Analytical Sciences

Direct Modification of mRNA by Ferrocenyl Carbodiimide and Its Application to Electrochemical Detection of mRNA

Kosuke MUKUMOTO,* Takahiko NOJIMA,* Shinobu SATO,** Michinori WAKI,*** and Shigeori TAKENAKA***

*Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
**Department of Biochemical Engineering and Science, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka 820-8502, Japan
***Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu 804-8550, Japan

Ferrocenyl carbodiimide (1) could be used for the direct labeling of synthetic RNA and expressed mRNA in vitro with the electrochemically active ferrocene moieties. These RNAs modified by 1 could be detected electrochemically coupled with a DNA probe-immobilized electrode. After hybridization of 1.1 Kb mRNA modified by 1 with the DNA probe-immobilized electrode, the peak charge observed by an Osteryoung square wave voltammetry (SWV) measurement correlated well with the concentration of mRNA, having a detection limit at the sub nanogram level.

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