Highly sensitive and selective strategy for microRNA detection based on WS2 nanosheet mediated fluorescence quenching and duplex-specific nuclease signal amplification.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in physiologic and pathologic processes and are significant biomarkers for disease diagnostics and therapeutics. However, rapid, low-cost, sensitive, and selective detection of miRNAs remains a challenge because of their short length, sequence homology, and low abundance. Herein, we report for the first time that WS2 nanosheet can exhibit differential affinity toward short oligonucleotide fragment versus ssDNA probe and act as an efficient quencher for adsorbed fluorescent probes. This finding is utilized to develop a new strategy for simple, sensitive, and selective detection of miRNA by combining WS2 nanosheet based fluorescence quenching with duplex-specific nuclease signal amplification (DSNSA). This assay exhibits highly sensitive and selective with a detection limit of 300 fM and even discriminate single-base difference between the miRNA family members. The result indicates that this simple and cost-effective strategy holds great potential application in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics.
State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University , Changsha 410082, P. R. China.
Qiang
Q
Xi
Dian-Ming
DM
Zhou
Ying-Ya
YY
Kan
Jia
J
Ge
Zhen-Kun
ZK
Wu
Ru-Qin
RQ
Yu
Jian-Hui
JH
Jiang
D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry*; D017973:Tungsten Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
D035683:MicroRNAs; D013440:Sulfides; D017973:Tungsten Compounds; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases