Biopolymers and cell. 2006; 22 (1): 63 - 67

Synthesis of biologically active molecules by imprinting polymerisation

S. A. Piletsky, E. V. Piletska, T. A. Sergeyeva, I. A. Nicholls, D. Weston, A. P. F. Turner

Highly cross-linked molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic materials with properties mimicking those of natural receptors. Here we describe an ability of MIP nanoparticles to manifest biological activity. Molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesised by co-polymerisation of urocanic acid, N,N’-bisacryloyl piperazine in the presence of herbicide binding D1 protein, ground and separated from the template by washing and ultrafiltration. It was demonstrated that MIP nanoparticles retained affinity to the template. Moreover, imprinted polymers were able to activate chloroplast photosystem II in in vitro experiments. This provides the first example of the use of imprinted polymers for the attenuation of a biological system and opens new possibilities for their application in pharmacology, biotechnology and medicine.

Key words: molecularly imprinted polymers, D1 protein, Hill reaction.