Visual detection of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor based on a molecular translator and isothermal strand-displacement polymerization reaction

Li-Yong Zhang,1,* Tao Xing,1,* Li-Xin Du,1,* Qing-Min Li,2 Wei-Dong Liu,1 Ji-Yue Wang,1 Jing Cai31Department of neurosurgery, Liaocheng People’s Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurosurgery, Tai’an Central Hospital, Tai’an, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Neurosurgery, LinYi People Hospital, LinYi, Shandong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a small protein that potently promotes the survival of many types of neurons. Detection of GDNF is vital to monitoring the survival of sympathetic and sensory neurons. However, the specific method for GDNF detection is also un-discovered. The purpose of this study is to explore the method for protein detection of GDNF.Methods: A novel visual detection method based on a molecular translator and isothermal strand-displacement polymerization reaction (ISDPR) has been proposed for the detection of GDNF. In this study, a molecular translator was employed to convert the input protein to output deoxyribonucleic acid signal, which was further amplified by ISDPR. The product of ISDPR was detected by a lateral flow biosensor within 30 minutes.Results: This novel visual detection method based on a molecular translator and ISDPR has very high sensitivity and selectivity, with a dynamic response ranging from 1 pg/mL to 10 ng/mL, and the detection limit was 1 pg/mL of GDNF.Conclusion: This novel visual detection method exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity, which is very simple and universal for GDNF detection to help disease therapy in clinical practice.Keywords: lateral flow biosensor, molecular translator, isothermal strand-displacement polymerization reaction