Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026

08:00
DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers
Published on: October 25, 2017
7.2K
Dynamic Equilibria between DNA-Stabilized Silver Nanoclusters and Silver-Carrying DNA Strands
Cecilia Cerretani1, Donato Ranieri2, Giacomo Romolini1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|October 9, 2025
Summary
DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters exhibit dynamic behavior. Ag+-carrying DNA strands reversibly attach, tuning photophysical properties and forming different species based on concentration and temperature.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterials Science
- Biophysical Chemistry
Background:
- DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) are promising NIR emitters.
- Their photophysical properties are dictated by the DNA template structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the temperature- and concentration-dependent behavior of two NIR-emissive DNA-AgNCs.
- Elucidate the role of Ag+-carrying DNA strands in tuning photophysical properties.
Main Methods:
- Optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence emission, time-resolved anisotropy).
- Mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).
Main Results:
- Identified three distinct species for 13mer-AgNCs: (13mer)2-[Ag20]10+, (13mer)3-[Ag27]17+, and (13mer)4-[Ag34]24+, dependent on conditions.
- Observed temperature-dependent emission shifts and intensity variations for 16mer-AgNCs.
- Confirmed aggregate formation for 16mer-AgNCs via time-resolved anisotropy.
Conclusions:
- Ag+-carrying DNA strands dynamically interact with DNA-AgNCs, modulating their optical characteristics.
- The DNA template plays a crucial role in the assembly and properties of DNA-AgNCs.
- Dynamic equilibria govern the interactions between DNA strands and silver nanoclusters.
Related Concept Videos
Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins
16.5K
For successful DNA replication, the unwinding of double-stranded DNA must be accompanied by stabilization and protection of the separated single strands of the DNA. This crucial task is performed by single-strand DNA-binding (SSB) proteins. They bind to the DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which means that the nitrogenous bases of the DNA need not be present in a specific order for binding of SSB proteins to it. The binding of SSB proteins straightens single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and makes...
16.5K
DNA as a Genetic Template
27.3K
Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...
27.3K
Nucleic Acid Structure
8.4K
The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA...
DNA Structure
DNA...
8.4K
Homologous Recombination
62.6K
The basic reaction of homologous recombination (HR) involves two chromatids that contain DNA sequences sharing a significant stretch of identity. One of these sequences uses a strand from another as a template to synthesize DNA in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The final product is a novel amalgamation of the two substrates. To ensure an accurate recombination of sequences, HR is restricted to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. At these stages, the DNA has been replicated already and the...
62.6K
Restarting Stalled Replication Forks
6.3K
DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart,...
6.3K
Fixing Double-strand Breaks
14.3K
The double-stranded structure of DNA has two major advantages. First, it serves as a safe repository of genetic information where one strand serves as the back-up in case the other strand is damaged. Second, the double-helical structure can be wrapped around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, which can then be tightly wound to form chromosomes. This way, DNA chains up to 2 inches long can be contained within microscopic structures in a cell. A double-stranded break not only damages...
14.3K

