Chemical-Chemical Redox Cycle Signal Amplification Strategy Combined with Dual Ratiometric Immunoassay for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Detection of Cardiac Troponin I.

Improving the sensitivity and reproducibility of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) methods for the detection of bioactive molecules is crucial in biological process research and clinical diagnosis. Herein, we designed a novel SERS platform for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) detection by a chemical-chemical redox cycle signal amplification strategy combined with a dual ratiometric immunoassay. First, ascorbic acid (AA) was generated by enzyme-assisted immunoreaction with a cTnI-anchored sandwich structure. Then, oxidized 4-mercaptophenol (ox4-MP) was reacted with AA to produce 4-mercaptophenol (4-MP). Quantitative analysis of cTnI was realized by a Raman signal switch between ox4-MP and 4-MP. Specifically, AA could be regenerated by reductant (tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine, TCEP), which in turn produced more signal indicator 4-MP, causing significant signal amplification for cTnI analysis by SERS immunosensing. Moreover, a dual ratiometric-type SERS method was established with the intensity ratio I1077/I822 and I633/I822, which improved the reproducibility of the cTnI assay. The excellent performance of the chemical-chemical redox cycle strategy and ratio-type SERS assay endows the method with high sensitivity and reproducibility. The linear ranges of cTnI were 0.001 to 50.0 ng mL-1 with detection limits of 0.33 pg mL-1 (upon I1077/I822) and 0.31 pg mL-1 (upon I635/I822), respectively. The amount of cTnI in human serum samples yielded recoveries from 89.0 to 114%. This SERS method has remarkable analytical performance, providing an effective approach for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, and has great latent capacity in the sensitive detection of bioactive molecules.

RGB color analysis of formaldehyde in vegetables based on DNA functionalized gold nanoparticles and triplex DNA.

A highly sensitive and selective RGB color analysis for the detection of formaldehyde (FA) was developed by using a DNA functionalized gold nanoparticle (AuNPs-DNA) probe. When complementary oligonucleotides (oligo 2 and oligo 3) and a silver ion (Ag+) were added to the AuNPs-DNA solution, triplex DNA was formed, resulting in the aggregation of AuNPs, and accompanied by a solution color change from red to purple. With the addition of formaldehyde, it reacted with Ag+, decreased the stability of triplex DNA between AuNPs-DNA, induced the dispersion of AuNPs, and the color of AuNPs recovered to red. Therefore, the formaldehyde concentration could be estimated with the RGB (red, green, blue) values of the AuNP solution by using a smartphone application (APP). The R value of the system was proportional to the concentration of formaldehyde within the range of 0.23-4.50 mg L-1, with a detection limit of 0.14 mg L-1. The method has been successfully applied to detect the residues of formaldehyde in vegetable samples and has the potential of the on-site determination of formaldehyde.

Hybridization chain reaction and DNAzyme-based dual signal amplification strategy for sensitive fluorescent sensing of aflatoxin B1 by using the pivot of triplex DNA.

This work developed an enzyme-free fluorescent aptasensor for sensitive aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) detection based on a dual signal amplification strategy of hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and Zn2+-dependent DNAzyme. In the presence of AFB1, the aptamer specifically binds to the target, releasing the blocking DNA, which can initiate HCR between hairpin probes H1 and H2. With the addition of the substrate strand (Zn-Sub) and enzyme strand (Zn-Enz) of DNAzyme, HCR product can hybridize with Zn-Sub and Zn-Enz to form triplex DNA and Y-shaped structure together, which further activates the DNAzyme to cleave Zn-Sub. Then, two separated fragments of Zn-Sub respectively hybridize with the fluorescent probe and quencher probe, which results in a dramatic increase in the fluorescence intensity. The proposed aptasensor shows high sensitivity and selectivity for AFB1 detection with a detection limit of 0.22 nmol/L in a linear range of 0.4-16 nmol/L. Moreover, the fluorescent aptasensor exhibits acceptable applicability for detecting AFB1 in oil samples with satisfactory recoveries of 92.2-107.8%. Results are also in agreement with those of the ELISA method, indicating that the fluorescent sensing strategy has great potential applications in food safety control.

