CCDC88C variants are associated with focal epilepsy and genotype-phenotype correlation.

CCDC88C gene, which encodes coiled-coil domain containing 88C, is essential for cell communication during neural development. Variants in the CCDC88C caused congenital hydrocephalus, some accompanied by seizures. In patients with epilepsy without acquired etiologies, we performed whole-exome sequencing (trio-based). Two de novo and two biallelic CCDC88C variants were identified in four cases with focal (partial) epilepsy. These variants did not present or had low frequencies in the gnomAD populations and were predicted to be damaging by multiple computational algorithms. Patients with de novo variants presented with adult-onset epilepsy, whereas patients with biallelic variants displayed infant-onset epilepsy. They all responded well to anti-seizure medications and were seizure-free. Further analysis showed that de novo variants were located at crucial domains, whereas one paired biallelic variants were located outside the crucial domains, and the other paired variant had a non-classical splicing and a variant located at crucial domain, suggesting a sub-molecular effect. CCDC88C variants associated with congenital hydrocephalus were all truncated, whereas epilepsy-associated variants were mainly missense, the proportion of which was significantly higher than that of congenital hydrocephalus-associated variants. CCDC88C is potentially associated with focal epilepsy with favorable outcome. The underlying mechanisms of phenotypic variation may correlation between genotype and phenotype.

Design of label-free, homogeneous biosensing platform based on plasmonic coupling and surface-enhanced Raman scattering using unmodified gold nanoparticles.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has emerged as a promising spectroscopic technique for biosensing. However, to design a SERS-based biosensor, almost all currently used methods involve the time-consuming and complicated modification of the metallic nanoparticles with the Raman active dye and biorecognition element, which restricts their widespread applications. Herein, we report a label-free, homogeneous and easy-to-operate biosensing platform for the rapid, simple and sensitive SERS detection by using the unmodified gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). This strategy utilizes the difference in adsorption property of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) on citrate-coated Au NPs. In the presence of dsDNA, the aggregation of Au NPs takes place after adding salt solution because the dsDNA cannot adsorb on the Au NPs to protect them from salt-induced aggregation. Such aggregation gives rise to the plasmonic coupling of adjacent metallic NPs and turns on the enhancement of the Raman scattering, displaying a strong SERS signal. In contrast, the ssDNA can adsorb on the Au NPs surface through strong electrostatic attraction and protect them from salt-induced aggregation, showing a weak SERS signal. This approach is not only straightforward and simple in design but also rapid and convenient in operation. The feasibility and universality of the design have been demonstrated successfully by the detection of DNA and Hg(2+), and the assay possesses the superior signal-to-background ratio as high as ∼30 and excellent selectivity. The method can be extended to detect various analytes, such as other metal ions, proteins and small molecules by using the oligonucleotides that can selectively bind the analytes.

Sensitive and visual detection of sequence-specific DNA-binding protein via a gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric biosensor.

A novel exonuclease III (Exo III) protection-based colorimetric biosensing strategy was developed for rapid, sensitive, and visual detection of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins. This strategy relied on the protection of DNA-cross-linked gold nanoparticle (AuNP) aggregates from Exo III-mediated digestion by specific interactions of target proteins with their binding sequences. Interestingly, we disclosed a new finding that binding of target proteins to their binding sequences in the aggregated AuNP network rendered a stable and long-period protection of DNA. Unlike conventional fluorescence assays merely based on temporal protection of DNA from Exo III digestion, the stable protection afforded a static color transition indicator for DNA-protein interactions with no time-dependent monitoring required in the assay. Therefore, it furnished the developed strategy with improved technical robustness and operational convenience. Furthermore, we introduced thioctic acid as a stable anchor for tethering DNA on AuNPs. This DNA-tethering protocol circumvented the interferences from thiol compounds in common enzymatic systems. The Exo III protection-based colorimetric biosensor was demonstrated using a model target of TATA binding protein, a key transcriptional factor involving in various transcriptional regulatory networks. The results revealed that the method allowed a specific, simple, and quantitative assay of the target protein with a linear response range from 0 to 120 nM and a detection limit of 10 nM.