Tuning backbones and side-chains of cationic conjugated polymers for optical signal amplification of fluorescent DNA detection

Three cationic conjugated polymers (CCPs) exhibiting different backbone geometries and charge densities were used to investigate how their conjugated backbone and side chain properties, together with the transitions of DNA amphiphilic properties, interplay in the CCP/DNA-C* (DNA-C*: fluorophore-labeled DNA) complexes to influence the optical signal amplification of fluorescent DNA detection based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). By examining the FRET efficiencies to dsDNA-C* (dsDNA: double-stranded DNA) and ssDNA-C* (ssDNA: single-stranded DNA) for each CCP, twisted conjugated backbones and higher charge densities were proved to facilitate electrostatic attraction in CCP/dsDNA-C* complexes, and induced improved sensitivity to DNA hybridization. Especially, by using the CCP with twisted conjugated backbone and the highest charge density, a more than 7-fold higher efficiency of FRET to dsDNA-C* was found than to ssDNA-C*, indicating a high signal amplification for discriminating between dsDNA and ssDNA. By contrast, linear conjugated backbones and lower charge density were demonstrated to favor hydrophobic interactions in CCP/ssDNA-C* complexes. These findings provided guidelines for the design of novel sensitive CCP, which can be useful to recognize many other important DNA activities involving transitions of DNA amphiphilic properties like DNA hybridization, such as specific DNA binding with ions, some secondary or tertiary structural changes of DNA, and so forth.