CRISPR-Cas9 Triggered Two-Step Isothermal Amplification Method for <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7 Detection Based on a Metal–Organic Framework Platform

Abstract

<i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 has been reported as an important pathogenic bacteria causing serious infection and economic loss. However, detection of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 needs improvement, given its current complexity and sensitivity. Herein, we attempt to build a fluorescence sensing method to detect <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 with easy operation and high efficiency. The target virulence gene sequences are recognized and cleaved by the CRISPR-Cas9 system, and trigger strand displacement amplification and rolling circle amplification. After amplification reactions, massive products can hybridize with the probes, the fluorescence of which are quenched based on a metal-organic framework platform, leading to the fluorescence recovery at typical excitation/emission wavelengths of 480/518 nm. This method exhibits high sensitivity with the detection limit at 4.0 × 10¹ CFU mL^-1 and a wide range from 1.3 × 10² CFU mL^-1 to 6.5 × 10⁴ CFU mL^-1. Meanwhile, this assay also shows significant specificity and applies to practical samples with high accuracy. Therefore, our method would have great potential application in bacterial detection, food safety monitoring, or clinical diagnostics.