An Aptamer-Based Protein Biosensor by Detecting the Amplified Impedance Signal

Functional Molecular Interfaces for Impedance-Based Diagnostics

In seeking to develop and optimize reagentless electroanalytical assays, a consideration of the transducing interface features lies key to any subsequent sensitivity and selectivity. This review briefly summarizes some of the most commonly used receptive interfaces that have been employed within the development of impedimetric molecular sensors. We discuss the use of high surface area carbon, nanoparticles, and a range of bioreceptors that can subsequently be integrated. The review spans the most commonly utilized biorecognition elements, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, aptamers, and nucleic acids, and touches on some novel emerging alternatives such as nanofragments, molecularly imprinted polymers, and bacteriophages. Reference is made to the immobilization chemistries available along with a consideration of both optimal packing density and recognition probe orientation. We also discuss assay-relevant mechanistic details and applications in real sample analysis.

Silver molybdate nanoparticles based immunosensor for the non-invasive detection of Interleukin-8 biomarker

In this study, we report the silver molybdate nanoparticles (β-Ag₂MoO₄ NPs) based non-invasive and sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for label-free detection of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) biomarker. The X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies confirm the cubic spinel structures of β-Ag₂MoO₄ NPs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy study depicted average size of β-Ag₂MoO₄ NPs as 27.15 nm. The cleaned indium tin oxide coated glass substrates were coated with spin-coated thin films of Ag₂MoO₄ NPs. These electrodes used for covalently immobilization of antibodies specific to IL-8 (Anti-IL-8) using EDC-NHS chemistry and unbound activated sites blocked by bovine serum albumin. Electrochemical response was obtained in the range of 1 fg mL^-1 to 40 ng mL^-1 and the sensitivity was found to be 7.03 μA ng^-1mL cm^-2 with LOD of 90 pg mL^-1. Spiked samples prepared by human saliva were tested and found efficient detection with this immunoelectrode.

Electrochemical switching with a DNA aptamer-based electrochemical sensor

The present study was focused on the application of NH₂-functionalized Fe₃O₄/gold nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/AuNPs)-decorated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the development of electrochemical sensor for bisphenol A (BPA) detection. After the nanocomposite synthesis and its characterization, the optimization of the measurement conditions and working parameters of sensors were evaluated. Aminated detection probe (DNA aptamer) was surface confined on the NH₂-functionalized Fe₃O₄/AuNPs surface using glutaraldehyde as a linker. The constructed nanoaptasensor incorporated the advantages of the neatly deposited Fe₃O₄/AuNPs and the covalent attachment of the detection probe at the surface of sensing interface. The results revealed that BPA could be detected in a wide linear range from 1 to 600nM with a low detection limit down to 300pM. Moreover, the resultant aptasensor exhibited good specificity, stability and reproducibility, indicating that the present strategy was promising for broad potential application in clinic assay.

Aptamers in analytics

Nucleic acid aptamers are promising alternatives to antibodies in analytics. They are generally obtained through an iterative SELEX protocol that enriches a population of synthetic oligonucleotides to a subset that can recognize the chosen target molecule specifically and avidly. A wide range of targets is recognized by aptamers. Once identified and optimized for performance, aptamers can be reproducibly synthesized and offer other key features, like small size, low cost, sensitivity, specificity, rapid response, stability, and reusability. This makes them excellent options for sensory units in a variety of analytical platforms including those with electrochemical, optical, and mass sensitive transduction detection. Many novel sensing strategies have been developed by rational design to take advantage of the tendency of aptamers to undergo conformational changes upon target/analyte binding and employing the principles of base complementarity that can drive the nucleic acid structure. Despite their many advantages over antibodies, surprisingly few aptamers have yet been integrated into commercially available analytical devices. In this review, we discuss how to select and engineer aptamers for their identified application(s), some of the challenges faced in developing aptamers for analytics and many examples of their reported successful performance as sensors in a variety of analytical platforms.

