High specific MNase assay for rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus using AT-rich dsDNA substrate

Micrococcal nuclease (MNase) is a nonspecific endo-exonuclease that digests single-stranded/double-stranded DNA and RNA. The existence of MNase can serves as an important diagnostic biomarker of Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) infection. However, most of the substrates in MNase-based sensors are single-stranded DNA, which could also be digested by exonuclease I or S1 nuclease and interfere the MNase detection. In this work, we developed a highly selective fluorescent method for MNase detection using a specific dsDNA and nucleic acid dye SYBR Green I (SGI) as the indicator. After rational design, an AT-rich dsDNA with 3′ protruding termini was screened as the high-specific substrate of MNase assay and efficient enhancer of SGI. The AT-rich dsDNA substrate can resist the digestion of other exonuclease and greatly enhance the fluorescence of SGI. This high-specific substrate-based probe can detect MNase in buffer as well as biological sample with highly selectivity . Moreover, this method was also applied to monitor the MNase secreted by S. aureus . Thus, the proposed MNase-based assay has a strong potential to identify S. aureus in food safety and microbial infection due to its excellent analytical sensitivity and high selectivity.