Sensitive Detection of Argonaute2 by Triple-Helix Molecular Switch Reaction and Pyrene Excimer Switching

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool for silencing target genes in a variety of cells and has great therapeutic potential. It is triggered by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and by an RNA-binding protein (argonaute, Ago). In this manuscript, we designed a simple fluorescence sensor strategy for sensitive detection of argonaute2 (Ago2) based on the base pairing principle of Watson–Crick and Hoogsteen and the pyrene excimer switch. The sensing platform has extremely high sensitivity and a detection limit of 0.1 nM. It can be used to detect endogenous Ago2 in cancer cells and has great potential in clinical diagnosis and biomedical research.