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Published on: July 21, 2018
Surface plasmon-coupled directional emission based on a conformational-switching signaling aptamer
Tang-Tang Xie1, Qian Liu, Wei-Peng Cai
1Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Analytical Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|July 10, 2009
Summary
A signaling aptamer exhibits polarized and directional surface plasmon-coupled emission upon binding with its target, thrombin. This binding event triggers a conformational change in the aptamer, altering its optical properties.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) is a sensitive optical technique.
- Aptamers are short DNA or RNA sequences that can bind to specific targets.
- Thrombin is a key protein in blood coagulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the optical properties of a signaling aptamer.
- To detect the binding of thrombin to an aptamer using SPCE.
- To understand the conformational changes induced by target binding.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing surface plasmon-coupled emission spectroscopy.
- Developing a signaling aptamer system for thrombin detection.
- Analyzing the polarization and directionality of emitted light.
Main Results:
- Observed highly polarized and directional SPCE from the aptamer.
- Demonstrated that thrombin binding induces conformational switching in the aptamer.
- Correlated aptamer conformational changes with altered emission characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Signaling aptamers can be used for sensitive thrombin detection via SPCE.
- Conformational switching upon target binding modulates aptamer emission.
- This approach offers a novel method for molecular sensing.
