Application of a porous zirconium-based MOF nanoplate as an affinity ECL platform for the detection of protein kinase activity and inhibitor screening.

Abstract

Abnormal kinase expression affects phosphorylation in the human body, which is associated with numerous diseases, including cancer, diabetes mellitus, and Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we synthesized a highly stable, two-dimensional, luminescence-functionalized metal-organic framework with remarkable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) by immobilizing 9,10-Di(p-carboxyphenyl) anthracene (dca) on a zirconium cluster (dca-Zr₁₂) via a strong coordination bond between -COO⁻ and Zr⁴⁺. This novel and simple platform relies on the highly specific identification of phosphate molecules by the ultra-thin dca-Zr₁₂ nanoplate through carboxylate-Zr⁴⁺-phosphate chemistry. The ferrocene-labeled peptide substrate (Fc-S-Peptide) was phosphorylated in the presence of protein kinase A (PKA) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), and the resulting phosphopeptide could subsequently be precisely captured by the zirconium sites of the dca-Zr₁₂-modified electrode and, eventually, quench the ECL and gain a signal-off state. This rapid and simple detection strategy was successfully employed to measure PKA activity, with a detection limit as low as 0.35 mU mL^-1. Based on the results, it exhibited high selectivity and can be applied for screening PKA inhibitors. The technique was subsequently applied to detect protein kinase activity in drug-stimulated MCF-7 cell lysates, demonstrating its potential for kinase-related investigations. Further, this platform could identify the activity of other kinase types with universal applicability.