An Electrochemical Aptasensor for Detection of Thrombin based on Target Protein‐induced Strand Displacement

A sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for detection of thrombin based on target protein‐induced strand displacement is presented. For this proposed aptasensor, dsDNA which was prepared by the hybridization reaction of the immobilized probe ssDNA (IP) containing thiol group and thrombin aptamer base sequence was initially immobilized on the Au electrode by self‐assembling via Au? S bind, and a single DNA labeled with CdS nanoparticles (DP‐CdS) was used as a detection probe. When the so prepared dsDNA modified Au electrode was immersed into a solution containing target protein and DP‐CdS, the aptamer in the dsDNA preferred to form G‐quarter structure with the present target protein resulting that the dsDNA sequence released one single strand and returned to IP strand which consequently hybridized with DP‐CdS. After dissolving the captured CdS particles from the electrode, a mercury‐film electrode was used for electrochemical detection of these Cd²⁺ ions which offered sensitive electrochemical signal transduction. The peak current of Cd²⁺ ions had a good linear relationship with the thrombin concentration in the range of 2.3×10^?9–2.3×10^?12 mol/L and the detection limit was 4.3×10^?13 mol/L of thrombin. The detection was also specific for thrombin without being affected by the coexistence of other proteins, such as BSA and lysozyme.     

基于Ru(bpy)32+-SiO2纳米颗粒的核酸适配体传感器对凝血酶的电致化学发光检测

本文应用核酸适配体构建了一种新型的电致化学发光检测蛋白体系。两个核酸适配体结合凝血酶的两个不同位点,利用这两核酸适配体与凝血酶的高亲和力构建三明治传感体系检测凝血酶。一个核酸适配体固定在金电极上用来捕获凝血酶,另一个标记有包裹电致化学发光活性物Ru(bpy)₃²⁺的二氧化硅纳米颗粒,用来检测电致化学发光信号。此核酸适配体传感器对凝血酶具有特异识别性,电致化学发光信号与凝血酶的浓度直接相关,非特异性识别的牛血红蛋白、牛血清白蛋白不干扰测定。由于在检测的核酸适配体上标记的纳米颗粒包裹有多个发光活性物,因此大大提高了发光效率和灵敏度,此法对凝血酶的线性响应范围为2.0 fmol•L^-1～2.0 pmol•L^-1,检测限可达1.0 fmol•L^-1。     

Multianalyte Electrochemical Biosensor Based on Aptamer‐ and Nanoparticle‐Integrated Bio‐Barcode Amplification

In the present work, a signal‐on electrochemical sensing strategy for the simultaneous detection of adenosine and thrombin is developed based on switching structures of aptamers. An Au electrode as the sensing surface is modified with two kinds of thiolated capture probes complementary to the linker DNA that contains either an adenosine aptamer or thrombin aptamer. The capture probes hybridize with their corresponding linker DNA, which has prehybridized with the reporter DNA loaded onto the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNP contained two kinds of bio‐barcode DNA: one is complementary to the linker DNA (reporter), whereas the other is not (signal) and is tagged with different metal sulfide nanoparticles. Thus a “sandwich‐type” sensing interface is fabricated for adenosine and thrombin. With the introduction of adenosine and thrombin, the aptamer parts bind with their targets and fold to form the complex structures. As a result, the bio‐barcoded AuNPs are released into solution. The metal sulfide nanoparticles are measured by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV), and the concentrations of adenosine and thrombin are proportional to the signal of either metal ion. With the dual amplification of the bio‐barcoded AuNP and the preconcentration of metal ions through ASV technology, detection limits as low as 6.6×10^?12 M for adenosine and 1.0×10^?12 M for thrombin are achieved. The sensor exhibits excellent selectivity and detectability in biological samples.     

Chemiluminescent and Colorimetric Aptamer-Based Assays of Human α-Thrombin

Abstract

A microplate-based sandwich assay for the determination of α-human thrombin (HTb) was developed. Fluorescein-modified 29-mer thrombin binding aptamer (FAM-TBA29) and biotinylated 15-mer thrombin binding aptamer (Bio-TBA15) reacting with different exosites of HTb were used as the biorecognition components in the assay. FAM-TBA29 (capture aptamer) was immobilized using its interaction with anti-fluorescein antibody adsorbed on the microplate surface. As a sensitive signaling system, a combination of Bio-TBA15 and streptavidin-polyHRP conjugate was used. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit for HTb was 1.4?nM; this value was the same in both the colorimetric and the chemiluminescent assays. The replacement of colorimetry for HRP measurement with chemiluminescence increased the assay sensitivity from 0.06 to 1.7?×?10⁶?nM^?1 that clearly demonstrated advantage of the latter approach.     

Rolling‐Circle Amplification Detection of Thrombin Using Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with Core‐Shell Nanoparticle Probe

An ultrasensitive surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor based on rolling‐circle amplification (RCA)‐increased “hot‐spot” was developed for the detection of thrombin. The sensor contains a SERS gold nanoparticle@Raman label@SiO₂ core‐shell nanoparticle probe in which the Raman reporter molecules are sandwiched between a gold nanoparticle core and a thin silica shell by a layer‐by‐layer method. Thrombin aptamer sequences were immobilized onto the magnetic beads (MBs) through hybridization with their complementary strand. In the presence of thrombin, the aptamer sequence was released; this allowed the remaining single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) to act as primer and initiate in situ RCA reaction to produce long ssDNAs. Then, a large number of SERS probes were attached on the long ssDNA templates, causing thousands of SERS probes to be involved in each biomolecular recognition event. This SERS method achieved the detection of thrombin in the range from 1.0×10^?12 to 1.0×10^?8 M and a detection limit of 4.2×10^?13 M , and showed good performance in real serum samples.     

Sandwich electrochemical thrombin assay using a glassy carbon electrode modified with nitrogen- and sulfur-doped graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles

Graphene oxide doped with nitrogen and sulfur was decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNP-SN-GO) and applied as a substrate to modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). An aptamer against the model protein thrombin was self-assembled on the modified GCE which then was exposed to thrombin. Following aptamer-thrombin interaction, biotin-labeled DNA and aptamer 2 are immobilized on another AuNP-SN-GO hybrid and then are reacted with the thrombin/AuNP-SN-GO/GCE to form a sandwich. The enzyme label horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was then attached to the electrode by biotin–avidin interaction. HRP catalyzes the oxidation of hydroquinone by hydrogen peroxide. This generates a strong electrochemical signal that increases linearly with the logarithm of thrombin concentration in the range from 1.0?×?10^?13 M to 1.0?×?10^?8 M with a detection limit of 2.5?×?10^?14 M (S/N?=?3). The assay is highly selective. It provides a promising strategy for signal amplification. In our perception, it has a large potential for sensitive and selective detection of analytes for which appropriate aptamers are available.

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Graphic abstract A sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor is fabricated for detection of thrombin using a glassy carbon electrode modified with nitrogen- and sulfur-doped graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles.

     

Intercalation of Proflavine in ssDNA Aptamers: Effect on Binding of the Specific Target Chloramphenicol

The structural modification of ssDNA‐based aptamers upon specific binding of its target molecule leads to changes of the charge‐transfer resistance (R_ct) of a negatively‐charged free‐diffusing redox probe. The aptamer adopts a structure due to self‐hybridization which is stabilized using profalvine as intercalator. The pre‐organized aptamer structure is used to detect chloramphenicol (CAP) requiring a substantial change of the aptamer structure indicated by a CAP concentration dependent increase in the R_ct values. Pre‐incubation of the aptamer‐modified electrode with an intercalator allows for the modulation of the aptamer/target interaction and hence for a modulation of the CAP‐dependent variation of the R_ct values.     

G‐Quadruplex‐Linked Supersandwich DNA Structure for Electrochemical Amplified Detection of Thrombin

In this paper, a novel strategy of electrochemical amplified detection of thrombin based on G‐quadruplex‐linked supersandwich structure was described. In the presence of K⁺ and hemin, the original hairpin DNA sequence activated an autonomous cross‐opening process to build up hemin/G‐quadruplex structure and can hybridize to form supersandwich structure containing multiple signal labels. With the addition of thrombin, it conjugated with its aptamer, leading to a remarkably descended signal. The supersandwich‐amplified electrochemical sensor system was highly sensitive in the concentration range from 10^?6 to 10^?10 M with a detection limit of 10 pM and also demonstrated excellent selectivity. The amplifying supersandwich structure with multiple labels can be implemented as a versatile sensing platform for analyzing other DNA in the presence of the appropriate probe.     

A label-free and high sensitive aptamer biosensor based on hyperbranched polyester microspheres for thrombin detection

In this paper, we have synthesized hyperbranched polyester microspheres with carboxylic acid functional groups (HBPE-CA) and developed a label-free electrochemical aptamer biosensor using thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) as receptor for the measurement of thrombin in whole blood. The indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode surface modified with HBPE-CA microspheres was grafted with TBA, which has excellent binding affinity and selectivity for thrombin. Binding of the thrombin at the modified ITO electrode surface greatly restrained access of electrons for a redox probe of [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4−. Moreover, the aptamer biosensor could be used for detection of thrombin in whole blood, a wide detection range (10 fM–100 nM) and a detection limit on the order of 0.90 fM were demonstrated. Control experiments were also carried out by using bull serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme in the absence of thrombin. The good stability and repeatability of this aptamer biosensor were also proved. We expect that this demonstration will lead to the development of highly sensitive label-free sensors based on aptamer with lower cost than current technology. The integration of the technologies, which include anticoagulant, sensor and nanoscience, will bring significant input to high-performance biosensors relevant to diagnostics and therapy of interest for human health.     

