Convenient detection of HPV virus in a clinical sample using concurrent rolling circle and junction probe amplifications

Expanding the analytical applications of nucleic acid hybridization using junction probes

Nucleic acid hybridization is crucial in target recognition with respect to in vitro and in vivo nucleic acid biosensing. Conventional linear probes and molecular beacons encounter challenges in multiplexing and specific recognition of intractable nucleic acids. Advances in nucleic acid nanotechnologies have resulted in a set of novel structural probes: junction probes (JPs), which make full use of the advantages of specificity, stability, programmability and predictability of Watson-Crick base pairing. In recent years, junction probes have been regularly implemented in constructing systems related to biosensing, synthetic biology and gene regulation. Herein, we summarize the latest advances in JP designs as potential nucleic acid biosensing systems and their expansive applications, and provide some general guidelines for developing JP based sensing strategies for implementation of such systems.

Self-primed isothermal amplification for genomic DNA detection of human papillomavirus

Rolling circle amplification (RCA) is an isothermal amplification technique with high efficiency and perfect accuracy for nucleic acids detection. However, RCA technique suffers the limitation to detect short DNA or RNA molecules. For long nucleic acid molecules, enzymatic restriction as well as heat denaturation process is usually required, which makes the amplification not effective and strictly isothermal. In this article, a simple and efficient one-pot self-primed isothermal amplification (SIA) was developed for detection of genomic DNA directly based on the combination of nicking endonuclease assisted strand displacement amplification (SDA) and exponential RCA. In virtue of numerous nicking sites on the genome, a pre-amplification of the whole genome was performed through SDA with the specific cleaving of nicking endonuclease. Meanwhile, the single strand DNA with HPV target sequence generated from SDA could hybrid with the circle probe as a primer and trigger the exponential RCA as a result of the existence of nicking endonuclease. As the reaction temperature and enzyme were the same, the amplification could be operated in one pot. The reaction solution after amplification was added on the electrode for hybridization with the sulfydryl probe to achieve the electrochemical signal. Based on the isothermal amplification, genotyping of HPV 11, 16, 18 and the detection of HPV 18 in Hela cell line were attempted with satisfied results. This approach should be a promising tool for pathogene detection in clinical diagnostics and research.

Dual-primer self-generation SERS signal amplification assay for PDGF-BB using label-free aptamer

Highly sensitive detection of proteins, especially those associated with cancers, is essential to biomedical research as well as clinical diagnosis. In this work, a simple and novel one-two-three signal amplification surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method for the detection of protein is fabricated by using label-free aptamer and dual-primer self-generation. Platelet-derived growth factor B-chain (PDGF-BB) is selected as the model protein. The one-two-three cascade DNA amplification means one target-aptamer binding event, two hairpin DNA switches and three DNA amplification reactions. This strategy possesses some remarkable features compared to conventional signal amplification methods: (i) A smart probe including a label-free aptamer is fabricated, for suitable hybridization without hindering the affinity of the aptamer toward its target. (ii) Using the unique structure switch of the aptamer and cooperator, a one-two-three working mode is developed to amplify the SERS signal. The amplification efficiency is enhanced. Given the unique and attractive characteristics, a simple and universal strategy is designed to accomplish ultrasensitive detection of proteins. The detection limit of PDGF-BB via SERS detection is 0.42 pM, with the linear range from 1.0×10(-12)M to 10(-8)M. It is potentially universal because the aptamer can be easily designed for biomolecules whose aptamers undergo similar conformational changes.

Real-time sequence-validated loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays for detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), an emerging human coronavirus, causes severe acute respiratory illness with a 35% mortality rate. In light of the recent surge in reported infections we have developed asymmetric five-primer reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assays for detection of MERS-CoV. Isothermal amplification assays will facilitate the development of portable point-of-care diagnostics that are crucial for management of emerging infections. The RT-LAMP assays are designed to amplify MERS-CoV genomic loci located within the open reading frame (ORF)1a and ORF1b genes and upstream of the E gene. Additionally we applied one-step strand displacement probes (OSD) for real-time sequence-specific verification of LAMP amplicons. Asymmetric amplification effected by incorporating a single loop primer in each assay accelerated the time-to-result of the OSD-RT-LAMP assays. The resulting assays could detect 0.02 to 0.2 plaque forming units (PFU) (5 to 50 PFU/ml) of MERS-CoV in infected cell culture supernatants within 30 to 50 min and did not cross-react with common human respiratory pathogens.

A programmable Y-shaped junction scaffold-mediated modular and cascade amplification strategy for the one-step, isothermal and ultrasensitive detection of target DNA

A programmable Y-shaped junction probe-mediated modular and cascade amplification strategy was proposed for the one-pot, isothermal and ultrasensitive detection of target DNA.