A label-free fluorometric aptasensor for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection based on aggregation-induced emission...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a crucial biomarker for cellular energy and function.
• Accurate detection of ATP is vital for understanding various biological processes and diseases.
• Existing ATP detection methods often lack sensitivity, simplicity, or specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a label-free, simple, and sensitive fluorometric aptasensor for ATP detection.
• To utilize aggregation-induced emission (AIE) for enhanced signal generation.
• To validate the aptasensor's performance in biological samples like human serum and cell extracts.

Main Methods:

• Aptamers were designed to bind ATP, undergoing a conformational change that impedes exonuclease I digestion.
• A luminescent molecule, DSAI, aggregates on the aptamer/ATP complex, inducing strong fluorescence via AIE.
• The fluorescence intensity was correlated with ATP concentration under optimized conditions.

Main Results:

• A linear relationship was observed between fluorescence intensity and ATP concentration (R² = 0.9908).
• The aptasensor demonstrated high sensitivity with a low limit of detection of 32.8 nM.
• Satisfactory recovery rates (93.2%-107.6%) were achieved in human serum samples, with successful cellular ATP monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The developed AIE-based aptasensor provides a simple, rapid, and cost-effective method for ATP detection.
• The sensor exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity, suitable for complex biological matrices.
• This technology holds significant promise for ATP quantification in bioanalytical and biological research.