Complex formation between cationically modified gold nanoparticles and DNA: an atomic force microscopic study

Atomic force microscopy has been used for direct visualization of the wrapping of DNA around 30-nm-sized functionalized gold nanoparticles for the first time. The morphology of the complexes seems to be dictated by the relative concentration of the nanoparticles and DNA. A higher concentration of the former leads to the formation of a network of nanoparticles assembled on DNA. This assembly pattern seems to be significantly different from the manner in which cationically modified gold nanoparticles of smaller size (<5 nm) arrange linearly on DNA, as shown in the literature. A DNA−gold nanoparticle can be developed as a model system for in vitro studies on the mechanism of DNA condensation and also for developing novel methods of nanoparticle self-assembly on the DNA template