biostudies-literatureCui YXNatural Science Foundation of Tianjin CityNational Natural Science Foundation of China2290-2297https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6385671biostudies-literatureUnknown10(8)DNA methylation is a significant epigenetic mechanism involving processes of transferring a methyl group onto cytosine or adenine. Such DNA modification catalyzed by methyltransferase (MTase) plays important roles in the modulation of gene expression and other cellular activities. Herein, we develop a simple and sensitive biosensing platform for the detection of DNA MTase activity by using only two oligonucleotides. The fluorophore labeled molecular beacon (MB) can be methylated by MTase and subsequently cleaved by endonuclease DpnI at the stem, giving a shortened MB. The shortened MB can then hybridize with a primer DNA, initiating a cycle of strand displacement amplification (SDA) reactions. The obtained SDA products can unfold new MB and initiate another cycle of SDA reaction. ThereforeChemical scienceAn integrated-molecular-beacon based multiple exponential strand displacement amplification strategy for ultrasensitive detection of DNA methyltransferase activity.PMC63856712187407516JCYBJC1990021728801Pan HFeng XNKong DMPan HYCui YXWang YXfalseAn integrated-molecular-beacon based multiple exponential strand displacement amplification strategy for ultrasensitive detection of DNA methyltransferase activity.DNA methylation is a significant epigenetic mechanism involving processes of transferring a methyl group onto cytosine or adenine. Such DNA modification catalyzed by methyltransferase (MTase) plays important roles in the modulation of gene expression and other cellular activities. Herein, we develop a simple and sensitive biosensing platform for the detection of DNA MTase activity by using only two oligonucleotides. The fluorophore labeled molecular beacon (MB) can be methylated by MTase and subsequently cleaved by endonuclease DpnI at the stem, giving a shortened MB. The shortened MB can then hybridize with a primer DNA, initiating a cycle of strand displacement amplification (SDA) reactions. The obtained SDA products can unfold new MB and initiate another cycle of SDA reaction. Therefore2019-01-01T00:00:00Z2019 Feb2026-05-07T11:22:37.519Z2019-08-04T07:14:39ZS-EPMC63856713088165410.1039/c8sc05102j