A DNA nanoswitch incorporating the fluorescent base analogue 2-aminopurine detects single nucleotide mismatches in unlabelled targets.
DNA nanoswitches can be designed to detect unlabelled nucleic acid targets and have been shown to discriminate between targets which differ in the identity of only one base. This paper demonstrates that the fluorescent base analogue 2-aminopurine (AP) can be used to discriminate between nanoswitches with and without targets and to discriminate between matched and mismatched targets. In particular, we have used both steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to determine differences in AP environment at the branchpoint of nanoswitches assembled using complementary targets and targets which incorporate single base mismatches.
Campbell
Colin J
CJ
Division of Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK EH16 4SB. colin.campbell@ed.ac.uk
Mountford
Christopher P
CP
Stoquert
Helene C
HC
Buck
Amy H
AH
Dickinson
Paul
P
Ferapontova
Elena
E
Terry
Jonathan G
JG
Beattie
John S
JS
Walton
Anthony J
AJ
Crain
Jason
J
Ghazal
Peter
P
Mount
Andrew R
AR
D015075:2-Aminopurine / Q000737:chemistry*; D020137:Base Pair Mismatch; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000235:genetics; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods
D015342:DNA Probes; D009711:Nucleotides; D015075:2-Aminopurine; D004247:DNA