Anal. Chem. 1996, 68, 216-220
Trace Analysis of Zn(II), Be(II), and Bi(III) by
Enzyme-Catalyzed Chemiluminescence
Sanjay D. Kamtekar,† Rajiv Pande,† Madhu S. Ayyagari,†,‡ Kenneth A. Marx,† David L. Kaplan,‡
Jayant Kumar,§ and Sukant Tripathy*,†
Center for Advanced Materials, Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell,
Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, and Biotechnology Division, U.S. Army Natick RD&E Center, Natick, Massachusetts 01760
added amount of the metal ions. The trace metal ion content in
a solution can thus be evaluated by measuring the increase in
activity due to reactivation of the apoenzyme. However, some
metal ions are known to inhibit the activity of the native enzyme.
An example of this is alkaline phosphatase, a dimeric enzyme
which contains four Zn(II) ions, two per monomer active site.
While apoalkaline phosphatase can be reactivated with Zn(II)
ions,1-3 Be(II), Zn(II), and Bi(III) are known to be potent inhibitors
of the native alkaline phosphatase.4-7 It is thus also possible to
develop sensitive methods for the determination of Be(II),
Zn(II), and Bi(III) concentrations on the basis of their inhibitory
effects on the native enzyme.
Techniques based on optical and electrochemical methods of
signal transduction have been devised to detect Zn(II) in the
nanomolar range.7-10 In this paper we report a novel technique
for the determination of Zn(II) ions in trace levels (ppb range)
by alkaline phosphatase regeneration and in the ppb to ppm range
by enzyme inhibition. In addition to Zn(II), Be(II) and Bi(III)
also have been determined quantitatively on the basis of their
inhibitory effect on alkaline phosphatase. The technique involves
the detection of the chemiluminescence signal generated by the
action of alkaline phosphatase on 3-[spiro(4-methoxy-1,2-dioxetane-
3-2′-tricyclo[3.3.1.1]chlorodecan-4-yl)]phenyl phosphate (CSPD)
in the presence and absence of metal ions. The effects of various
cations and anions on the enzyme activity have been studied.
Because of in situ light generation in the reaction mixture,
assembly and alignment of optical components become simple.
A novel technique for the trace analysis of metal ions
Zn(II), Be(II), and Bi(III) in bulk solutions is discussed.
This technique involves the generation of a chemilumi-
nescence signal from alkaline phosphatase catalyzed
hydrolysis of a phosphate derivative of 1 ,2 -dioxetane.
Zn(II) can be determined by two methods, reactivation of
the alkaline phosphatase apoenzyme and inhibition of the
native enzyme. Be(II) and Bi(III) can be determined
quantitatively by inhibition of the native enzyme. Subppb
to ppm level detection of Zn(II), Be(II), and Bi(III) has
been achieved. Initial studies with mixed metals are also
reported. The technique described is rapid and sensitive
and can be readily applied to the microassay of heavy
metal ions.
Activation and inhibition of enzymes by inorganic species as
a means of selective and sensitive inorganic trace analysis has
been a focus of study for the last several years.1-10 Microassay
for heavy metal ions present in samples such as biofluids,
fermentation broth, river water, and waste waters provides useful
information not only in the diagnosis of disease but also in quality
control and control of environmental contamination.
Metalloenzymes like alkaline phosphatase and carbonic anhy-
drase require heavy metal ions for their catalytic activity. These
ions are generally coordinated in specific locations in the active
sites of the enzyme and function as a cofactor in the catalytic
reaction. Removing the metal ions from the enzyme with strong
chelating agents results in the formation of the corresponding
apoenzyme lacking enzyme activity. By reexposure to the metal
ion, the apoenzyme can be reversibly activated. Therefore, the
amount of the metal complexed in the active site of the enzyme
should be directly related to the enzyme activity induced by the
coordination. Thus, enzyme activity would be proportional to the
EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
Materials. Alkaline phosphatase (3 units/ mg) from bovine
calf intestine (EC 3.1.3.1), Tris-HCl, ammonium sulfate (enzyme
grade), zinc sulfate, and p-nitrophenyl phosphate were supplied
by Sigma (St. Louis, MO) and sodium acetate, sodium chloride,
hydrochloric acid (metal free), and magnesium chloride were
purchased from Fisher Scientific (Fair Lawn, NJ). Beryllium
sulfate, bismuth nitrate, sodium fluoride, and acetylacetone were
purchased from Aldrich Chemical Co. (Milwaukee, WI). Diethyl-
amine (DEA) and CSPD were supplied as a part of a Southern-
Light Chemiluminescent Detection System by Tropix, Inc. (Bed-
ford, MA). CSPD was supplied as a 25 mM aqueous solution.
Sapphire, a luminescent amplifying material (enhancer), was also
supplied by Tropix, Inc. Deionized and distilled water was used
in all preparations. All chemicals were of maximum purity
available and were used as received.
† Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell.
‡ U.S. Army Natick RD&E Center.
§ Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell.
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Methods. Apoenzyme was prepared by dialyzing 15-20 mL
of alkaline phosphatase (10 mg/ mL) against 2 L of 2 M ammonium
sulfate, at pH 9.0. The dialysis was carried out at 4 °C for 24 h
216 Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 68, No. 1, January 1, 1996
0003-2700/96/0368-0216$12.00/0 © 1995 American Chemical Society