Lighting up left-handed Z-DNA: photoluminescent carbon dots induce DNA B to Z transition and perform DNA logic operations.

ABSTRACT: Left-handed Z-DNA has been identified as a transient structure occurred during transcription. DNA B-Z transition has attracted much attention because of not only Z-DNA biological importance but also their relation to disease and DNA nanotechnology. Recently, photoluminescent carbon dots, especially highly luminescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots, have attracted much attention on their applications to bioimaging and gene/drug delivery because of carbon dots with low toxicity, highly stable photoluminescence and controllable surface function. However, it is still unknown whether carbon dots can influence DNA conformation or structural transition, such as B-Z transition. Herein, based on our previous series work on DNA interactions with carbon nanotubes, we report the first example that photolu

SUBMITTER: Feng L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3763558 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature