An electrochemical biosensor for double-stranded Wnt7B gene detection based on enzymatic isothermal amplification

Wnt7B gene plays an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer. While, the natural state of DNA is double stranded, which makes it difficult to be directly detected. Here, we develop an electrochemical biosensor method for Wnt7B gene detection without the need to denature the target. This method firstly used nicking enzyme for exploiting in the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Then, long single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was generated from the cutting site through polymerase extension reaction. Whereafter, the long ssDNA triggered a hairpin self-assembly recycling reaction, which gave rise to another isothermal amplification reaction. Last, short ssDNA was formed after the this amplification process, which could hybridize with the capture probe immobilized on Au electrode and result in signal variation. This method showed excellent analytical performance for dsDNA, of which the linear range was 2 fM to 500 pM and the detection limit was 1.6 fM (S/N=3). It also showed an good results when applied to the real sample of Wnt7B gene detection. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.