Nicking enzyme-free strand displacement amplification-assisted CRISPR-Cas-based colorimetric detection of prostate-specific antigen in serum samples.

Immunosorbent assay is the gold standard diagnostic technique for the detection of protein biomarkers. However, this technique tends to have low sensitivity and requires laborious manipulation. Although advanced CRISPR-Cas-based biosensors offer advantages of simplicity, low cost and high accuracy, the synergy of using CRISPR-Cas-assisted dual signal amplification system for rapid diagnosis of protein biomarkers remains scarce. In this work, we report a synergetic signal amplification system comprising CRISPR-Cas12a and nicking enzyme-free strand displacement amplification (SDA) technique for accurate detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The presence of PSA will initiate the nicking enzyme-free SDA process, generating amplicons that can be recognized by the CRISPR-Cas12a system. The activated CRISPR-Cas system will then mediate trans-ssDNA cleavage of neighboring linker DNA, which unlocks the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) signal probes and gives a distance-dependent colorimetric readout. This assay could detect PSA in aqueous buffer sensitively and selectively with a limit of detection (LOD) down to 0.030 ng mL-1. Importantly, this assay was successfully applied for discriminating four blood samples from prostate cancer patients among thirteen blood samples from normal individuals/cancer patients accurately. This work will open an avenue for the development of SDA-CRISPR-AuNPs hybrid sensing systems, offering great potential for the development of non-invasive point-of-care diagnostic tools for prostate cancer.

Dynamic light scattering and fluorescence dual-signal sensing of cancer antigen-125 via recognition of the polymerase chain reaction product with gold nanoparticle probe.

Cancer antigen 125 (CA - 125) is an important biomarker for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. In this paper, oligonucleotide 5'-GACAGGCCCGAAGGAATAGATAATACGACTCACTATAGGGAGACAAGAATAAACGCTCAA-3' (oligo 1) contains an aptamer of CA - 125, and was designed partly complementary to oligonucleotide 5'-CTCTCTCTCCACCTTCTTCTTTGAGCGTTTATTCTTGTCT-3' (oligo 2). Oligo 1 · oligo 2 was extended with the Klenow fragment (exo-) polymerase for further polymerase chain reaction (PCR) processes in the presence of two primers: deoxyribose nucleoside triphosphate and Taq polymerase. Single-stranded DNA was produced at two sides of the PCR product by introducing a C18 spacer into the two primers, which could hybridize with AuNPs-DNA probes, investigated by dynamic light scattering and fluorescence. The addition of CA - 125 can interrupt the hybridization between oligo 1 and oligo 2, causing the average diameter of AuNPs-DNA probes to decrease with the increase of CA-125 within the range of 5 fg mL-1 - 50 ng mL-1. The linear regression equation of this relationship was D = 430.48-49.60 log10C, with a detection limit of 1.1 fg mL-1. Fluorescein molecules were modified at the end of the forward primer. The fluorescence intensity of the PCR product can be measured simultaneously, with the fluorescence intensity increasing linearly with the logarithm of CA-125 concentration within a linear range from 10 fg mL-1 to 50 ng mL-1, with a detection limit of 1.5 fg mL-1.

A Highly Sensitive Catalytic Hairpin Assembly-Based Dynamic Light-Scattering Biosensors for Telomerase Detection in Bladder Cancer Diagnosis.

Precise evaluation of telomerase activity is highly crucial for early cancer diagnosis. In this study, a sensitive catalytic hairpin assembly-dynamic light scattering (CHA-DLS) assay for telomerase activity detection is developed by using the diameter change of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) probes. The telomerase substrate primer can be extended in the presence of telomerase, producing a telomerase extension product (TEP) with telomeric repeat units (TTAGGG)n at its 3'-end. The TEP can specifically trigger the CHA process and form tremendous AuNPs-H1/H2 nanostructures, resulting in a significant increase in the diameter measured by DLS. Telomerase activity from different cancer cell lines (MCF-7, Huh7, and 5637) was detected using the proposed strategy, the diameter of AuNP probes increased with the number of cancer cells, and this method can accurately detect telomerase activity down to 6 MCF-7 cells, 10 Huh7 cells, and three 5637 cells. Moreover, the CHA-DLS biosensor was successfully applied in urine specimens from healthy individuals and different cancer patients, which can distinguish bladder cancer patients from healthy people and other cancer patients, indicating that the noninvasive method has a great potential for application in early diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Non-invasive diagnosis of bladder cancer by detecting telomerase activity in human urine using hybridization chain reaction and dynamic light scattering.

