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Biosensors based on molecular beacons

Magdalena Stobiecka and Agata Chałupa

Department of Biophysics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), 159 Nowoursynowska Street, 02776 Warsaw, Poland

Abstract: A fundamental molecular beacon (MB) consists of a special short nucleic acid strand with a fluorophore-quencher pair attached to its ends. It provides a unique framework that is susceptible to conformational transitions between a hairpin (closed) conformation and an extended (open) conformation. These two conformations are readily discernible because of their differing fluorescence emission characteristics. The broad applicability of the robust MB sensing platform has attracted widespread interest, resulting in extensive research studies ranging from theoretical and bioanalytical chemistry to molecular biology and biomedical applications. In this paper, the principles of MB design and the modes and mechanisms of MB operation are reviewed, including MB modifications based on the utilisation of a thymidine-thymidine mismatch in hybridised MB stem, aptamers, peptides and locked nucleic acid strands in an MB loop, as well as plasmonic quenchers, quantum dots and interactions with graphene and graphene oxide. Specific applications of MBs in the analysis of enzymes, DNA mutation, phosphorylation, methylation and ligation, followed by the detection of pathogens and applications in cancer and other disease diagnostics and therapeutics are also reviewed. Molecular beacon-based sensing platforms are expanding rapidly and offer a promising bioanalytical tool for inexpensive and reliable analysis for research and field diagnostics.

Keywords: molecular beacons – aptamers – cancer diagnostics and therapy – surface immobilisation of molecular beacons – graphene oxide

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2015-0026

Chemical Papers 69 (1) 62–76 (2015)

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