A Reusable Impedimetric Aptasensor for Detection of Thrombin Employing a Graphite-Epoxy Composite Electrode

Here, we report the application of a label-free electrochemical aptasensor based on a graphite-epoxy composite electrode for the detection of thrombin; in this work, aptamers were immobilized onto the electrodes surface using wet physical adsorption. The detection principle is based on the changes of the interfacial properties of the electrode; these were probed in the presence of the reversible redox couple [Fe(CN)6]3−/[Fe(CN)6]4− using impedance measurements. The electrode surface was partially blocked due to formation of aptamer-thrombin complex, resulting in an increase of the interfacial electron-transfer resistance detected by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The aptasensor showed a linear response for thrombin in the range of 7.5 pM to 75 pM and a detection limit of 4.5 pM. The aptasensor was regenerated by breaking the complex formed between the aptamer and thrombin using 2.0 M NaCl solution at 42 °C, showing its operation for different cycles. The interference response caused by main proteins in serum has been characterized

Selection of DNA aptamers using atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can detect the adhesion or affinity force between a sample surface and cantilever, dynamically. This feature is useful as a method for the selection of aptamers that bind to their targets with very high affinity. Therefore, we propose the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by an EXponential enrichment (SELEX) method using AFM to obtain aptamers that have a strong affinity for target molecules. In this study, thrombin was chosen as the target molecule, and an ‘AFM-SELEX’ cycle was performed. As a result, selected cycles were completed with only three rounds, and many of the obtained aptamers had a higher affinity to thrombin than the conventional thrombin aptamer. Moreover, one type of obtained aptamer had a high affinity to thrombin as well as the anti-thrombin antibody. AFM-SELEX is, therefore, considered to be an available method for the selection of DNA aptamers that have a high affinity for their target molecules

Evaluation of the structure–activity relationship of thrombin with thrombin binding aptamers by voltammetry and atomic force microscopy

The structure–activity relationship of the complex between thrombin and thrombin binding aptamers (TBA) was evaluated by differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode and atomic force microscopy at a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite electrode. The effects on the interaction with thrombin of TBA primary and secondary structures as well as of its folding properties in the presence of alkaline metals were investigated. The complex between thrombin and single stranded aptamers involved the coiling of the single stranded molecules around thrombin structure leading to the formation of a robust TBA–thrombin complex that maintains the symmetry and conformation of the thrombin molecule. Monitoring both thrombin and TBA oxidation peaks, showed that the thrombin oxidation peaks occur at more positive potentials after TBA–thrombin complex formation. In the presence of K+ ions, the aptamers fold into quadruplex structures that facilitate the interaction with thrombin molecules. The TBA–thrombin complex adsorbs at the surface with the aptamer quadruplex always in preferential contact with the surface, and the thrombin molecules on top of the aptamer quadruplex structure, thus being less accessible to the electrode surface leading to the occurrence of thrombin oxidation peaks at less positive potentials