Electrochemical detection of microcystin-LR based on its deleterious effect on DNA

Keke Zhang; Huiying Ma; Ping Yan; Wenjun Tong; Xiaohua Huang; David D Y Chen

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2018.03.051

Electrochemical detection of microcystin-LR based on its deleterious effect on DNA

Talanta. 2018 Aug 1:185:405-410. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.03.051. Epub 2018 Mar 20.

Authors

Keke Zhang¹, Huiying Ma¹, Ping Yan¹, Wenjun Tong², Xiaohua Huang¹, David D Y Chen³

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
² Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, PR China. Electronic address: wjtong@njnu.edu.cn.
³ Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1. Electronic address: chen@chem.ubc.ca.

PMID: 29759219
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.03.051

Abstract

This work reveals the deleterious effect of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) on the conformation of DNA and develops an electrochemical biosensor for detection of MC-LR. The biosensor is prepared by physically immobilizing calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) on gold electrode. In the presence of MC-LR, the conformation change of immobilized ctDNA decreases the electron transfer impedance, thus enhances the amperometric response. The proposed method shows a linear range of 4-512 ng/L and a detection limit of 1.4 ng/L, which is 700-fold lower than the guideline level suggested by the World Health Organization. The detection results are in good agreement with those from the conventional HPLC method. This biosensor possesses good stability against other components in natural water sample, and has been used for detection of MC-LR in local water bodies, indicating its application promise.

Keywords: Cyanobacteria blooms; DNA; Deleterious effect; Electrochemical sensor; Microcystin.

MeSH terms

Biosensing Techniques*
DNA / chemistry*
Electrochemical Techniques*
Electrodes
Gold / chemistry
Marine Toxins
Microcystins / analysis*

Substances

Marine Toxins
Microcystins
Gold
DNA
calf thymus DNA
cyanoginosin LR