A self-assembled deoxyribonucleic acid concatemer for sensitive detection of single nucleotide polymorphism

• Limit of detection as low as 0.1 fM target single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in PBS, and 0.5 fM in human serum.
• No need of polymerase or sophisticated equipment.
• DNA self-assembled concatemers for signal amplification, SYBR Green I for fluorescence indicator.
• Great potential application in the area of DNA diagnostics and clinical analysis.

Polymerase-free and label-free strategies for DNA detection have shown excellent sensitivity and specificity in various biological samples. Herein, we propose a method for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection by using self-assembled DNA concatemers. Capture probes, bound to magnetic beads, can joint mediator probes by T4 DNA ligase in the presence of target DNA that is complementary to the capture probe and mediator probe. The mediator probes trigger self-assembly of two auxiliary probes on magnetic beads to form DNA concatemers. Separated by a magnetic rack, the double-stranded concatemers on beads can recruit a great amount of SYBR Green I and eventually result in amplified fluorescent signals. In comparison with reported methods for SNP detection, the concatemer-based approach has significant advantages of low background, simplicity, and ultrasensitivity, making it as a convenient platform for clinical applications. As a proof of concept, BRAFT1799A oncogene mutation, a SNP involved in diverse human cancers, was used as a model target. The developed approach using a fluorescent intercalator can detect as low as 0.1 fM target BRAFT1799A DNA, which is better than those previously published methods for SNP detection. This method is robust and can be used directly to measure the BRAFT1799A DNA in complex human serum with excellent recovery (94–103%). It is expected that this assay principle can be directed toward other SNP genes by simply changing the mediator probe and auxiliary probes.

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