IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-56516-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Tunable control of Cas12 activity promotes universal and fast one-pot nucleic acid detection

Author

Listed:
  • Zhou-Hua Cheng

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Xi-Yan Luo

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Sheng-Song Yu

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Di Min

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Shu-Xia Zhang

    (Fujian Medical University Union Hospital)

  • Xiao-Fan Li

    (Fujian Medical University Union Hospital)

  • Jie-Jie Chen

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Dong-Feng Liu

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Han-Qing Yu

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

The CRISPR-based detection methods have been widely applied, yet they remain limited by the non-universal nature of one-pot diagnostic approaches. Here, we report a universal one-pot fluorescent method for the detection of epidemic pathogens, delivering results within 15-20 min. This method uses heparin sodium to precisely tunes the cis-cleavage capability of Cas12 via interference with the Cas12a-crRNA binding process, thereby generating significant fluorescence due to the accumulation of isothermal amplification products. Additionally, this universal assay accommodates both classic and suboptimal PAMs, as well as various Cas12a subtypes such as LbCas12a, AsCas12a, and AapCas12b. Such a robust method demonstrates sensitivity and specificity exceeding 95% in the detection of monkeypox pseudovirus, influenza A virus, and SARS-CoV-2 from saliva or wastewater samples, when compared with qPCR or RT-qPCR. Moreover, the cost of heparin sodium per thousand uses is $0.01 to $0.04 only. Collectively, this universal and fast one-pot approach based on heparin sodium offers potential possibilities for point-of-care testing.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhou-Hua Cheng & Xi-Yan Luo & Sheng-Song Yu & Di Min & Shu-Xia Zhang & Xiao-Fan Li & Jie-Jie Chen & Dong-Feng Liu & Han-Qing Yu, 2025. "Tunable control of Cas12 activity promotes universal and fast one-pot nucleic acid detection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56516-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56516-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56516-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-56516-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56516-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.