Convertible DNA ends-based silver nanoprobes for colorimetric detection human telomerase activity

Human telomerase is an endogenous ribonucleoprotein that is over-expressed in most types of malignant cancer cells. Sensitive and specific detection of telomerase activity is crucial for better understanding its role in cancer cells and further exploring its function in cancer diagnosis. Here, we develop convertible DNA ends-based silver nanoprobes for sensitive and specific colorimetric detection telomerase activity. Silver nanoprobes are constructed by modifying telomerase binding substrates (TS) that are pre-hybridized with complementary sequences onto silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), via the coordination between consecutive cytosines in TS strand and AgNPs. This forms blunt-end terminated, double-stranded DNA on the surface of AgNPs. Under the action of telomerase, TS on the silver nanoprobes are elongated with telomeric repeats, converting DNA stiff blunt ends to flexible single-stranded dangling ends. The dangling ends enhance the stability of nanoprobes and relieve their salt-induced aggregation, and the solution shows a yellow color. When telomerase is inactive, the blunt end-terminated nanoprobes cannot resist salt-induced aggregation, resulting in a gray color of solution. Based on telomerase-regulated DNA “blunt-dangling” ends conversion-induced AgNPs' dispersity and color change, colorimetric detection of the endogenous telomerase with AgNPs is realized. The detection limit is equivalent to 1 cell/μL of telomerase activity, and extracts from cancer cells and normal cells are visually distinguished through color difference. The proposed strategy will offer a new approach for reliable, convenient quantification of telomerase activity in biochemical research and clinical diagnosis.