Chemiluminescent detection of DNA hybridization using gold nanoparticles as labels

A chemiluminescent (CL) detection method has been developed for DNA hybridization. The assay relies on a sandwich-type DNA hybridization in which gold nanoparticles modified with alkylthiol-capped oligonucleotide strands are used as probes to monitor the presence of the specific target DNA. The , which is the dissolving product of the gold nanoparticles anchored on the DNA hybrids, serves as an analyte in the H₂O₂–luminol– CL reaction for the indirect measurement of the target DNA. The combination of the remarkable sensitivity of the CL analysis with the large number of released from each DNA hybrid allows a detection limit at levels as low as 0.1 pM of the target DNA. Moreover, with a further silver amplification step, the detection limit will be pushed down to the femtomolar domain.      

Fabrication of a Sensitive Impedance Biosensor of DNA Hybridization Based on Gold Nanoparticles Modified Gold Electrode

In this work, we report on the preparation of a simple, sensitive DNA impedance sensor. Firstly gold nanoparticles were electrodeposited on the surface of a gold electrode, and then probe DNA was immobilized on the surface of gold nanoparticles through a 5′‐thiol‐linker. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to investigate probe DNA immobilization and hybridization. Compared to the bare gold electrode, the gold nanoparticles modified electrode could improve the density of probe DNA attachment and the sensitivity of DNA sensor greatly. The difference of electron transfer resistance (ΔR_et) was linear with the logarithm of complementary oligonucleotides sequence concentrations in the range of 2.0×10^?12 to 9.0×10^?8 M, and the detection limit was 6.7×10^?13 M. In addition, the DNA sensor showed a fairly good reproducibility and stability during repeated regeneration and hybridization cycles.     

Electrochemical DNA sensing based on gold nanoparticle amplification

A hybridization signal-amplified method based on a gold nanoparticle-supported DNA sequence for electrochemical DNA sensing has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, differential-pulse voltammetry, and atomic-force microscopy (AFM). Quantitative analysis showed that the peak current increment (Ip) is linearly dependant on the concentration of the gold nanoparticle-supported DNA sequence Au2 over the range 0.51–8.58 pmol L^–1. AFM results indicated that the extent of surface hybridization was dependent on the concentration of the gold-nanoparticle-supported DNA sequence. Moreover, a new pair of peaks, which might arise from the special configuration of the gold-nanoparticle-supported DNA sequence, appeared in the cyclic voltammogram after hybridization. Although quite sensitive, this DNA sensing surface was not easily regenerated, so this kind of amplified method was suitable for disposable DNA sensors and chip-based gene diagnosis sensors.     

Label-free detection of specific DNA sequence-telomere using unmodified gold nanoparticles as colorimetric probes

A simple and sensitive label-free colorimetric detection of telomere DNA has been developed. It was based on the color change of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) due to DNA hybridization. UV–vis spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate the change of AuNPs. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range for determination of telomere DNA was 5.7 × 10⁻¹³ to 4.5 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L. The detection limit (3σ) of this method has decreased to pico-molar level.     

Transglutaminase-mediated synthesis of a DNA-(enzyme)n probe for highly sensitive DNA detection

A new synthetic strategy for DNA-enzyme conjugates with a novel architecture was explored using a natural cross-linking catalyst, microbial transglutaminase (MTG). A glutamine-donor substrate peptide of MTG was introduced at the 5-position on the pyrimidine of deoxyuridine triphosphate to prepare a DNA strand with multiple glutamine-donor sites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A substrate peptide that contained an MTG-reactive lysine residue was fused to the N terminus of a thermostable alkaline phoshatase from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfuAP) by genetic engineering. By combining enzymatically the substrate moieties of MTG introduced to the DNA template and the recombinant enzyme, a DNA-(enzyme)(n) conjugate with 1:n stoichiometry was successfully obtained. The enzyme/DNA ratio of the conjugate increased as the benzyloxycarbonyl-L-glutaminylglycine (Z-QG) moiety increased in the DNA template. The potential utility of the new conjugate decorated with signaling enzymes was validated in a dot blot hybridization assay. The DNA-(enzyme)(n) probe could clearly detect 10(4) copies of the target nucleic acid with the complementary sequence under harsh hybridization conditions, thereby enabling a simple detection procedure without cumbersome bound/free processes associated with a conventional hapten-antibody reaction-based DNA-detection system.     

