A label-free luminescent switch-on assay for ATP using a G-quadruplex-selective iridium(III) complex

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 25;8(10):e77021. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077021. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

We report herein the G-quadruplex-selective property of a luminescent cyclometallated iridium(III) complex for the detection of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) in aqueous solution. The ATP-binding aptamer was employed as the ATP recognition unit, while the iridium(III) complex was used to monitor the formation of the G-quadruplex structure induced by ATP. The sensitivity and fold enhancement of the assay were higher than those of the previously reported assay using the organic dye crystal violet as a fluorescent probe. This label-free luminescent switch-on assay exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity towards ATP with a limit of detection of 2.5 µM.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / analysis*
  • Adenosine Triphosphate / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / chemistry
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry*
  • G-Quadruplexes*
  • Iridium / chemistry*
  • Luminescence
  • Luminescent Measurements / methods
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence

Substances

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide
  • Coordination Complexes
  • Iridium
  • Adenosine Triphosphate

Grants and funding

This work is supported by Hong Kong Baptist University (FRG2/11-12/009, FRG2/12-13/021), Centre for Cancer and Inflammation Research, School of Chinese Medicine (CCIR-SCM, HKBU), the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF/11101212), the Research Grants Council (HKBU/201811 and HKBU/204612), the French National Research Agency/Research Grants Council Joint Research Scheme (A-HKBU201/12), the Science and Technology Development Fund, Macao SAR (001/2012/A) and the University of Macau (MYRG091(Y2-L2)-ICMS12-LCH and MYRG121(Y2-L2)-ICMS12-LCH). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.