Reversible and Distance-Controllable DNA Scissor: A Regenerated Electrochemiluminescence Biosensing Platform for Ultrasensitive Detection of MicroRNA

Reversing the switching of DNA scissors with precisely control remains a compelling goal. Herein, based on strand displacement reaction within single step, the DNA scissor realized reversible switching and further controlled the distance of end strands along the movement of DNA scissor, which has been applied for the development of a regenerated sensing platform for the ultrasensitive detection of microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) with the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) complex (PEI-Ru(II)) as luminophores and diethylenetriamine (DETA) as the coreactant. In the presence of ferrocene-labeled DNA (Fc-DNA), the DETA-labeled DNA scissor clockwise switched to off state based on strand displacement reaction, resulting in the significant ECL quenching of Ru(II) system. Next, by using miRNA-21 as the motive fuel, the configuration of DNA scissor could be anticlockwise switched, which significantly enhanced the ECL intensity of Ru(II) complex due to the releasing of Fc-DNA and the proximity between DETA and Ru(II) complex. The reversible switching of DNA scissor led to the remarkably enhancing of ECL signal, realizing ultrasensitive detection of miRNA-21 with an excellent detection limit of 0.17 fM, which was also applied in miRNA detection successfully from different cancer cells. Impressively, the reversible switching of DNA scissor biosensor was able to realize the regeneration of the biosensing platform by adding an additional single stranded DNA (ssDNA) based on strand displacement reaction within a single step, providing a novel concept for constructing simple and sensitive regenerated biosensor.