Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.
Biosensors (Basel). 2024 Sep 25;14(10):454. doi: 10.3390/bios14100454.
Mercury ions (Hg) are toxic heavy metals present in the environment that pose significant health risks. An advanced detection system could allow for a prompt response and alleviate serious damage to humans. In this study, we developed a cost-effective, on-site detection method for Hg using a multicomponent nucleic acid enzyme (MNAzyme)-assisted nucleic acid lateral flow assay (NALFA). The MNAzyme, which was engineered to contain thymine-thymine mismatches, is responsive only to the presence of Hg and exerts efficient cleavage activity on substrates that can be captured by the NALFA strip, and thus the proposed system enables the visual detection of Hg in the NALFA strip. Our assay demonstrated sufficient detection sensitivity and specificity to meet the WHO standards, offering a good practical alternative for rapid environmental and public health monitoring.
汞离子（Hg）是环境中存在的有毒重金属，对健康构成重大威胁。先进的检测系统可以及时响应，减轻对人类的严重损害。在这项研究中，我们使用多组分核酸酶（MNAzyme）辅助的核酸侧向流动分析（NALFA）开发了一种经济有效的现场 Hg 检测方法。该 MNAzyme 经过工程设计，包含胸腺嘧啶-胸腺嘧啶错配，仅对 Hg 的存在有反应，并对可以被 NALFA 条带捕获的底物发挥有效的切割活性，因此，该系统能够在 NALFA 条带中可视化检测 Hg。我们的检测方法具有足够的检测灵敏度和特异性，符合世卫组织标准，为快速进行环境和公共卫生监测提供了一种良好的实用选择。
