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Label-free detection of ssDNA base insertion and deletion mutations by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

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Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), as a label-free, highly sensitive analytical method, has become an important tool for providing substance fingerprints. In this study, silver nanoparticles containing thiosulfate ions and calcium ions (Ag@SCNPs) have been used as an enhanced substrate to eliminate the interference of impurities on DNA signals. Intrinsic structural information on single-strand DNA (ssDNA) was directly obtained through SERS. The improved enhancement system was used to explore the base-stacking rules of ssDNA in a solution environment. For the first time, single-base insertion mutations and deletion mutations, as well as their exact mutation sites, were identified, and Raman spectra with high stability, repeatability, and high signal-to-noise ratio were obtained. The method is simple, fast, and accurate, and the detection process is nondestructive. It has potential to be applied in the fields of medical diagnosis and genetics research.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21961007), and the Science and Technology Support Project of Guizhou Province ([2020] 4Y218).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang City, 550025, Guizhou, China

    Yufeng Zhang, Jiayu Zeng, Chao Huang, Bixue Zhu, Qianjun Zhang & Dongmei Chen

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  1. Yufeng Zhang
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  2. Jiayu Zeng
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  3. Chao Huang
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  4. Bixue Zhu
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  5. Qianjun Zhang
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  6. Dongmei Chen
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Contributions

Yufeng Zhang, Jiayu Zeng, Chao Huang, Bixue Zhu, Qianjun Zhang, and Dongmei Chen are acknowledged for contributing results to this study.

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Correspondence to Dongmei Chen.

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Zhang, Y., Zeng, J., Huang, C. et al. Label-free detection of ssDNA base insertion and deletion mutations by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 414, 1461–1468 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03799-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03799-2

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