Ratiometric fluorescent and electrochemiluminescent dual modal assay for detection of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid as an anthrax biomarker

Abstract

2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (DPA) is an excellent biomarker of Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis). The sensitive detection of DPA, especially through visual point-of-care testing, was significant for accurate and rapid diagnosis of anthrax to timely prevent anthrax disease or biological terrorist attack. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescent (R-FL) and electrochemiluminescent (ECL) dual-mode detection platform with a lanthanide ion-based metal-organic framework (Ln-MOF, i.e., M/Y-X: M = Eu, Y = Tb, and X = 4,4',4″-s-triazine-1,3,5-triyltri-m-aminobenzoic acid) was developed. Eu/Tb-TATAB nanoparticles were constructed to identify DPA. The R-FL detection platform quantitatively detected DPA by monitoring the I₅₄₅/I₆₁₇ ratio of the characteristic fluorescence peak intensities of Tb³⁺ ions and Eu³⁺ ions. The ECL sensing platform successfully quantified DPA by exploiting the burst effect of DPA on the ECL signal. The above methods had highly sensitive and rapid detection of DPA in water and serum samples. The results showed that this dual-mode detection platform may be projected to be a powerful instrument for preventing related biological warfare and bio-terrorism.

Keywords: 2,6-Pyridinedicarboxylic acid; Bacillus anthracis; Electrochemiluminescence; Metal-organic framework; Ratiometric fluorescent probe.