Amine-Functionalized Quantum Dots as a Universal Fluorescent Nanoprobe for a One-Step Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay with Single-Copy Sensitivity.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has received considerable attention for decentralized (point-of-care and on-site) nucleic acid testing in view of its simple temperature control (60-65 °C) and short assay time (15-60 min). There remains a challenge in its wide adoption and acceptance due to the limitations of the existing amplification result reporter probes, e.g., photobleaching of organic fluorophore and reduced sensitivity of the pH-sensitive colorimetric dye. Herein, we demonstrate CdSeS/ZnS quantum dots (semiconductor fluorescent nanocrystals with superior photostability than organic fluorophore) with surface modification of cysteamine (amine-QDs) as a new reporter probe for LAMP that enabled single-copy sensitivity (limit of detection of 83 zM; 20 µL reaction volume). For a negative LAMP sample (absence of target sequence), positively charged amine-QDs remained dispersed due to interparticle electrostatic repulsion. While for a positive LAMP sample (presence of target sequence), amine-QDs became precipitated. The characterization data showed that amine-QDs were embedded in magnesium pyrophosphate crystals (generated during positive LAMP), thus leading to their coprecipitation. This amine-QD-based one-step LAMP assay advances the field of QD-based nucleic acid amplification assays in two aspects: (1) compatibility─one-step amplification and detection (versus separation of amplification and detection steps); and (2) universality─the same amine-QDs for different target sequences (versus different oligonucleotide-modified QDs for different target sequences).

Targeting Inflammasome Activation in COVID-19: Delivery of RNA Interference-Based Therapeutic Molecules.

Mortality and morbidity associated with COVID-19 continue to be significantly high worldwide, owing to the absence of effective treatment strategies. The emergence of different variants of SARS-CoV-2 is also a considerable source of concern and has led to challenges in the development of better prevention and treatment strategies, including vaccines. Immune dysregulation due to pro-inflammatory mediators has worsened the situation in COVID-19 patients. Inflammasomes play a critical role in modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and their activation is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Numerous preclinical and clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment using different approaches are currently underway. Targeting different inflammasomes to reduce the cytokine storm, and its associated complications, in COVID-19 patients is a new area of research. Non-coding RNAs, targeting inflammasome activation, may serve as an effective treatment strategy. However, the efficacy of these therapeutic agents is highly dependent on the delivery system. MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, in conjunction with an efficient delivery vehicle, present a potential strategy for regulating NLRP3 activity through various RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms. In this regard, the use of nanomaterials and other vehicle types for the delivery of RNAi-based therapeutic molecules for COVID-19 may serve as a novel approach for enhancing drug efficacy. The present review briefly summarizes immune dysregulation and its consequences, the roles of different non-coding RNAs in regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome, distinct types of vectors for their delivery, and potential therapeutic targets of microRNA for treatment of COVID-19.

Viral MicroRNAs Encoded by Nucleocapsid Gene of SARS-CoV-2 Are Detected during Infection, and Targeting Metabolic Pathways in Host Cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators of gene expression that may be used to identify the pathological pathways influenced by disease and cellular interactions. Viral miRNAs (v-miRNAs) encoded by both DNA and RNA viruses induce immune dysregulation, virus production, and disease pathogenesis. Given the absence of effective treatment and the prevalence of highly infective SARS-CoV-2 strains, improved understanding of viral-associated miRNAs could provide novel mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of COVID-19. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 v-miRNAs were identified by deep sequencing in infected Calu-3 and Vero E6 cell lines. Among the ~0.1% small RNA sequences mapped to the SARS-CoV-2 genome, the top ten SARS-CoV-2 v-miRNAs (including three encoded by the N gene; v-miRNA-N) were selected. After initial screening of conserved v-miRNA-N-28612, which was identified in both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, its expression was shown to be positively associated with viral load in COVID-19 patients. Further in silico analysis and synthetic-mimic transfection of validated SARS-CoV-2 v-miRNAs revealed novel functional targets and associations with mechanisms of cellular metabolism and biosynthesis. Our findings support the development of v-miRNA-based biomarkers and therapeutic strategies based on improved understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19.

Precipitation of PEG/Carboxyl-Modified Gold Nanoparticles with Magnesium Pyrophosphate: A New Platform for Real-Time Monitoring of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification.

