Abstract
Dopamine is widely innervated throughout the brain and critical for many cognitive and motor functions. Imbalances or loss in dopamine transmission underlie various psychiatric disorders and degenerative diseases. Research involving cellular studies and disease states would benefit from a tool for measuring dopamine transmission. Here we show a Quadruplex Integrated DNA (QuID) nanosensor platform for selective and dynamic detection of dopamine. This nanosensor exploits DNA technology and enzyme recognition systems to optically image dopamine levels. The DNA quadruplex architecture is designed to be compatible in physically constrained environments (110 nm) with high flexibility, homogeneity, and a lower detection limit of 110 µM.
Highlights
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls a wide range of cognitive functions including: motivation, behavior, reward-based learning, and motor skills [1,2]
The mean particle size and size distribution of the Quadruplex Integrated DNA (QuID) nanosensors was determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) using a 90 Plus Particle Size Analyzer (Brookhaven Instruments Corporation)
The nanosensor uses an oxygen-consuming enzyme, tyrosinase, as a recognition element coupled with an oxygen sensitive phosphorescent reporter Pt(II) meso-tetra porphine (PtTPFPP) dye
Summary
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls a wide range of cognitive functions including: motivation, behavior, reward-based learning, and motor skills [1,2]. We combine the spatial resolution of fluorescent biosensors with the selectively of enzymes to create a novel DNA sensor platform. DNA-based sensors have been designed for sensing specific DNA fragments and gene sequences using short sequences of complementary DNA oligomers. DNA origami-based sensors have furthered sensing efficacy by combining the designability of DNA with the mechanical or functional properties of nanosensors [22]. We show a new method to optically detect dopamine in the low millimolar range with QuID nanosensors. These nanostructures exploit the structural motifs of DNA and biological specificity of enzymes with the size and responsiveness of nanoparticle-based sensors [25,26]. Short strands of complementary DNA strategically space sensing elements to increase the signal and intensity of the nanosensor while maintaining an approximate 100 nm diameter
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