Fluorescent silver nanoclusters as probes for selective recognition of DNA CGG trinucleotide repeat

Silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) are an emerging set of fluorescent materials that are advantageous over semiconductor quantum dots and organic fluorophores. Herein, fluorescent AgNCs were used as potential probes for selective recognition of DNA (CGG) trinucleotide repeat that is more related to diseases. In comparison with (CCG), (CAG), and (CTG) trinucleotide repeats, (CGG) repeat is much more efficient to produce fluorescent AgNCs. Thus, AgNCs can serve as useful fluorophores for high selective recognition of (CGG) repeat. Additionally, we used molecular crowding condition to further sensitize the (CGG)-grown AgNCs' fluorescence without sacrificing the high sequence selectivity. Unlike the usually used organic fluorophores, AgNCs can be in situ created at the moment of manipulation and the fluorescence is not quenched by guanine in (CGG) repeat, the most easily oxidizable base in nucleic acids. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.