Electrochemical DNA hybridization detection using DNA cleavage

Abstract

We report the new method for detection of DNA hybridization using enzymatic cleavage. The strategy is based on that S1 nuclease is able to specifically cleave only single strand DNA, but not double strand DNA. The capture probe DNA, thiolated single strand DNA labeled with electroactive ferrocene group, was immobilized on a gold electrode. After hybridization of target DNA of complementary and noncomplementary sequences, nonhybridized single strand DNA was cleaved using S1 nuclease. The difference of enzymatic cleavage on the modified gold electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. We successfully applied this method to the sequence-selective discrimination between perfectly matched and mismatched target DNA including a single-base mismatched target DNA. Our method does not require either hybridization indicators or other exogenous signaling molecules which most of the electrochemical hybridization detection systems require.