A G-Quadruplex Rigidity-induced Quenching-Shielding Strategy for OFF-ON Fluorescent Detection of Strontium Ions

Abstract

Human telomeric DNA sequences (5′-TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG-3′) can be induced by strontium ions to form G-quadruplex structures. Based on this property, a novel “OFF-ON” fluorescent sensor was developed for Sr²⁺ using a G-quadruplex/acridine orange-graphene oxide (G4/AO-GO) system. In the presence of Sr²⁺, the telomeric DNA folds into a rigid G-quadruplex structure, which not only inhibited the adsorption of acridine orange (AO) on graphene oxide (GO) and recovered the fluorescence of AO, but enhanced the fluorescence of AO as well. Spectroscopic results confirmed the formation of stable G-quadruplexes in the presence of Sr²⁺. Under the optimum condition, the fluorescence intensity showed a good linear relationship with the Sr²⁺ concentration over the range from 10 nmol/L to 3.0 µmol/L, and the detection limit was 3.6 nmol/L. The sensor also exhibited high specificity and selectivity, and was successfully applied to the determination of strontium in mineral water samples. This sensing platform provides a promising method for in situ monitoring of Sr²⁺ in geological surveys, environmental safety assessment, and food quality control.

Keywords

G-Quadruplex / Strontium ion / Graphene oxide / Fluorescent sensor

References

[1] Li D, Gan S, Li J, Dong Z, Long Q, Qiu S, Zhou Y, Lu C. J. Chem., 2021, 2021: 1

[2] Dai L L, Mei M L, Chu C H, Lo E C M. BMC Oral Health, 2022, 22: 288

[3] Wang Y, Chang H, Chiang Y, Lin C, Lin C. J. Formos. Med. Assoc., 2018, 118: 39

[4] Ma J, Geng S, Sun Q, Zhang X, Han L, Yao X, Zhang B, Zhu L, Wen J. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 2023, 268: 115726

[5] Mehta D, Gentleman E. Biomaterials, 2026, 326: 123718

[6] Du Y, Luo K, Hussain R. J. Water Health, 2017, 15: 462

[7] Melnyk L J, Donohue M J, Pham M, Donohue J. J. TraceElem. Med. Biol., 2019, 53: 22

[8] Malov A I. Water, 2023, 15: 3846

[9] Peng H, Yao F, Xiong S, Wu Z, Niu G, Lu T. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2021, 28: 23048

[10] Nabeshi H, Tsutsumi T, Uekusa Y, Hachisuka A, Matsuda R, Teshima R. Food Hyg. Saf. Sci., 2015, 56: 133

[11] Offermanns V, Andersen O Z, Riede G, Sillassen M, Jeppesen C S, Almtoft K P, Talasz H, Öhman-Mägi C, Lethaus B, Tolba R, Kloss F, Foss M. Acta Biomater., 2018, 69: 385

[12] Offermanns V, Steinmassl O, Andersen O Z, Jeppesen C S, Sørensen S, Talasz H, Lindner H H, Foss M, Kloss F. J. Periodontol., 2018, 89: 940

[13] Shiraishi K, Mclnroy J F, Igarashi Y. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol., 1990, 36: 81

[14] De Villiers S, Greaves M, Elderfield H. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 2002, 3: 2001GC000169

[15] Yanagisawa K, Matsueda M, Furukawa M, Takagai Y. Anal. Sci., 2020, 36: 1131

[16] Takahashi S, Takahashi I, Sato H, Kubota Y, Yoshida S, Muramatsu Y. Lab. Anim., 2000, 34: 97

[17] Chandra S, Sharma K, Kumar A. J. Saudi Chem. Soc., 2011, 18: 555

[18] Wang X, He Z, Ding D, Luo X, Dai L, Zhang W, Ma Q, Huang Y, Xia F. J. Electrochem., 2024, 30: 2414003

[19] Ruggiero E, Richter S N. Nucleic Acids Res., 2018, 46: 3270

[20] Spiegel J, Adhikari S, Balasubramanian S. Trends Chem., 2020, 2: 123

[21] Kwok C K, Merrick C J. TrendsBiotechnol., 2017, 35: 997

[22] Asamitsu S, Obata S, Yu Z, Bando T, Sugiyama H. Molecules, 2019, 24: 429

[23] Yang C, Chu X, Zeng L, Rhouati A, Abbas F, Cui S, Lin D. Biosensors, 2022, 12: 423

[24] Sheng L, Ren J, Miao Y, Wang J, Wang E. Biosens. Bioelectron., 2011, 26: 3494

[25] Bhattacharjee S, Chakraborty S, Sengupta P K, Bhowmik S. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2016, 120: 8942

[26] Chen Z, Guo J, Ma H, Zhou T, Li X. Anal. Methods, 2014, 6: 8018

[27] Chen Z, Huang Y, Li X, Zhou T, Ma H, Qiang H, Liu Y. Anal. Chim. Acta, 2013, 787: 189

[28] Yue Q, Shen T, Wang C, Wang L, Li H, Xu S, Wang H, Liu J. Biosens. Bioelectron., 2013, 40: 75

[29] Ueyama H, Takagi M, Takenaka S. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2002, 124: 14286

[30] Benito S, Ferrer A, Benabou S, Aviñó A, Eritja R, Gargallo R. Spectrochim. Acta A, 2018, 196: 185

[31] Xie X, Zuffo M, Teulade-Fichou M, Granzhan A. Beilstein J. Org. Chem., 2019, 15: 1872

[32] Włodarczyk A, Grzybowski P, Patkowski A, Dobek A. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2005, 109: 3594

[33] Cui W, Hu C, Zhu R, Qiu D, Gong R, Wang R, Li Q, Yan T, Li C, Qiao M, Xu S. J. Food Compos. Anal., 2024, 131: 106261

[34] Pang S, Liu S, Su X. Sens. Actuators B, 2014, 208: 415

[35] Rodriguez R, Pantos G D, Gonçalves D P N, Sanders J K M, Balasubramanian S. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2007, 46: 28

[36] Dong D W, Pereira F, Barrett S P, Kolesar J E, Cao K, Damas J, Yatsunyk L A, Johnson F B, Kaufman B. BMC Genomics, 2014, 15: 1

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH

Just Accepted

This article has successfully passed peer review and final editorial review, and will soon enter typesetting, proofreading and other publishing processes. The currently displayed version is the accepted final manuscript. The officially published version will be updated with format, DOI and citation information upon launch. We recommend that you pay attention to subsequent journal notifications and preferentially cite the officially published version. Thank you for your support and cooperation.