Triple-stranded DNA containing 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine: implication in the design of selective aptamer sensors for 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine.

8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG, or OG) as a free base has been widely considered as a biomarker for DNA oxidative damage. Currently no fluorescence sensor has been developed to directly detect 8-oxoG less than 100 nM. In this study, two triple-stranded DNAs were selected as the scaffolds to rationally design DNA aptamer sensors for 8-oxoG. The cavity was created by deleting the 8-oxodG nucleoside in a triplex containing an A·OG-C triad or a C·OG-A triad. The results showed that the fluorescence of both sensors were completely quenched by 8-oxoG. The detection ranges of the two sensors were different, while the combined range was comparable to the detection range of an antibody-based method. This result is expected to enable a fast, low-cost, and reusable method to measure 8-oxoG concentration.