A real-time PCR-based method for determining the surface coverage of thiol-capped oligonucleotides bound onto gold nanoparticles.

ABSTRACT: Here we report a real-time PCR-based method for determining the surface coverage of dithiol-capped oligonucleotides bound onto gold nanoparticles alone and in tandem with antibody. The detection of gold nanoparticle-bound DNA is accomplished by targeting the oligonucleotide with primer and probe binding sites, amplification of the oligonucleotide by PCR, and real-time measurement of the fluorescence emitted during the reaction. This method offers a wide dynamic range and is not dependant on the dissociation of the oligonucleotide strands from the gold nanoparticle surface; the fluorophore is not highly quenched by the gold nanoparticles in solution during fluorescence measurements. We show that this method and a fluorescence-based method give equivalent results for determining the surface

SUBMITTER: Kim EY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1440878 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature