Aptamer–Gold(III) Complex Nanoparticles: A New Way to Detect Cu, Zn SOD Glycoprotein

[Image: see text] Aptamers are small biomolecules composed of 20–100 nucleotides that recognize target molecules in three-dimensional structures. These natural targeting molecules have attracted interest in the biomedical field as biomarkers for cancer diagnostics. In this study, we investigated the interaction of a characteristic aptamer with its target protein, Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD 4), on a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) surface under experimental conditions. For this purpose, we applied two protocols to coat SOD 4 aptamer (APT) on the nanoparticle surface: carbodiimide chemistry (EDC/NHS) (Method ON) and a complexation methodology (Method IN). The nano-aptamer’s interactions with SOD 4 were detected by UV–vis absorption and Raman spectroscopy in a range of protein concentrations (from 1 μM to 50 nM). We believe that the interaction is heavily dependent on the nature of the biomarker (SOD 4) and also on the steric arrangement of the aptamer on the gold nanoparticle surface. The lowest detectable concentration (limit of detection, LOD) was about 2 nM for APT IN PEG-AuNPs and 8 nM for APT ON PEG-AuNPs. For the first time, we demonstrated a very sensitive detection of SOD 4 in the nanomolar concentration range with new ways of biosensor synthesis (APT IN and ON), providing a very strong tool to understand the effect of aptamer conformation to detect SOD 4.