Gold nanoparticles have proven to be promising for decentralized nucleic acid testing by virtue of their simple visual readout and absorbance-based quantification. A major challenge toward their practical application is to achieve ultrasensitive detection without compromising simplicity. The conventional strategy of thermocycling amplification is unfavorable (because of both instrumentation and preparation of thermostable oligonucleotide-modified gold nanoparticle probes). Herein, on the basis of a previously unreported co-precipitation phenomenon between thiolated poly(ethylene glycol)/11-mercaptoundecanoic acid co-modified gold nanoparticles and magnesium pyrophosphate crystals (an isothermal DNA amplification reaction byproduct), a new ultrasensitive and simple DNA assay platform is developed. The binding mechanism underlying the co-precipitation phenomenon is found to be caused by the complexation of carboxyl and pyrophosphate with free magnesium ions. Remarkably, poly(ethylene glycol) does not hinder the binding and effectively stabilizes gold nanoparticles against magnesium ion-induced aggregation (without pyrophosphate). In fact, a similar phenomenon is observed in other poly(ethylene glycol)- and carboxyl-containing nanomaterials. When the gold nanoparticle probe is incorporated into a loop-mediated isothermal amplification reaction, it remains as a red dispersion for a negative sample (in the absence of a target DNA sequence) but appears as a red precipitate for a positive sample (in the presence of a target). This results in a first-of-its-kind gold nanoparticle-based DNA assay platform with isothermal amplification and real-time monitoring capabilities.

Platinum nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide as peroxidase mimetics for the colorimetric detection of specific DNA sequence.

In this work, we developed a simple and sensitive colorimetric detection platform for specific DNA sequences by using peroxidase mimetics of platinum nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide. This nanocomposite possessed the combined advantages of platinum nanoparticles (superior peroxidase-like activity) and reduced graphene oxide (π-stacking interaction with single-stranded but not double-stranded DNA). The catalytic activity was strongly dependent on the chloroplatinic acid-to-graphene oxide mass ratio during the synthesis step, with an optimum ratio of 7 : 1. Unlike natural peroxidase, the nanocomposite had excellent stability over wide ranges of temperature (4-90 °C) and pH (1-13). For DNA detection, the nanocomposite had higher affinity for the single-stranded probe (in the absence of target) than the probe-target duplex. The probe-bound nanocomposite was stabilized against salt-induced aggregation and thus upon the addition of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine and hydrogen peroxide to the supernatant, an intense blue color was generated. The linear range and limit of detection of this assay platform were 0.5-10 nM and 0.4 nM, respectively. Moreover, this platform featured high specificity that 3-base-mismatched sequence could be distinguished with the naked eye and 1-base-mismatched sequence with absorbance measurement. Furthermore, the applicability for real sample detection was demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction product analysis. Taken together, this new platform is well suited for point-of-care and on-site nucleic acid testing.

Silica-modified oligonucleotide-gold nanoparticle conjugate enables closed-tube colorimetric polymerase chain reaction.

A facile silica coating significantly enhances the thermal stability and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) compatibility of oligonucleotide-gold nanoparticle conjugates, thus enabling colorimetric detection of PCR results in a closed-tube format. This method is specific, sensitive, and generally applicable. Its simplicity, visual readout, and carryover contamination-free features hold promise for point-of-care or on-site DNA testing.

Electrochemistry-based real-time PCR on a microchip.

The development of handheld instruments for point-of-care DNA analysis can potentially contribute to the medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring for decentralized applications. In this work, we demonstrate the implementation of a recently developed electrochemical real-time polymerase chain reaction (ERT-PCR) technique on a silicon-glass microchip for simultaneous DNA amplification and detection. This on-chip ERT-PCR process requires the extension of an oligonucleotide in both solution and at solid phases and intermittent electrochemical signal measurement in the presence of all the PCR reagents. Several important parameters, related to the surface passivation and electrochemical scanning of working electrodes, were investigated. It was found that the ERT-PCR's onset thermal cycle ( approximately 3-5), where the analytical signal begins to be distinguishable from the background, is much lower than that of the fluorescence-based counterparts for high template DNA situations (3 x 10(6) copies/microL). By carefully controlling the concentrations of the immobilized probe and the enzyme polymerase, improvements have been made in obtaining a meaningful electrochemical signal using a lower initial template concentration. This ERT-PCR technique on a microchip platform holds significant promise for rapid DNA detection for point-of-care testing applications.

Tunable stabilization of gold nanoparticles in aqueous solutions by mononucleotides.

