A highly sensitive label-free electrochemical aptasensor for interferon-gamma detection based on graphene controlled assembly and nuclease cleavage-assisted target recycling amplification

We report here a highly sensitive and label-free electrochemical aptasensing technology for detection of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) based on graphene controlled assembly and enzyme cleavage-assisted target recycling amplification strategy. In this work, in the absence of IFN-gamma, the graphene could not be assembled onto the 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) modified gold electrode because the IFN-gamma binding aptamer was strongly adsorbed on the graphene due to the strong pi-pi interaction. Thus the electronic transmission was blocked (eT OFF). However, the presence of target IFN-gamma and DNase lied to desorption of aptamer from the graphene surface and further cleavage of the aptamer, thereby releasing the IFN-gamma. The released IFN-gamma could then re-attack other aptamers on the graphene, resulting in the successive release of the aptamers from the graphene. At the same time, the naked graphene could be assembled onto the MHA modified gold electrode with hydrophobic interaction and it-conjunction, mediating the electron transfer between the electrode and the electroactive indicator. Then, measurable electrochemical signals were generated (eT ON), which was related to the concentration of the IFN-gamma. By taking advantages of graphene and enzyme cleavage-assisted target recycling amplification, the developed label-free electrochemical aptasensing technology showed a linear response to concentration of IFN-gamma range from 0.1 to 0.7 pM. The detection limit of IFN-gamma was determined to be 0.065 pM. Moreover, this aptasensor shows good selectivity toward the target in the presence of other relevant proteins. Our strategy thus opens new opportunities for label-free and amplified detection of other kinds of proteins. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.