Patent ID: 7485419
Filing Date: 2009-02-03
Classification: C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
1. A sensor system for detecting an effector or cofactor, comprising an aggregate, wherein the aggregate comprises a plurality of complexes, and each complex comprises: (a) a nucleic acid enzyme, comprising a cofactor binding site and optionally an effector binding site; (b) a substrate for the nucleic acid enzyme, comprising a first polynucleotide; (c) a first particle comprising a second polynucleotide, wherein the polynucleotide is attached to the particle at the 3′ terminus; and (d) a second particle comprising a third polynucleotide, wherein the polynucleotide is attached to the particle at the 5′ terminus; wherein the substrate hybridizes to the second polynucleotide and the third polynucleotide, so that the first particle and the second particle are in a tail-to-tail arrangement, the nucleic acid enzyme is hybridized to the substrate between the second polynucleotide and the third polynucleotide, and the nucleic acid enzyme cleaves the substrate in the presence of the cofactor and optionally the effector.