Electrochemical Peptide Biosensor Based on in Situ Silver Deposition for Detection of Prostate Specific Antigen

In this work, we have demonstrated a novel electrochemical method based on target-induced cleavage of a specific peptide for sensitive analysis of prostate specific antigen (PSA) by using silver enhancement. First, multiwalled carbon nanotubes/poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (MWCNTs-PAMAM) nanohybrids were assembled on the electrode to bind the peptide. Subsequently, dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate) (DSP)@Au@SiO2 was prepared as a tracing tag and covalent bond with the peptides via the inherent interaction between DSP and the amino of peptide. In the presence of PSA, the peptide was specifically recognized and cleaved, resulting in the loss of the tracing tag in electrode surface. Thereafter, silver enhancement was performed on the left DSP@Au@SiO2 nanohybrids. The electrochemical stripping signal of the deposited silver was used to monitor this process. Under optimal conditions, the proposed biosensor achieved a wide line from 0.001 to 30 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.7 pg mL(-1). This work demonstrated the combination of the direct transduction of peptide cleavage events with the highly sensitive silver enhancement method, providing a promising effective strategy for PSA detection.