A Rapid and Sensitive Aptamer‐Based Electrochemical Biosensor for Direct Detection of Escherichia Coli O111

A sensitive and specific electrochemical biosensor based on target‐induced aptamer displacement was developed for direct detection of Escherichia coli O111. The aptamer for Escherichia coli O111 was immobilized on a gold electrode by hybridization with the capture probe anchored on the electrode surface through Au‐thiol binding. In the presence of Escherichia coli O111, the aptamer was dissociated from the capture probe‐aptamer duplex due to the stronger interaction between the aptamer and the Escherichia coli O111. The consequent single‐strand capture probe could be hybridized with biotinylated detection probe and tagged with streptavidin‐alkaline phosphatase, producing sensitive enzyme‐catalyzed electrochemical response to Escherichia coli O111. The designed biosensor showed weak electrochemical signal to Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and common non‐pathogenic Escherichia coli, indicating high specificity for Escherichia coli O111. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed strategy could directly detect Escherichia coli O111 with the detection limit of 112 CFU mL^?1 in phosphate buffer saline and 305 CFU mL^?1 in milk within 3.5 h, demonstrated the sensitive and accurate quantification of target pathogenic bacteria. The designed biosensor could become a powerful tool for pathogenic microorganisms screening in clinical diagnostics, food safety, biothreat detection and environmental monitoring.     

Electrochemical aptamer sensor for highly sensitive detection of mercury ion with Au/Pt@carbon nanofiber‐modified electrode

In this paper, an electrochemical aptamer sensor was proposed for the highly sensitive detection of mercury ion (Hg²⁺). Carbon nanofiber (CNF) was prepared by electrospinning and high‐temperature carbonization, which was used for the loading of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) by the hydrothermal method. The Pt@CNF nanocomposite was modified on the surface of carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) to obtain Pt@CNF/CILE, which was further decorated by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through electrodeposition to get Au/Pt@CNF/CILE. Self‐assembling of the thiol‐based aptamer was further realized by the formation of Au‐S bond to get an electrochemical aptamer sensor (Aptamer/Au/Pt@CNF/CILE). Due to the specific binding of aptamer probe to Hg²⁺ with the formation of T‐Hg²⁺‐T structure, a highly sensitive quantitative detection of Hg²⁺ could be achieved by recording the changes of current signal after reacting with Hg²⁺ within the concentration range from 1.0 × 10^?15 mol/L to 1.0 × 10^?6 mol/L and the detection limit of 3.33 × 10^?16 mol/L (3σ). Real water samples were successfully analyzed by this method.     

A comparison of four protocols for the immobilization of an aptamer on graphite composite electrodes

We have performed a comparative study on four protocols for the immobilization of the thrombin aptamer on a graphite-epoxy composite electrode with the aim to identify the most practical method for designing the corresponding impedimetric aptasensor. The protocols included (a) physical adsorption, (b) avidin-biotin affinity interaction, (c) electrochemical activation and covalent bonding via amide groups, and (d) electrochemical grafting using 4-carboxybenzenediazonium coupling. The properties of the sensing surface were probed by electrochemical impedance measurements in the presence of the (ferri/ferro)hexacyanide redox couple. An increase in the interfacial charge transfer resistance (R_ct) was noted in all cases after the aptamer-thrombin interaction had occurred. The selectivity of the aptasensor over common serum proteins was also systematically investigated. Physical adsorption resulted in the lowest detection limit of the probe (4.5 pM), while avidin-biotin interaction resulted in highest selectivity and reproducibility exhibiting a 4.9 % relative standard deviation at pM thrombin concentration levels.