Nucleic acid aptamers in cancer research, diagnosis and therapy

Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligomers, identified from a random sequence pool, with the ability to form unique and versatile tertiary structures that bind to cognate molecules with superior specificity. Their small size, excellent chemical stability and low immunogenicity enable them to rival antibodies in cancer imaging and therapy applications. Their facile chemical synthesis, versatility in structural design and engineering, and the ability for site-specific modifications with functional moieties make aptamers excellent recognition motifs for cancer biomarker discovery and detection. Moreover, aptamers can be selected or engineered to regulate cancer protein functions, as well as to guide anti-cancer drug design or screening. This review summarizes their applications in cancer, including cancer biomarker discovery and detection, cancer imaging, cancer therapy, and anti-cancer drug discovery. Although relevant applications are relatively new, the significant progress achieved has demonstrated that aptamers can be promising players in cancer research.

Fabrication of an ultrasensitive ibuprofen nanoaptasensor based on covalent attachment of aptamer to electrochemically deposited gold-nanoparticles on glassy carbon electrode

The paper reports the development of an ultrasensitive nanoaptasensor based on the covalent attachment of an aptamer (Apt) to gold-nanoparticles (AuNPs) deposited on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as the unique platform. The developed nanoaptasensor was utilized to assay the anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen (IBP). The sensing platform was fabricated using a single-stage electrodeposite approach. It is worth noting that the proposed nanoaptasensor combines the advantages of the deposition of neatly arranged AuNPs (enlarged active surface area and strengthened electrochemical signal) and the elimination of enzymes or antibodies for the amplified detection of IBP, with the covalent attachment of the Apt to the surface of the modified electrode. Moreover, the newly developed nanoaptasensor embraces a number of attractive features such as ease of fabrication, low detection limit, excellent selectivity, good stability and a wide linear range with respect to IBP. Meanwhile, interference of common interfering analgesic drugs was effectively avoided. In optimized empirical conditions, the response current of the nanoaptasensor is linear to IBP concentrations from 0.005 nmol(-1) to 7 nmol(-1) with the detection limit (LOD) as accurate as 0.5 pmol(-1). This LOD value proves more sensitive in comparison with previously reported methods. Thus, the fabricated nanoaptasensor can serve as a powerful sensor for rapid diagnosis of IBP in human blood samples and shows great potential for practical bioapplication.

Aptamers as a replacement for antibodies in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

The application of antibodies in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the basis of this diagnostic technique which is designed to detect a potpourri of complex target molecules such as cell surface antigens, allergens, and food contaminants. However, development of the systematic evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) method, which can generate a nucleic acid-based probe (aptamer) that possess numerous advantages compared to antibodies, offers the possibility of using aptamers as an alternative molecular recognition element in ELISA. Compared to antibodies, aptamers are smaller in size, can be easily modified, are cheaper to produce, and can be generated against a wide array of target molecules. The application of aptamers in ELISA gives rise to an ELISA-derived assay called enzyme-linked apta-sorbent assay (ELASA). As with the ELISA method, ELASA can be used in several different configurations, including direct, indirect, and sandwich assays. This review provides an overview of the strategies involved in aptamer-based ELASA.

Planar Hall magnetoresistive aptasensor for thrombin detection

The use of aptamer-based assays is an emerging and attractive approach in disease research and clinical diagnostics. A sensitive aptamer-based sandwich-type sensor is presented to detect human thrombin using a planar Hall magnetoresistive (PHR) sensor in cooperation with superparamagnetic labels. A PHR sensor has the great advantages of a high signal-to-noise ratio, a small offset voltage and linear response in the low-field region, allowing it to act as a high-resolution biosensor. In the system presented here, the sensor has an active area of 50 µm × 50 µm with a 10-nm gold layer deposited onto the sensor surface prior to the binding of thiolated DNA primary aptamer. A polydimethylsiloxane well of 600-µm radius and 1-mm height was prepared around the sensor surface to maintain the same specific area and volume for each sensor. The sensor response was traced in real time upon the addition of streptavidin-functionalized magnetic labels on the sensor. A linear response to the thrombin concentration in the range of 86 pM-8.6 µM and a lower detection limit down to 86 pM was achieved by the proposed present method with a sample volume consumption of 2 µl. The proposed aptasensor has a strong potential for application in clinical diagnosis.

