📄 Quantitative and sensitive detection of SARS coronavirus nucleocapsid protein using quantum dots-conjugated RNA aptamer on chip

Background: Globally, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a newly emerging virus that causes SARS with high mortality rate in infected people. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is an important antigen for the early diagnosis of SARS and the detection of diseases. Here, a new quantum dots (QDs)-conjugated RNA aptamer with high sensitivity and rapidity is proposed for the detection of SARS-CoV N protein using an on chip system. Results: A QDs-conjugated RNA aptamer can specifically hybridize on the immobilized SARS-CoV N protein on the surface of a glass chip. Detection is based on the optical signal variation of a QDs-supported RNA aptamer interacting on an immobilized protein chip. Using an optical QDs-based RNA aptamer chip, SARS N protein was detected at concentrations as low as 0.1 pg mL-1. Conclusions: It was demonstrated that the QDs-conjugated RNA aptamer could interact on a designed chip specifically and sensitively. This device could form a QDs-conjugated biosensor prototype chip for SARS-CoV N protein diagnosis. The proposed visual SARS-CoV N protein detection technique may avoid the limitations of other reported methods because of its high sensitivity, good specificity, ease of use, and the ability to perform one-spot monitoring. © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

keywords 🔗 severe acute (1373) 🔗 syndrome coronavirus (1074) 🔗 high mortality (78) 🔗 respiratory syndrome (2004) 🔗 acute respiratory (1734)

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