Selection and Identification of DNA Aptamers against Okadaic Acid for Biosensing Application

This work describes the selection and identification of DNA aptamers that bind with high affinity and specificity to okadaic acid (OA), a lipophilic marine biotoxin that accumulates in shellfish. The aptamers selected using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) exhibited dissociation constants in the nanomolar range. The aptamer with the highest affinity was then used for the fabrication of a label-free electrochemical biosensor for okadaic acid detection. The aptamer was first immobilized on the gold electrode by a self-assembly approach through Au–S interaction. The binding of okadaic acid to the aptamer immobilized on the electrode surface induces an alteration of the aptamer conformation causing a significant decrease in the electron-transfer resistance monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The aptasensor showed a linear range for the concentrations of OA between 100 pg/mL and 60 ng/mL with a detection limit of 70 pg/mL. The dissociation constant of okadaic acid with the aptamer immobilized on the electrode surface showed good agreement with that determined using fluorescence assay in solution. Moreover, the aptasensor did not show cross-reactivity toward toxins with structures similar to okadaic acid such as dinophysis toxin-1 and 2 (DTX-1, DTX-2). Further biosensing applications of the selected aptamers are expected to offer promising alternatives to the traditional analytical and immunological methods for OA detection

Selection, Characterization, and Biosensing Application of High Affinity Congener-Specific Microcystin-Targeting Aptamers

The efficiency of current microcystin detection methods has been hampered by the low detection limits required in drinking water and that routine detection is restricted to a few of the congeners with high degree of undesired cross-reactivity. Here, we report the development of novel microcystin-targeting molecules and their application in microcystin detection. We have selected DNA aptamers from a diverse random library that exhibit high affinity and specificity to microcystin-LR, -YR, and -LA. We obtained aptamers that bind to all chosen congeners with high affinity with <i>K</i>_D ranging from 28 to 60 nM. More importantly, we also obtained aptamers that are selective among the different congeners, with selectivity from 3-folds difference in binding affinity to total discrimination (<i>K</i>_D of 50 nM versus nonspecific binding). Electrochemical aptasensors constructed with the selected aptamers were able to achieve sensitive and congener-specific microcystin detection with detection limit as low as 10 pM

Aptamer-Based Label-Free Impedimetric Biosensor for Detection of Progesterone

Rising progesterone (P4) levels in humans due to its overconsumption through hormonal therapy, food products, or drinking water can lead to many negative health effects. Thus, the simple and accurate assessment of P4 in both environmental and clinical samples is highly important to protect public health. In this work, we present the selection, identification, and characterization of ssDNA aptamers with high binding affinity to P4. The aptamers were selected in vitro from a single-stranded DNA library of 1.8 × 10¹⁵ oligonucleotides showing dissociation constants (<i>K</i>_D) in the low nanomolar range. The dissociation constant of the best aptamer, designated as P4G13, was estimated to be 17 nM by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as well as fluorometric assay. Moreover, the aptamer P4G13 did not show cross-reactivity to analogues similar to progesterone such as 17β-estradiol (E2) and norethisterone (NET). An impedimetric aptasensor for progesterone was then fabricated based on the conformational change of P4G13 aptamer, immobilized on the gold electrode by self-assembly, upon binding to P4, which results in an increase in electron transfer resistance. Aptamer–complementary DNA (cDNA) oligonucleotides were tested to maximize the signal gain of the aptasensor after binding with progesterone. Significant signal enhancement was observed when the aptamer hybridized with a short complementary sequence at specific site was used instead of pure aptamer. This signal gain is likely due to the more significant conformational change of the aptamer–cDNA than the pure aptamer upon binding with P4, as confirmed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The developed aptasensor exhibited a linear range for concentrations of P4 from 10 to 60 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.90 ng/mL. Moreover, the aptasensor was applied in spiked tap water samples and showed good recovery percentages. The new selected progesterone aptamers can be exploited in further biosensing applications for environmental, clinical, and medical diagnostic purposes

Sensitive Detection of ssDNA Using an LRET-Based Upconverting Nanohybrid Material

Water-dispersible, optical hybrid nanoparticles are preferred materials for DNA biosensing due to their biocompatibility. Upconverting nanoparticles are highly desirable optical probes in sensors and bioimaging owing to their sharp emission intensity in the visible region. We herein report a highly sensitive ss-DNA detection based on an energy transfer system that uses a nanohybrid material synthesized by doping NaYF₄:Tm³⁺/Yb³⁺ upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) on silica coated polystyrene-<i>co</i>-acrylic acid (PSA) nanoparticles (PSA/SiO₂) as the donor, and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) decorated with Ir­(III) complex as the acceptor. UCNPs tagged on PSA/SiO₂ and the cyclometalated Ir­(III)/AuNP conjugates were then linked through the ss-DNA sequence. Sequential addition of the target DNA to the probe molecular beacon complex resulted in the separation of the optical nanohybrid material and the quencher, leading to a measurable increase in the blue fluorescence emission intensity. Our results have shown a linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and target DNA concentration down to the picomolar