Development of a gold nano-particle-based fluorescent molecular beacon fordetection of cystic fibrosis associated mutation

• Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common genetically inherited diseases in Northern Europe, consistingof an inherited defect of chloride transport in the epithelium. Of the several mutations related to CF, theF508 mutation occurs in ca. 70% of the cases. In this work the use of a gold nano-particle supportedfluorescence molecular beacon was investigated as an optical sensing platform for the detection of theF508 cystic fibrosis associated mutation. Different parameters such as molecular beacon design, Aunano-particle size, molecular beacon–nano-particle conjugation protocol, molecular beacon loading aswell as experimental conditions were evaluated. A 31-base long molecular beacon, containing a 15-baserecognition sequence specific for the mutant target, was linked via a thiol modified poly thymine linker(10 bases long) to a 13 nm gold nano-particle and was exposed to mutant and wild type targets, and aclear differentiation was achieved at target concentrations as low as 1 nM.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Analytisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Analytical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Molecular beacon

Cystic fibrosis

F508

Au nano-particle

DNA sensor

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)