Directed assembly of DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles using pyrrole-imidazole polyamides

J Am Chem Soc. 2012 May 23;134(20):8356-9. doi: 10.1021/ja3014924. Epub 2012 May 14.

Abstract

Traditional methods for the construction of nanoparticle arrays and lattices exploit Watson-Crick base pairing of single-stranded DNA sequences as a proxy for self-assembly. Although this approach has been utilized in a variety of applications in nanoassembly, diagnostics, and biomedicine, the diversity of this recognition lexicon could be considerably increased by developing strategies that recognize the base-pairing landscape of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sequences. Herein we describe the first report of programmed gold nanoparticle (GNP) aggregation directed by the recognition of dsDNA sequences using pyrrole-imidazole polyamide-GNP (PA-GNP) conjugates. We demonstrate the reversibility and selectivity of this strategy for forming GNP aggregates in the presence of fully matched dsDNA sequences relative to dsDNA sequences containing one- and two-base-pair mismatches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Imidazoles / chemistry*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nanoparticles / ultrastructure
  • Nylons / chemistry*
  • Pyrroles / chemistry*
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman

Substances

  • Imidazoles
  • Nylons
  • Pyrroles
  • Gold
  • DNA