title: A colorimetric strategy based on a water-soluble conjugated polymer for sensing pH-driven conformational conversion of DNA i-motif structure.
abstract: Using a water-soluble conjugated polymer (CP) as a sensing probe, we developed a rapid colorimetric detection strategy for pH-driven conformational conversion of DNA i-motif structure. Two sensing configurations were designed: one used CP only to detect the conversion between i-motif and random-coiled state of a C-rich single-strand DNA, the other used CP and a complementary single-strand DNA to investigate the conversion of duplex to i-motif equilibrium. All the conversions would lead to color change observed directly with naked eyes within a few minutes. The limitation of detection (LOD) is as low as 40 nM. More importantly, reversible conformational conversions by adjusting the pH of the system could also be detected.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, PR China.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xingfen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Quli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Shiping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Chunhai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D003124:Colorimetry / Q000379:methods*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D014867:Water; D004247:DNA