Electrochemistry of heparin binding to tau protein on Au surfaces

Highlights: • Anionic heparin binds tau protein film on Au • N-terminal of tau protein is critical for heparin binding • Negatively charged heparin binds positively charged tau domains • Heparin binding to tau increases charge transfer resistance - ABSTRACT: The tau protein is a neurodegenerative disease biomarker. The in vitro aggregation of tau is triggered by electrostatic charge imbalance induced by an anionic inducing agent, such as heparin. The binding of the tau-heparin complex is based on electrostatic interactions, but the exact binding mode of heparin to the tau protein has not been fully identified. In this work, the effects of the tau protein orientation on gold (Au) electrode to heparin were explored by the cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. To modulate the accessibility of N-terminal of the tau to heparin, the tau films on Au surfaces were fabricated in two ways: immobilization of tau via the N-terminal of tau protein (N-tau-Au) or by the Cys291/Cys322 residues, located in the R-repeat domains of the tau protein (Cys-tau-Au). The sulfur-Au bonding was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The charge transfer resistance was measured for N-tau-Au and Cys-tau-Au as a function of heparin concentration. The heparin concentration range was varied from 0.2 pM to 216 μM with the optimal binding concentration at 21 nM (the highest charge transfer resistance value). The heparin binding to tau films was investigated in the presence of [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4− or benzoquinone redox probes. The tau-heparin binding was greater for the Cys-tau-Au surface over N-tau-Au, indicating specific tau domains may be required for optimal heparin binding