Open AccessDirect electrical detection of DNA synthesis
Author(s) -
Nader Pourmand,
Miloslav Karhánek,
Henrik Persson,
Chris Webb,
Thomas H. Lee,
Alexandra Zahradnı́ková,
Ronald W. Davis
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.0601184103
Subject(s) - dna , electrode , biosensor , nucleic acid , nanotechnology , phosphodiester bond , materials science , chemistry , biochemistry , rna , gene
Rapid, sequence-specific DNA detection is essential for applications in medical diagnostics and genetic screening. Electrical biosensors that use immobilized nucleic acids are especially promising in these applications because of their potential for miniaturization and automation. Current DNA detection methods based on sequencing by synthesis rely on optical readouts; however, a direct electrical detection method for this technique is not available. We report here an approach for direct electrical detection of enzymatically catalyzed DNA synthesis by induced surface charge perturbation. We discovered that incorporation of a complementary deoxynucleotide (dNTP) into a self-primed single-stranded DNA attached to the surface of a gold electrode evokes an electrode surface charge perturbation. This event can be detected as a transient current by a voltage-clamp amplifier. Based on current understanding of polarizable interfaces, we propose that the electrode detects proton removal from the 3′-hydroxyl group of the DNA molecule during phosphodiester bond formation.