Issue 37, 2021

Sensitive detection of p53 DNA based on spatially confined fluorescence resonance energy transfer and multivalent assembly of branched DNA

Abstract

A key challenge for the discrete distribution-based Förster resonance energy transfer system (D-FRET) is the reduced intensity and stability of signal probes in complex biological matrices. Here, we present a spatially confined FRET (SC-FRET) probe with a stable structure and strong signal output. It consists of multivalent FRET pairs labeled with FAM or TAMRA. In this assay, p53 DNA was chosen as a model hairpin probe (HP), and two kinds of branched DNA probes (ssDNA-FAM, ssDNA-TAMRA) were involved. Under the action of p53 DNA, the unfolded HP acts as a primer to initiate polymerization extension of KFP polymerase and cleavage of Nb.BbvCI endonuclease, which produces plenty of ssDNA (primer-DNA). The branched DNA is designed to have the same binding core and different sticky ends, the core part of which can self-assemble to form X-shaped branched DNA (X-FAM or X-TAMRA), and the sticky ends of which are complementary to the primer-DNA. Therefore, the primer-DNAs released during the polymerization cleavage process will combine a large number of X-FAM and X-TAMRA in a limited space through complementary base pairing. Fluorescence was transferred from FAM to TAMRA, and a strong FRET response was generated by the locational effects. The proposed SC-FRET system based on the multivalent assembly of branched DNA exhibited a strong FRET response with an LOD of 0.01394 pM. Importantly, it also showed a high-contrast and stable FRET response in HeLa cells. Its superior biological stability is attributed to the large steric hindrance of the compact and rigid frame of the SC-FRET probe, which helps prevent intracellular degradation and provides a powerful tool for biomedical research.

Graphical abstract: Sensitive detection of p53 DNA based on spatially confined fluorescence resonance energy transfer and multivalent assembly of branched DNA

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Jun 2021
Accepted
16 Aug 2021
First published
18 Aug 2021

Anal. Methods, 2021,13, 4314-4319

Sensitive detection of p53 DNA based on spatially confined fluorescence resonance energy transfer and multivalent assembly of branched DNA

Y. Liu, X. Sun, H. Yuan, B. Liu, B. Zhou, X. Chen, X. Li and Q. Xue, Anal. Methods, 2021, 13, 4314 DOI: 10.1039/D1AY01110C

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