Selection, Characterization, and Biosensing Application of High Affinity Congener-Specific Microcystin-Targeting Aptamers

The efficiency of current microcystin detection methods has been hampered by the low detection limits required in drinking water and that routine detection is restricted to a few of the congeners with high degree of undesired cross-reactivity. Here, we report the development of novel microcystin-targeting molecules and their application in microcystin detection. We have selected DNA aptamers from a diverse random library that exhibit high affinity and specificity to microcystin-LR, -YR, and -LA. We obtained aptamers that bind to all chosen congeners with high affinity with KD ranging from 28 to 60 nM. More importantly, we also obtained aptamers that are selective among the different congeners, with selectivity from 3-folds difference in binding affinity to total discrimination (KD of 50 nM versus nonspecific binding). Electrochemical aptasensors constructed with the selected aptamers were able to achieve sensitive and congener-specific microcystin detection with detection limit as low as 10 pM.