A sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for ATP detection based on exonuclease III-assisted signal amplification strategy

A target-induced structure-switching electrochemical aptasensor for sensitive detection of ATP was successfully constructed which was based on exonuclease III-catalyzed target recycling for signal amplification. With the existence of ATP, methylene blue (MB) labeled hairpin DNA formed G-quadruplex with ATP, which led to conformational changes of the hairpin DNA and created catalytic cleavage sites for exonuclease III (Exo III). Then the structure-switching DNA hybridized with capture DNA which made MB close to electrode surface. Meanwhile, Exo III selectively digested aptamer from its 3′-end, thus G-quadruplex structure was destroyed and ATP was released for target recycling. The Exo III-assisted target recycling amplified electrochemical signal significantly. Fluorescence experiment was performed to confirm the structure-switching process of the hairpin DNA. In fluorescence experiment, AuNPs–aptamer conjugates were synthesized, AuNPs quenched fluorescence of MB, the target-induced structure-switching made Exo III digested aptamer, which restored fluorescence. Under optimized conditions, the proposed aptasensor showed a linear range of 0.1–20 nM with a detection limit of 34 pM. In addition, the proposed aptasensor had good stability and selectivity, offered promising choice for the detection of other small molecules.     

A novel aptasensor strategy for protein detection based on G-quadruplex and exonuclease III-aided recycling amplification

The detection of biomarkers is of great significance in the diagnosis of numerous diseases,especially cancer.Herein,we developed a sensitive and universal fluorescent aptasensor strategy based on magnetic beads,DNA G-quadruplex,and exonuclease Ⅲ(Exo Ⅲ).In the presence of a target protein,a label-free single strand DNA(ssDNA)hybridized with the aptamer was released as a trigger DNA due to specific recognition between the aptamer and target.Subsequently,ssDNA initiates the ExoⅢ-aided recycling to amplify the fluorescence signal,which was caused by N-methylmesoporphyrin IX(NMM)insertion into the G-quadruplex structure.This proposed strategy combines the excellent specificity between the aptamer and target,high sensitivity of the fluorescence signal by G-quadruplex and ExoⅢ-aided recycling amplification.We selected(50-1200 nmol/L)MUC1,a common tumor biomarker,as the proof-of-concept target to test the specificity of our aptasenso r.Results reveal that the sensor sensitively and selectively detected the target protein with limits of detection(LODs)of 3.68 and 12.83 nmol/L in buffer solution and 10%serum system,respectively.The strategy can be easily applied to other targets by simply substituting corresponding aptamers and has great potential in the diagnosis and monitoring of several diseases.     

A fluorescence aptasensor based on DNA charge transport for sensitive protein detection in serum

A novel fluorescence aptasensor based on DNA charge transport for sensitive protein detection has been developed. A 15nt DNA aptamer against thrombin was used as a model system. The aptamer was integrated into a double strand DNA (dsDNA) that was labeled with a hole injector, naphthalimide (NI), and a fluorophore, Alexa532, at its two ends. After irradiation by UV light, the fluorescence of Alexa532 was bleached due to the oxidization of Alexa532 by the positive charge transported from naphthalimide through the dsDNA. In the presence of thrombin, the binding of thrombin to the aptamer resulted in the unwinding of the dsDNA into ssDNA, which led to the blocking of charge transfer and the strong fluorescence emission of Alexa532. By monitoring the fluorescence signal change, we were able to detect thrombin in homogeneous solutions with high selectivity and high sensitivity down to 1.2 pM. Moreover, as DNA charge transfer is resistant to interferences from biological contexts, the aptasensor can be used directly in undiluted serum with similar sensitivity as that in buffer. This new sensing strategy is expected to promote the exploitation of aptamer-based biosensors for protein assays in complex biological matrixes.     