Cystoscopy and histology are the gold standards for detection of bladder cancer. However, these methods are highly subjective, expensive, and invasive. We have developed a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of bladder cancer by detecting telomerase activity in human urine. Telomerase substrate (TS) primer is elongated with repeating sequences of (TTAGGG)n in the presence of telomerase. The elongated primer can trigger hybridization chain reaction between two hairpins H1 and H2, result in the aggregation of AuNPs due to the hybridization between the tail sequence on H1 (or H2) and DNA-AuNPs probe, and accompany with the increase of hydrodynamic diameter of AuNPs, which can be measured with dynamic light scattering (DLS). The biosensor displayed a detection limit of 4 MCF-7 cells (a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) and a dynamic range of 10-1000 cells. Moreover, only urine specimens from bladder cancer patients induced a significant change in the average hydrodynamic diameter, indicating its specificity for the non-invasive diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Strand displacement amplification-coupled dynamic light scattering method to detect urinary telomerase for non-invasive detection of bladder cancer.

Despite huge successes achieved by strand displacement amplification (SDA) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in biomolecules sensing, the strategy of combination of SDA and AuNPs-based dynamic light scattering (DLS) for a biomolecule sensing is unexplored. Here we developed a non-invasive, SDA-based DLS method for the diagnosis of bladder cancer by detecting telomerase activity in human urine. In the presence of telomerase, the telomerase substrate (TS) primer was elongated with repeating sequences of (TTAGGG)n, and the resulting product triggers SDA between the hairpin deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and the Primer. The SDA product can be recognized by the oligonucleotide-modified AuNPs probes, resulting in DLS measurable AuNPs aggregation. The assay displayed a detection limit of 3 MCF-7 cells with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 in a dynamic range of 5-1000 cells. The method was simple, reliable and has been successfully applied in the detection of telomerase in urine with good accuracy, selectivity and reproducibility. Moreover, only urine samples from bladder cancer patients induced a significant change in the average hydrodynamic diameter, indicating practical applicability of the method for the non-invasive diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Polymerase Chain Reaction-Dynamic Light Scattering Sensor for DNA and Protein by Using Both Replication and Cleavage Properties of Taq Polymerase.

The incorporation of AuNPs into polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become a promising strategy to develop sensitive sensing platforms, due to desirable optical properties of AuNPs and the exponential amplification power of PCR. However, the combination of AuNPs to PCR usually fails to reach expected sensitivity along with additional steps. Here we report a one-step and universal PCR-based biosensor for size-dependent detection of nucleic acids and proteins by using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. This sensing system employs a DNA modified AuNPs (AuNPs-DNA) probe to serve as the TaqMan like signal probe, in which DNA on the surface of AuNPs can be cleaved by Taq polymerase during the extension process of PCR, causing the aggregation of AuNPs to be detected by DLS. This strategy enables sequence-specific recognition of target double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), overcoming the background signal change that triggered by the increase of the PCR cycle. It further demonstrates its applicability in detecting a foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes with a detection limit of 1.2 fg µL-1, which is more sensitive than colorimetric methods. Moreover, by utilizing a proximity assay strategy, this biosensor shows the capability to the homogeneous detection of protein, showing a detection limit of 1.0 pM for a model thrombin. Together, the work demonstrates a reliable strategy to incorporate AuNPs into PCR amplification process as a signal probe, instead of the post-PCR process.

A novel label-free fluorescent detection of histidine based upon Cu2+-specific DNAzyme and hybridization chain reaction.

A novel label-free fluorescent sensor for histidine was developed based upon Cu2+-specific DNAzyme, hybridization chain reaction(HCR) and triplex DNA. Cu2+ can bind to the histidine, in the presence of histidine, leading to the inhibition of the cleavage of substrate strand of Cu2+-dependent DNAzyme, then the intact substrate strand trigger the HCR between H1 and H2. The HCR product can be recognized by triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) through triplex formation and reported by the fluorescence of berberine, the fluorescence intensity of the sensing system was proportional to the concentration of histidine during the range of 5.7-455 nmol L-1, with a detection limit of 2.0 nmol L-1.

