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Label-Free Sensitive Detection of DNA Methyltransferase by Target-Induced Hyperbranched Amplification with Zero Background Signal

Author:
Zhang, Yan, Wang, Xin-yan, Zhang, Qianyi, Zhang, Chun-yang
Source:
Analytical chemistry 2017 v.89 no.22 pp. 12408-12415
ISSN:
1520-6882
Subject:
DNA, DNA methylation, Escherichia coli, S-adenosylmethionine, adenine, cytosine, detection limit, disease diagnosis, drugs, enzyme activity, fluorescence, methyltransferases, moieties, radiolabeling
Abstract:
DNA methyltransferases (MTases) may specifically recognize the short palindromic sequences and transfer a methyl group from S-adenosyl-l-methionine to target cytosine/adenine. The aberrant DNA methylation is linked to the abnormal DNA MTase activity, and some DNA MTases have become promising targets of anticancer/antimicrobial drugs. However, the reported DNA MTase assays often involve laborious operation, expensive instruments, and radio-labeled substrates. Here, we develop a simple and label-free fluorescent method to sensitively detect DNA adenine methyltransferase (Dam) on the basis of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-activated Endonuclease IV (Endo IV)-assisted hyperbranched amplification. We design a hairpin probe with a palindromic sequence in the stem as the substrate and a NH₂-modified 3′ end for the prevention of nonspecific amplification. The substrate may be methylated by Dam and subsequently cleaved by DpnI, producing three single-stranded DNAs, two of which with 3′-OH termini may be amplified by hyperbranched amplification to generate a distinct fluorescence signal. Because high exactitude of TdT enables the amplification only in the presence of free 3′-OH termini and Endo IV only hydrolyzes the intact apurinic/apyrimidinic sites in double-stranded DNAs, zero background signal can be achieved. This method exhibits excellent selectivity and high sensitivity with a limit of detection of 0.003 U/mL for pure Dam and 9.61 × 10–⁶ mg/mL for Dam in E. coli cells. Moreover, it can be used to screen the Dam inhibitors, holding great potentials in disease diagnosis and drug development.
Agid:
5864056