Analyst最新文献

{"title":"A mass spectrometry-based proteomics strategy to detect long-chain S-acylated peptides","authors":"Samiksha Sardana, Andrea Trezza, Francine Rodrigues Ianiski, Anneroos E. Nederstigt and Marc P. Baggelaar","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00557D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00557D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Long-chain <em>S</em>-acylation is the addition of long-chain fatty acids to cysteine residues on proteins. This lipid modification is essential for protein membrane association and signalling but presents analytical challenges due to both its hydrophobicity and the labile nature of thioester bonds. We developed and optimised a bottom-up mass spectrometry workflow tailored for the detection of long-chain <em>S</em>-acylated peptides. Following liquid chromatography optimisation for improved separation and elution of long-chain <em>S</em>-acylated peptides from a C<small>₁₈</small> stationary phase, we investigated thioester stability under typical proteomics sample preparation conditions, including variations in pH, reducing agents, and trypsin digestion. Stability analyses revealed that long-chain <em>S</em>-acylated peptides were generally resistant to pH variations and reducing agents, while extended digestion times resulted in a loss of signal from some peptides. For MS/MS analysis, CID, HCD and ETD were applied to analyse long-chain <em>S</em>-acylated peptides. Neutral losses of the modification were observed with all these fragmentation methods. However, HCD proved to be the most effective, as the fragment ions resulting from the neutral losses provided sequence information, unlike those from CID and ETD. Applying this workflow to HEK293T cells overexpressing the long-chain <em>S</em>-acylated proteins GNA13 and RhoB, we detected dual acylation states of GNA13 and observed both long-chain <em>S</em>-acylation and prenylation on RhoB. Our optimised analytical strategy facilitates the identification and analysis of long-chain <em>S</em>-acylation on proteins without the need for chemical derivatization by alkyne-tagged probes or acyl-biotin exchange. Although recombinant overexpression of the long-chain <em>S</em>-acylated proteins was still required for long-chain <em>S</em>-acylation detection, this direct analysis strategy for protein long-chain <em>S</em>-acylation enables the study of lipid modifications with lipid-specific resolution, laying a foundation for deeper insights into the regulatory roles of these hydrophobic modifications in protein function and cellular signalling.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4367-4380"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/an/d5an00557d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144910787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research progress on design strategies of hemicyanine-based fluorescent probes and their applications in environmental and food analysis","authors":"Ying Sun, Yanxin Zhang, Chunling Zhou and Liqiang Yan","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00756A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00756A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >With the increasing emphasis on environmental safety, food inspection, and plant physiological functions, the development of high-performance fluorescent probes capable of highly sensitive, specific, rapid, and visual detection of target analytes has become a focal point in current research. Hemicyanine groups are widely utilized in the design of organic small-molecule fluorophores due to their low cost, structural stability, and ease of chemical modification. Through simple structural adjustments, the photoluminescent properties of hemicyanine-based fluorophores can be significantly enhanced, enabling strong signal output and maintaining stable fluorescence intensity across various solvents and pH conditions—features that make them particularly suitable for complex biological and chemical environments. Furthermore, the nitrogen atoms of the hemicyanine groups can be functionalized with various water-soluble and targeting groups, which greatly improve molecular hydrophilicity. In recent years, small-molecule fluorescent probes based on hemicyanine groups have been successfully applied in the reliable detection of metal ions, cyanide, sulfide, hydrazine, phosgene, nitrite, hypochlorous acid, and other analytes. This review provides an overview of the structural features of hemicyanine fluorophores and systematically summarizes the design strategies, sensing mechanisms, and recognition principles of hemicyanine-based probes. It further details recent advancements over the past five years, categorized by different analytes, with particular emphasis on their applications in environmental monitoring, food safety, and plant science. Finally, based on a comprehensive analysis of existing research, this review highlights the strengths and limitations of these fluorescent probes and offers constructive insights for future studies, aiming to provide a valuable reference for the continued advancement of hemicyanine-derived fluorescent sensing systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4233-4251"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144910715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determining