Selective sensor for silver ions built from polyfluorophores on a DNA backbone.

ABSTRACT: To explore a new modular metal ion sensor design strategy, fluorophores and ligands were incorporated into short DNA-like oligomers. Compound 1 was found to function as a selective sensor for Ag(+) in aqueous buffer, where low micromolar concentrations of Ag(+) induce a red-shifted, turn-on fluorescence signal. Experiments with HeLa cells show that 1 can penetrate cells and yield a signal for intracellular Ag(+). This suggests a broadly applicable approach to developing sensors for a wide variety of cations.

SUBMITTER: Tan SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2966516 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature