Detection of p53 Gene Mutation (Single-Base Mismatch) Using a Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• The p53 tumor suppressor gene is frequently mutated in various cancers.
• Accurate and sensitive detection of p53 mutations is critical for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Existing detection methods can be complex and time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, sensitive biosensing approach for detecting p53 gene mutations.
• To utilize oligonucleotide-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) for mutation detection.
• To establish a quantitative relationship between fluorescence changes and p53 mutation concentration.

Main Methods:

• A biosensing strategy was developed using DNA-AgNCs.
• Two DNA scaffolds were employed: one for fluorescence generation (C12-enriched) and another as a probe fragment.
• The probe scaffold selectively binds to the p53 gene sequence.
• Fluorescence quenching of DNA-AgNCs was measured upon binding to p53 targets.

Main Results:

• The DNA-AgNCs exhibited decreased fluorescence upon binding to p53 targets with single-base mismatches.
• The observed fluorescence quenching was linearly proportional to the concentration of mutated p53 (5–350 nM).
• The method demonstrated a low limit of detection, as low as 1.3 nM for p53 mutations.

Conclusions:

• The developed DNA-AgNCs-based biosensor provides a sensitive and quantitative method for p53 mutation detection.
• This approach holds promise for rapid and accurate cancer diagnostics.
• The linear response and low detection limit make it suitable for clinical applications.