Patterned biochemical functionalization improves aptamer-based detection of unlabeled thrombin in a sandwich assay

Here we propose a platform for the detection of unlabeled human α-thrombin down to the picomolar range in a fluorescence-based aptamer assay. In this concept, thrombin is captured between two different thrombin binding aptamers, TBA1 (15mer) and TBA2 (29mer), each labeled with a specific fluorescent dye. One aptamer is attached to the surface, the second one is in solution and recognizes surface-captured thrombin. To improve the limit of detection and the comparability of measurements, we employed and compared two approaches to pattern the chip substrate-microcontact printing of organosilanes onto bare glass slides, and controlled printing of the capture aptamer TBA1 in arrays onto functionalized glass substrates using a nanoplotter device. The parallel presence of functionalized and control areas acts as an internal reference. We demonstrate that both techniques enable the detection of thrombin concentrations in a wide range from 0.02 to 200 nM with a detection limit at 20 pM. Finally, the developed method could be transferred to any substrate to probe different targets that have two distinct possible receptors without the need for direct target labeling.

Advances in aptamer screening and small molecule aptasensors

It has been 20 years since aptamer and SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) were described independently by Andrew Ellington and Larry Gold. Based on the great advantages of aptamers, there have been numerous isolated aptamers for various targets that have actively been applied as therapeutic and analytical tools. Over 2,000 papers related to aptamers or SELEX have been published, attesting to their wide usefulness and the applicability of aptamers. SELEX methods have been modified or re-created over the years to enable aptamer isolation with higher affinity and selectivity in more labor- and time-efficient manners, including automation. Initially, most of the studies about aptamers have focused on the protein targets, which have physiological functions in the body, and their applications as therapeutic agents or receptors for diagnostics. However, aptamers for small molecules such as organic or inorganic compounds, drugs, antibiotics, or metabolites have not been studied sufficiently, despite the ever-increasing need for rapid and simple analytical methods for various chemical targets in the fields of medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, food safety, and national defense against targets including chemical warfare. This review focuses on not only recent advances in aptamer screening methods but also its analytical application for small molecules.

Aptamer-based viability impedimetric sensor for bacteria

The development of an aptamer-based viability impedimetric sensor for bacteria (AptaVISens-B) is presented. Highly specific DNA aptamers to live Salmonella typhimurium were selected via the cell-systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique. Twelve rounds of selection were performed; each comprises a positive selection step against viable S. typhimurium and a negative selection step against heat killed S. typhimurium and a mixture of related pathogens, including Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Citrobacter freundii to ensure the species specificity of the selected aptamers. The DNA sequence showing the highest binding affinity to the bacteria was further integrated into an impedimetric sensor via self-assembly onto a gold nanoparticle-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (GNP-SPCE). Remarkably, this aptasensor is highly selective and can successfully detect S. typhimurium down to 600 CFU mL(-1) (equivalent to 18 live cells in 30 μL of assay volume) and distinguish it from other Salmonella species, including S. enteritidis and S. choleraesuis. This report is envisaged to open a new venue for the aptamer-based viability sensing of a variety of microorganisms, particularly viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria, using a rapid, economic, and label-free electrochemical platform.

Electrochemical Techniques as Powerful Readout Methods for Aptamer-based Biosensors

Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids that can be selected in vitro with special folding structures to bind to many different small-molecule, protein, and cellular targets. Over the past two decades, aptamers have become novel promising recognition elements for the fabrication of biosensors. These ‘aptasensors’ have several advantages over antibodies in that they are relatively easy to synthesise or modify in vitro, and can be appended with linkers and reporters for adaptation to various sensing strategies. In this chapter, we introduce the various electrochemical techniques that can be used as powerful readout methods for aptasensors, providing a brief introduction to aptamers and related electrochemical techniques, and then a detailed description of various branches within the field, including labelled strategies, unlabelled strategies, and enzyme-amplified strategies. For each type of approach, several basic and improved design principles will be addressed. It is hoped that, through this discussion, readers will get a sense of how several variables (aptamers, targets and redox reporters) are successfully combined with electrochemical techniques in order to produce a series of sensing platforms with high selectivity and sensitivity.

Aptamer-based impedimetric sensor for bacterial typing

The development of an aptamer-based impedimetric sensor for typing of bacteria (AIST-B) is presented. Highly specific DNA aptamers to Salmonella enteritidis were selected via Cell-SELEX technique. Twelve rounds of selection were performed; each comprises a positive selection step against S. enteritidis and a negative selection step against a mixture of related pathogens, including Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Citrobacter freundii, to ensure the species-specificity of the selected aptamers. After sequencing of the pool showing the highest binding affinity to S. enteritidis, a DNA sequence of high affinity to the bacteria was integrated into an impedimetric sensor via self-assembly onto a gold nanoparticles-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (GNPs-SPCE). Remarkably, this aptasensor is highly selective and can successfully detect S. enteritidis down to 600 CFU mL(-1) (equivalent to 18 CFU in 30 μL assay volume) in 10 min and distinguish it from other Salmonella species, including S. typhimurium and S. choleraesuis. This report is envisaged to open a new venue for the aptamer-based typing of a variety of microorganisms using a rapid, economic, and label-free electrochemical platform.

Label-free impedimetric thrombin sensor based on poly(pyrrole-nitrilotriacetic acid)-aptamer film

A label-free and highly sensitive impedimetric aptasensor was developed based on electropolymerized film for the determination of thrombin. The first step is the electrogeneration of a poly(pyrrole-nitrilotriacetic acid) (poly(pyrrole-NTA)) film onto the surface of electrodes followed by complexation of Cu(2+) ions. Then, the histidine labeled thrombin aptamer was immobilized onto the electrode through coordination of the histidine groups on the NTA-Cu(2+) complex. The aptamer sensor was applied for the detection and quantification of thrombin via impedimetric detection without a labeling step. A linear quantification of thrombin was obtained in the range 4.7×10(-12)-5.0×10(-10) mol L(-1) with a sensitivity of 2838 Ω/log unit (R(2)=0.9984). The impedance modulus at 0.3 Hz as a function of thrombin concentration was used to elaborate a similar linear relationship from 4.7×10(-12) to 5×10(-10) mol L(-1). In addition, aptamer-poly(pyrrole-NTA) electrodes incubated for 40 min in aqueous solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA), lysozyme and IgG (5×10(-7) mol L(-1)) did not exhibit non-specific adsorption of proteins. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the selective sensor can be regenerated several times with a good reproducibility.

Harnessing aptamers for electrochemical detection of endotoxin

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also known as endotoxin, triggers a fatal septic shock; therefore, fast and accurate detection of LPS from a complex milieu is of primary importance. Several LPS affinity binders have been reported so far but few of them have proved their efficacy in developing electrochemical sensors capable of selectively detecting LPS from crude biological liquors. In this study, we identified 10 different single-stranded DNA aptamers showing specific affinity to LPS with dissociation constants (K(d)) in the nanomolar range using a NECEEM-based non-SELEX method. Based on the sequence and secondary structure analysis of the LPS binding aptamers, an aptamer exhibiting the highest affinity to LPS (i.e., B2) was selected to construct an impedance biosensor on a gold surface. The developed electrochemical aptasensor showed excellent sensitivity and specificity in the linear detection range from 0.01 to 1 ng/mL of LPS with significantly reduced detection time compared with the traditional Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay.

Tetrahedron-structured DNA and functional oligonucleotide for construction of an electrochemical DNA-based biosensor

Tetrahedron-structured DNA (ts-DNA) in combination with a functionalized oligonucleotide was used to develop a "turn-on" biosensor for Hg(2+) ions. The ts-DNA provided an improved sensitivity and was used to block the active sites.

A simple assay to amplify the electrochemical signal by the aptamer based biosensor modified with CdS hollow nanospheres

A simple method to amplify the electrochemical signal by an aptamer with 22 bases modified with CdS hollow nanospheres (CdSHNs) was described. Using the thrombin as a model, the interaction between the aptamer and CdSHNs was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy. CdSHNs promoted the electron transfer between the gold electrode and K(3)[Fe(CN)(6)] and facilitated the conformation conversion of the aptamer from hairpin to G-quadruplex after the aptamer interacted with thrombin. Under optimal conditions, the modified electrode could be used for the determination of thrombin from 0 to 33 μg mL(-1) and the sensitivity was 1.34 μA mL μg(-1)cm(-2), while the linear range of the modified electrode without the immobilization of CdSHNs was from 2.75 to 27.5 μg mL(-1) and the sensitivity was 0.062 μA mL μg(-1)cm(-2). This constructed biosensor also had a good stability, specificity, reproducibility and accuracy which could provide a promising platform for fabrication of aptamer based biosensors.

Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Biosensors: Recent Advances and Perspectives

This paper reviews the advancements of a wide range of electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors, electrochemical aptasensors, for target analytes monitoring. Methods for immobilizing aptamers onto an electrode surface are discussed. Aptasensors are presented according to their detection strategies. Many of these are simply electrochemical, aptamer-based equivalents of traditional immunochemical approaches, sandwich and competition assays employing electroactive signaling moieties. Others, exploiting the unusual physical properties of aptamers, are signal-on (positive readout signal) and signal-off (negative readout signal) aptasensors based on target binding-induced conformational change of aptamers. Aptamer label-free devices are also discussed.

Electrochemical aptasensor using the tripropylamine oxidation to probe intramolecular displacement between target and complementary nucleotide for protein array

Tripropylamine (TPA) has different oxidation efficiency at double stranded (ds)-and single stranded (ss)-DNA-modified electrodes. Using this property, a simple but sensitive biosensor using TPA oxidation to probe the intramolecular displacement was constructed with the analysis of lysozyme as model for the first time. After the complementary ss-DNA strand of anti-lysozyme aptamer was immobilized onto gold electrode via gold-thiol bond, the incubation with the aptamer resulted in the formation of ds-DNA. Lysozyme (in 10 μL sample) binding with aptamer displaced the complementary strand because of the high affinity of lysozyme and its aptamer, corresponding to the dissociation of the ds-DNA. The modified electrode was swept in 20mM TPA solution from 0.2 to 0.95 V. The difference in oxidation current was used to quantify the content of lysozyme with a linear range from 1.0 pM to 1.1 nM. That means 10 amol or 6.0 × 10(6) lysozyme molecules can be detected. Because the signal is produced from the preconcentrated TPA at the electrode surface, the high sensitivity is achieved over the single site labelling strategy. The proposed method is simple, stable, specific, and time-saving while the complicated sample pre-treatment and the labelling to the DNA strand are avoided. The biosensor was validated by the analysis of the diluted egg white sample directly. The recovery and reproducibility were 93.3-100% and 1.4-4.2%, respectively.

Label-free protein recognition using aptamer-based fluorescence assay

Monitoring proteins in real time and in homogeneous solution without using external labels has always been a difficult task. In this paper, we have developed a label-free method for the ultrasensitive detection of thrombin in homogeneous solutions. High-affinity thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) used as molecular recognition probe, and fluorophore, crystal violet (CV), was chose as fluorescence signal probe. The fluorescence of CV enhanced significantly when the free CV solution was mixed with single-stranded TBA. In the presence of human thrombin, the fluorescence of CV decreased after the specific interaction between TBA and thrombin. Using the fluorescence change, we are able to selectively detect the thrombin in homogeneous solutions. The conformation transformation was investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectra measurements. Our method has been shown to be simple and effective without any labelling of the probe or of the target, and this procedure poses minimum effects on the binding properties of the proteins. This assay is highly selective and ultrasensitive. Under the optimum conditions, the method exhibits a dynamic response range from 2 x 10(-11) to 2 x 10(-9) M with a detection limit of 8 x 10(-12) M.

Label-free electrochemiluminescent aptasensor with attomolar mass detection limits based on a Ru(phen)(3)(2+)-double-strand DNA composite film electrode

Precisely known ligand-induced conformation change and complex chemical labeling of the DNA sequence with probe molecules are often needed for the signal generation in most of the previous aptasensors. Herein, a solution to the above problems was reported by the use of the Ru(phen)(3)(2+) intercalated into double strand DNA (ds-DNA) as an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) probe with thrombin as the target. After the antithrombin thiolated aptamer (27-mer) was attached to a gold electrode, ds-DNA structure was formed with its complementary 20-mer single strand DNA. Instead of the chemical modification of the aptamer or target with the probe molecule, Ru(phen)(3)(2+), as the probe, was intercalated into the ds-DNA structure. After thrombin hybridized with its aptamer, the ds-DNA dissociated and the intercalated Ru(phen)(3)(2+) released because of the higher stability of the aptamer-thrombin complex than that of the aptamer-complementary strand hybrid. The difference in ECL intensity with tripropylamine (TPA) as coreactant before and after the hybridization of thrombin and its aptamer was used to quantify thrombin. Besides the increase in the number of probe molecules over the single-site labeling, a ca. 80-fold improvement on the TPA oxidation at the ds-DNA modified electrode was found over the bare gold electrode. With the two amplification factors, the mass detection limits of 0.2 attomolar for thrombin are obtained. Because of the independence of conformational changes, the present method is readily extended to the targets whose aptamers have no specific conformational changes or other DNA-related detection without the need for chemical labeling.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

