Electrochemical DNA detection based on the polyhedral boron cluster label.

Polyhedral boron clusters are proposed as new, chemically and biologically stable, versatile redox labels for electrochemical DNA hybridization sensors. Selective and sensitive detection of the redox labeled DNA-probe was achieved by means of covalently attached electroactive marker 7,8-dicarba-nido-undekaborate group. A nanomolar concentration of boron cluster-labeled DNA was recognized. High specificity of the analysis with the boron cluster-labeled DNA probe, including detection of single-base mismatch, was demonstrated. The above findings, together with proposed earlier use of metallacarboranes as an electrochemical label for biomolecules opens the door for a "multicolor" electrochemical coding of DNA with boron clusters and simultaneous detection of several DNA targets.