Salicylhydroxamic acid functionalized affinity membranes for specific immobilization of proteins and oligonucleotides.

Immobilization of proteins and other biological macromolecules on solid supports is a method suitable for purification or screening applications in life science research. Prolinx, Inc. has developed a novel chemical affinity system that can be used for specific immobilization of proteins and other macromolecules via interaction of two small synthetic molecules, phenyldiboronic acid (PDBA) and salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA). This report describes immobilization applications of activated microporous membranes that have been functionalized with SHA derivatives. These SHA-membranes exhibit high capacity and specificity for binding of PDBA-labeled nucleic acids and proteins. Conjugation of active protein with PDBA is performed in solution independent of the immobilization step on SHA membranes. The resulting PDBA-protein conjugate is immobilized directly without purification and retains biological activity. PDBA conjugates may also be released from these SHA-affinity membranes in a controlled manner. Capture and release of PBA-modified oligonucleotides is also demonstrated. SHA-membranes can be used as surfaces for microarrays, and are therefore compatible with high-throughput analyses. These properties make them useful for development of numerous preparative or screening applications.