基于硫代黄素T诱导G-四联体构成的生物传感器检测铅离子

硫代黄素T(ThT)荧光分子在自由状态下荧光强度很弱, 通过在Tris-HCl缓冲液中加入Pb²⁺的适配体即富含G的DNA序列, 可与ThT荧光分子形成G-四联体结构, 使荧光信号迅速增强; 向溶液中加入Pb²⁺, Pb²⁺与其适配体有很好的结合特异性, 可生成更牢固的G-四联体结构, 使ThT分子被释放出来, 导致溶液的荧光强度降低, 基于此可检测溶液中的Pb²⁺离子. 实验中优化了缓冲溶液组成、 ThT荧光分子浓度、 Pb²⁺适配体浓度及反应时间等条件. 结果表明, 在10 mmol/L Tris-HCl(pH=8.3, 含2 mmol/L MgCl₂)缓冲溶液中, ThT荧光分子和Pb²⁺适配体的浓度分别为10 μmol/L和200 nmol/L, 反应10 min时, 随着溶液中Pb ²⁺浓度的增加, 荧光强度减弱. Pb²⁺浓度在20~1000 nmol/L范围内时, 荧光强度与Pb²⁺的浓度呈现良好的线性关系(R²=0.9941), 检出限为1 nmol/L. 实际水样测试结果表明, 该方法的回收率在98.8%~101.3%之间. 该传感器灵敏、 快速、 无需化学修饰荧光分子且成本低.     

聚集诱导发光分子/适配体/外切酶Ⅰ体系对可卡因的检测

目前非法药物的滥用已经成为全球性的公共安全卫生问题之一[1~3].其中可卡因作为一种全球禁用的非法药物,长期滥用会对人体造成许多不良的影响,如精神疾病、失眠、抑郁和暴力倾向等,甚至威胁生命,同时,吸食可卡因还会导致出现各种社会问题[4,5].因此实现对可卡因的快速检测成为打击毒品犯罪、维护社会稳定的关键.目前对于可卡因的检测主要采用气相色谱/质谱(GC/MS)和液相色谱/质谱(LC/MS)等大型仪器.虽然能够实现对可卡因检测,但大多需要专业人员操作且耗时较长,因此开发一种简便、高效且可靠的可卡因检测方法成为研究的热点[6~8].其中,基于荧光探针的检测手段由于具有高效、灵敏及便捷等优势而备受关注,但传统的荧光探针面临聚集导致发光猝灭(ACQ)的难题[9,10],即这类分子在溶液中发光非常强,一旦聚集或在固体中发光显著减弱,非常不利于实际应用.     

Dulplex analysis of mercury and silver ions using a label-free fluorescent aptasensor

Label-free Hg²⁺ aptamer was used as a sensing element and the PicoGreen dye was specific to ultra-sensitive double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), which achieved novel fluorescence assay for detection of both mercury and silver ions. In this aptasensor, Hg²⁺ bound to thymidine (T) to form T–Hg^2+-T base pairs and Ag⁺ specifically interacted with C–C mismatches to produce C–Ag⁺–C base pairs. The conformation changes prevented the aptamer from binding to its complementary sequences to form dsDNA and caused a fluorescence intensity decrease with PicoGreen. The change in the fluorescence intensity made it possible to detect both Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ in a dose-dependent manner. The sensing system could detect as low as 5 × 10^–8 mol/L of Hg²⁺ and 9.3 × 10^–10 mol/L of Ag⁺. The fluorescent intensity changes in the system were specific for Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺, making this simple and cost-effective method extremely valuable in its future applications in monitoring Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ pollution in environmental analysis.     

Self-assembled Nanosheets of Perylene Monoamide Derivative as Sensitive Fluorescent Biosensor for Exonuclease III Activity

Enzymes containing 3'→5' exonuclease activities play an important role in various key cellular and physiological processes. The development of fluorescence biosensor is an efficient method to detecting enzyme activity. Herein, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET) "on" and "off" strategy for detecting exonuclease III(Exo III) activity has been developed. We report here that the double-stranded DNA(dsDNA) enables to bind tightly to self-assembled nanosheets of cationic perylene monoimide derivative(PMI-O7) through electrostatic interaction, and the 6-carboxyfluorescein(FAM)-modified dsDNA could be efficiently quenched via FRET between FAM and PMI-O7. Upon the addition of Exo III, the dsDNA will be digested and the FAM fluorophore will be released, resulting in the fluorescence recovery of FAM. This method provides a simple and sensitive biosensor platform with a low detection limit of 0.077 U/mL for Exo III. Importantly, this method exhibits similar and calibration curves for the detection of Exo III in both buffer and fetal bovine serum samples, indicating that this platform has potential to detect Exo III activity in complex samples.     

