title: Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization in DNA biosensing.
abstract: Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization is employed here to allow detector-free visualization of specific DNA sequences for which dynamic polymer growth is used in signal amplification. In particular, surface-initiated polymer growth was regulated by the immobilization of chain transfer agents on the Au surface where DNA hybridization occurred. A linear polymer growth was observed as a function of the reaction time, characteristic of "living" polymer reactions. Significant improvement in assay sensitivity was realized in comparison to the previously reported polymerization-based sensing method by enhancing polymer growth rate and reducing background noises caused by nonspecific adsorption. Direct visualization of fewer than 2,000 copies of a short oligonucleotide sequence was demonstrated in a detector-free fashion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Eric Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Christopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D015342:DNA Probes; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D015342:DNA Probes; D004247:DNA