Gold nanoparticles are one of the popular nanomaterials, widely used in biosensor applications as well as nanostructure construction. An essential attribute of these gold nanoparticles (Au-nps) is their stabilization against salt-induced aggregation. In this work, utilization of deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs) as a tunable surface-stabilization agent for Au-nps was investigated. It was found that surfaces of Au-nps are covered by a layer of dNTPs after an adequate incubation with dNTPs solutions. Electrostatic repulsion among dNTP-coated Au-nps could prevent aggregation of Au-nps at a high salt concentration. The strength of dNTP-based protection can be manipulated by changing preparation protocols (e.g., incubation temperature, ionic strength, and ratio of Au-nps to dNTPs). Four different types of dNTPs exhibit different binding affinity to Au-nps and thus various stabilization efficiency in the order of dATP > dCTP > dGTP approximately dTTP. Moreover, this salt-induced aggregation can be reinitiated by the increase of solution temperature, which leads to a partial removal of the protective dNTP layer on Au-nps. The advantage of thermally tunable aggregation/dispersion of Au-nps mediated by dNTP adsorption offers a useful approach for the preparation of biomolecule (oligonucleotides and oligopeptides) modified nanoparticles in applications of bioassay and nanobiotechnology.

Electrochemical real-time polymerase chain reaction.

In this work, we report the first electrochemistry-based real-time polymerase chain reaction technique for sequence-specific nucleic acid detection. This new technique builds upon the advantages of the well-established fluorescence-based counterpart, such as short assay time (simultaneous target DNA amplification and detection). In addition, this electrochemical approach could employ simple and miniaturizable instrumentation compared to the bulky and expensive optics required in the fluorescence-based schemes. We have demonstrated a proof-of-concept experiment showing that the utilization of solid-phase extension of the electrode surface-immobilized capture probe with Fc-dUTP during PCR resulted in the accumulation of the redox marker on the transducer surface. This new technique can be applied to a microfabricated PCR electrochemical device for point-of-care diagnostics as well as on-site environmental monitoring and biowarfare agent detection.

Nanocrystal-based bioelectronic coding of single nucleotide polymorphisms.

A bioelectronic method for coding unknown single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on the use of different encoding nanocrystals is described. Four such nanocrystals, ZnS, CdS, PbS, and CuS, linked to the adenosine, cytidine, guanosine and thymidine mononucleotides, respectively, are sequentially introduced to the DNA hybrid-coated magnetic-bead solution. Each mutation captures via base pairing different nanocrystal-mononucleotide conjugates, and yields a characteristic multipotential voltammogram, whose peak potentials reflect the identity of the mismatch. The mismatch recognition events are being amplified by the metal accumulation feature of the stripping voltammetric transduction mode. Each of the eight possible one-base mismatches can thus be identified in a single voltammetric run. The use of nanocrystal tracers for detecting two known mutations in a single DNA target is also illustrated in connection to nanocrystals linked to two nucleotides along with a single voltammetric run. The protocol presented should facilitate the rapid, simple, low-cost, and high throughput screening for SNPs.

Sequence-specific electrochemical detection of asymmetric PCR amplicons of traditional Chinese medicinal plant DNA.

In this study, an electrochemistry-based approach to detect nucleic acid amplification products of Chinese herbal genes is reported. Using asymmetric polymerase chain reaction and electrochemical techniques, single-stranded target amplicons are produced from trace amounts of DNA sample and sequence-specific electrochemical detection based on the direct hybridization of the crude amplicon mix and immobilized DNA probe can be achieved. Electrochemically active intercalator Hoechst 33258 is bound to the double-stranded duplex formed by the target amplicon hybridized with the 5'-thiol-derivated DNA probe (16-mer) on the gold electrode surface. The electrochemical current signal of the hybridization event is measured by linear sweep voltammetry, the response of which can be used to differentiate the sequence complementarities of the target amplicons. To improve the reproducibility and sensitivity of the current signal, issues such as electrode surface cleaning, probe immobilization, and target hybridization are addressed. Factors affecting hybridization efficiency including the length and binding region of the target amplicon are discussed. Using our approach, differentiation of Chinese herbal species Fritillaria (F. thunbergii and F. cirrhosa) based on the 16-mer unique sequences in the spacer region of the 5S-rRNA is demonstrated. The ability to detect PCR products using a nonoptical electrochemical detection technique is an important step toward the realization of portable biomicrodevices for on-spot bacterial and viral detections.

Genotyping on a complementary metal oxide semiconductor silicon polymerase chain reaction chip with integrated DNA microarray.

A novel method for the fast identification of genetic material utilizing a micro-DNA amplification and analysis device (micro-DAAD) consisting of multiple PCR microreactors with integrated DNA microarrays was developed. The device was fabricated in Si-technology and used for the genotyping of Chinese medicinal plants on the basis of differences in the noncoding region of the 5S-rRNA gene. Successful amplification of the genetic material and the consecutive analysis of the fluorescent-labeled amplicons in the micro-DAAD by the integrated oligonucleotide probes were demonstrated. Parallel analysis was performed by loading the four PCR reactors of the micro-DAAD with different samples of 3-microL volume. Temperature sensors and heating elements of the micro-DAAD enable precise temperature control and fast cycling, allowing the rapid completion of a combined amplification and analysis (hybridization) experiment.