Detection of Early Stage Apoptotic Cells Based on Label-Free Cytochrome c Assay Using Bioconjugated Metal Nanoclusters as Fluorescent Probes.

Cytochrome c (Cyt c) is an important biomarker in cell lysates for the early stage of apoptosis or anticancer agents. Here, two novel label-free fluorescence assays based on hemoglobin-stabilized gold nanoclusters (Hb/AuNCs) and aptamer-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA/AgNCs) for analysis of Cyt c are presented. The heme group of the protein induces sensitive sensing platforms accompanied by the decreased fluorescence of both metal nanoclusters. The quenching processes observed found to be based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer mechanism from Hb/AuNCs to Cyt c and photoinduced electron transfer from DNA/AgNCs to the aptamer-Cyt c complex. The linear range for Cyt c was found to be 0-10 μM for Hb/AuNCs and from 0 to 1 μM for DNA/AgNCs, with limits of detection of ∼15 nM. On the basis of strong binding affinity of DNA aptamers for their target proteins, the DNA/AgNCs probe was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of Cyt c in cell lysates, which opens a new avenue to early diagnostics and drug screening with high sensitivity. Compared to the conventional Western blot method, the presented assays are low cost, easy to prepare the fluorescent probes, and sensitive, while overall time for the detection and quantitation of Cyt c from isolated mitochondria is only 20 min. The proposed method for Cyt c detection may also be useful for the study of those materials that cause mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptotic cell death.