quartz crystal. Optimum experimental conditions for the immobilization were established. The DNA-anchored piezoelectric sensor was in contact with MX solution. The time courses of the resonant frequency and the equivalent circuit characteristics of the sensor were also obtained during the study of DNA-drug binding. On the basis of the analysis of the multidimensional information provided by the PQCI technique the observed frequency decrease was mainly ascribed to the increase in the mass of the sensor surface resulting from the binding. The kinetics of the binding process were studied quantitatively by monitoring the frequency change with time and a piezoelectric response model for the binding was derived theoretically. The experimental data were fitted to the model and the binding and dissociation rate constants and the binding equilibrium constant were estimated to be 66.0 plus or minus 0.1 mol super(-1) L s super(-1), 1.4 plus or minus 0.110 super(-4) s super(-1), and 4.71 plus or minus 0.0710 super(5) mol super(-1) L, respectively, at 37 degree C.