title: Synthesis and bioconjugation of 2 and 3 nm-diameter gold nanoparticles.
abstract: By adjustment of solvent conditions for synthesis, virtually monodisperse 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (p-MBA) monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles, 2 and 3 nm in diameter, were obtained. Large single crystals of the 2 nm particles could be grown from the reaction mixture. Uniformity was also demonstrated by the formation of two-dimensional arrays and by quantitative high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The 2 and 3 nm particles were spontaneously reactive for conjugation with proteins and DNA, and further reaction could be prevented by repassivation with glutathione. Conjugates with antibody Fc fragment could be used to identify TAP-tagged proteins of interest in electron micrographs, through the binding of a pair of particles to the pair of protein A domains in the TAP tag.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Biology, Stanford School of Medicine, 299 Campus Drive West, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ackerson
authors.forename: Pablo D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Jadzinsky
authors.forename: Jonathan Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Sexton
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bushnell
authors.forename: Roger D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kornberg
mesh_terms: D001565:Benzoates / Q000737:chemistry; D003545:Cysteine; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009154:Mutation; D010316:Particle Size; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013873:Thionucleotides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D011506:Proteins; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013873:Thionucleotides; C013594:4-mercaptobenzoate; D006046:Gold; D004247:DNA; D003545:Cysteine