Preparation, Electrochemical Behavior and Electrocatalytic Activity of a Copper Hexacyanoferrate Modified Ceramic Carbon Electrode

A copper hexacyanoferrate modified ceramic carbon electrode （CuHCF/CCE） had been prepared by two-step sol-gel technique and characterized using electrochemical methods. The resulting modified electrode showed a pair of well-defined surface waves in the potential range of 0.40 to 1.0 V with the formal potential of 0.682 V （vs. SCE） in 0.050 mol·dm^-3 HOAc-NaOAc buffer containing 0.30 mol·dm^-3 KCl. The charge transfer coefficient （a） and charge transfer rate constant （ks） for the modified electrode were calculated. The electrocatalytic activity of this modified electrode to hydrazine was also investigated, and chronoamperometry was exploited to conveniently determine the diffusion coefficient （D） of hydrazine in solution and the catalytic rate constant （kcat）. Finally, hydrazine was determined with amperometry using the resulting modified electrode. The calibration plot for hydrazine determination was linear in 3.0 × 10^-6--7.5 × 10^-4 mol·dm^-3 with the detection limit of 8.0 × 10^-7 molodm^-3. This modified electrode had some advantages over the modified film electrodes constructed by the conventional methods, such as renewable surface, good long-term stability, excellent catalytic activity and short response time to hydrazine.     

Label‐free Electrochemical Aptasensor for Carcino‐embryonic Antigen Based on Ternary Nanocomposite of Gold Nanoparticles,Hemin and Graphene

In this report, a label‐free electrochemical aptasensor for carcino‐embryonic antigen (CEA) was successfully developed based on a ternary nanocomposite of gold nanoparticles, hemin and graphene nanosheets (AuNPs‐HGNs). This nanocomposite was prepared by decorating gold nanoparticles on the surface of hemin functionalized graphene nanosheets via a simple wet‐chemical strategy. The aptamer can be assembled on the surface of AuNPs‐HGNs/GCE (glassy carbon electrode) through Au‐S covalent bond to form the sensing interface. Hemin absorbed on the graphene nanosheets not only acts as a protective agent of graphene sheets, but also as an in situ probe base on its excellent redox properties. Gold nanoparticles provide with both numerous binding sites for loading CEA binding aptamer (CBA) and good conductivity to promote the electron transfer. The current changes, which are caused by CEA specifically binding on the modified electrode, are exploited for the label‐free detection of CEA in a very rapid and convenient protocol. Therefore, the method has advantages of high sensitivity, wide linear range (0.0001–10 ng mL^?1), low detection limit (40 fg mL^?1) and attractive specificity. The results illustrate that the proposed label‐free electrochemical aptasensor has a potential application in the biological or clinical target analysis for its simple operation and low cost.     

Electrochemical Aptasensor Based on ZnO Modified Gold Electrode

We developed an electrochemical thrombin aptasensor based on ZnO nanorods functionalized by electrostatically adsorption of 30‐mer DNA aptamers. The sensor surface was characterized by AFM and SEM. The surface layer assembling was optimized using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with ferricyanide ions as redox markers. The peak current of the ferricyanide and the charge transfer resistance gradually decreased with increasing concentration of thrombin in the range from 3 pM to 100 nM due to formation of aptamer‐thrombin complexes and slower diffusion of the marker ions through the surface layer. At optimal conditions, a limit of detection (LOD) of 3 pM for EIS measurements and 10 pM for CV response was calculated from the S/N=3.     

Differential Pulse Voltammetric Determination of Selenocystine and Selenomethionine Using SAM nanoSe0/Vc/SeCys‐Film Modified Au Electrode

The SAM nanoSe⁰/Vc/SeCys‐film modified Au electrode has been prepared to determine selenocystine and selenomethionine. The AFM and SEM showed the special three‐dimensional (3D) network structure of the sol‐gel films. The affinity between nanoparticles and biomolecules created special chemical characters analyzed by the XRD and fluorescence. The modified electrode was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The modified films partly had resistance in the charge transduction of Fe(CN) , but the less electron‐transfer resistance. Differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) determination of selenoamino acids using SAM nanoSe⁰/Vc/SeCys‐film modified Au electrode was presented. In PBS (pH 7.0)+0.1 mol L^?1 NaClO₄ solution, selenoamino acids yielded a sensitive reduction peak at about +400±50 mV. The peak current had a linear relationship with the concentration of selenoamino acids in the range of 5.0×10^?8–1.0×10^?5 mol L^?1, and a 3σ detection limit of selenoamino acids was 1.2×10^?8 mol L^?1. The relative standard deviation of DPV signals of 0.50×10^?6 mol L^?1 selenoamino acids was 3.8% (n=8) using the same electrode and was 4.4% (n=5) when using three modified electrodes prepared at different times. The content of selenoamino acids in the organo‐selenium powder were determined by DPV. The results showed 71.5 μg g^?1 of SeCys and 65.1 μg g^?1 of SeMet in the organo‐selenium powder.     

