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Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance
Published on: January 3, 2012
Simultaneous detection of microcysin-LR and okadaic acid using a dual fluorescence resonance energy transfer
Shijia Wu1, Nuo Duan, Hui Zhang
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
Abstract:
Algal toxins can cause neurovirulence, hepatotoxicity, and cytotoxicity in humans through the consumption of contaminated water and food. In this work, we presented a novel aptasensor for the simultaneous detection of two algal toxins, microcysin-LR (MC-LR) and okadaic acid (OA). This system employed green and red upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) luminescence as the donors and two quenchers (BHQ1 and BHQ3) as the corresponding acceptors. The two donor-acceptor couples were fabricated by hybridizing the aptamers with their corresponding complementary DNA. The results indicated that the green and red upconversion luminescence could be quenched by the quencher probes because of their highly overlapping spectrum. In the presence of MC-LR and OA, the aptamers preferred to bind to their corresponding analytes and de-hybridize with the complementary DNA. This effect became sufficiently large to prevent green and red luminescence quenching. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the relative luminescence intensity increased as the algal toxin concentrations increased, allowing for the quantification of MC-LR and OA. The relationships between the luminescence intensity and plotting logarithms of algal toxin concentrations were linear in the range from 0.1 to 50 ng mL(-1) for MC-LR and OA. As a practical application, this type of dual fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) aptasensor was used to monitor the MC-LR and OA levels in naturally contaminated food samples such as fish and shrimps.
Insights
This study introduces a novel aptasensor for detecting two harmful algal toxins, microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and okadaic acid (OA), in food and water. The developed sensor enables simultaneous quantification, enhancing food safety monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Algal toxins like microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and okadaic acid (OA) pose significant health risks, causing neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity via contaminated food and water.
- Accurate and simultaneous detection methods for these toxins are crucial for public health and environmental safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel aptasensor for the simultaneous detection and quantification of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and okadaic acid (OA).
- To utilize upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) luminescence and dual fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for sensitive toxin detection.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a dual FRET aptasensor using green and red UCNPs as donors and BHQ1/BHQ3 as acceptors.
- Hybridization of aptamers with complementary DNA to form donor-acceptor pairs, with luminescence quenching observed.
- Displacement of aptamers upon binding to target toxins (MC-LR and OA), leading to de-hybridization and recovery of luminescence.
Main Results:
- The aptasensor demonstrated effective simultaneous detection of MC-LR and OA through luminescence quenching and recovery mechanisms.
- Linear quantification ranges were established from 0.1 to 50 ng/mL for both MC-LR and OA.
- The sensor was successfully applied to detect MC-LR and OA in naturally contaminated food samples like fish and shrimp.
Conclusions:
- The developed dual FRET aptasensor provides a sensitive and reliable method for simultaneous detection of MC-LR and OA.
- This technology holds promise for practical applications in monitoring algal toxin contamination in food products, ensuring consumer safety.
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