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Updated: Sep 23, 2026

Determining if DNA Stained with a Cyanine Dye Can Be Digested with Restriction Enzymes
Published on: February 2, 2018
Increased intensities of YOYO-1-labeled DNA oligomers near silver particles
Joseph R Lakowicz1, Joanna Malicka, Ignacy Gryczynski
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, School of Medicine, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. cfs@cfs.umbi.umd.edu
Abstract:
DNA detection is usually performed using fluorescence probes. Using a DNA oligomer stained with the widely used dye 1,1'-[1,3-propanediylbis[(dimethylimino)-3,1-propanediyl]]bis[4-[(3-methyl-2(3H)-benzoxazolylidene)methyl]]-quinolinum tetraiodide (YOYO-1), we show that a substrate containing silver particles can lead to a greater than 10-fold increase in the fluorescence intensity. Proximity to silver particles also increases the photostability of YOYO-1-DNA. These results suggest that substrates or gels containing silver particles may be used for increased sensitivity in DNA detection.
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