Detection of thrombin using electrogenerated chemiluminescence based on Ru(bpy)3(2+)-doped silica nanoparticle aptasensor via target protein-induced strand displacement

A sensitive and selective aptasensor using tri(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II)-doped silica nanoparticles (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-doped SNPs) as DNA tags for detection of thrombin is developed based on the target protein-induced strand displacement of the DNA probe. For the proposed aptasensor, the aptamer was assembled on the surface of the Au electrode through Au-S binding. The hybridization event between the DNA probe labeled by the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-doped SNPs and the aptamer was evaluated by electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) measurements. Then, the DNA probe was displaced by thrombin and the binding event between the thrombin and the aptamer was monitored by ECL measurements again. The difference of ECL intensity (ΔI_ECL) of the two events could be used to quantify the thrombin. Other proteins, such as bovine serum albumin and bovine hemoglobin, had almost negligible ΔI_ECL. Under the optimal conditions, the ΔI_ECL was linearly related to the concentration of the thrombin in the range of 10 fM to 10 pM and the detection limit was down to 1.0 fM since SNPs containing a large number of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ molecules were labeled on the DNA probe.     

A Sandwich‐type Electrochemiluminescence Aptasensor for Thrombin Based on Functional Co‐polymer Electrode Using Ru(bpy)32+ Doped Nanocomposites as Signal‐amplifying Tags

Herein, a signal‐on sandwich‐type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor for the detection of thrombin (TB) was proposed. The graphene (GR) doped thionine (TH) was electropolymerized synchronously on the bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to form co‐polymer (PTG) electrode. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were decorated on the surface of the PTG by in‐situ electrodeposition, and the functional co‐polymer (PTG‐AuNPs) electrode was utilized as sensing interface. Then, TB binding aptamer I (TBA I) as capture probes were modified on the PTG‐AuNPs electrode to capture TB, and Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/silver nanoparticles doped silica core‐shell nanocomposites‐labeled TB binding aptamer II (RuAg/SiO₂NPs@TBA II) were used as signal probes to further bind TB, resulting in a sandwich structure. With the assistant of silica shell and AgNPs, the enrichment and luminous efficiency of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ were significantly improved. Under the synergy of PTG‐AuNPs and RuAg/SiO₂NPs, the ECL signal was dramatically increased. The proposed ECL aptasensor displayed a wide linear range from 2 fM to 2 pM with the detection limit of 1 fM, which is comparable or better than that in reported ECL aptasensors for TB using Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ and its derivatives as the luminescent substance. The excellent sensitivity makes the proposed aptasensor a promising potential in pharmaceutical and clinical analysis.     

Impedance DNA Biosensor Using Electropolymerized Polypyrrole/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Electrode

In this paper, we present an electrochemical impedance‐based DNA biosensor by using a composite material of polypyrrole (PPy) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to modify glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The polymer film was electropolymerized onto GCE by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in the presence of carboxylic groups ended MWNTs (MWNTs‐COOH). Such electrode modification method is new for DNA hybridization sensor. Amino group ended single‐stranded DNA (NH₂‐ssDNA) probe was linked onto the PPy/MWNTs‐COOH/GCE by using EDAC, a widely used water‐soluble carbodiimide for crosslinking amine and carboxylic acid group. The hybridization reaction of this ssDNA/PPy/MWNTs‐COOH/GCE resulted in a decreased impedance, which was attributed to the lower electronic transfer resistance of double‐stranded DNA than single‐stranded DNA. As the result of the PPy/MWNTs modification, the electrode obtained a good electronic transfer property and a large specific surface area. Consequently, the sensitivity and selectivity of this sensor for biosensing DNA hybridization were improved. Complementary DNA sequence as low as 5.0×10^?12 mol L^?1 can be detected without using hybridization marker or intercalator. Additionally, it was found that the electropolymerization scan rate was an important factor for DNA biosensor fabrication. It has been optimized at 20 mV s^?1.     

Nanostructured Base Electrochemical Sensor for Simultaneous Quantification and Voltammetric Studies of Levodopa and Carbidopa in Pharmaceutical Products and Biological Samples

A novel carbon paste electrode modified with carbon nanotubes and 5‐amino‐2′‐ethyl‐biphenyl‐2‐ol (5AEB) was fabricated. The electrochemical study of the modified electrode, as well as its efficiency for electrocatalytic oxidation of levodopa (LD) and carbidopa (CD), is described. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to investigate the redox properties of this modified electrode at various scan rates. The apparent charge transfer rate constant, k_s, and transfer coefficient, a, for electron transfer between 5AEB and CPE were calculated as 17.3 s^?1 and 0.5, respectively. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) exhibits a linear dynamic range from 2.5×10^?7 to 2.0×10^?4 M and a detection limit of 9.0×10^?8 M for LD.