title: Specific and sensitive detection of Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase by DNA-scaffolded silver nanoclusters combined with an aptamer.
abstract: Innovative nanomaterials offer significant potential for diagnosis of severe diseases of the developing world such as malaria. Small sized silver nanoclusters have shown promise for diagnostics due to their intense fluorescence emission and photo-stabilities. Here, double-stranded DNA-scaffolded silver nanoclusters (AgNCs-dsDNA) were prepared to detect the established malaria biomarker, Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH). Significant luminescence enhancement over a wide concentration range of PfLDH was demonstrated. In addition, a low limit of detection at 0.20 nM (7.4 pg μL-1) was achieved for PfLDH in buffer solution, sensitive enough for practical use correlating with the clinical level of PfLDH in plasma from malaria-infected patients. Unique specificity was observed towards Plasmodium falciparum over Plasmodium vivax and human lactate dehydrogenase, as well as other non-specific proteins, by combining the use of AgNCs-dsDNA with a DNA aptamer against PfLDH. Moreover, the intrinsic mechanism was revealed in detail for the two-step luminescence response. The combination of DNA-scaffolded silver nanoclusters coupled to a selective single-stranded DNA aptamer allows for a highly specific and sensitive detection of PfLDH with significant promise for malaria diagnosis in future.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, No. 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China. lihongwei@jlu.edu.cn yqwu@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Wei-Xian
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong S. A. R., China.
authors.forename: Yee-Wai
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong S. A. R., China.
authors.forename: Roderick M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dirkzwager
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong S. A. R., China.
authors.forename: Wai-Chung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong S. A. R., China.
authors.forename: Julian A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, No. 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China. lihongwei@jlu.edu.cn yqwu@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9892-8370
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, No. 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China. lihongwei@jlu.edu.cn yqwu@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yuqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000201:enzymology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012834:Silver
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012834:Silver; D004247:DNA; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase