Issue 5, 2011
From the journal:

Analyst

Fluorescent gold clusters as nanosensors for copper ions in live cells†

C. V. Durgadas,a   C. P. Sharmaa  and  K. Sreenivasan*b  

* Corresponding authors

a Biosurface Technology Division, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

b Laboratory for Polymer Analysis, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
E-mail: sreeni@sctimst.ac.in
Fax: +0914712341814
Tel: +0914712520248

Abstract

This paper reports the use of fluorescent gold nanoclusters synthesized using bovine serum albumin (Au–BSA) for the sensing of copper ions in live cells. The fluorescence of the clusters was found to be quenched by Cu2+ enabling its detection in cells. The selectivity of the nanosensor was demonstrated in the presence of several cations excluding Hg2+. We did not study the effect of Hg2+ since it was reported earlier. The present study suggests that Cu2+ induced fluorescence quenching is due to its binding to BSA rather than the fluorescence quenching by metal–metal interaction as in the case of Hg2+. The Au–BSA showed excellent selectivity to Cu2+ at various pH conditions. The ‘turn off’ of fluorescence can be retrieved by a Cu2+ chelator glycine. Our results showed that gold clusters can be used as a ‘turn off’ sensor for copper and a ‘turn on’ sensor for glycine. Under the experimental conditions, the probe showed a response for Cu2+ over a range of 100 μM to 5 mM with a detection limit of 50 μM. The role of Cu2+ in the misfolding and disassembly of Prion Protein (PrP) leading to various maladies is well ascertained. The methodology we reported here seems to be useful in supplementing other techniques in predicting disease conditions involving Cu2+.

Graphical abstract: Fluorescent gold clusters as nanosensors for copper ions in live cells

About
Cited by
Related
Download options Please wait...

Supplementary files

Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C0AN00424C
Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jun 2010
Accepted
10 Nov 2010
First published
13 Dec 2010

Analyst, 2011,136, 933-940

Permissions

Request permissions

Fluorescent gold clusters as nanosensors for copper ions in live cells

C. V. Durgadas, C. P. Sharma and K. Sreenivasan, Analyst, 2011, 136, 933 DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00424C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements