A simple and universal “turn-on” detection platform for proteases based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)

A facile dual-mode SERS/fluorescence aptasensor for AFB1 detection based on gold nanoparticles and magnetic nanoparticles

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a virulent metabolite secreted by Aspergillus fungi, impacting crop quality and posing health risks to human. Herein, a dual-mode Raman/fluorescence aptasensor was constructed to detect AFB1. The aptasensor was assembled by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), while the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) effects were both realized. AuNPs were modified with the Raman signal molecule 4-MBA and the complementary chain of AFB1 aptamer (cDNA). MNPs were modified with the fluorescence signal molecule Cy5 and the AFB1 aptamer (AFB1 apt). Through base pairing, AuNPs aggregated on the surface of MNPs, forming a satellite-like nanocomposite, boosting SERS signal via increased "hot spots" but reducing fluorescence signal due to the proximity of AuNPs to Cy5. Upon exposure to AFB1, AFB1 apt specifically bound to AFB1, causing AuNPs detachment from MNPs, weakening the SERS signal while restoring the fluorescence signal. AFB1 concentration displayed a good linear relationship with SERS/fluorescence signal in the range of 0.01 ng/mL-100 ng/mL, with a detection limit as low as 5.81 pg/mL. The use of aptamer assured the high selectivity toward AFB1. Furthermore, the spiked recovery in peanut samples ranged from 91.4 % to 95.6 %, indicating the applicability of real sample detection. Compared to single-signal sensor, this dual-signal sensor exhibited enhanced accuracy, robust anti-interference capability, and increased flexibility, promising for toxin detection in food safety applications.

Using tungsten oxide quantum-dot enhanced electrochemiluminescence to measure thrombin activity and screen its inhibitors

A thrombin-activity-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was successfully constructed using tungsten oxide quantum dots (WO3-x QDS) as the co-reactant and thrombin-cleavable peptides as the recognizer. Specifically, Ru(bpy)32+ were doped on silica nanoparticles (Ru@SiO2), which greatly enhanced the ECL potential. AuNPs@WO3-x QDs composite was then prepared to accelerate electron transfer and improve the ECL signal by 219 times. Under ideal conditions, the limit of detection for thrombin in serum was determined to be 0.28 μU/mL with a linear range from 1 μU/mL to 1 U/mL. In addition, the developed ECL biosensor was used to screen for thrombin inhibitors from 12 compounds in Artemisiae Argyi Folium. Among the compounds tested, it was observed that 100 μmol/L luteolin exhibited a significantly higher inhibition rate (exceeding 80%) compared to apigenin, isorhamnetin, naringin, or eriodictyol. In an in-vitro anticoagulation experiment, luteolin (100 μmol/L) prolonged APTT by 49%, and the molecular docking assay indicated that luteolin had binding sites of Gly219 and Asp189 in the active pockets of thrombin. This may have been the main reason underpinning luteolin's anticoagulation effects. Overall, the Ru@WO3-x QDS ECL biosensor provided a reliable strategy for thrombin activity assay and screening of anticoagulant agents.

Protease detection in the biosensor era: A review

Proteases have been proposed as potential biomarkers for several pathological conditions including cancers, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, due to their ability to break down the components of extracellular matrix and basement membrane. The development of protease biosensors opened up the possibility to investigate the proteolytic activity of dysregulated proteases with higher efficiency over the traditional detection assays due to their quick detection capability, high sensitivity and selectivity, simple instrumentation and cost-effective fabrication processes. In contrast to the recently published review papers that primarily focused on one specific class of proteases or one specific detection method, this review article presents different optical and electrochemical detection methods that can be used to design biosensors for all major protease families. The benefits and drawbacks of various transducer techniques integrated into protease biosensing platforms are analyzed and compared. The main focus is on activity-based biosensors that use peptides as biorecognition elements. The effects of nanomaterials on biosensor performance are also discussed. This review should help readers to select the biosensor that best fits their needs, and contribute to the further development of this research field. Protease biosensors may allow better comprehension of protease overexperession and potentially enable novel devices for point-of-care testing.

Translation of a Protease Turnover Assay for Clinical Discrimination of Mucinous Pancreatic Cysts

The classification of pancreatic cyst fluids can provide a basis for the early detection of pancreatic cancer while eliminating unnecessary procedures. A candidate biomarker, gastricsin (pepsin C), was found to be present in potentially malignant mucinous pancreatic cyst fluids. A gastricsin activity assay using a magnetic bead-based platform has been developed using immobilized peptide substrates selective for gastricsin bearing a dimeric rhodamine dye. The unique dye structure allows quantitation of enzyme-cleaved product by both fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The performance of this assay was compared with ELISA assays of pepsinogen C and the standard of care, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), in the same clinical sample cohort. A retrospective cohort of mucinous (n = 40) and non-mucinous (n = 29) classes of pancreatic cyst fluid samples were analyzed using the new protease activity assay. For both assay detection modes, successful differentiation of mucinous and non-mucinous cyst fluid was achieved using 1 µL clinical samples. The activity-based assays in combination with CEA exhibit optimal sensitivity and specificity of 87% and 93%, respectively. The use of this gastricsin activity assay requires a minimal volume of clinical specimen, offers a rapid assay time, and shows improvements in the differentiation of mucinous and non-mucinous cysts using an accurate standardized readout of product formation, all without interfering with the clinical standard of care.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based detection of plasmin activity by specific peptide substrate

In this study, a new surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based method has been developed for the detection of plasmin activity. Firstly, different peptide sequences, which are specific to plasmin, were examined. Then, SERS substrates were prepared by chosen peptide substrate. Enzyme activity was determined by pursuing the reduction of DTNB band at 1331 cm^-1 with Raman spectroscopy. The reduction in SERS intensity was related to the plasmin activity, and changes in SERS intensity vs. plasmin concentration graph was obtained. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were calculated as 2.14 U/mL and 6.42 U/mL, respectively. Intra- and inter-day repeatability results were determined as 1.45% and 1.47% relative standard deviation (RSD). Also, recovery of the method was determined for the plasmin spiked milk samples. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could be successfully used to detect the plasmin activity in milk samples.

Ultrasensitive ratiometric fluorescent probes for Hg(ii) and trypsin activity based on carbon dots and metalloporphyrin via a target recycling amplification strategy

A ultrasensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed for Hg(ii) and trypsin based on CDs and TPPS via a target recycling amplification strategy. The detection limits of Hg2+ and trypsin were 0.086 nM and 0.013 ng mL−1.

Coenzyme-Mediated Electro-RAFT Polymerization for Amplified Electrochemical Interrogation of Trypsin Activity

Trypsin is a key proteolytic enzyme in the digestive system and its abnormal levels are indicative of some pancreatic diseases. Taking advantage of the coenzyme-mediated electrografting of ferrocenyl polymers as a novel strategy for signal amplification, herein, a signal-on cleavage-based electrochemical biosensor is reported for the highly selective interrogation of trypsin activity at ultralow levels. The construction of the trypsin biosensor involves (i) the immobilization of peptide substrates (without free carboxyl groups) via the N-terminus, (ii) the tryptic cleavage of peptide substrates, (iii) the site-specific labeling of the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents, and (iv) the grafting of ferrocenyl polymers through the electro-RAFT (eRAFT) polymerization, which is mediated by potentiostatic reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) coenzymes. Through the NAD⁺-mediated eRAFT (NAD⁺-eRAFT) polymerization of ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate (FcMMA), the presence of a few tryptic cleavage events can eventually result in the recruitment of a considerable amount of ferrocene redox tags. Obviously, the NAD⁺-eRAFT polymerization is low-cost and easy to operate as a highly efficient strategy for signal amplification. As expected, the as-constructed biosensor is highly selective and sensitive toward the signal-on interrogation of trypsin activity. Under optimal conditions, the detection limit can be as low as 18.2 μU/mL (∼72.8 pg/mL). The results also demonstrate that the as-constructed electrochemical trypsin biosensor is applicable to inhibitor screening and the interrogation of enzyme activity in the presence of complex sample matrices. Moreover, it is low-cost, less susceptible to false-positive results, and relatively easy to fabricate, thus holding great potential in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Development of MALDI MS peptide array for thrombin inhibitor screening

The development of in situ methods for the analysis and visualization of enzyme activity is of paramount importance in drug discovery, research, and development. In this work, the functionalized and array patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) glass slides were fabricated by non-covalent immobilization of amphipathic phospholipid-tagged peptides encompassing the thrombin cleavage site on steric acid-modified ITO slides. The fabricated peptide arrays provide 60 spots per slide, and are compatible with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) measurement, free matrix peak interference, and tolerance to repeated aqueous washing. The peptide arrays were used for the investigation of thrombin activity and screening for its potential inhibitors. The thrombin activity and its Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m) for immobilized peptide substrate was determined using developed MALDI MS peptide array. To investigate the applicability and effectiveness of peptide arrays, the anti-thrombin activity of grape seed proanthocyanidins with different degrees of polymerization (DP) was monitored and visualized. MALDI MS imaging results showed that the fractions of proanthocyanidins with the mean DP of 4.61-6.82 had good thrombin inhibitory activity and their half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) were below 10 μg/mL. Therefore, the developed peptide array is a reliable platform for the discovery of natural thrombin inhibitors.

A straightforward and reliable evaluation of Ag(I) binding affinity mediated by a peptide ligand for constructing an efficient sensing platform

The reliable determination of the Ag(I) affinity for biomolecules is an essential issue in the fields of structural analysis and sensor design. However, the urgent problem confronting researchers is lack of a direct and accurate Ag(I) affinity evaluation as a reference standard for ligand analysis. We communicated here a straightforward and high-efficiency method of measuring Ag(I) affinity exactly on the basis of the unique calculation algorithm and the design of a special peptide RFPRDD (P) as Ag(I) binding motif. According to UV-vis competition between the corresponding complexes (AgP) and biomolecules (peptides, amino acids and ssDNA), the decrease of the signature at 300 nm characteristic of AgP was obtained for quantitative analysis. The primary advantages of this strategy were the widespread application, high accuracy and reference significance, which were corroborated by theoretical calculations. To identify its potential in biosensing, two kinds of testing models for Ag(I) were proposed by AgBP2-decorated and Ag4-decorated gold nanoparticles, the detection limits of which were 2 nM and 75 nM respectively. By contrast of the sensing property of the functional peptides (AgBP2, Ag4), we afforded evidence that this conception could be regarded as an evaluation criterion for the selection and performance optimization of sensitive elements, thereby holding a dominant position in the biosensors.

A novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering probe based on Au nanoboxes for dynamic monitoring of caspase-3 during cervical cancer cell apoptosis

The highly sensitive and reliable detection, imaging, and monitoring of changes of intracellular caspase-3 are critical for understanding the cell apoptosis and studying the progression of caspase-3-related cervical cancer.

AuNanostar@4-MBA@Au Core-Shell Nanostructure Coupled with Exonuclease III-Assisted Cycling Amplification for Ultrasensitive SERS Detection of Ochratoxin A

The "turn-on" mode surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor for ultrasensitive ochratoxin A (OTA) detection was developed based on the SERS "hot spots" of AuNanostar@4-MBA@Au core-shell nanostructures (AuNS@4-MBA@Au) and exonuclease III (Exo III)-assisted target cycle amplification strategy. Compared with conventional gold nanoparticles, AuNS@4-MBA@Au provides a much higher SERS enhancement factor because AuNS exhibits a larger surface roughness and the lightning rod effect, as well as an excellent electromagnetic field between the AuNS core and the Au shell, which contribute to the superstrong SERS signal. Meanwhile, Exo III-assisted target cycle amplification can be used as an effective method for the further amplified detection of OTA. Additionally, the utilization of streptavidin magnesphere paramagnetic particles offers a green, economical, and facile technology for the accumulation and separation of the signal probe AuNS@4-MBA@Au from solution. All these factors lead to a significant enhancement of detectable signals and superhigh sensitivity. As a result, the limit of detection as low as 0.25 fg mL^-1 could be achieved, which was lower than that in the other reported literatures on SERS methods for OTA detection as we know. The developed SERS aptasensor also provides a promising tool for foodstuff detection.

Waveguide-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection of protease activity using non-natural aromatic amino acids

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a selective and sensitive technique, which allows for the detection of protease activity by monitoring the cleavage of peptide substrates. Commonly used free-space based SERS substrates, however, require the use of bulky and expensive instrumentation, limiting their use to laboratory environments. An integrated photonics approach aims to implement various free-space optical components to a reliable, mass-reproducible and cheap photonic chip. We here demonstrate integrated SERS detection of trypsin activity using a nanoplasmonic slot waveguide as a waveguide-based SERS substrate. Despite the continuously improving SERS performance of the waveguide-based SERS substrates, they currently still do not reach the SERS enhancements of free-space substrates. To mitigate this, we developed an improved peptide substrate in which we incorporated the non-natural aromatic amino acid 4-cyano-phenylalanine, which provides a high intrinsic SERS signal. The use of non-natural aromatics is expected to extend the possibilities for multiplexing measurements, where the activity of several proteases can be detected simultaneously.

Biosensor platforms for rapid HIV detection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a type of lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus), causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This pathophysiologic state destroys the immune system allowing opportunistic infections, cancer and other life-threatening diseases to thrive. Although many analytic tools including enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), indirect and line immunoassay, Western blotting, radio-immunoprecipitation, nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) have been developed to detect HIV, recent developments in nanosensor technology have prompted its use as a novel diagnostic approach. Nanosensors provide analytical information about behavior and characteristics of particles by using biochemical reactions mediated by enzymes, immune components, cells and tissues. These reactions are transformed into decipherable signals, i.e., electrical, thermal, optical, using nano to micro scale technology. Nanosensors are capable of both quantitative and qualitative detection of HIV, are highly specific and sensitive and provide rapid reproducible results. Nanosensor technology can trace infant infection during mother-to-child transmission, the latent HIV pool and monitor anti-HIV therapy. In this chapter, we review nanosensor analytics including electrochemical, optical, piezoelectric, SERS-based lateral flow assay, microfluidic channel-based biosensors in the detection of HIV. Other techniques in combination with different biorecognition elements (aptamers, antibodies, oligonucleotides) are also discussed.

Nanoparticle-based assay for detection of S100P mRNA using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The focus of this work is toward the development of a point-of-care (POC) handheld technology for the noninvasive early detection of salivary biomarkers. The initial of focus was the detection and quantification of S100 calcium-binding protein P (S100P) mRNA found in whole saliva for use as a potential biomarker for oral cancer. Specifically, a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based approach and assay were designed, developed, and tested for sensitive and rapid detection of S100P mRNA. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with oligonucleotides and malachite green isothiocyanate was then used as a Raman reporter molecule. The hybridization of S100P target to DNA-conjugated AuNPs in sandwich assay format in both free solution and a vertical flow chip (VFC) was confirmed using a handheld SERS system. The detection limit of the SERS-based assay in free solution was determined to be 1.1 nM, whereas on the VFC the detection limit was observed to be 10 nM. SERS-based VFCs were also used to quantify the S100P mRNA from saliva samples of oral cancer patients and a healthy group. The result indicated that the amount of S100P mRNA detected for the oral cancer patients is three times higher than that of a healthy group.

Monitoring 2,3',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl with a rapid and sensitive environmental aptamer sensor

