Visualizing light-triggered release of molecules inside living cells.

ABSTRACT: The light-triggered release of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from gold nanoparticle-based, plasmon resonant vectors, such as nanoshells, shows great promise for gene delivery in living cells. Here we show that intracellular light-triggered release can be performed on molecules that associate with the DNA in a DNA host-guest complex bound to nanoshells. DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole), a bright blue fluorescent molecule that binds reversibly to double-stranded DNA, was chosen to visualize this intracellular light-induced release process. Illumination of nanoshell-dsDNA-DAPI complexes at their plasmon resonance wavelength dehybridizes the DNA, releasing the DAPI molecules within living cells, where they diffuse to the nucleus and associate with the cell's endogenous DNA. The low laser pow

SUBMITTER: Huschka R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4108300 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature