Amplification of an Electrochemiluminescence-Emissive Aptamer into DNA Nanotags for Sensitive Fecal Calprotectin Determination

Anal Chem. 2023 Dec 19;95(50):18564-18571. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04390. Epub 2023 Dec 7.

Abstract

The precision additive manufacturing and tessellated multitasking out of the structural DNA nanotechnology enable a configurable expression of densified electrochemiluminescent (ECL) complexes, which would streamline the bioconjugation while multiplying signals. Herein, a completely DNA-scaffold ECL "polyploid" was replicated out via the living course of rolling circle amplification. The amplicon carried the aptameric sequences of ZnPPIX/TSPP porphyrin as photoreactive centers that rallied at periodical intervals of the persistent extension into a close-packed nanoflower, ZnPDFI/II. Both microscopies and electrophoresis proved the robust nesting of guests at their deployed gene loci, while multispectral comparisons among cofactor substituents pinpointed the pivotal roles of singlet seclusion and Zn2+-chelation for the sake of intensive ECL irradiation. The adversity-resilient hydrogel texture made lipoidal filmogens as porphyrinic ECL prerequisites to be of no need at all, thus not only simplifying assay flows but also inspiring an in situ labeling plan. Upon bioprocessing optimization, an enriched probe ZnPDFIII was further derived that interpolated the binding motif related to calprotectin as validated by molecular docking and affinity titration. With it being a strongly indicative marker of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a competitive ECL aptasensing strategy was contrived, managing a signal-on and sensitive detection in mild conditions with a subnanogram-per-milliliter limit of detection by 2 orders of magnitude lower than the standard method as well as a comparable accuracy in clinical stool sample testing. Distinct from those conventional chemophysical rebuilding routes, this de novo biosynthetic fusion demonstrated a promising alternative toward ECL-source bioengineering, which may intrigue vibrant explorations of other ECL-shedding fabrics and, accordingly, a new bioanalytic mode downstream.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide* / chemistry
  • Biosensing Techniques* / methods
  • DNA
  • Electrochemical Techniques / methods
  • Limit of Detection
  • Luminescent Measurements / methods
  • Molecular Docking Simulation

Substances

  • DNA
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide