Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 37(7), 1039 (2021).

Cationic Polythiophene-based Colorimetric Assay for Probing the Activity of Protein Kinase A
Shanshan LIU, Sitian ZHENG, and Jing CHU
Hubei Key Laboratory of Processing and Application of Catalytic Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, China
In this work, a novel colorimetric assay based on polythiophene derivative (PMNT) was designed for the detection of protein kinase A (PKA). PKA can catalyze the phosphorylation of peptide, leading to the conformation change of PMNT from random-coil to planar, with the disappearance of absorption peaks above 500 nm and a color change from pink to yellow. The fabricated assay exhibits a wide linear range of 0.05 – 20 U/mL with a detection limit of 0.02 U/mL for PKA activity detection. The proposed protocol has promising prospects for use in clinical diagnosis related to PKA activity.