Rapid identification and high sensitive detection of cancer cells on the gold nanoparticle interface by combined contact angle and electrochemical measurements

In this study, we have proposed a novel strategy for the rapid identification and high sensitive detection of different kinds of cancer cells by means of electrochemical and contact angle measurements. A simple, unlabeled method based on the functionalized Au nanoparticles (GNPs) modified interface has been utilized to distinguish the different cancer cells, including lung cancer cells, liver cancer cells, drug sensitive leukemia K562/B.W cells and drug resistant leukemia K562/ADM cells. The relevant results indicate that under optimal conditions, this method can provide the quantitative determination of cancer cells, with a detection limit of ∼10³ cells mL⁻¹. Our observations demonstrate that the difference in the hydrophilic properties for target cellular surfaces and in the uptake efficiency of the anticancer drug daunorubicin for different cancer cells could be readily chosen as the elements of cancer identification and sensitive detection. This raises the possibility to advance the promising clinic diagnosis and monitoring of tumors with the aim of successful chemotherapy of human cancers.     

Local surface charge dissipation studied using force spectroscopy method of atomic force microscopy

We propose herein a method to study local surface charge dissipation in dielectric films using force spectroscopy technique of atomic force microscopy. By using a normalization procedure and considering an analytical expression of the tip‐sample interaction force, we could estimate the characteristic time decay of the dissipation process. This approach is completely independent of the atomic force microscopy tip geometry and considerably reduces the amount of experimental data needed for the calculation compared with other techniques. The feasibility of the method was demonstrated in a freshly cleaved mica surface, in which the local charge dissipation after cleavage followed approximately a first‐order exponential law with the characteristic time decay of approximately 7–8 min at 30% relative humidity (RH) and 2–3.5 min at 48% RH. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A sensitive, label free electrochemical aptasensor for ATP detection

A sensitive, label free electrochemical aptasensor for small molecular detection has been developed in this work based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) amplification. This aptasensor was fabricated as a tertiary hybrid DNA-AuNPs system, which involved the anchored DNA (ADNA) immobilized on gold electrode, reporter DNA (RDNA) tethered with AuNPs and target-responsive DNA (TRDNA) linking ADNA and RDNA. Electrochemical signal is derived from chronocoulometric interrogation of [Ru(NH₃)₆]³⁺ (RuHex) that quantitatively binds to surface-confined DNA via electrostatic interaction. Using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a model analyte and ATP-binding aptamer as a model molecular reorganization element, the introduction of ATP triggers the structure switching of the TRDNA to form aptamer-ATP complex, which results in the dissociation of the RDNA capped AuNPs (RDNA-AuNPs) and release of abundant RuHex molecules trapped by RDNA-AuNPs. The incorporation of AuNPs in this strategy significantly enhances the sensitivity because of the amplification of electrochemical signal by the RDNA-AuNPs/RuHex system. Under optimized conditions, a wide linear dynamic range of 4 orders of magnitude (1 nM-10 μM) was reached with the minimum detectable concentration at sub-nanomolar level (0.2 nM). Those results demonstrate that our nanoparticles-based amplification strategy is feasible for ATP assay and presents a potential universal method for other small molecular aptasensors.     

Highly sensitive DNA hybridization detection with single nanoparticle flash-lamp darkfield microscopy

We developed a novel method for counting single gold nanoparticles in free solution with flash-lamp darkfield microscopy and demonstrated that it could be applied to highly sensitive DNA hybridization detection based on target DNA induced AuNP aggregation and counts reduction.     

XPS and atomic force microscopy of plasma-treated polysulfone

Surface treatment of polysulfone by O₂, H₂, He, Ne, Ar, and CF₄ nonisothermal glow discharges has been investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The chemical and topographical modification of the surface is found to be strongly influenced by the type of feed gas employed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Simple and sensitive colorimetric detection of cysteine based on ssDNA-stabilized gold nanoparticles

In this paper, we demonstrate a simple and sensitive colorimetric detection of cysteine based on the cysteine-mediated color change of ssDNA-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Cysteine is capable of absorbing onto AuNPs surfaces via the strong interaction between its thiol group and gold. ssDNA molecules which stabilize AuNPs against salt-induced aggregation are removed away by cysteine encapsulation on the AuNPs surfaces, resulting in a characteristic color change of AuNPs from red to blue as soon as salt is added. The ratio of absorptions at 640 to 525 nm (A ₆₄₀/A ₅₂₅) is linear dependent on the cysteine concentration in the range from 0.1 to 5 μM. Furthermore, amino acids other than cysteine cannot mediate the color change under the identical conditions due to the absence of thiol groups, suggesting the selectivity of the proposed method toward cysteine. The employment of complicated protocols and sophisticated processes such as the preparation of modified AuNPs are successfully avoided in design to realize the simple and low-cost cysteine detection; and the high sensitivity and low cost of the method is favorable for practical applications. Figure In the presence of cysteine, cysteine binds to the AuNPs surface via Au-S bond, spontaneously driving ssDNA molecules away from the nanoparticles, which leads to the AuNPs aggregation under the condition of NaCl introduction, and the corresponding color change from red to blue. However, the presence of other amino acids results in no color change due to the absence of thiol groups. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Rapid and sensitive DNA target detection using enzyme amplified electrochemical detection based on microchip

