Chapter 12 – Protein Diagnostics by Proximity Ligation: Combining Multiple Recognition and DNA Amplification for Improved Protein Analyses

Proximity ligation assay (PLA) is a unique method in which single-stranded oligonucleotides are conjugated to affinity binders of proteins, followed by amplification of the signal by DNA polymerization and hybridization of complementary oligonucleotides labeled with fluorogenic or chromogenic readout. Here, a brief overview of the field of protein analysis describes the background and the initial development of the technique for the detection of protein–protein interactions via the proximity probes mentioned. In this context, PLA can constrain the general problem of cross-reactivity in protein detection by affinity binders, by ensuring that only cognate pairs of proximity probes result in a signal. Thereafter, this chapter deals mainly with derivatives methods and their applications, with a particular interest in improved specificity, application to various biological materials, and multiplexing. The method has been applied in situ and in solution, adapted for the detection of posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation and interactions between proteins and specific DNA sequences, and multiplexed to a certain extent, which illustrates its versatility. A technique free from enzymatic reaction, the hybridization chain reaction, can be considered a cost-effective alternative particularly suitable to molecular diagnostics. Finally, we explore further development toward higher-level multiplexing and sensitivity. At this point it is not clear what level can be achieved by PLA, but the assay is compatible with a wide range of readout, including separate real-time amplification reactions and novel microfluidic read-out platforms.