A label-free DNAzyme fluorescence biosensor for amplified detection of Pb2+-based on cleavage-induced G-quadruplex formation

• A label-free biosensor was developed for amplified fluorescence detection of Pb2+.
• The strategy provided a universal label-free platform for DNAzyme-based biosensors.
• The biosensor was successfully applied in detection of Pb2+ in complex samples.

DNAzyme-based catalytic beacons have been widely studied for both in vivo and in vitro molecular detection. However, only a few label-free catalytic beacons with excellent analytical performance have been reported so far. In this work, by combining a catalytic DNAzyme for amplified sensing through enzymatic turnover with cleavage-induced G-quadruplex formation, a label-free DNAzyme biosensor was developed for amplified “turn-on” fluorescence detection of Pb2+ with a detection limit of 3 nM. The method is very competitive compared to many other labeled or label-free methods with or without signal amplification. Due to the inherent specificity of the GR-5 DNAzyme, the method also exhibits excellent selectivity. This biosensor successfully detected Pb2+ in river water samples with high sensitivity and selectivity. Such a method might provide a universal DNAzyme-based sensing platform for sensitive detection of various targets both in environmental and biomedical fields.

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