A rapid and sensitive DNA targets detection using enzyme amplified electrochemical detection (ED) based on microchip was described. We employed a biotin‐modified DNA, which reacted with avidin‐conjugated horseradish peroxidase (avidin–HRP) to obtain the HRP‐labeled DNA probe and hybridized with its complementary target. After hybridization, the mixture containing dsDNA‐HRP, excess ssDNA‐HRP, and remaining avidin–HRP was separated by MCE. The separations were performed at a separation voltage of +1.6 kV and were completed in less than 100 s. The HRP was used as catalytic labels to catalyze H₂O₂/o‐aminophenol reaction. Target DNA could be detected by the HRP‐catalyzed reduction with ED. With this protocol, the limits of quantification for the hybridization assay of 21‐ and 39‐mer DNA fragments were of 8×10^?12 M and 1.2×10^?11 M, respectively. The proposed method has been applied satisfactorily in the analysis of Escherichia coli genomic DNA. We selected the detection of PCR amplifications from the gene of E. coli to test the real applicability of our method. By using an asymmetric PCR protocol, we obtained ssDNA targets of 148 bp that could be directly hybridized by the single‐stranded probe and detected with ED.     

Label-free detection of amino acids using gold nanoparticles in electrokinetic chromatography-thermal lens microscopy

To achieve label-free detection of amino acids in capillary-based electrokinetic chromatography-thermal lens microscopy (EKC-TLM), gold nanoparticles (GNPs), which possess the absorption around 500nm attributed to surface plasmon resonance (SPR), were added to the background solution (BGS). Since the SPR absorption of the GNPs exhibits a sensitive response toward environmental changes and the degree of aggregation, the sensitive detection of non-absorbing species is expected by using the GNPs in EKC-TLM (GNP-EKC-TLM). In the GNP-EKC-TLM analysis of glutamic acid (Glu), a sharp peak was observed when the GNPs were added to the BGS. The plot of the peak area of Glu against its concentration gave a good linear relationship and the limit of detection was estimated to be 25mug/mL. Furthermore, a baseline separation of lysine and Glu was successfully achieved. Thus, the EKC separation and label-free TLM detection of the amino acids can be realized only by adding the GNPs into the BGSs.     

基于纳米金胶标记DNA探针的电化学DNA传感器研究

以纳米金胶为标记物,将其标记于人工合成的5-端巯基修饰的寡聚核苷酸片段上,制成了具有电化学活性的金胶标记DNA电化学探针;在一定条件下,使其与固定在玻碳电极表面的靶序列进行杂交反应,利用ssDNA与其互补链杂交的高度序列选择性和极强的分子识别能力,以及纳米金胶的电化学活性,实现对特定序列DNA片段的电化学检测以及对DNA碱基突变的识别.     

Flower-like self-assembly of gold nanoparticles for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of chromium(VI)

We report here the fabrication of a flower-like self-assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as a highly sensitive platform for ultratrace Cr(VI) detection. Two AuNP layers are used in the current approach, in which the first is electroplated on the GCE surface as anchors for binding to an overcoated thiol sol–gel film derived from 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS). The second AuNP layer is then self-assembled on the surface of the sol–gel film, forming flower-like gold nanoelectrodes enlarging the electrode surface. When functionalized by a thiol pyridinium, the fabricated electrode displays a well-defined peak for selective Cr(VI) reduction with an unusually large, linear concentration range of 10–1200 ng L⁻¹ and a low detection limit of 2.9 ng L⁻¹. In comparison to previous approaches using MPTS and AuNPs on Au electrodes, the current work expands the use of AuNPs to the GCE. Subsequent functionalization of the secondary AuNPs by a thiol pyridinium and adsorption/preconcentration of Cr(VI) lead to the unusually large detection range and high sensitivity. The stepwise preparation of the electrode has been characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and IR. The newly designed electrode exhibits good stability, and has been successfully employed to measure chromium in a pre-treated blood sample. The method demonstrates acceptable fabrication reproducibility and accuracy.     

Melting behavior of lamellae of isotactic polypropylene studied using hot-stage atomic force microscopy

The α- and β-form lamellae of isotactic polypropylene were developed at different temperatures. The melting behaviors of the lamellae were observed in real time at elevated temperatures using a hot-stage atomic force microscopy. The melting behavior of the α-form lamellae was determined by the lamellar defects. For the α-form lamellae developed at different undercoolings, the larger the undercoolings, the relatively higher amount of defect in the lamellae was observed. The lamellae with defects were melted into lamellar segments, and recrystallization took place during the heating process. The β-form lamellae had lower thermal stability, and they melted firstly and separately from that of α-form.