Detection of protease and protease activity using a single nanocrescent SERS probe

摘要

This invention pertains to the in vitro detection of proteases using a single peptide-conjugate nanocrescent surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes with at least nanomolar sensitivity. The probe enables detection of proteolytic activity in extremely small volume and at low concentration. In certain embodiments the probes comprise an indicator for the detection of an active protease, where the indicator comprises a nanocrescent attached to a peptide, where said peptide comprises a recognition site for the protease and a Raman tag attached to the peptide.

主权项

1. A method of detecting or quantifying the presence, amount, or activity of at least one protease in a sample, said method comprising:
contacting said sample with an indicator comprising a nanocrescent attached to a peptide, wherein said peptide comprises a recognition site for said protease; and monitoring differences in spectral characteristics of detected surface-Raman scattering spectra, the differences being changes in a Raman spectrum over time, where the differences are indicators of the presence, amount or activity of protease present in the sample.