title: Amplified analysis of DNA by the autonomous assembly of polymers consisting of DNAzyme wires.
abstract: A systematic study of the amplified optical detection of DNA by Mg(2+)-dependent DNAzyme subunits is described. The use of two DNAzyme subunits and the respective fluorophore/quencher-modified substrate allows the detection of the target DNA with a sensitivity corresponding to 1 × 10(-9) M. The use of two functional hairpin structures that include the DNAzyme subunits in a caged, inactive configuration leads, in the presence of the target DNA, to the opening of one of the hairpins and to the activation of an autonomous cross-opening process of the two hairpins, which affords polymer DNA wires consisting of the Mg(2+)-dependent DNAzyme subunits. This amplification paradigm leads to the analysis of the target DNA with a sensitivity corresponding to 1 × 10(-14) M. The amplification mixture composed of the two hairpins can be implemented as a versatile sensing platform for analyzing any gene in the presence of the appropriate hairpin probe. This is exemplified with the detection of the BRCA1 oncogene.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors.forename: Fuan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orbach
authors.forename: Nimrod
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Magen
authors.forename: Itamar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Willner
mesh_terms: D055162:Biocatalysis; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D021881:DNA, Catalytic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D021881:DNA, Catalytic; D011108:Polymers; D004247:DNA