Dual-Color Emissive AIEgen for Specific and Label-Free Double-Stranded DNA Recognition and Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Detection

Abstract

Simple, rapid, and sensitive assays of DNA sequence hold great importance in genetic analysis, clinical diagnosis, and molecular biology research. Most current methods for DNA detection, based on the complementary base pairing, require hybridization with intricately modified single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probes or analytes. Herein, we have developed a powerful molecule with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristic, namely, TPBT, which can specifically recognize double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) by emitting out a unique dual-color fluorescent signal of red (∼640 nm) and green (∼537 nm). The red-color emission at around 640 nm is observed when TPBT binds with dsDNA, ssDNA, proteins, and other polyanionic analytes. However, the green emission at around 537 nm is demonstrated to be the exclusive response of TPBT to dsDNA, which is closely related to the conformational change of TPBT upon groove binding. More strikingly, TPBT can distinguish single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a dsDNA sequence and detect the DNA damage suffered from UV light with ultrahigh sensitivity and specificity. This label-free, AIEgen-based dsDNA assay method is facile, robust, and universal, which will lead to major advances in genomic and disease diagnosis.

Aggregate Science: From Structures to Properties

“…[34] Meanwhile, AIE has great potential for a myriad of applications. [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] For example, recent literature reports have explored the practical applications of AIE luminogens (AIEgens), as components of electronic devices, [52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59] chemo-/biosensors, [60][61][62][63][64][65][66] bioimaging agents, [67][68][69][70][71][72] and theranostics. [73][74][75][76][77][78] By contrasting AIE with ACQ, we can conclude that molecular-level theories and properties do not necessarily correlate with properties of aggregates.…”

A Continuous Add‐On Probe Reveals the Nonlinear Enlargement of Mitochondria in Light‐Activated Oncosis

“…As shown in Figures S27 and S28 , Supporting Information, compared to the fluorescence lifetime under dark conditions, an extended fluorescence lifetime was observed after irradiation in the MitoMN –DNA solution, which implies an enhanced mtDNA binding status with MitoMN under light irradiation. [ 24 ] Further DNA photocleavage experiments showed that upon incubation of pBR322 plasmid DNA with MitoMN under dark condition, a hindrance of gel mobility of supercoiled DNA was observed. Upon light irradiation, MitoMN induced the significant cleavage of the supercoiled conformation, and the intensity of the nicked band rose, thereby indicating that MitoMN has potent activity in DNA cleavage under irradiation (Figure S29 , Supporting Information).…”

Stimuli‐Responsive AIEgens

“…It is noteworthy that there are many important reports pertinent to the abovementioned seven types of stimuli [ 226–233 ] and some other stimuli‐responsive systems are not discussed in this article due to the space limitation, such as the responses to magnetic field, [ 234 ] chemical species like NH 3 and H 2 S, [ 235,236 ] organic pollutants, [ 237 ] and drugs, [ 238 ] and the specific response to biological species like DNA, [ 239 ] virus, [ 240 ] pathogen, [ 241 ] bacteria, [ 242 ] etc. In these cases, AIEgens can also signal their responses to these stimuli in the form of luminescence.…”