A Liposome-Based Approach to the Integrated Multi-Component Antigen Microarrays

This report describes an experimental procedure for constructing integrated lipid, carbohydrate, and protein microarrays. In essence, it prints liposomes on nitrocellulose-coated micro-glass slides, a biochip substrate for spotting protein and carbohydrate microarrays, and the substances that can form liposomes (homo-liposomes) or can be incorporated into liposomes (hetero-liposomes) are suitable for microarray construction using existing microarray spotting devices. Importantly, this technology allows simultaneous detection of serum antibody activities among the three major classes of antigens, i.e., lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. The potential of this technology is illustrated by its use in revealing a broad-spectrum of pre-existing anti-lipid antibodies in blood circulation and monitoring the epitope spreading of autoantibody reactivities among protein, carbohydrate, and lipid antigens in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).