基于无标记的核酸适配体荧光生物传感器检测凝血酶

设计了一个简单、通用、基于核酸适配体无标记的高敏感、高专一检测凝血酶的荧光方法。以无标记凝血酶核酸适配体单链DNA为识别元素,Pico Green染料传导互补双链的荧光信号。Pico Green是一种不对称菁,当其单独存在时不产生荧光信号,而当其被吸附到互补的双链DNA上时,可产生很强的荧光信号,但被吸附到单链DNA上时,却无明显的信号改变。基于该性质,将其用于凝血酶的检测。该方法对凝血酶的响应线性范围为1.0×10~(-14)~1.0×10~(-7)mol/L,相关系数(r~2)为0.99,检出限为1.0×10~(-14)mol/L。1.0×10~(-8)mol/L两种干扰物质(牛血清蛋白和细胞色素C)的存在不影响凝血酶的检测,表明该方法对凝血酶具有非常好的专一性。该方法成功应用于对人血清样品的检测,其平均回收率为97%~102%。方法可简单、灵敏、特异性地检测凝血酶,有望用于医学临床诊断等领域。     

A label-free fluorescent probe based on DNA-templated silver nanoclusters and exonuclease III-assisted recycling amplification detection of nucleic acid

A number of specific nucleic acids are closely related with many serious diseases, in the current research, a platform taking advantage of exonuclease III (Exo III) to realize double recycling amplification and label-free fluorescent DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) for detecting of nucleic acid had been developed. In this method, a molecular beacon (MB) with 3′-protruding termini and a single-stranded cytosine-rich (C-rich) probe were designed that coexist stably with Exo III. Once the target DNA appeared, portion of the MB could hybridize with target DNA and was digested by Exo III, which allowed the release of target DNA and a residual sequence. Subsequently, the residual sequence could trigger the Exo III to digest C-rich probe, and the DNA-AgNCs was not able to be synthesized because of the C-rich probe was destroyed; finally the fluorescent of solution was quenched. This assay enables to monitor human hemochromatosis gene (as a model) with high sensitivity, the detection limit is as low as 120 pM compared with other fluorescence DNA-AgNCs methods, this assay also exhibits superior specificity even against single base mismatch. The strategy is applied to detect human hemochromatosis gene in real human serum samples successfully.     

Ultrasensitive Fluorescence Polarization Aptasensors Based on Exonuclease Signal Amplification and Polystyrene Nanoparticle Amplification

Here, we combine T7 exonuclease (T7 Exo) signal amplification and polystyrene nanoparticle (PS NP) amplification to develop novel fluorescence polarization (FP) aptasensors. The binding of a target/open aptamer hairpin complex or a target/single‐stranded aptamer complex to dye‐labeled DNA bound to PS NPs, or the self‐assembly of two aptamer subunits (one of them labeled with a dye) into a target/aptamer complex on PS NPs leads to the cyclic T7 Exo‐catalyzed digestion of the dye‐labeled DNA or the dye‐labeled aptamer subunit. This results in a substantial decrease in the FP value for the amplified sensing process. Our newly developed aptasensors exhibit a sensitivity five orders of magnitude higher than that of traditional homogeneous aptasensors and a high specificity for the target molecules. These distinct advantages of our proposed assay protocol make it a generic platform for the design of amplified aptasensors for ultrasensitive detection of various target molecules.     

Exonuclease I aided enzyme-linked aptamer assay for small-molecule detection

A novel enzyme-linked aptamer assay (ELAA) with the aid of Exonuclease I (Exo I) for colorimetric detection of small molecules was developed. The fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled aptamer was integrated into a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In the presence of target, the binding of aptamer with target protected the aptamer from Exo I degradation, which resulted in the FITC tag remaining on the aptamer. Then, the anti-FITC-HRP conjugate was used to produce an optically observable signal. By monitoring the color change, we were able to detect two model molecules, ATP and L-argininamide, with high selectivity and high sensitivity even in the serum matrix. It is expected to be a simple and general ELAA method with wide applicability.

A Label-free Fluorescent Aptasensor for Turn-on Monitoring Ochratoxin A Based on AIE-active Probe and Graphene Oxide

A label-free fluorescent aptasensor for specific and ultrasensitive monitoring ochratoxin A(OTA) was developed using the specific aptamer of OTA(OSA) as recognition element, an aggregation-induced emission(AIE) molecule(a 9,10-distyrylanthracene with two ammonium groups, DSAI) as a fluorescent probe, and graphene oxide(GO) as a quencher. In the absence of OTA, the AIE probe DSAI and OSA complex(DSAI/OSA) is adsorbed on the GO surface, and the fluorescence of DSAI will be quenched efficiently via the fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET) from DSAI to GO. Upon the OTA addition, a more stable complex(OSA-OTA) is formed and released from GO. Meanwhile, DSAI and OSA-OTA can form a new complex(DSAI/OSA-OTA), then the fluorescent signal of DSAI recovers gradually. Therefore, by introducing GO and DSAI, the fluorescence signal of DSAI can be easily turned from "off" to "on" after the addition of OTA, and the ultrasensitive detection of OTA by monitoring the change of the fluorescence signal of DSAI can be readily realized. The detection limit of the assay can reach 0.324 nmol/L with a linear detection range of 10-200 nmol/L. And the aptasensor exhibits high selectivity for OTA against other analogues. Moreover, it has been successfully applied for the detection of OTA in red wine samples.     

Label-free and fluorescence turn-on aptasensor for protein detection via target-induced silver nanoclusters formation

A simple turn-on and homogeneous aptasensor, which relies on target induced formation of silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs), was developed for the determination of platelet-derived growth factor B-chain homodimer (PDGF-BB). The aptasensor contains two hairpin DNA probes termed as P1 and P2. P1 consists of the aptamer sequence of PDGF-BB. Meanwhile, P2 contains the Ag NCs nucleation sequence, which is blocked by the hairpin stem region. P1 and P2 can co-exist metastably in the absence of PDGF-BB and maintain hairpin structure. However, in the presence of PDGF-BB, the binding of PDGF-BB with aptamer will result in the hybridization between P1 and P2, and release the Ag NCs nucleation sequence. In this case, Ag NCs can be formed via the reduction of Ag⁺ by NaBH₄. By monitoring the increase in fluorescence intensity, we could detect the target protein with high sensitivity. The detection limit of this aptasensor is 0.37 nM, which is comparable with that of other reported aptasensors. Furthermore, this proposed aptasensor shows high selectivity toward its target protein. Thus, the proposed aptasensor based on target induced formation of Ag NCs could be used as a sensitive and selective platform for the detection of target protein.     

The development of simple and sensitive small-molecule fluorescent probes for the detection of serum proteins after native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

In this paper, a simple and sensitive small-molecule fluorescent probe, 2,5-dihydroxy-4'-dimethylaminochalcone (DHDMAC), was designed and synthesized for the detection of human serum proteins via hydrophobic interactions after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). This probe produced lower fluorescence emission in the absence of proteins, and the emission intensity was significantly increased after the interaction with serum proteins. To demonstrate the imaging performance of this probe as a fluorescent dye, a series of experiments was conducted that included sensitivity comparison and 2D-PAGE. The results indicated that the sensitivity of DHDMAC staining is comparable to that of the most widely used fluorescent dye, SYPRO Ruby, and more protein spots (including thyroxine-binding globulin, angiotensinogen, afamin, zinc-α-2-glycoprotein and α-1-antichymotrypsin) were detected after 2D-PAGE. Therefore, DHDMAC is a good protein reporter due to its fast staining procedure, low detection limits and high resolution.     

An electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin detection based on the recycling of exonuclease III and double-stranded DNA-templated copper nanoparticles assisted signal amplification

In this paper, we report an improved electrochemical aptasensor based on exonuclease III and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)-templated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) assisted signal amplification. In this sensor, duplex DNA from the hybridization of ligated thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) subunits and probe DNA can act as an effective template for the formation of CuNPs on the electrode surface, so copper ions released from acid-dissolution of CuNPs may catalyze the oxidation of ο-phenylenediamine to produce an amplified electrochemical response. In the presence of thrombin, a short duplex domain with four complementary base pairs can be stabilized by the binding of TBA subunits with thrombin, in which TBA subunit 2 can be partially digested from 3′ terminal with the cycle of exonuclease III, so the ligation of TBA subunits and the subsequent formation of CuNPs can be inhibited. By electrochemical characterization of dsDNA-templated CuNPs on the electrode surface, our aptasensor can display excellent performances for the detection of thrombin in a broad linear range from 100 fM to 1 nM with a low detection limit of 20.3 fM, which can also specially distinguish thrombin in both PBS and serum samples. Therefore, our aptasensor might have great potential for clinical diagnosis of biomarkers in the future.     

A highly sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer aptasensor for staphylococcal enterotoxin B detection based on exonuclease-catalyzed target recycling strategy

An ultrasensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) bioassay was developed to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), a low molecular exotoxin, using an aptamer-affinity method coupled with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)-sensing, and the fluorescence intensity was prominently enhanced using an exonuclease-catalyzed target recycling strategy. To construct this aptasensor, both fluorescence donor probes (complementary DNA₁–UCNPs) and fluorescence quencher probes (complementary DNA₂–Black Hole Quencher₃ (BHQ₃)) were hybridized to an SEB aptamer, and double-strand oligonucleotides were fabricated, which quenched the fluorescence of the UCNPs via FRET. The formation of an aptamer–SEB complex in the presence of the SEB analyte resulted in not only the dissociation of aptamer from the double-strand DNA but also both the disruption of the FRET system and the restoration of the UCNPs fluorescence. In addition, the SEB was liberated from the aptamer–SEB complex using exonuclease I, an exonuclease specific to single-stranded DNA, for analyte recycling by selectively digesting a particular DNA (SEB aptamer). Based on this exonuclease-catalyzed target recycling strategy, an amplified fluorescence intensity could be produced using different SEB concentrations. Using optimized experimental conditions produced an ultrasensitive aptasensor for the detection of SEB, with a wide linear range of 0.001–1 ng mL⁻¹ and a lower detection limit (LOD) of 0.3 pg mL⁻¹ SEB (at 3σ). The fabricated aptasensor was used to measure SEB in a real milk samples and validated using the ELISA method. Furthermore, a novel aptasensor FRET assay was established for the first time using 30 mol% Mn²⁺ ions doped NaYF₄:Yb/Er (20/2 mol%) UCNPs as the donor probes, which suggests that UCNPs are superior fluorescence labeling materials for food safety analysis.     

基于纳米金适配体传感器的激光诱导检测凝血酶

利用激光可使纳米金修饰的双链DNA(dsDNA)去杂化和适配体的特异性,设计了一种新颖、稳定、可控且高灵敏的凝血酶检测方法。将两端分别修饰金纳米粒子与荧光标记物的核酸适配体与其互补链杂化制成稳定的dsDNA传感器,当凝血酶存在时,通过激光触发传感器去杂化释放适配体并与凝血酶结合,拉近金纳米粒子与荧光标记物的距离,产生猝灭使荧光信号发生变化。对激光照射时间、激光输出功率、温育时间等条件进行优化。在最优条件下,荧光强度变化值(ΔI)与凝血酶浓度在0.55~33 nmol/L范围内呈现出良好的线性关系,其线性回归方程为y=0.0082x+0.2714,相关系数R^2为0.98,血清中加标回收率为95.5~102.7%,且溶菌酶等无明显干扰。该方法可作为凝血酶的检测方法。     

