Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026
06:24
Fluorescent Silver Staining of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels
Published on: April 21, 2019
Sensitive detection of cysteine based on fluorescent silver clusters.
1State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.
Biosensors & Bioelectronics
|October 1, 2008
Summary
We developed a novel fluorescent sensor using silver clusters to detect cysteine, an important biological molecule. This method offers a simple, sensitive, and selective way to measure cysteine levels in biological samples.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cysteine is a crucial biological analyte with implications in various physiological and pathological processes.
- Accurate detection of cysteine is vital for biomedical research and diagnostics.
- Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity, selectivity, or simplicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, water-soluble fluorescent sensor for the selective detection of cysteine.
- To utilize poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA)-templated silver (Ag) clusters as a fluorescent probe.
- To establish a sensitive and simple fluorescent assay for cysteine determination.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of water-soluble, fluorescent PMAA-templated Ag clusters.
- Investigation of the fluorescence quenching effect of cysteine on Ag clusters.
- Evaluation of the specificity of the sensor against other alpha-amino acids.
- Determination of the detection range and limit for cysteine using fluorescence spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- PMAA-templated Ag clusters exhibited effective fluorescence quenching specifically by cysteine.
- The sensor demonstrated high selectivity for cysteine over other common alpha-amino acids.
- A sensitive fluorescent method for cysteine detection was established with a linear range of 2.5 x 10(-8) to 6.0 x 10(-6) M and a detection limit of 20 nM.
- The quenching mechanism was attributed to thiol-adsorption-accelerated oxidation of Ag clusters.
Conclusions:
- Novel water-soluble fluorescent Ag clusters serve as effective probes for sensitive and selective cysteine detection.
- The developed fluorescent assay offers a promising tool for analyzing cysteine in biological contexts.
- This study highlights the potential of silver clusters as advanced fluorescence probes in analytical and biomedical applications.
