Accurate analysis of microRNA (miRNA)
is promising for elucidation
of cancer processes and therapeutic effects. In this study, we reported
a new target-activated, light-actuated three-dimensional (3D) DNA
walker on gold nanoparticles for sensitive detection of miRNA using
pyrene-incorporated DNAzyme analogues. In this design, the target
miRNA activated the 3D DNA walker system to releases the walking arm.
Then, under ultraviolet light irradiation, the pyrene DNAzyme on the
walking arm would consecutively cleave the disulfide bonds of substrate
strands and recover the fluorescence signal, thus achieving the amplified
miRNA detection. The sophisticated design of the light-actuated 3D
DNA walker was systematically investigated. Furthermore, this strategy
could also be employed for miRNA analysis in serum samples with satisfactory
reproducibility. Notably, the proposed light-actuated 3D DNA walker-based
technique eliminated the need of enzymes, cofactors, and RNA backbones,
thereby significantly improving the stability and efficiency. Overall,
the light-actuated 3D DNA walker-based strategy enabled facile, sensitive,
and specific detection of miRNA and provided new perspectives in diagnostics.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.