Aptamer-Based Fluorescent Determination of Salmonella paratyphi A Using Phi29-DNA Polymerase-Assisted Cyclic Amplification

A rapid and ultrasensitive fluorescence aptasensor was developed for the detection of Salmonella paratyphi A based on aptamer and Phi29-DNA polymerase-assisted cyclic signal amplification. The method employed a designed arched probe, consisting of an aptamer and a primer, with a designed hairpin probe. The quenching groups and fluorescent groups were modified at the 3′ and 5′ ends of the hairpin probe, respectively. In the absence of the target, the primer was not released and the hairpin probe was not opened to produce fluorescence. The addition of target led to the release of the primer, which hybridized with the hairpin probe and triggered the chain-displacement polymerase reaction and produced a high fluorescence intensity. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range of this aptasensor was from 10² CFU·mL^?1 to 10⁸ CFU·mL^?1 with a detection limit of 10² CFU·mL^?1. Compared with other reported fluorescence detection methods, this approach has two advantages. First, this fluorescence aptasensor does not require nanomaterials as the quencher, which reduces the cost and saves time. Second, the chain-displacement polymerase reaction was used in this fluorescence aptasensor to amplify the signals, which further enhanced the sensitivity and lowered the detection limit. As this method was suitable for the detection of Salmonella paratyphi A in milk samples and potentially other bacteria, environmental monitoring and related food safety analysis should also be possible by this approach.     

Simultaneously fluorescence detecting thrombin and lysozyme based on magnetic nanoparticle condensation

In this protocol, a fluorescent aptasensor based on magnetic separation for simultaneous detection thrombin and lysozyme was proposed. Firstly, one of the anti-thrombin aptamer and the anti-lysozyme aptamer were individually immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles, acting as the protein captor. The other anti-thrombin aptamer was labeled with rhodamine B and the anti-lysozyme aptamer was labeled with fluorescein, employing as the protein report. By applying the sandwich detection strategy, the fluorescence response at 515 nm and 578 nm were respectively corresponding to lysozyme and thrombin with high selectivity and sensitivities. The fluorescence intensity was individually linear with the concentration of thrombin and lysozyme in the range of 0.13-4 nM and 0.56-12.3 nM, and the detection limits were 0.06 nM of thrombin and 0.2 nM of lysozyme, respectively. The preliminary study on simultaneous detection of thrombin and lysozyme in real plasma samples was also performed. It shows that the proposed approach has the good character for simultaneous multiple protein detection.     

A new strategy for the detection of adenosine triphosphate by aptamer/quantum dot biosensor based on chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer

We designed an aptasensor for the detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) based on chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET). An adenosine aptamer was cut into two pieces of ssDNA, which were attached to quantum dots (QDs) and horse radish peroxidase (HRP), respectively. They could reassemble into specific structures in the presence of ATP and then decrease the distance of HRP and QDs. ATP detection can be easily realized according to the fluorescent intensity of QDs, which is excited by CRET between luminol and QDs. Results show that the concentration of ATP is linear relation with the fluorescent intensity of the peak of QDs emission and the linear range for the linear equation is from 50 μM to 231 μM and the detection limit was 185 nM. When the concentration of ATP was 2 mM, the efficiency of CRET is 13.6%. Good specificity for ATP had been demonstrated compared to thymidine triphosphate (TTP), cytidine triphosphate (CTP) and guanosine triphosphate (GTP), when 1 mM of each was added, respectively. This method needs no external light source and can avoid autofluorescence and photobleaching, and ATP can be detected selectively, specifically, and sensitively in a low micromolar range, which means that the strategy reported here can be applicable to the detection of several other target molecules.