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Target-triggered configuration change of DNA tetrahedron for SERS assay of microRNA 122

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Abstract

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method is proposed for the assay of microRNA 122 based on configuration change of DNA tetrahedron. Firstly, a DNA tetrahedron was self-assembled with one vertex labeled with toluidine blue (TB). Then, it was immobilized on the porous Ni/SiO2@PEI@Au as a SERS platform, which was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). At this time, the DNA tetrahedron was contracted; so, the TB is close to AuNPs and the Raman signal is high. When target microRNA 122 existed, with the nicking enzyme amplification strategy, a great deal of DNA signal chains (S5) was obtained, which can extend the contracted DNA tetrahedron and change it into a three-dimensional DNA tetrahedron. In this case, the TB was far from AuNPs, resulting in a lower Raman signal. Due to the configuration change of DNA tetrahedron, the Raman signal at 1624 cm−1 (with the excitation wavelength of 633 nm) has a linear relationship with the logarithm concentration of microRNA 122. This SERS assay has high sensitivity for microRNA 122 with a determination range from 0.01 aM to 10 fM and a detection limit of 0.009 aM. The recoveries from spiked samples were in the range 95 to 109%. This SERS strategy is designed based on the target-triggered configuration change of DNA tetrahedron, which can give new insight for DNA structures in bioanalysis.

A sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor was developed to detect microRNA 122 using the configuration change of DNA tetrahedron to indirectly control the position of TB and hot spot.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Chongqing Research Program of Basic Research and Frontier Technology (cstc2019jcyj-msxmX0209), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (XDJK2019C077), Open Project Program of College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUSTHX201804).

Funding

The authors also thank Xia Zhong (Southwest University) for the Raman test technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, People’s Republic of China

    Shufan Wang, Caijun Wu, Jiajia Luo, Ruo Yuan & Xia Yang

  2. Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis; College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, People’s Republic of China

    Xiliang Luo

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  1. Shufan Wang
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  2. Caijun Wu
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  3. Jiajia Luo
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  4. Xiliang Luo
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  5. Ruo Yuan
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  6. Xia Yang
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Correspondence to Ruo Yuan.

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Wang, S., Wu, C., Luo, J. et al. Target-triggered configuration change of DNA tetrahedron for SERS assay of microRNA 122. Microchim Acta 187, 460 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-04449-7

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