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Updated: Jul 26, 2025
A Method for Selecting Structure-switching Aptamers Applied to a Colorimetric Gold Nanoparticle Assay
Published on: February 28, 2015
A Versatile Strategy of Designing Gold Nanoparticle-cDNA Nanoprobes in Developing Aptamer-Based Lateral Flow Assay
Xiuping Li1,2, Fengxia Sun3, Rui Chang1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Lihu Road 1800, Wuxi 214122, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Aptamer-based lateral flow assay (Apt-LFA) has shown promising applications for small-molecule detection. However, the design of the AuNP (gold nanoparticle)-cDNA (complementary DNA) nanoprobe is still a big challenge due to the moderate affinity of the aptamer to small molecules. Herein, we report a versatile strategy to design a AuNPs@polyA-cDNA (poly A, a repeat sequence with 15 A bases) nanoprobe for small-molecule Apt-LFA. The AuNPs@polyA-cDNA nanoprobe contains a polyA anchor blocker, complementary DNA segment to DNA on the control line (cDNAc), partial complementary DNA segment with aptamer (cDNAa), and auxiliary hybridization DNA segment (auxDNA). Using adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) as a model target, we optimized the length of auxDNA and cDNAa and achieved a sensitive detection of ATP. In addition, kanamycin was used as a model target to verify the universality of the concept. Therefore, this strategy can be easily extended to other small molecules; therefore, high application potential in Apt-LFAs can be envisaged.