the hydrodynamic diameters of nanoplastics via short-end capillary zone electrophoresis-Taylor dispersion analysis in tandem","authors":"Ebuka Anizoba, Alison Bain and Vincent T. Remcho","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00593K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00593K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >As plastics persist in the environment, they are broken down into smaller pieces through processes including UV degradation and mechanical forces. Current research focuses on developing analytical methods to characterize plastics &lt;1 μm in diameter, known as nanoplastics, as their size is related to their toxicity. We present a novel short-end capillary zone electrophoresis-Taylor dispersion analysis (CZE-TDA) approach for determining the hydrodynamic diameters and size distributions of mixtures of nanoplastics with different surface chemistries. The CZE-TDA approach first separates particles based on electrophoretic mobility through CZE, reflecting compositional differences. In the subsequent TDA step, the hydrodynamic diameters of particles within the separated zones are determined. These steps are performed in a single analysis, using a conventional benchtop instrument with a single detector. The hydrodynamic diameters obtained by CZE-TDA were validated by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and standalone TDA. Individual nanoplastics with different sizes and surface chemistries were analyzed using CZE-TDA, and the hydrodynamic diameters obtained were within 5% error of DLS. Comparable accuracy was observed for binary mixtures of nanoplastics. Our CZE-TDA approach is a promising technique for characterizing the hydrodynamic diameters of nanoplastics in complex environmental mixtures.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4359-4366"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144910788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of wheat straw and corn cob-derived biochar in the design of a novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of carbendazim","authors":"Jasmina Anojčić, Sanja Mutić, Tamara Apostolović, Nina Đukanović, Tijana Marjanović Srebro and Jelena Beljin","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00716J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00716J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >During the development of quick, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly analytical techniques like voltammetric methods, two distinct waste resources, wheat straw (WBC) and corn cob (CBC), were utilized to synthesize biochars (BCs) at two pyrolysis temperatures (400 °C and 700 °C), which were used as electrocatalytic materials in carbon paste electrodes (CPEs). Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the properties of the synthesized BCs. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) measurements showed better conductivity of the electrode WBC700-CPE compared to unmodified CPE, CBC400-CPE, CBC700-CPE, and WBC400-CPE. WBC700-CPE was chosen for the analysis of a persistent organic pollutant, carbendazim (CBZ). According to CV studies, the electrochemical oxidation reaction of CBZ is irreversible and adsorption-controlled. Different variables were tuned, such as the pH of the supporting electrolyte, electrode composition, and the square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetric (SW-AdSV) parameters. This entails adsorption of CBZ on the electrode surface at the optimized accumulation potential (<em>E</em><small>_acc</small> = −0.2 V) and accumulation time (<em>t</em><small>_acc</small> = 60 s) with the obtained linear concentration range of 1.25 to 50.0 ng mL<small>⁻¹</small> with a limit of detection of 0.38 ng mL<small>⁻¹</small> CBZ, and a relative standard deviation of 1.2% at pH 6.0. The selectivity of WBC700-CPE was confirmed since the investigated interfering substances did not affect the voltammetric signal of CBZ. During the analysis of surface water and wastewater spiked with CBZ, the applied voltammetric method gave good recovery and reproducibility, demonstrating that WBC700-CPE provides reliable results for determining pesticides in contaminated water.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4348-4358"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144906332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Protoporphyrin-functionalized reduced graphene oxide as a novel sensing platform for the electrochemical determination of lead ions","authors":"Lu Hou, Ping-Shan Wen, Jun-Chang Xue, Yue Jiang, Heng-Ye Li, Zhong-Xia Wang, Guo-Qiang Hou, Fen-Ying Kong and Wei Wang","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00801H","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00801H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The development of simple, rapid, and sensitive techniques for quantifying toxic heavy metal ions is crucial due to their risks to human and environmental health. Herein, a protoporphyrin-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (PP-rGO) nanocomposite was designed as a new electrochemical sensing material for the sensitive determination of lead ions (Pb<small>²⁺</small>). The nanocomposite was prepared by simple hydrothermal treatment of PP-GO under alkaline conditions and was then examined by UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Based on the coordination interaction between rGO, PP, and Pb<small>²⁺</small>, a PP-rGO nanocomposite-modified electrode displayed robust analytical performance for Pb<small>²⁺</small> determination. Under the optimal conditions, the concentration of Pb<small>²⁺</small> varied linearly with the voltammetric peak current in the range of 0.1–100 ng mL<small>⁻¹</small>, with a low detection limit of 0.03 ng mL<small>⁻¹</small>. In addition, the fabricated sensor was shielded from other common metal ions, except copper ions. Successful application in tap and lake water samples demonstrated its practical utility.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4342-4347"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144906333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Homing-peptide Combined with Malachite Green based ELISA-Like Assay for Highly Specific and Sensitive Fibrin Detection","authors":"Jing Li, Jun Yin, Chenyu Cai, Yiran Hao, Yuanyuan Li, Shixin Cai","doi":"10.1039/d5an00401b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5an00401b","url":null,"abstract":"Sensitive, accurate and reliable fibrin detection is of great significance for evaluating the treatment effect of orthodontic implants. However, current fibrin detection methods lack enough sensitivity. We depict here a novel fluorescence based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay mimic method for fibrin detection. The sensing platform utilizes the homing peptide CREKA as a recognition molecule, enabling highly-selective fibrin binding on the plate. Upon sample deposition, the CREKA-functionalized probe cross-links with fibrin via peptide-target interaction. Subsequently, rolling circle transcription (RCT) is initiated to synthesize malachite green (MG)-binding RNA aptamers, facilitating label-free fibrin detection through MG-derived fluorescence. Leveraging the high amplification efficiency of RCT, this assay achieves a detection limit of 0.01 fmol/L and a wide detection range (from 0.01 fmol/L to 5 pmol/L). Compared with former method, the proposed method possesses a greatly elevated specificity by integrating the dual recognition of fibrin by antibody and CREKA with the split MG RNA aptamer induced signal generation. Taking the merit of the low limit of detection, high accuracy, and improved stability, the proposed method could be a promising tool for disease diagnosis.","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144906335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Creatinine-on-a-chip: colorimetric ELISA-based serum creatinine detection in a microfluidic device","authors":"Betul Karakuzu and H. Cumhur Tekin","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00650C","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00650C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Chronic kidney diseases (CKDs), which often end in kidney failure for many people around the world, have an important place in public health given that they also trigger other diseases. Therefore, the development of fast and cost-effective diagnostic technologies enables effective monitoring of patients and early diagnosis. Here, using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) principle, serum creatinine concentrations were determined using the developed lab-on-a-chip (LOC) platform. In this system, which was termed “<em>creatinine-on-a-chip”</em>, colorimetric ELISA protocol was applied to determine creatinine levels in a microfluidic chip functionalized with creatinine-specific antibodies. Creatinine detection was performed by quantifying the absorbance difference between the detection and reference channels, normalized to the reference signal within the microfluidic chip. The detection signal intensity varied depending on the region selected along the microfluidic channel. The adsorption of the capture antibody used for surface functionalization, which was particularly more pronounced near the inlet region, played a critical role in the detection signal. These findings suggest that random selection of the detection area can lead to significant signal variability, and that careful selection of a well-characterized region is essential for improving detection performance. With this developed system, creatinine was detected with high sensitivity in the linear range of 1–20 μg mL<small>⁻¹</small>, both spiked in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and fetal bovine serum (FBS). Using the creatinine-on-a-chip, serum creatinine analysis can be performed rapidly (∼15 min) in a cost-effective manner ($1.05 per test).