Three-dimensional structural dynamics and fluctuations of DNA-nanogold conjugates by individual-particle electron tomography.

ABSTRACT: DNA base pairing has been used for many years to direct the arrangement of inorganic nanocrystals into small groupings and arrays with tailored optical and electrical properties. The control of DNA-mediated assembly depends crucially on a better understanding of three-dimensional structure of DNA-nanocrystal-hybridized building blocks. Existing techniques do not allow for structural determination of these flexible and heterogeneous samples. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy and negative-staining electron tomography approaches to image, and three-dimensionally reconstruct a single DNA-nanogold conjugate, an 84-bp double-stranded DNA with two 5-nm nanogold particles for potential substrates in plasmon-coupling experiments. By individual-particle electron tomography reconstruction, we o

SUBMITTER: Zhang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4820932 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature