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Double amplified colorimetric detection of DNA using gold nanoparticles, enzymes and a catalytic hairpin assembly

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Abstract

The authors describe an isothermal and ultrasensitive colorimetric DNA assay that consists of two amplification stages using enzymes and a catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA). The first step consists in the selective amplification of DNA using Klenow fragment and nicking enzyme. The second step consists in the amplification of the optical signal by using a catalytic hairpin assembly. After two amplification steps, the DNA reaction induces the aggregation of the red gold nanoparticles to give a blue color shift. The degree of aggregation can be quantified by measurement of the ratio of the UV-vis absorbances of the solutions at 620 and 524 nm which are the wavelengths of the aggregated gold nanoparticles and bare gold nanoparticles. The detection limit is as low as 3.1 fM. Due to the use of a specific enzyme, only the desired DNAs will be detected. The method can be applied to the determination of DNA of various lengths. Despite the presence of large amounts of wildtype DNA, it can readily detect a target DNA. Conceivably, the technique has a large potential because of its high sensitivity and selectivity.

Schematic presentation of DNA detection using gold nanoparticles (AuNP), enzymes and catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA). Effective DNA detection is achieved through the aggregation of AuNPs which is caused by DNA amplification using enzymes and signal amplification using CHA.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) under grant numbers of NRF-2016R1A5A1010148, NRF-2015M3A9D7031026 and funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning. C. Park and H. Park contributed equally to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701, Republic of Korea

    Chanho Park, Hyunjun Park & Sungsoo Na

  2. Division of Oncology/Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701, South Korea

    Hye Jin Lee, Hye Sun Lee & Kyong Hwa Park

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, USA

    Chang-Hwan Choi

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Park, C., Park, H., Lee, H.J. et al. Double amplified colorimetric detection of DNA using gold nanoparticles, enzymes and a catalytic hairpin assembly. Microchim Acta 186, 34 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-018-3154-2

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