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A single DNA aptamer functions as a biosensor for ricin.

Elise A Lamont1, Lili He, Keith Warriner

  • 1Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Room 301E, 1971 Commonwealth Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.

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|July 13, 2011
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Summary

A new aptamer, SSRA1, effectively detects ricin, a dangerous toxin, in food. This RNA aptamer offers a stable and specific method for identifying ricin contamination in food supplies, improving biosecurity.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Food Safety

Background:

  • Bioterrorism agents like ricin pose a significant threat, particularly when disseminated through food supplies.
  • Current ricin detection methods face challenges with complex food matrices, limited detection ranges, and specificity issues.
  • Aptamers, selected nucleic acid sequences, show promise as highly specific biosensors for various analytes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To select and characterize a novel aptamer for the detection of ricin, a potent toxin.
  • To evaluate the aptamer's stability, specificity, and efficacy in complex food matrices.
  • To assess the aptamer's potential as a diagnostic tool for food biosecurity.

Main Methods:

  • Selection and characterization of a dominant RNA aptamer (SSRA1) targeting the ricin B-chain.
  • Assessment of aptamer stability across a range of temperatures and pH.
  • Evaluation of SSRA1's ability to concentrate ricin B-chain from liquid food samples.
  • Detection of intact ricin A-B complex using SSRA1 combined with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).

Main Results:

  • A single, dominant aptamer (SSRA1) was selected with high affinity for the ricin B-chain.
  • SSRA1 demonstrated conformational stability across a wide temperature range (4-63 °C).
  • SSRA1 successfully concentrated ricin B-chain from various liquid food matrices and outperformed existing ELISA kits and ricin aptamers.
  • Detection of 25 ng mL(-1) of intact ricin A-B complex was achieved using SSRA1 and SERS.

Conclusions:

  • SSRA1 is a highly stable and specific aptamer for ricin detection.
  • SSRA1 shows significant potential as a pre-analytical tool for processing ricin in food samples.
  • The combination of SSRA1 with SERS offers a sensitive method for direct ricin detection in food, enhancing food safety and biosecurity.