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Colorimetric and energy transfer based fluorometric turn-on method for determination of microRNA using silver nanoclusters and gold nanoparticles

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Abstract

The authors describe a dual (colorimetric and fluorometric) detection scheme for microRNA. The method is based on the use of fluorescent DNA-modified silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The DNA-AgNCs were linked to AuNPs via the interaction of ssDNA-AgNC probes with AuNPs. This led to quenching of the fluorescence of the DNA-AgNCs (best measured at excitation/emission peaks of 370/450 nm) and also prevents salt-induced aggregation of the AuNPs. Upon addition of microRNA, the DNA on the AgNCs hybridizes with microRNA. This led to the formation of a DNA-AgNC/miRNA hetero-duplex and increase of the distance to the AuNPs. Quenching was suppressed and fluorescence was restored. The presence of microRNA also affected salt-induced particle aggregation as reflected by a color change from red to purple that is visible with bare eyes. The visual detection limit for microRNA is 0.6 nM, and the fluorometric detection limit is 0.4 pM.

Schematic of the colorimetric and fluorometric assay for microRNA (miRNA). It is based on the use of fluorescent DNA-modified silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the research Council of University of Tehran (Grant 28645/01/02) and NBIC Research Center for financial support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences & Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Yasaman-Sadat Borghei & Morteza Hosseini

  2. Center of Excellence in Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Ganjali

  3. Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology & Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Ganjali

  4. State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, People’s Republic of China

    Huangxian Ju

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  1. Yasaman-Sadat Borghei
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  2. Morteza Hosseini
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  3. Mohammad Reza Ganjali
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  4. Huangxian Ju
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Correspondence to Morteza Hosseini.

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Borghei, YS., Hosseini, M., Ganjali, M.R. et al. Colorimetric and energy transfer based fluorometric turn-on method for determination of microRNA using silver nanoclusters and gold nanoparticles. Microchim Acta 185, 286 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-018-2825-3

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