Entropy Beacon: A Hairpin-Free DNA Amplification Strategy for Efficient Detection of Nucleic Acids.
Here, we propose an efficient strategy for enzyme- and hairpin-free nucleic acid detection called an entropy beacon (abbreviated as Ebeacon). Different from previously reported DNA hybridization/displacement-based strategies, Ebeacon is driven forward by increases in the entropy of the system, instead of free energy released from new base-pair formation. Ebeacon shows high sensitivity, with a detection limit of 5 pM target DNA in buffer and 50 pM in cellular homogenate. Ebeacon also benefits from the hairpin-free amplification strategy and zero-background, excellent thermostability from 20 °C to 50 °C, as well as good resistance to complex environments. In particular, based on the huge difference between the breathing rate of a single base pair and two adjacent base pairs, Ebeacon also shows high selectivity toward base mutations, such as substitution, insertion, and deletion and, therefore, is an efficient nucleic acid detection method, comparable to most reported enzyme-free strategies.
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
Yifan
Y
Lv
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
Liang
L
Cui
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
Ruizi
R
Peng
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
Zilong
Z
Zhao
Department of Chemistry and Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Shands Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville, Florida 32611-7200, United States.
Liping
L
Qiu
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
Huapei
H
Chen
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
Cheng
C
Jin
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
Xiao-Bing
XB
Zhang
Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.|Department of Chemistry and Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface, Shands Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville, Florida 32611-7200, United States.
Weihong
W
Tan
D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D019277:Entropy; D006801:Humans; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques
D004247:DNA