Nanopore Discrimination of Coagulation Biomarker Derivatives and Characterization of a Post-Translational Modification

One of the most important health challenges is the early and ongoing detection of disease for prevention, as well as personalized treatment management. Development of new sensitive analytical point-of-care tests are, therefore, necessary for direct biomarker detection from biofluids as critical tools to address the healthcare needs of an aging global population. Coagulation disorders associated with stroke, heart attack, or cancer are defined by an increased level of the fibrinopeptide A (FPA) biomarker, among others. This biomarker exists in more than one form: it can be post-translationally modified with a phosphate and also cleaved to form shorter peptides. Current assays are long and have difficulties in discriminating between these derivatives; hence, this is an underutilized biomarker for routine clinical practice. We use nanopore sensing to identify FPA, the phosphorylated FPA, and two derivatives. Each of these peptides is characterized by unique electrical signals for both dwell time and blockade level. We also show that the phosphorylated form of FPA can adopt two different conformations, each of which have different values for each electrical parameter. We were able to use these parameters to discriminate these peptides from a mix, thereby opening the way for the potential development of new point-of-care tests.