The peroxidase-mimicking function of acetate and its application in single-enzyme-based glucose test paper.

Acetate ion was widely used in pH buffer to control pH environment. Here we firstly found that acetate ion had mimic peroxidase activity. Acetate ions are capable of catalyzing the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and play a similar role to that of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Acetate catalyzes the oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2, which is the product of the reaction of glucose and glucose oxidase. A colorimetric sensor for H2O2 and glucose was developed using acetate ions. The linear regression equation for H2O2 was A = 0.0029 C + 0.0530 (C (µmolL-1), R = 0.9978), and the detection limit was 3.0 µmolL-1, whereas that for glucose was A = 0.0021 C + 0.0709 (C (µmol L-1), R = 0.9977), and the detection limit was 4.0 µmol L-1. Moreover, the proposed method was successfully applied for the detection of H2O2 in human urine and glucose in human serum; thus, the proposed method could be used for the diagnosis of illness or disease. A single-enzyme-based glucose test paper was firstly prepared and tested for semi-quantitative analysis of glucose.

Sensitive DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction with gold nanoparticles.

We developed a novel strategy for rapid colorimetric detection of specific DNA sequence based on gold nanoparticles assemblies induced by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product. In the presence of target DNA, the two DNA-functionalized AuNP probes selectively hybridized with the prohibited nucleic acid segments of two primers owing to the zipping off of the hairpin structures during PCR process, resulted in the aggregation of AuNPs with a concomitant color change from red to blue-purple. It is a convenient and universal method for sensitive DNA detection with no need for any further post-treatment of the PCR products. Most importantly, our method showed a low limit of detection (LOD) of 4.3 fM with a wide range of target DNA from 16 fM to 1.6 nM. Owing to the versatility and low cost, the proposed strategy could be extremely useful for a wide range of applications, providing a promising tool for rapid disease diagnostics and gene sequencing.

Ultrasensitive Detection of HIV DNA with Polymerase Chain Reaction-Dynamic Light Scattering.

Early diagnosis of HIV biomarkers or genes is the key to reducing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) mortality. In our work, we developed a novel polymerase chain reaction-dynamic light scattering (PCR-DLS) assay for one-step sensitive detection of HIV DNA based on the average-diameter change of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This is the first PCR assay that makes use of the DLS technique as a signal read-out, with the particle size measured by DLS increasing with the concentration of target DNA. With the help of the AuNP probes, this PCR-DLS assay can effectively improve the specificity of PCR reactions, which can greatly increase the detection sensitivity, with a detection limit of 1.8 aM (S/N = 3). In addition, the proposed strategy was successfully used to analyze target DNA in human serum samples, indicating that the PCR-DLS assay has a promising potential application for rapid and early clinical diagnosis of HIV infection.

Turn-off colorimetric sensor for sequence-specific recognition of single-stranded DNA based upon Y-shaped DNA structure.

A novel turn-off colorimetric sensor for sequence-specific recognition of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was established by combining Y-shaped DNA duplex and G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme. A G-rich single-stranded DNA (Oligo-1) displays peroxidase mimicking catalytic activity due to the specific binding with hemin in the presence of K+, which was able to catalyze the oxidation of colorless 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS2-) by H2O2 to generate green ABTS•- radical for colorimetric assay. Oligonucleotide 2 (Oligo-2) was partly complementary with Oligo-1 and the target DNA. Upon addition of target DNA, Oligo-1, Oligo-2 and target DNA can hybridize with each other to form Y-shaped DNA duplex. The DNAzyme sequence of Oligo-1 was partly caged into Y-shaped DNA duplex, resulting in the inactivation of the DNAzyme and a sharp decrease of the absorbance of the oxidation product of ABTS2-. Under the optimum condition, the absorbance decreased linearly with the concentration of target DNA over the range of 1.0-250 nM and the detection limit was 0.95 nM (3σ/slope) Moreover, satisfied result was obtained for the discrimination of single-base or two-base mismatched DNA.

