Difference between revisions of "Team:INSA-Lyon/Proof"

Proof of Concept

Building a multi-detection device of STIs based on aptamers

Detecting STIs with aptamers requires to assemble numerous components together. So let’s identify the cornerstones and how to make them fit together!

Detection System

The detection system relies on 3 major functional blocks.

Detection using a hook/target system
Revelation, either fluorescence or latex beads
Anchoring the system on paper

The fluorescent revelation system

The first system we worked on was the fluorescence detection system.

Principle

The aptamer is bounded to a fluorescent group (FITC). To temporarily switch off the fluorescence, we fixed on its reverse-complement a quencher molecule, that quenches the fluorescence by Fluorescent Resonnance Energetic Transfert.
When the ATP comes, as its affinity for the aptamer is higher, he removes the quencher to link the aptamer, that becomes fluorescent.

To detect the fluorescence, we use the smartphone-with-filters technique: put a blue filter on your flash, a green one on your camera, and take a picture of your test. The FITC fluorescence should appear (see our Results page).

Linking aptamers to the fluorescein

The aptamer is decorated with fluorescein thanks to crosslinking in presence of FITC. This labelling allows further detection of the aptamer/target complex. The aptamer used here is known as ATP aptamer (DOI: 10.1021/la060961c) The mix was analyzed on a PAGE gel stained with ethidium bromide (red color). The gel was then analyzed thanks to a fluorescence imager (purple color). The figure below overlay the 2 images.

Conclusion: we successfully labelled half of the aptamers with fluorescein.

Testing the system on paper

Fluorescent labelled ATP aptamers were loaded and separated on a PAGE gel. A constant amount was loaded in each well.
The DNA was blotted on nitrocellulose using capillary transfer. To quench the fluorescence we used quencher oligos. They are reverse complement fragments of 6 nucleotides of the aptamer labelled with a DABCYL molecule at their 3’ end. These quencher oligos were hybridized in situ by incubating the membrane in hybridization buffer, we used the same buffer as for Southern blots. After washing the quencher excess, increasing amount of ATP gradient was applied on each lane of the nitrocellulose membrane. The figure below shows the fluorescence on the membrane observed with the ChemiDoc after extensive washing.

Conclusion: This revelation system works, but the signal is too weak to satisfy our selt-test specifications.

The latex-beads revelation system

Principle

The latex bead is taken in sandwich between two aptamers: the first one is fixed on a big, dark and visible latex beads.The second one is fixed on the support.

Fixation of the aptamer on the beads: Proof

This detection system was implemented on streptavidin coated plates. The beads fixation to the streptavidin-coated well bottom results in darkening the well. This phenomenon can be quantified by OD₆₀₀ measurement.

Conclusion: We have proved that beads coated with aptamers are able to recognize their target in a sandwich assay. A fixation of the beads on the support occurs. This detection system works.

Full system, proof on paper under construction…

We prepared the nitrocellulose strips, functionalized with the aptamers. This experiment was done very late in the project (October 10th, 2016). Unfortunately the latex beads could not migrate easily enough on the nitrocellulose tested. We concluded that larger pore size were required. Although we ordered a more appropriate support, it did not arrive in time to complete our experiments… So close to our goal !

Conclusion: We have proven that beads coated with aptamers are able to recognize their target in a sandwich assay. A fixation of the beads on the support occurs. This detection system works.

Anchoring the system on a paper

Part 1 Streptavidin-CBDs purification on cellulose

Two modified proteins to bind cellulose were used. A streptavidin-CBD (cellulose-binding domain) from the 2014 iGEM Stanford-Brown-Spelman team (BBa_K1934020) and a streptavidin-CiPA (a different kind of cellulose binding domain) produced thanks to our BBa_K1934010 part. To visually follow the process, a RFP-CBD generator was build (BBa_1934000).

Crude cell lysates were loaded on a cellulose column for affinity purification. Unbound proteins were washed with water before elution of purified streptavidin-CBDs proteins. Proteins with Cellulose Binding Domains (CBDs) stick to the cellulose until elution. Streptavidin-CipA sticks better than Stanford’s existing part (compare green and blue curves). See figure 8 below.

Part 2 Streptavidin-CBDs both links cellulose and functionalized aptamer

The affinity to cellulose of streptavidin-CBDs encoded by BBa_K1934020 and streptavidin-CiPA BBa_K1934030 were compared to the one of commercial streptavidin. A molecule of fluorescein was grafted at the 5’ end of a DNA oligo carrying a molecule of biotin at its 3’ end. This DNA oligo constitutes the reporter system. Such a modified oligo was mixed either with the engineered streptavidin-CBDs or with commercial streptavidin. The resulting mix was incubated with microcrystalline cellulose in presence of PBS for 1 hour. The cellulose was then washed twice with fresh PBS. Complexes cellulose/streptavidin-CBDs/reporter system were harvested by centrifugation and fluorescence was measured. Every experiment was done in triplicate.

Conclusion: We were able to create a valid method to fix our functionalized aptamer to paper.

A device for the users!

In parallel to this biology work a casing was created to host our smart paper. The goal was to design something clear and intuitive. We printed this device in 3D and made fluidic tests. After a few attempts we achieved a good bead diffusion on the paper strips inserted inside the device. If you want to know more, you’re invited to see the design page.