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Fluorescent aptasensor for adenosine based on the use of quaternary CuInZnS quantum dots and gold nanoparticles

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Abstract

The authors describe a fluorescence based aptasensor for adenosine (AD), a conceivable biomarker for cancer. The assay is based on the immobilization of capture DNA on newly synthesized quaternary CuInZnS quantum dots (QDs) and the conjugation of probe DNA on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The capture DNA is an adenosine-specific aptamer that is partly complementary to the probe DNA. Once the capture aptamer hybridizes probe DNA, the fluorescence of the QDs (measured at excitation/emission wavelengths of 522/650 nm) is quenched by the AuNPs. However, when AD is added, it will bind to the aptamer and restrain the hybridization between capture DNA and probe DNA. Therefore, the fluorescence of the QDs will increase with increasing AD concentration. Under optimal conditions, fluorescence is linearly related to the AD concentration in the range from 50 to 400 μM, the detection limit being 1.1 μM. This assay is sensitive, selective, reproducible and acceptably stable. It was applied to the determination of AD in spiked human serum samples where it gave satisfactory results.

Aptamer based fluorescent assay of adenosine using quaternary CuInZnS quantum dots and gold nanoparticles

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21275063 and 21005029) and Youth Science Fund of Jilin Province (20140520081JH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China

    Xueqian Chen, Shufan Chen, Tianyu Hu & Qiang Ma

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  1. Xueqian Chen
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  2. Shufan Chen
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  3. Tianyu Hu
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  4. Qiang Ma
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Correspondence to Qiang Ma.

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Chen, X., Chen, S., Hu, T. et al. Fluorescent aptasensor for adenosine based on the use of quaternary CuInZnS quantum dots and gold nanoparticles. Microchim Acta 184, 1361–1367 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2128-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2128-0

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