An acid-responsive DNA hydrogel-mediated cascaded enzymatic nucleic acid amplification system for the sensitive imaging of alkaline phosphatase in living cells.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a class of hydrolase that catalyzes the dephosphorylation of phosphorylated species in biological tissues, playing an important role in many physiological and pathological processes. Sensitive imaging of ALP activity in living cells is contributory to the research on these processes. Herein, we propose an acid-responsive DNA hydrogel to deliver a cascaded enzymatic nucleic acid amplification system into cells for the sensitive imaging of intracellular ALP activity.

Magnetic separation-assisted cluster-amplified versatile fluorescent aptasensors for the sensitive detection of target biomolecules.

A sensitive and versatile platform for detecting diverse target biomolecules was developed by combining a magnetic separation module and a fluorescence amplification module in a plug-and-play manner. The magnetic separation module was constructed using magnetic beads (MBs), whose surfaces were modified with aptamer-blocked captor DNAs. The fluorescence amplification module was constructed by loading the fluorescent dye rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) into the pores of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs).

A magnetic DNAzyme walker for both in-situ imaging and sensitive detection of MUC1 on living cells.

Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein commonly expressed in epithelial cells with stable levels and polarized distribution. Their expression levels and spatial distribution abnormally altered during oncogenesis and play tumor-promoting roles synergistically. We herein propose a magnetic DNAzyme walker (MDW) for both in-situ imaging and sensitive detection of MUC1.

Primer-template conversion-based cascade signal amplification strategy for sensitive and accurate detection of polynucleotide kinase activity.

Here, a primer-template conversion-based cascade signal amplification strategy is described for the sensitive detection of polynucleotide kinase (PNK) activity. This strategy integrated rolling circle amplification (RCA) and multiple-repeated-strand displacement amplification (MRSDA) with G-quadruplex based fluorescence lighting-up assay. A delicate dumbbell-shaped DNA probe with 5'-hydroxyl terminus was designed, in which G-quadruplex and half recognition site of nicking enzyme Nb.

A functional DNA-modified dual-response gold nanoprobe for simultaneously imaging the acidic microenvironment and membrane proteins of tumor cells.

Tumor progression is a complicated process influenced by multiple factors, in which the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) and altered tumor-associated membrane proteins (TA-MPs) are closely involved. Monitoring the status of these factors is of significance for tumor progression research. Here, we develop a novel probe for simultaneously imaging the acidic TME and TA-MPs in situ.

MnO nanosheet-mediated target-binding-induced FRET strategy for multiplexed microRNAs detection and imaging in living cells.

In the regulatory network, miRNAs play a regulatory role in a cooperative or antagonistic manner. Simultaneous accurate detection and imaging of multiplexed miRNAs in living cells are of great significance for miRNA-associated biological research and disease diagnosis and treatment. Herein, a MnO nanosheet-mediated target-binding-induced fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) strategy was developed for detection and imaging of multiplexed miRNAs in living cells.

A bimolecular i-motif mediated FRET strategy for imaging protein homodimerization on a living tumor cell surface.

A bimolecular i-motif mediated FRET strategy was developed based on the proximity-induced folding of two identical cytosine-rich DNA strands. This strategy affords a FRET signal that is highly matched to the dimerization event, and enabled accurate and dynamic in situ imaging of Met homodimerization on a living tumor cell surface.