An Ultrasensitive FRET-based DNA Sensor via the Accumulated QD System Derivatized in the Nano-beads

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is extremely sensitive to the separation distance between the donor and the acceptor which is ideal for probing such biological phenomena. Also, FRET-based probes have been developing for detecting an unamplified, low-abundance of target DNA. Here we describe the development of FRET based DNA sensor based on an accumulated QD system for detecting KRAS G12D mutation which is the most common mutation in cancer. The accumulated QD system consists of the polystyrene beads which surface is modified with carboxyl modified QDs. The QDs are sandwich-hybridized with DNA of a capture probe, a reporter probe with Texas-red, and a target DNA by EDC-NHS coupling. Because the carboxyl modified QDs are located closely to each other in the accumulated QDs, these neighboring QDs are enough to transfer the energy to the acceptor dyes. Therefore the FRET factor in the bead system is enhancing by the additional increase of 29.2% as compared to that in a single QD system. These results suggest that the accumulated nanobead probe with conjugated QDs can be used as ultrasensitive DNA nanosensors detecting the mutation in the various cancers.