Exploring Biomolecular Interaction Between the Molecular Chaperone Hsp90 and Its Client Protein Kinase Cdc37 using Field-Effect Biosensing Technology

Biomolecular interactions play versatile roles in numerous cellular processes by regulating and coordinating functionally relevant biological events. Biomolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fatty acids, nucleic acids, and enzymes are fundamental building blocks of living beings; they assemble into complex networks in biosystems to synchronize a myriad of life events. Proteins typically utilize complex interactome networks to carry out their functions; hence it is mandatory to evaluate such interactions to unravel their importance in cells at both cellular and organism levels. Toward this goal, we introduce a rapidly emerging technology, field-effect biosensing (FEB), to determine specific biomolecular interactions. FEB is a benchtop, label-free, and reliable biomolecular detection technique to determine specific interactions and uses high-quality electronic-based biosensors. The FEB technology can monitor interactions in the nanomolar range due to the biocompatible nanomaterials used on its biosensor surface. As a proof of concept, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and cell division cycle 37 (Cdc37) was elucidated. Hsp90 is an ATP-dependent molecular chaperone that plays an essential role in the folding, stability, maturation, and quality control of many proteins, thereby regulating multiple vital cellular functions. Cdc37 is regarded as a protein kinase-specific molecular chaperone, as it specifically recognizes and recruits protein kinases to Hsp90 to regulate their downstream signal transduction pathways. As such, Cdc37 is considered a co-chaperone of Hsp90. The chaperone-kinase pathway (Hsp90/Cdc37 complex) is hyper-activated in multiple malignancies promoting cellular growth; therefore, it is a potential target for cancer therapy. The present study demonstrates the efficiency of FEB technology using the Hsp90/Cdc37 model system. FEB detected a strong PPI between the two proteins (KD values of 0.014 µM, 0.053 µM, and 0.072 µM in three independent experiments). In summary, FEB is a label-free and cost-effective PPI detection platform, which offers fast and accurate measurements.