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) detection in the environment is significant for both environmental protection and human health. Herein, a highly sensitive aptamer sensor has been established by employing a 2,3',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB72) targeting aptamer as a highly specific recognition element and a gold/silver (Au@Ag) nanocomposite as the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate for detecting environmental PCB72. The Au@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit a strong SERS enhancement and provide an efficient substrate for immobilizing the PCB72 aptamer and Raman signal labelled molecule, 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA). The targeted PCB72 could competitively bind with the PCB72 aptamer, resulting in a few aptamers sticking to the Au@Ag NPs and the "hot spot" strengthening effect of the substrate. Under optimal conditions, this aptamer sensor exhibits great performance with high sensitivity, excellent selectivity and stability for the monitoring of PCB72, which shows an excellent linear correlation ranging from 1 to 1000 pg mL-1 with a limit of detection of 0.3 pg mL-1. Furthermore, this aptamer assay exhibits high specificity and selectivity for PCB72 with the detection error of less than 0.27 for other PCBs and 0.21 for other interfering species, even if the coexisting interferents are 100-fold concentration in the system. Additionally, the recognition mechanism of the binding of aptamers to PCB72 is analyzed via UV-vis spectroscopy and molecular docking simulations, which suggest that PCB72 could insert into the aptamers. Furthermore, this method is successfully utilized for PCB72 detection in real water samples with a simple pre-treatment. In general, this work provides a new and effective method using an environmental aptamer sensor for rapid and sensitive PCB72 detection.

Recent developments in protease activity assays and sensors

Proteases play a pivotal role in regulating important physiological processes from food digestion to blood clotting. They are also important biomarkers for many diseases such as cancers. The importance of proteases has led to extensive efforts in the screening of proteases and their inhibitors as potential drug molecules. For example, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients have been treated with HIV-1 protease inhibitors to prolong the life expectancy of patients. Such a close relationship between diseases and proteases provides a strong motivation for developing sensitive, selective, and robust protease assays and sensors, which can be exploited to discover new proteases and inhibitors. In this aspect, protease assays based on levels of proteolytic activities are more relevant than protease affinity assays such as immunoassays. In this review, recent developments of protease activity assays based on different detection principles are discussed and compared. For homogenous assays, fluorescence-based techniques are the most popular due to their high sensitivity and quantitative results. However, homogeneous assays have limited multiplex sensing capabilities. In contrast, heterogeneous assays can be employed to detect multiple proteases simultaneously, given the microarray technology that is already available. Among them, electrochemical methods, surface spectroscopy techniques, and enzyme-linked peptide protease assays are commonly used. Finally, recent developments in liquid crystal (LC)-based protease assays and their applications for detecting proteases and their inhibitors are discussed.

Rational design of an anchoring peptide for high-efficiency and quantitative modification of peptides and DNA strands on gold nanoparticles

The pentapeptide Cys-Ala-Leu-Asn-Asn (CALNN) could stabilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), most of which serve as anchoring blocks for various bioanalyses by introducing recognition blocks. However, the typical conjugation strategy greatly suffers from excessive use of peptides, overnight incubation and consequently low efficiency. In this study, new design criteria for the efficacious anchor were established. In addition, a stable, instantaneous and effective modification of the anchoring peptide RRFPDD or its derivatives on AuNPs is first proposed for the first time. With low consumption of peptides (50 μM), the loading process could be realized in 100 seconds. The anchor RRFPDD also allowed for the quantitative adsorption of appended recognition blocks (e.g., peptides or DNAs), thus adjusting their proportions for better performance. In particular, the biological characteristics of those recognition blocks were fully retained. Furthermore, the anchor RRFPDD contributed to a time-saving and high-efficiency (85%) hydrolysis of peptide-capped AuNPs. Considering these advantages of the new anchor, a reliable assay for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was developed with a detection limit as low as 0.45 ng mL-1, and also successfully applied in human serum samples.

A novel fluorescence strategy for mercury ion and trypsin activity assay based on nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots

Fluorescent detection of Hg²⁺ and trypsin based on trypsin-modulated competition between Hg²⁺, N-GQDs and HSA.

Nanotechnology-Enhanced No-Wash Biosensors for in Vitro Diagnostics of Cancer

In vitro biosensors have been an integral component for early diagnosis of cancer in the clinic. Among them, no-wash biosensors, which only depend on the simple mixing of the signal generating probes and the sample solution without additional washing and separation steps, have been found to be particularly attractive. The outstanding advantages of facile, convenient, and rapid response of no-wash biosensors are especially suitable for point-of-care testing (POCT). One fast-growing field of no-wash biosensor design involves the usage of nanomaterials as signal amplification carriers or direct signal generating elements. The analytical capacity of no-wash biosensors with respect to sensitivity or limit of detection, specificity, stability, and multiplexing detection capacity is largely improved because of their large surface area, excellent optical, electrical, catalytic, and magnetic properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various nanomaterial-enhanced no-wash biosensing technologies and focuses on the analysis of the underlying mechanism of these technologies applied for the early detection of cancer biomarkers ranging from small molecules to proteins, and even whole cancerous cells. Representative examples are selected to demonstrate the proof-of-concept with promising applications for in vitro diagnostics of cancer. Finally, a brief discussion of common unresolved issues and a perspective outlook on the field are provided.

Leakage-free polypyrrole–Au nanostructures for combined Raman detection and photothermal cancer therapy

A novel PPy–Au nanostructure with the bifunctionality of Raman detection and photothermal therapy of cancer is reported.

Gold nanodome SERS platform for label-free detection of protease activity

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering provides a promising technology for sensitive and selective detection of protease activity by monitoring peptide cleavage. Not only are peptides and plasmonic hotspots similarly sized, Raman fingerprints also hold large potential for spectral multiplexing. Here, we use a gold-nanodome platform for real-time detection of trypsin activity on a CALNNYGGGGVRGNF substrate peptide. First, we investigate the spectral changes upon cleavage through the SERS signal of liquid-chromatography separated products. Next, we show that similar patterns are detected upon digesting surface-bound peptides. We demonstrate that the relative intensity of the fingerprints from aromatic amino acids before and after the cleavage site provides a robust figure of merit for the turnover rate. The presented method offers a generic approach for measuring protease activity, which is illustrated by developing an analogous substrate for endoproteinase Glu-C.

High stability of gold nanoparticles towards DNA modification and efficient hybridization via a surfactant-free peptide route

A stable, universal, highly efficient approach to quickly load DNA onto AuNPs is proposed with high DNA utilization, further boosting hybridization.

SERS determination of protease through a particle-on-a-film configuration constructed by electrostatic assembly in an enzymatic hydrolysis reaction

We describe a simple and universal method for trypsin determination with the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique.

A SERS-based lateral flow assay biosensor for highly sensitive detection of HIV-1 DNA

User-friendly lateral flow (LF) strips have been extensively used for point-of-care (POC) self-diagnostics, but they have some limitations in their detection sensitivity and quantitative analysis because they only identify the high cut-off value of a biomarker by utilizing color changes that are detected with the naked eye. To resolve these problems associated with LF strips, we developed a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based LF assay for the quantitative analysis of a specific biomarker in the low concentration range. Herein, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA was chosen as the specific biomarker. Raman reporter-labeled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were employed as SERS nano tags for targeting and detecting the HIV-1 DNA marker, as opposed to using bare AuNPs in LF strips. It was possible to quantitatively analyze HIV-1 DNA with high sensitivity by monitoring the characteristic Raman peak intensity of the DNA-conjugated AuNPs. Under optimized conditions, the detection limit of our SERS-based lateral flow assay was 0.24 pg/mL, which was at least 1000 times more sensitive compared to colorimetric or fluorescent detection methods. These results demonstrate the potential feasibility of the proposed SERS-based lateral flow assay to quantitatively detect a broad range of genetic diseases with high sensitivity.

A SERS/fluorescence dual-mode nanosensor based on the human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA: Application to mercury (II) detection

DNA-metal nanoparticle conjugates have been increasingly exploited for sensing purposes over the past decades. However, most of the existing strategies are operated with canonical DNA structures, such as single-stranded forms, stem-loop structures, and double helix structures. There is intense interest in the development of nano-system based on high order DNA secondary structures. Herein, we propose a SERS/fluorescence dual-mode nanosensor, where the signal transduction mechanism is based on the conformational switching of the human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA. The nanosensor exhibits excellent SERS/fluorescence responses to the complementary strands of G-quadruplexes. Based on T-Hg(2+)-T coordination chemistry, this sensor is effectively applied to determination of Hg(2+) in buffer solution and real samples. It achieves a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1ppt, which is ~100 times more sensitive than conventional optical sensors. We anticipate that the proposed G-quadruplex-based nanosensor could be applied to the analysis of other metal ions and small molecules in environmental samples and biological systems.