</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4395-4403"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144906334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revealing the heterogeneity of electrode surfaces using in situ photoluminescence electrochemical microscopy","authors":"Yucheng Li, Yihan Qian, Yujing Zhu, Beile Xiang, Xuan Dang, Zhuoying Li, Lu-Nan Zhang, Qin Xu, Wei Liu and Cheng Ma","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00820D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00820D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Photoluminescence-based <em>in situ</em> electrochemical microscopy enables micrometer-scale probing of electrode heterogeneity. Our results revealed a correlation between the potential–negative differential photoluminescence profile and the corresponding cyclic voltammogram. We further elucidated the structure–activity relationship linking interfacial heterogeneity to the electrocatalytic performance of electrodeposited Cu<small>₂</small>O as a proof-of-concept experiment.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4269-4273"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144901014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual-responsive fluorescent sensors for the detection and discrimination of sulphur and nitrogen mustards","authors":"Zimeng Luo, Mo Li, Xin Ling, Junhong Liu, Mingxue Sun, Jinfeng Cen, Wenjun Chang, Xiangdong Xu, Ling Zhang and Wen-Qi Meng","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00673B","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00673B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Mustard agents, including sulphur mustard (SM) and nitrogen mustard (NM), are chemical warfare agents that can cause blistering of the skin and mucous membranes upon contact. Although SM and NM both have dermal effects, their medical management of systemic poisoning differs significantly. A rapid and simple method for detecting and discriminating between SM and NM would be greatly valuable. We report several fluorescent sensors for the detection and differentiation of SM and NM. Among these sensors, fluorescein <strong>SN-R2-2</strong> exhibits dual fluorescence responses: quenching with NM and enhancement with SM under 430 nm excitation, achieving rapid detection (40 s for SM and 6 min for NM) and high sensitivity (limit of detection = 1.43 μM for SM and 18.01 μM for NM). Its solvent-independent performance further provides field applicability. <strong>SN-R2-2</strong> effectively visualised different concentrations of SM and NM in living mice. <strong>SN-R2-2</strong> holds promise for military and public safety emergencies, enhancing chemical incident response and medical triage. To the best of our knowledge, <strong>SN-R2-2</strong> is the first sensor for SM and NM discrimination.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4313-4319"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An electrochemical biosensor for detection of copper(ii) based on Fe3O4@Au magnetic nanoparticles and Cu2+-dependent DNAzyme assisted nicking endonuclease signal amplification","authors":"Hua Meng, Qingdi Yang, Siying Wu, Yanli Zhang, Xue Men, Hongbin Wang, Wenrong Yang and Pengfei Pang","doi":"10.1039/D5AN00499C","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5AN00499C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Copper ions are essential elements in the human body and participate in various physiological activities in the bodies of organisms. Herein, an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor was developed for detection of copper ions (Cu<small>²⁺</small>) based on Fe<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small>@Au magnetic nanoparticles (Fe<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small>@Au MNPs) and a Cu<small>²⁺</small>-dependent DNAzyme assisted nicking endonuclease signal amplification (NESA) strategy. dsDNA is formed by a hybridization reaction between DNA S2 and S1 immobilized on the surface of Fe<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small>@Au MNPs. Fe<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small>@Au MNPs not only manifested the construction of a magnetically controlled electrochemically responsive interface but also served as promising scaffolds to carry DNA. In the presence of Cu<small>²⁺</small>, DNAzyme was activated and it catalyzed the cleavage of the dsDNA. The left fragment of the dsDNA on the Fe<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small>@Au MNPs hybridized with DNA S3, initiating a polymerization reaction in the presence of DNA polymerase and dNTP and forming a long dsDNA product with specific recognition sites for the nicking endonuclease Nb.BbvCI. With the help of Nb.BbvCI, the long dsDNA product was cleaved to release the free ssDNA probe, which hybridized with Fc-labeled hairpin DNA S4 immobilized on a gold electrode and resulted in a decrease of the electrochemical signal. Subsequently, the remaining DNA probe on Fe<small>₃</small>O<small>₄</small>@Au MNPs triggered the next cycle of the “hybridization–cleavage–dissociation” reaction and more ssDNA probes dissociated, producing significant signal amplification. The developed Cu<small>²⁺</small> electrochemical biosensor exhibited a reliable linear range of 1 pM to 10 μM with a detection limit of 0.4 pM (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the proposed assay platform can be easily extended to monitor other metal ions by using specific DNAzymes and it shows potential for promising application in environmental monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":63,"journal":{"name":"Analyst","volume":" 19","pages":" 4436-4442"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}