DNA hybridization-induced fluorescence variation in ThT: a new strategy of developing aqueous sensors for MO genes

Abstract

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (MO), a disease-causing pathogen with some of the highest levels of morbidity and mortality, can spread silently at the herd level. A novel alternative nanoprobe for MO was prepared using porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as the scaffold and hairpin DNA with specific sequences of MO and G4 segments as the probe. This preparation was based on the strong fluorescence emission by ThT (thioflavin T) in the limitation of G-quadruplexes with a cavity structure. The use of MOFs effectively limited the folding behavior of G4 as a part of the probe to improve the defect of the strong background signal caused by the free-state G4Probe in a buffer. The results from the selectivity experiment showed that only a trace amount of the target with lower ΔG could be the “key” to the highly efficient triggering of the release behavior of the G4Probe from MOFs and the subsequent change in the fluorescence behavior of ThT. The DNA targets could be determined by observing the change in the signal. More importantly, the probe showed a low detection limit and a good linear correlation between the concentration of target DNA ranging from 10⁻¹⁰ M to 10⁻⁶ M not only in buffer but also in natural complex media. Moreover, the operation involved in the whole strategy was simple and the total cost was low. These findings demonstrated the value of the probe in further clinical diagnosis. This study reports the successful construction of a ΔG-sensitive sensor for MO for the first time.