ACS Chem Neurosci. 2018 Apr 18;9(4):849-857. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00444. Epub 2018 Jan 9.
Neurotransmitters are small molecules that orchestrate complex patterns of brain activity. Unfortunately, there exist few sensors capable of directly detecting individual neurotransmitters. Those sensors that do exist are either unspecific or fail to capture the temporal or spatial dynamics of neurotransmitter release. DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) are a new class of biocompatible, fluorescent nanostructures that have recently been shown to offer promise as biosensors. In this work, we identify two different DNA sequences that form dopamine-sensitive nanoclusters. We demonstrate that each sequence supports two distinct DNA-AgNCs capable of providing specific, ratiometric fluorescent sensing of dopamine concentration in vitro. DNA-Ag nanoclusters therefore offer a novel, low-cost approach to quantification of dopamine, creating the potential for real-time monitoring in vivo.
神经递质是协调大脑活动复杂模式的小分子。不幸的是，能够直接检测单个神经递质的传感器很少。那些确实存在的传感器要么不具有特异性，要么无法捕捉神经递质释放的时间或空间动态。DNA 稳定的银纳米簇（DNA-AgNCs）是一类新的生物相容性荧光纳米结构，最近已被证明有望作为生物传感器。在这项工作中，我们确定了两种形成多巴胺敏感纳米簇的不同 DNA 序列。我们证明，每个序列都支持两种不同的 DNA-AgNCs，能够在体外对多巴胺浓度进行特异性、比率荧光检测。因此，DNA-Ag 纳米簇为多巴胺的定量提供了一种新颖的、低成本的方法，为体内实时监测创造了潜力。
