Structure-Based Selection of a Tetracycline Derivative for Advanced Biosensor Platforms Targeting Aggregated α-Synuclein in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) still lacks robust tools for early diagnosis, as current methods rely on motor symptoms that manifest after extensive neurodegeneration. Aggregated α-synuclein (α-Syn), a pathological hallmark of PD, represents a promising biomarker, yet its low abundance, polymorphic structure, and poor antibody recognition limit reliable detection. Notably, all toxic α-Syn species share a conserved cross-β motif. Building on previous findings that doxycycline binds this motif in α-Syn aggregates, we performed a structure-based selection of tetracycline derivatives to enhance both binding affinity and immobilization on biosensor surfaces. Among these, 9-amino-4-dedimethylaminodoxycycline (9AD) showed improved selectivity for aggregated over monomeric α-Syn and robust, surface binding, indicating efficient immobilization. Electrochemical and immunoassay validations confirmed its potential as a capture agent for α-Syn aggregates. These results support 9AD as a promising biorecognition element for next-generation biosensors aimed at early PD diagnosis and pave the way for future validation in complex biological samples.