This review describes recent advances in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with an emphasis on its novel applications to various electrochemistry-related problems. Section 1 discusses the development of new EIS techniques to reduce measurement time. For this purpose, various forms of multisine EIS techniques were first developed via a noise signal synthesized by mixing ac waves of various frequencies, followed by fast Fourier transform of the signal and the resulting current. Subsequently, an entirely new concept was introduced in which true white noise was used as an excitation source, followed by Fourier transform of both excitation and response signals. Section 2 describes novel applications of the newly developed techniques to time-resolved impedance measurements as well as to impedance imaging. Section 3 is devoted to recent applications of EIS techniques, specifically traditional measurements in various fields with a special emphasis on biosensor detections.

Effect of linker structure on surface density of aptamer monolayers and their corresponding protein binding efficiency

A systematic study is reported on the effect of linker size and its chemical composition toward ligand binding to a surface-immobilized aptamer, measured using surface plasmon resonance. The results, using thrombin as the model system, showed that as the number of thymidine (T) units in the linker increases from 0 to 20 in four separate increments (T(0), T(5), T(10), T(20)), the surface density of the aptamer decreased linearly from approximately 25 to 12 pmol x cm(-2). The decrease in aptamer surface density occurred due to the increased size of the linker molecules. In addition, thrombin binding capacity was shown to increase as the linker length increased from 0 to 5 thymidine nucleotides and then decreased as the number of thymidine residues increased to 20 due to a balance between two different effects. The initial increase was due to increased access of thrombin to the aptamer as the aptamer was moved away from the surface. For linkers greater in length than T(5), the overall decrease in binding capacity was primarily due to a decrease in the surface density. Incorporation of a hexa(ethylene glycol) moiety into the linker did not affect the surface density but increased the amount of thrombin bound. In addition, the attachment of the linker at the 3'- versus the 5'-end of the aptamer resulted in increased aptamer surface density. However, monolayers formed with equal surface densities showed similar amounts of thrombin binding irrespective of the point of attachment.

Applications of aptamers as sensors

Aptamers are ligand-binding nucleic acids whose affinities and selectivities can rival those of antibodies. They have been adapted to analytical applications not only as alternatives to antibodies, but as unique reagents in their own right. In particular, aptamers can be readily site-specifically modified during chemical or enzymatic synthesis to incorporate particular reporters, linkers, or other moieties. Also, aptamer secondary structures can be engineered to undergo analyte-dependent conformational changes, which, in concert with the ability to specifically place chemical agents, opens up a wealth of possible signal transduction schemas, irrespective of whether the detection modality is optical, electrochemical, or mass based. Finally, because aptamers are nucleic acids, they are readily adapted to sequence- (and hence signal-) amplification methods. However, application of aptamers without a basic knowledge of their biochemistry or technical requirements can cause serious analytical difficulties.

Aptamer-based electrochemical sensors that are not based on the target binding-induced conformational change of aptamers

This study describes a new kind of aptamer-based electrochemical sensor that is not based on the target binding-induced conformational change of the aptamers by using a 15-mer thrombin-binding aptamer (5'-GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG-3') as the model oligonucleotide. The sensors are developed by first self-assembling the aptamer (i.e. a thrombin-binding aptamer) onto an Au electrode and then hybridizing the assembled aptamer with a ferrocene (Fc)-labeled short aptamer-complementary DNA oligonucleotide to form an electroactive double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) oligonucleotide onto the Au electrode. The binding of the target (i.e. thrombin) towards the aptamer essentially destroys the Watson-Crick helix structure of the ds-DNA oligonucleotide assembled onto the electrode and leads to the dissociation of the Fc-labeled short complementary DNA oligonucleotide from the electrode surface to the solution, resulting in a decrease in the current signal obtained at the electrode, which can be used for the determination of the target. With the thrombin-binding aptamer as the model oligonucleotide, the current decrease obtained with the aptamer-based electrochemical sensors is linear with the concentration of thrombin within the concentration range from 0 to 10 nM (DeltaI/nA = 6.7C(thrombin)/nM + 2.8, gamma = 0.975). Unlike most kinds of existing aptamer-based electrochemical sensor, the electrochemical aptasensors demonstrated here are not based on the conformational change of the aptamers induced by the specific target binding. Moreover, the aptasensors are essentially label-free and are very responsive toward the targets. This study may pave a facile and general way to the development of aptamer-based electrochemical sensors.