Determination of bacterial DNA based on catalytic oxidation of cysteine by G-quadruplex DNAzyme generated from asymmetric PCR: Application to the colorimetric detection of Staphylococcus aureus.

A one-step, one-tube colorimetric assay is described for the detection of bacterial double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). It utilizes a G-quadruplex DNAzyme produced by an asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (As-PCR) that catalyzes the oxidation of cysteine to form cystine. This results in the formation of oligonucleotide-modified gold nanoparticles via triplex formation, and eventually in a color change from red to blue that occurs within about 10 mins. This can be measured by ratiometric colorimetric (at 525 and 600 nm). The limit of detection (LOD) for the model analyte (dsDNA of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)) is as low as 0.28 pg per 0.05 mL with a good linear response ranging from 16.0 fg·µL-1 to 1.6 ng·µL-1. This is much lower than previously reported LODs. The assay is highly selective for S. aureus dsDNA over a range of other bacterial DNAs. Conceivably, it provides an attractive alternative tool for rapid detection of bacterial dsDNA as required in pathogen screening in the food industry. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a colorimetric assay for bacterial DNA. It is based on the catalytic activity of a G-quadruplex DNAzyme that is formed by an asymmetric PCR involving triplex DNA formation and gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) aggregation.

A label-free light-up fluorescent sensing platform based upon hybridization chain reaction amplification and DNA triplex assembly.

A label-free light-up fluorescent sensing strategy using hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification and DNA triplex assembly has been developed. Remarkably, the proposed fluorescence assay is successfully applied to the determination of avian influenza A (H7N9) virus DNA and thrombin. Herein, in the presence of targets, the target DNA/initiator triggers a cascade of hybridization events between H1 and H2 that yields nicked double helices analogous to alternating copolymers. With the additions of triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) and berberine, the triplex structures form between HCR products and TFO. Then, a large amount of berberine can bind to the triplex structures and the sensing system exhibits a dramatic increase in the fluorescence intensity at 530 nm. Under optimal conditions, the label-free fluorescent sensing platform shows sensitive responses to H7N9 virus DNA and thrombin in the range of 0.2-100 nM and 0.5-200 nM, respectively. The detection limits of H7N9 virus DNA and thrombin are as low as 0.14 nM and 0.32 nM, respectively. Owing to the simplicity and low cost, the proposed strategy can be used in other biomarkers assays, providing a promising tool for clinical diagnosis and biomedical detection.

Sensitive Fluorescent Sensor for Recognition of HIV-1 dsDNA by Using Glucose Oxidase and Triplex DNA.

A sensitive fluorescent sensor for sequence-specific recognition of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was developed on the surface of silver-coated glass slide (SCGS). Oligonucleotide-1 (Oligo-1) was designed to assemble on the surface of SCGS and act as capture DNA, and oligonucleotide-2 (Oligo-2) was designed as signal DNA. Upon addition of target HIV-1 dsDNA (Oligo-3•Oligo-4), signal DNA could bind on the surface of silver-coated glass because of the formation of C•GoC in parallel triplex DNA structure. Biotin-labeled glucose oxidase (biotin-GOx) could bind to signal DNA through the specific interaction of biotin-streptavidin, thereby GOx was attached to the surface of SCGS, which was dependent on the concentration of target HIV-1 dsDNA. GOx could catalyze the oxidation of glucose and yield H2O2, and the HPPA can be oxidized into a fluorescent product in the presence of HRP. Therefore, the concentration of target HIV-1 dsDNA could be estimated with fluorescence intensity. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity was proportional to the concentration of target HIV-1 dsDNA over the range of 10 pM to 1000 pM, the detection limit was 3 pM. Moreover, the sensor had good sequence selectivity and practicability and might be applied for the diagnosis of HIV disease in the future.

A sensitive colorimetric DNA biosensor for specific detection of the HBV gene based on silver-coated glass slide and G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme.

A sensitive colorimetric DNA biosensor for specific detection of single stranded oligonucleotide (ssDNA) is proposed in this paper. The biosensor is based on silver-coated glass (SCGS) and G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme. Capture DNA is immobilized on the surface of SCGS by Ag-S bond. Signal DNA can be used to hybridize with the target DNA which is selected from the Hepatitis B virus(HBV) gene as target HBV DNA, and the HRP-mimicking G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme can be formed through the function of a guanine-rich fragment from signal DNA to catalyze the oxidation of 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiozoline)-6-sulfonicacid (ABTS2- ) by H2 O2 . The reaction will be monitored along the side of absorbance changes at 418 nm and it can be viewed by naked eye with the change of color as well. Upon addition of target Hepatitis B virus(HBV) DNA, signal DNA could bind on the surface of SCGS, and the concentration of G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme immobilizing on the surface of SCGS is depended on that of target HBV DNA. Under the optimum conditions, the absorption was proportional to the concentration of target HBV DNA over the range from 0.5 to 100 nM, with a detection limit of 0.2 nM. In addition, the biosensor is target specific and practicability. This assay might open a new avenue for applying in the diagnosis of HBV disease in the future.

Sequence specific recognition of HIV-1 dsDNA in the large amount of normal dsDNA based upon nicking enzyme signal amplification and triplex DNA.

A sensitive fluorescent strategy for sequence specific recognition of HIV dsDNA was established based upon Nicking Enzyme Signal Amplification (NESA) and triplex formation. dsDNA sequence from the site 7960 to site 7991 of the HIV1 dsDNA gene was designed as target dsDNA, which was composed of two complementary strands Oligonucleotide 1 with the sequence of 3'-CTT CCT TAT CTT CTT CTT CCA CCT CTC TCT CT-5' (Oligo-1) and Oligonucleotide 2 with the sequence of 5'-GAA GGA ATA GAA GAA GAA GGT GGA GAG AGA GA-3' (Oligo-2). As a proof of concept, Oligonucleotide 5'-6-FAM-GAG GTG GAG CTG CGC GAC TCC TCC TCT CTC TCT CTC CAC CTC-BHQ-1-3'(Oligo-4) acted as molecular beacon(MB) probe, Oligonucleotide 5'-CTT CCT TAT CTT CTT CTT CCA AAA GGA GTC GCG-3' (Oligo-7) acted as assistant probe. In the presence of target dsDNA, Oligo-4 and Oligo-7 hybridized with target dsDNA through triplex formation and formed Y-shaped structure, NESA occurred with further addition of Nt.BbvCI, accompanied with the release of fluorescent DNA fragment circularly, resulted in the increase of fluorescence intensity. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity was linear with the concentration of target dsDNA over the range from 100pM to 200nM, the linear regression equation was I = 1.266 C + 84.3 (C: nmol/L, R2 = 0.991), with a detection limit of 65pM. Moreover, the effect of coexisted other dsDNA was investigated as well, and satisfactory results were obtained.

Homogenous assay for protein detection based on proximity DNA hybridization and isothermal circular strand displacement amplification reaction.

This work proposed a homogenous fluorescence assay for proteins, based on the target-triggered proximity DNA hybridization in combination with strand displacement amplification (SDA). It benefited from target-triggered proximity DNA hybridization to specifically recognize the target and SDA making recycling signal amplification. The system included a molecular beacon (MB), an extended probe (EP), and an assistant probe (AP), which were not self-assembly in the absence of target proteins, due to the short length of the designed complementary sequence among MB, EP, and AP. Upon addition of the target proteins, EP and AP are bound to the target proteins, which induced the occurrence of proximity hybridization between MB, EP, and AP and followed by strand displacement amplification. Through the primer extension, a tripartite complex of probes and target was displaced and recycled to hybridize with another MB, and the more opened MB enabled the detection signal to amplify. Under optimum conditions, it was used for the detection of streptavidin and thrombin. Fluorescence intensity was proportional to the concentration of streptavidin and thrombin in the range of 0.2-30 and 0.2-35 nmol/L, respectively. Furthermore, this fluorescent method has a good selectivity, in which the fluorescence intensity of thrombin was ~37-fold or even larger than that of the other proteins at the same concentration. It is a new and simple method for SDA-involved target protein detection and possesses a great potential for other protein detection in the future. Graphical abstract A homogenous assay for protein detection is based on proximity DNA hybridization and strand displacement amplification reaction.