Label-free functional nucleic acid sensors for detecting target agents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8933210-B2
Application number	US-201113267414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2011
Priority date	Oct 6, 2010
Publication date	Jan 13, 2015
Grant date	Jan 13, 2015

Abstract

A general methodology to design label-free fluorescent functional nucleic acid sensors using a vacant site approach and an abasic site approach is described. In one example, a method for designing label-free fluorescent functional nucleic acid sensors (e.g., those that include a DNAzyme, aptamer or aptazyme) that have a tunable dynamic range through the introduction of an abasic site (e.g., dSpacer) or a vacant site into the functional nucleic acids. Also provided is a general method for designing label-free fluorescent aptamer sensors based on the regulation of malachite green (MG) fluorescence. A general method for designing label-free fluorescent catalytic and molecular beacons (CAMBs) is also provided. The methods demonstrated here can be used to design many other label-free fluorescent sensors to detect a wide range of analytes. Sensors and methods of using the disclosed sensors are also provided.

First claim

We claim:

1. A sensor, comprising
a catalytic nucleic acid molecule specific for a target agent comprising an enzyme nucleic acid strand and a substrate nucleic acid strand,
wherein the enzyme nucleic acid strand comprises a 3′-end and a 5′-end and an active site specific for a target agent,
wherein the substrate nucleic acid strand comprises a 3′-end and a 5′-end,
wherein the substrate nucleic acid strand comprises nucleotides at the 5′-end of the substrate nucleic acid str…

Assignees

• Lu Yi
• Xiang Yu
• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Lu Yi
• Xiang Yu

Classifications

• C07H21/02 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• G01N2021/7786

  Physics · mapped topic

• Y10T436/143333

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C07H21/04

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic