Elucidating the Electrochemical Mechanism of NG-Hydroxy-L-arginine.

Academic Article

Abstract

  • NG-Hydroxy-L-arginine (NOHA) is a stable intermediate product in the urea cycle that can be used to monitor the consumption of L-arginine by nitrous oxide synthase (NOS) to produce nitric oxide (NO) and L-citrulline. Research has implicated the urea cycle in many diseases and NO has cultivated interest as a potential biomarker for neural health. Electrochemical detection is an established, cost-effective method that can successfully detect low levels of analyte concentrations. As one of the few electrochemically active species in the urea cycle, NOHA shows promise as a biomarker for monitoring disruptions in this biochemical process. In this study, we show that NOHA has an oxidation peak at +355 mV vs Ag/AgCl at a glassy carbon electrode. In addition, cyclic voltammetry studies with structural analogs - alanine and N-hydroxyguanidine - allowed us to approximate the oxidation wave at +355 mV vs Ag/AgCl to be a one electron process. Diffusivity of NOHA was found using linear scan voltammetry with a rotating disk electrode and approximated at 5.50×10-5 cm2/s. Ample work is still needed to make a robust biosensor, but the results here characterize the electrochemical activity and represent principle steps in making a NOHA biosensor.
  • Authors

  • Arral, Mariah L
  • Tooley, Christian
  • Ziino, Emily
  • Halpern, Jeffrey
  • Status

    Publication Date

  • 2020
  • Has Subject Area

    Published In

    Digital Object Identifier (doi)

    Start Page

  • 025501
  • End Page

  • 025501
  • Volume

  • 167
  • Issue

  • 2