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Phthalic Acid Ester-Binding DNA Aptamer Selection, Characterization, and Application to an Electrochemical Aptasensor
Published on: March 21, 2018
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A highly sensitive and selective aptamer-based colorimetric sensor for the rapid detection of PCB 77
Ruojie Cheng1, Siyao Liu1, Huijie Shi1
1School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Lab of Chemical Assessment Sustainability, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|August 15, 2017
Summary
A new colorimetric sensor using aptamers and gold nanoparticles offers sensitive detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 77). This method optimizes PCB detection by truncating nucleotides, showing promise for environmental water sample analysis.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants with significant environmental and health concerns.
- Accurate and sensitive detection methods for PCBs are crucial for environmental monitoring and risk assessment.
- Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity, specificity, or simplicity for widespread application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a highly sensitive and specific colorimetric sensor for the detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 77).
- To investigate the role of aptamer structure, specifically truncated nucleotides, in enhancing PCB 77 recognition.
- To evaluate the sensor's performance in complex environmental water samples.
Main Methods:
- Establishment of a colorimetric sensor utilizing aptamers and unmodified gold nanoparticles as probes.
- Optimization of the aptamer sequence through nucleotide truncation to enhance PCB 77 binding affinity.
- Characterization of aptamer-PCB interactions using circular dichroism and UV-Vis spectroscopy.
- Validation of the sensor's performance with environmental water samples.
Main Results:
- The developed aptamer-based sensor demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for PCB 77 detection.
- A linear detection range of 0.5 nM to 900 nM was achieved, with a low detection limit of 0.05 nM.
- Truncation of 5 bases from the 5' end of the aptamer (retaining 35 bases) was identified as critical for optimal PCB 77 recognition.
- The sensor successfully detected PCB 77 in complex environmental water samples, indicating practical applicability.
Conclusions:
- A novel, simple, and highly sensitive colorimetric sensor for PCB 77 detection has been successfully developed.
- Aptamer truncation is an effective strategy for optimizing nucleotide-based sensors for specific analyte recognition.
- The sensor exhibits excellent potential for real-world environmental monitoring applications due to its performance in complex matrices.
