Early cancer screening enables timely detection of carcinogenesis, and aids in prompt clinical intervention. Herein, we report on the development of a simple, sensitive, and rapid fluorometric assay based on the aptamer probe (aptamer beacon probe, ABP) for monitoring the energy-demand biomarker adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an essential energy source that is released into the tumor microenvironment. Its level plays a significant role in risk assessment of malignancies. The operation of the ABP for ATP was examined using solutions of ATP and other nucleotides (UTP, GTP, CTP), followed by monitoring of ATP production in SW480 cancer cells. Then, the effect of a glycolysis inhibitor, 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG), on SW480 cells was investigated. The stability of predominant ABP conformations in the temperature range of 23-91 °C and the effects of temperature on ABP interactions with ATP, UTP, GTP, and CTP were evaluated based on quenching efficiencies (QE) and Stern-Volmer constants (KSV). The optimized temperature for best selectivity of ABP toward ATP was 40 °C (KSV = 1093 M-1, QE = 42%). We have found that the inhibition of glycolysis in SW480 cancer cells by 2-deoxyglucose resulted in lowering of ATP production by 31.7%. Therefore, monitoring and modulation of ATP concentration may aid in future cancer treatment.
Keywords: 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) glycolysis inhibitor; ATP detection; SW480 cancer cells; aptamer beacon probe (aptaprobe, ABP); biosensing assay; fluorescence spectroscopy.