DNA aptamer for use in a fluorescent assay for the shrimp allergen tropomyosin

Shrimp allergy is a common cause of allergenic diseases. The authors describe an aptamer-based assay for tropomyosin, one of the major allergens of shrimp. After six rounds of SELEX based on nitrocellulose membrane, several aptamers with high affinity (K-d = 109.6 nM) were identified that can selectively recognize tropomyosin but not other proteins over a large range of concentrations. By using a fluorescent and graphene oxide based platform, a tropomyosin assay was worked out that has a 4.2 nM detection limit and work in the 0.5 to 50 mu g center dot mL(-1) concentration range. The aptamers selected hold a great potential for tropomyosin detection in practical biosensor assays.