Detection of metal ions (Cu2+, Hg2+) and cocaine by using ligation DNAzyme machinery.

The Cu(2+)-dependent ligation DNAzyme is implemented as a biocatalyst for the colorimetric or chemiluminescence detection of Cu(2+) ions, Hg(2+) ions, or cocaine. These sensing platforms are based on the structural tailoring of the sequence of the Cu(2+)-dependent ligation DNAzyme for specific analytes. The tethering of a subunit of the hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme to the ligation DNAzyme sequence, and the incorporation of an imidazole-functionalized nucleic-acid sequence, which acts as a co-substrate for the ligation DNAzyme that is tethered to the complementary hemin/G-quadruplex subunit. In the presence of different analytes, Cu(2+) ions, Hg(2+) ions, or cocaine, the pretailored Cu(2+)-dependent ligation DNAzyme sequence stimulates the respective ligation process by combining the imidazole-functionalized co-substrate with the ligation DNAzyme sequence. These reactions lead to the self-assembly of stable hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme nanostructures that enable the colorimetric analysis of the substrate through the DNAzyme-catalyzed oxidation of 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), ABTS(2-), by H(2)O(2) into the colored product ABTS(·-), or the chemiluminescence detection of the substrate through the DNAzyme-catalyzed oxidation of luminol by H(2)O(2). The detection limits for the sensing of Cu(2+) ions, Hg(2+) ions, and cocaine correspond to 1 nM, 10 nM and 2.5 μM, respectively. These different sensing platforms also reveal impressive selectivities.