Selective detection of cytochrome C by microchip electrophoresis based on an aptamer strategy

The release of cytochrome C (Cyt C) plays an important role in apoptosis. In this study, selective and sensitive detection of Cyt C based on an aptamer strategy coupled with MCE was developed. Following the binding of a specific aptamer to Cyt C, the aptamer exhibited an irregular state, reducing the binding affinity of a fluorescent probe, and thus preventing the aptamer‐Cyt C complexes from detection within the MCE. The height of the detection peak of the residual aptamer linearly decreased, and therefore, the difference in peak height of residual aptamer compared to that of the initial aptamer was used to quantify the captured protein concentration. Experimental conditions such as incubation time, pH, temperature, and ionic strength were optimized. A measurement of Cyt C concentration by MCE was achieved within 135 s, with a limit of detection as low as 0.4 nM. The proposed method has high selectivity and good stability for the detection of Cyt C. The experimental results demonstrate that this method is quick, consumes only a small quantity of sample, is highly selectivity and exhibits high sensitivity.     

Switchable Fluorescent Light-Up Aptamers Based on Riboswitch Architectures

Fluorescent light-up RNA aptamers (FLAPs) such as Spinach or Mango can bind small fluorogens and activate their fluorescence. Here, we adopt a switching mechanism otherwise found in riboswitches and use it to engineer switchable FLAPs that can be activated or repressed by trigger oligonucleotides or small metabolites. The fluorophore binding pocket of the FLAPs comprises guanine (G) quadruplexes, whose critical nucleotides can be sequestered by corresponding anti-FLAP sequences, leading to an inactive conformation and thus preventing association with the fluorophore. We modified the FLAPs with designed toehold hairpins that carry either an anti-FLAP or an anti-anti-FLAP sequence within the loop region. The addition of an input RNA molecule triggers a toehold-mediated strand invasion process that refolds the FLAP into an active or inactive configuration. Several of our designs display close-to-zero leak signals and correspondingly high ON/OFF fluorescence ratios. We also modified purine aptamers to sequester a partial anti-FLAP or an anti-anti-FLAP sequence to control the formation of the fluorogen-binding conformation, resulting in FLAPs whose fluorescence is activated or deactivated in the presence of guanine or adenine. We demonstrate that switching modules can be easily combined to generate FLAPs whose fluorescence depends on several inputs with different types of input logic.     

Electrochemical Aptasensor for the Determination of Cocaine Incorporating Gold Nanoparticles Modification

A novel electrochemical aptasensor incorporating a signal enhancement for the determination of cocaine was designed. Gold nanoparticles were self‐assembled onto the surface of a gold electrode through 1,6‐hexanedithiol. A bifunctional derivative of the 32‐base cocaine‐binding aptamer with a redox‐active ferrocene moiety and a thiol linker group at the termini of the strand was self‐assembled onto the surface of gold nanoparticles. The oxidation peak current is linearly related to the concentration of cocaine from 1.0 to 15.0 μM with a detection limit of 0.5 μM. It was found that the sensitivity of the aptasensor with gold nanoparticles modification was ca. 10‐fold higher than that of the aptasensor without gold nanoparticles modification. This work demonstrates that gold nanoparticles‐assembled gold electrode provides a promising platform for immobilizing aptamer and enhancing the sensitivity.     

Label-free aptasensor for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) protein

A label-free aptasensor for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) protein is reported. The aptasensor uses mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) composed of a thiol-modified PDGF binding aptamer and 6-mercaptohexanol (MCH) on a gold electrode. The SAMs were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) before and after binding of the protein using [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4−, a redox marker ion as an indicator for the formation of a protein-aptamer complex. The CVs at the PDGF modified electrode showed significant differences, such as changes in the peak currents and peak-to-peak separation, before and after binding of the target protein. The EIS spectra, in the form of Nyquist plots, were analyzed with a Randles circuit while the electron transfer resistance R_ct was used to monitor the binding of the target protein. The results showed that, without any modification to the aptamer, the target protein can be recognized effectively at the PDGF binding aptamer SAMs at the electrode surface. Control experiments using non-binding oligonucleotides assembled at the electrode surfaces also confirmed the results and showed that there was no formation of an aptamer-protein complex. The DPV signal at the aptamer functionalized electrode showed a linearly decreased marker ion peak current in a protein concentrations range of 1-40 nM. Thus, label-free detection of PDGF protein at an aptamer modified electrode has been demonstrated.     

Methods developed for SELEX

SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) is a process that involves the progressive purification from a combinatorial library of nucleic acid ligands with a high affinity for a particular target by repeated rounds of partitioning and amplification. With the development of aptamer technology over the last decade, various modified SELEX processes have arisen that allow various aptamers to be developed against a wide variety of molecules, irrespective of the target size. In the present review, the separation methods used in such SELEX processes are reviewed.     

A gold-based nanobeacon probe for fluorescence sensing of organophosphorus pesticides

A nanomaterials-based novel molecular beacon has attracted growing attentions in fluorescent assays as many nanomaterials possess excellent quenching efficiency. In this work, a gold-based nanobeacon probe was established to detect organophosphorus pesticides for the first time. The constructed gold-based nanobeacon acted as a signal indicator and could display the decreasing of the intensity in the presence of targets, which competitively bound to single strand DNA. To achieve a high sensitive probe, some parameters including solution pH, temperature and reaction time were investigated and optimized. The gold-based nanobeacon probe assay was proved to be rapid and sensitive to achieve a detection limit of 0.035 μM for isocarbophos, 0.134 μM for profenofos, 0.384 μM for phorate and 2.35 μM for omethoate, respectively. The prepared nanobeacon effectively reduced the background and improved the detection sensitivity and selectivity. The probe is stable, easy to operate and does not need sophisticated instruments. These features makes the probe feasible for screening trace organophosphorus pesticides in real samples.     

Monitoring surface-assisted biomolecular assembly by means of evanescent-field-coupled waveguide-mode nanobiosensors

Biological self-assembly is a natural process that involves various biomolecules, and finding the missing partner in these interactions is crucial for a specific biological function. Previously, we showed that evanescent-field-coupled waveguide-mode sensor in conjunction with a SiO₂ waveguide, the surfaces which contain cylindrical nanometric holes produced by atomic bombardment, allowed us to detect efficiently the biomolecular interactions. In the present studies, we showed that the assembly of biomolecules can be monitored using the evanescent-field-coupled waveguide-mode biosensor and thus provide a methodology in monitoring assembly process in macromolecular machines while they are assembling. Evanescent-field-coupled waveguide-mode sensor Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

用适配体修饰纳米金做共振瑞利散射光谱探针检测妥布霉素

用硼氢化钠还原氯金酸制备了金纳米粒子(GN),用妥布霉素适配体(Apt)修饰GN可获得较稳定的Apt-GN探针。在pH 6.8 Na₂HPO₄-NaH₂PO₄(PBS)缓冲液及NaCl存在下,Apt-GN探针稳定而不聚集;当有妥布霉素(Tbc)存在时,它与Apt-GN探针中的Apt特异性结合并释放出纳米金,纳米金在NaCl作用下聚集,导致体系在368 nm处的共振瑞利散射光增强。在选定实验条件下,368 nm处的共振散射峰强度的增大值ΔI与抗生素妥布霉素(Tbc)浓度在1.9～58.3 ng·mL-1范围内呈良好线性关系,其线性回归方程为ΔI=35.3c-23,检出限为0.8 ng·mL-1 妥布霉素。分别对10.0,20.0和30.0 ng·mL-1 Tbc平行测定5次,求得其相对标准偏差分别为6.8%,5.0%和4.4%。考察了共存离子对测定38.9 ng·mL-1 妥布霉素的干扰情况。结果表明,当相对误差在±10%以内,80倍Zn2+;40倍L-谷氨酸,Cu2+,Mg2+,Ca2+;20倍葡萄糖、盐酸土霉素;10倍L-苯丙氨酸、甘氨酸;2倍L-天冬氨酸;6倍HSA和BSA不干扰测定。这说明本方法具有较好的选择性。该法用于分析测定妥布霉素滴眼液中的妥布霉素含量,结果令人满意,相对标准偏差在6.5%～7.6%之间,回收率在95.0%～107%之间。     

非标记型血小板衍生生长因子核酸适体传感器

合成了介孔二氧化硅负载金纳米颗粒(Au-MSN), 通过壳聚糖(CHIT)将Au-MSN固定到裸玻碳电极表面, 采用自组装法将带巯基的血小板衍生生长因子(PDGF)核酸适体固定到Au-MSN修饰过的玻碳电极表面, 制得PDGF核酸适体传感器. 以亚甲基蓝作为电化学活性嵌入剂, 通过检测核酸适体与目标分析物PDGF特异性结合前后亚甲基蓝电信号的变化, 实现了对PDGF的定量检测. 考察了缓冲溶液的pH、 扫描速度及PDGF培育时间等条件对检测结果的影响. 结果表明, 在pH为7.6时, 该传感器的检测范围为0.1 pg/mL~1 μg/mL, 检出限为0.03 pg/mL. 该传感器制作简单、 成本低廉、 灵敏度高且稳定性好.     

An electrochemical aptasensor for chiral peptide detection using layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolyte-methylene blue/polyelectrolyte-graphene multilayer

Here we demonstrate for the first time that by physically adsorbing aptamer onto conductive film assembled via alternate adsorption of graphene/polyelectrolyte and methylene blue/polyelectrolyte, a label-free electrochemical aptasensor with high sensitivity and selectivity for peptide detection is constructed. Graphene multilayer derived from layer-by-layer assembly has played significant roles in this sensing strategy: allowing accumulation of methylene blue, facilitating electron transfer and providing much more adsorption site. As compared to previous electrochemical aptasensors, the current sensor based on graphene multilayer alternated with electroactive molecule layer offers extremely high capability for sensitive detection of target without interference of environmental surrounding. This electroactive probe-confined graphene multilayer confers great flexibility to combine with differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) together. In the presence of target d entiomer of arginine vasopressin (d-VP), the binding of peptide to aptamer block the electron transfer process of MB, leading to decreased current peak of DPV. By this way, this electrochemical aptasensor based on electroactive molecule-intercalated graphene multilayer provide highly sensitive and specific detection of d-VP with the lowest detectable concentration of 1 ng mL⁻¹ and a wide detection range from 1 to 265 ng mL⁻¹.