Neurotransmitters are small molecules that orchestrate complex patterns of brain activity. Unfortunately, there exist few sensors capable of directly detecting individual neurotransmitters. Those sensors that do exist are either unspecific or fail to capture the temporal or spatial dynamics of neurotransmitter release. DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) are a new class of biocompatible, fluorescent nanostructures that have recently been shown to offer promise as biosensors. In this work, we identify two different DNA sequences that form dopamine-sensitive nanoclusters. We demonstrate that each sequence supports two distinct DNA-AgNCs capable of providing specific, ratiometric fluorescent sensing of dopamine concentration in vitro. DNA-Ag nanoclusters therefore offer a novel, low-cost approach to quantification of dopamine, creating the potential for real-time monitoring in vivo.

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DNA稳定的银纳米簇作为特定的比例式荧光多巴胺传感器

神经递质是协调大脑活动的复杂模式的小分子。不幸的是，几乎没有能够直接检测单个神经递质的传感器。确实存在的那些传感器要么是不确定的，要么无法捕获神经递质释放的时间或空间动态。DNA稳定的银纳米簇（DNA-AgNCs）是一类新的生物相容性荧光纳米结构，最近已被证明可以作为生物传感器。在这项工作中，我们确定了形成多巴胺敏感的纳米簇的两个不同的DNA序列。我们证明每个序列支持两个不同的DNA-AgNCs能够提供体外多巴胺浓度的特异性，比率荧光检测。因此，DNA-Ag纳米簇提供了一种新颖的低成本多巴胺定量方法，