Detection for folding of the thrombin binding aptamer using label-free electrochemical methods

The folding of aptamer immobilized on an Au electrode was successfully detected using label-free electrochemical methods. A thrombin binding DNA aptamer was used as a model system in the presence of various monovalent cations. Impedance spectra showed that the extent to which monovalent cations assist in folding of aptamer is ordered as K(+) > NH(4)(+) > Na(+) > Cs(+). Our XPS analysis also showed that K(+) and NH(4)(+) caused a conformational change of the aptamer in which it forms a stable complex with these monovalent ions. Impedance results for the interaction between aptamer and thrombin indicated that thrombin interacts more with folded aptamer than with unfolded aptamer. The EQCM technique provided a quantitative analysis of these results. In particular, the present impedance results showed that thrombin participates a folding of aptamer to some extent, and XPS analysis confirmed that thrombin stabilizes and induces the folding of aptamer.

Effect of the immobilisation of DNA aptamers on the detection of thrombin by means of surface plasmon resonance

We report a multichannel surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for detection of thrombin via DNA aptamers immobilized on the SPR sensor surface. A detailed investigation of the effect of the immobilisation method on the interaction between thrombin and DNA aptamers is presented. Three basic approaches to the immobilisation of aptamers on the surface of the SPR sensor are examined: (i) immobilisation based on chemisorption of aptamers modified with SH groups, (ii) immobilisation of biotin-tagged aptamers via previously immobilized avidin, neutravidin or streptavidin molecular linkers, and (iii) immobilisation employing dendrimers as a support layer for subsequent immobilisation of aptamers. A level of nonspecific binding of thrombin to immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) for each of the immobilisation methods is determined. Immobilisation of aptamers by means of the streptavidin-biotin system yields the best results both in terms of sensor specificity and sensitivity.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for study of aptamer-thrombin interfacial interactions

A simple and highly sensitive electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) biosensor based on a thrombin-binding aptamer as molecular recognition element was developed for the determination of thrombin. The signal enhancement was achieved by using gold nanoparticles (GNPs), which was electrodeposited onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), as a platform for the immobilization of the thiolated aptamer. In the measurement of thrombin, the change in interfacial electron transfer resistance of the biosensor using a redox couple of [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) as the probe was monitored. The increase of the electron transfer resistance of the biosensor is linear with the concentration of thrombin in the range from 0.12nM to 30nM. The association and dissociation rate constants of the immobilized aptamer-thrombin complex were 6.7x10(3)M(-1)s(-1) and 1.0x10(-4)s(-1), respectively. The association and dissociation constants of three different immobilized aptamers binding with thrombin were measured and the difference of the dissociation constants obtained was discussed. This work demonstrates that GNPs electrodeposited on GCE used as a platform for the immobilization of the thiolated aptamer can improve the sensitivity of an EIS biosensor for the determination of protein. This work also demonstrates that EIS method is an efficient method for the determination of association and dissociation constants on GNPs modified GCE.

SERS detection of thrombin by protein recognition using functionalized gold nanoparticles

We present a method based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and exploiting a protein-protein recognition process able to detect thrombin at subpicomolar concentrations. Gold nanoparticles (NPs) were capped with a bifunctional molecule capable of forming a covalent link with the aromatic residues of the protein moiety. The typical vibrations of the diazo bond established between the bifunctional molecule and the target protein are found to be selectively enhanced by the conjugated gold NPs, and therefore constitutes the Raman marker. After the interaction of functionalized NPs with antithrombin as a sensitive recognition element, immobilized on a capture substrate, we have detected thrombin at a concentration of about 10(-13) M.