Premium
Cover Picture: RNA‐Cleaving Deoxyribozyme Sensor for Nucleic Acid Analysis: The Limit of Detection (ChemBioChem 6/2010)
Author(s) -
Gerasimova Yulia V.,
Cornett Evan,
Kolpashchikov Dmitry M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
chembiochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1439-7633
pISSN - 1439-4227
DOI - 10.1002/cbic.201090020
Subject(s) - deoxyribozyme , fluorophore , nucleic acid , analyte , chemistry , detection limit , substrate (aquarium) , fluorescence , cleavage (geology) , combinatorial chemistry , catalysis , biophysics , biochemistry , materials science , chromatography , biology , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , fracture (geology) , composite material
The cover picture shows the concept of self‐assembling deoxyribozyme sensors for nucleic acid analysis. Two DNAzyme subunits and a fluorophore‐ and a quencher‐labeled reporter substrate coexist free in solution. The addition of a nucleic acid analyte triggers the formation of a quaternary complex, in which the DNAzyme subunits re‐form the catalytic core of the enzyme. Cleavage of the substrate results in removal of the fluorophore from the quencher, thus generating a bright fluorescent signal. Due to the catalytic turnover, a single analyte molecule causes multiple substrate cleavage, and this leads to signal amplification and an improvement in the detection limit. The detection efficiency depends on the catalytic efficiency of the deoxyribozyme and the fluorescence enhancement properties of the substrate (parameter α). More information can be found in the article by D. M. Kolpashchikov et al. on p. 811 ff.