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Molecular beacon-templated silver nanoclusters as a fluorescent probe for determination of bleomycin via DNA scission

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Abstract

The authors describe a molecular beacon-based fluorescent probe for the determination of the cancer drug bleomycin (BLM). The probe was tagged with DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) and guanine-rich sequences (GRSs) at two terminals serving as signal reporter with a loop. In the absence of the BLM-iron(II) complex [BLM-Fe(II)], the probe has a hairpin shape and displays strong fluorescence because the AgNCs are close to the GRSs. In the presence of the BLM-Fe(II) complex, it will selectively cleave the probe at the 5’-GC-3′ scission site of the loop. This displaces the AgNCs away from the GRSs and causes a decrease in fluorescence, best measured at excitation/emission wavelengths of 565/623 nm. This effect enables BLM to be detected with a detection limit as low as 33 pM, which was 1–3 orders of magnitude more sensitive than most of the previous reports. The probe was applied for the determination of BLM in spiked human serum samples, and excellent performance was achieved. In our perception, the method described here represents a promising tool for highly sensitive and specific analysis of BLM during cancer treatment.

Schematic of a highly sensitive fluorometric assay forbleomycin. It is based on molecular beacon-templated silver nanoclusters and DNA scission.

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Acknowledgements

This work is kindly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21405094, 21775088, and 81403051), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Nos. ZR2017MC037, ZR2017QB008), the Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai Province of China (2016-ZJ-955), and the Development Project of Qinghai Key Laboratory (No. 2017-ZJ-Y10), and the Open Funds of Shandong Key Laboratory of TCM Quality Control Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences. We also thank Xiaoqing Qu for her good advice in the design of DNA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qufu Normal University, City, Shandong Province, Qufu, 273165, China

    Xiaolu Yan, Xian-En Zhao, Ya-Nan Zuo, Rongmei Kong & Shuyun Zhu

  2. Qinghai Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Biological Resources, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai Province, Xining City, 810001, Qinghai, China

    Jing Sun

  3. College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, City, Shandong Province, Qufu, 273165, China

    Renjun Wang

  4. Shandong Key Laboratory of TCM Quality Control Technology, Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 19 Keyuan Street, Jinan, 250014, China

    Xiao Wang & Wei Liu

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  1. Xiaolu Yan
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  2. Jing Sun
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Correspondence to Shuyun Zhu.

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Yan, X., Sun, J., Zhao, XE. et al. Molecular beacon-templated silver nanoclusters as a fluorescent probe for determination of bleomycin via DNA scission. Microchim Acta 185, 403 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-018-2939-7

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