Lighting Up MicroRNA in Living Cells by the Disassembly of Lock‐Like DNA‐Programmed UCNPs‐AuNPs through the Target Cycling Amplification Strategy |
| |
Authors: | Keying Zhang Shuting Song Shan Huang Lin Yang Qianhao Min Xingcai Wu Feng Lu Jun‐Jie Zhu |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China;2. Anhui Key Laboratory of Spin Electron and Nanomaterials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou, Anhui, China;3. Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China |
| |
Abstract: | Intracellular microRNAs imaging based on upconversion nanoprobes has great potential in cancer diagnostics and treatments. However, the relatively low detection sensitivity limits their application. Herein, a lock‐like DNA (LLD) generated by a hairpin DNA (H1) hybridizing with a bolt DNA (bDNA) sequence is designed, which is used to program upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs, NaYF4@NaYF4:Yb, Er@NaYF4) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The upconversion emission is quenched through luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET). The multiple LLD can be repeatedly opened by one copy of target microRNA under the aid of fuel hairpin DNA strands (H2) to trigger disassembly of AuNPs from the UCNP, resulting in the lighting up of UCNPs with a high detection signal gain. This strategy is verified using microRNA‐21 as model. The expression level of microRNA‐21 in various cells lines can be sensitively measured in vitro, meanwhile cancer cells and normal cells can be easily and accurately distinguished by intracellular microRNA‐21 imaging via the nanoprobes. The detection limit is about 1000 times lower than that of the previously reported upconversion nanoprobes without signal amplification. This is the first time a nonenzymatic signal amplification method has been combined with UCNPs for imaging intracellular microRNAs, which has great potential for cancer diagnosis. |
| |
Keywords: | gold nanoparticles microRNA signal amplification upconversion nanoparticles |
|
|