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AuNP aggregation-triggered conformational changes in hairpin probes for dual-mode colorimetric and SERS detection of
Lijie Peng1, Huiqi He1, Waqas Ahmad1
1College of Ocean Food and Biological Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, PR China.
Abstract:
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxic marine biotoxin that poses severe health risks. To address this challenge, a dual-mode detection strategy was developed based on TTX-induced conformational changes in hairpin probes (HP), regulation of Au NPs aggregation to modulate localized surface plasmon resonance, and hotspot formation for colorimetric and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) signal detection. This method demonstrates higher specificity than ion-induced aggregation. TTX-induced conformational changes in HP were validated by molecular docking simulations and circular dichroism spectroscopy. A finite-difference time-domain was utilized as a theoretical guide to verify that the signal amplification effect caused by the introduction of Au@Ag NPs. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection were 0.0947 ng/mL (SERS) and 1.077 ng/mL (colorimetry). This strategy successfully detected TTX in seawater and fish samples, showing no significant difference from liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry results (P > 0.05). This approach is promising for monitoring food safety and marine toxins.
