Nanogold-Peptides

Peptides Linked to Nanogold® Maintain Biologic Activity

Several reports have now appeared in the literature describing the covalent attachment of Nanogold® to peptides and their use to track peptide binding both in tissues (using light microscopy) and to individual molecules (using electron microscopy). Retention of activity was demonstrated by Western blots, polyacrylamide gel electophoresis, and competitive binding studies with unlabeled peptide. Read about these three studies:

Localization of Substance P binding site in rat brain and spinal cord.
Conformational constraints in protein degradation by the 20S proteasome.
Localization of Calmodulin P binding sites on the ryanodine receptor from skeletal muscle.
Ordering Information.

30 micrometer cryostat section of rat spinal cord labeled with Nanogold- Substance P (SP is an 11 amino acid peptide) showing binding sites of this bioactive peptide. m=motoneurons, x=lamina, I+II=lamina I and II. Silver enhanced; full image width 5 microns. Courtesey of G. Segond von Banchet and B. Heppelmann, Physiologisches Institut der Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

How Nanogold-Peptide Probes Are Made

Nanogold® is a small (1.4 nm) gold cluster with an organic shell and a monofunctonal reactive arm, either a maleimide (which reacts with thiols) or a sulfo-N- hydroxysuccinimide ester (which reacts with amines). Covalent linking of the Nanogold to peptides may be achieved by reacting with the alpha-NH2 group, a lysine, a terminal cysteine that is added, or an existing cysteine.

Other Applications:

Product Applications Special report: A very reliable pre-embedding immunogold method. Our 2002 paper: Nickel-NTA-Nanogold Binds his-Tagged Proteins. Our 2001 paper on DNA Nanowires. Our 1999 paper on Gold-Based Autometallography. Special report: In Situ Hybridization with Nanogold®-Streptavidin. Technical note: Nanogold® Staining on Gels. Our 1996 paper on Gold Liposomes. Special report: Nanogold® Labeling of Peptides. Technical note: RNA Labeling with Nanogold®. Our 1991 paper on A New 1.4 nm Gold-Fab' Probe. Our 1994 paper on Methylamine Vanadate (NanoVan) Negative Stain. Our 1990 paper on Conducting Polymer Films as EM Substrates. Research Applications Our 2005 paper: 5 nm Gold-Ni-NTA binds His Tags. Enzymatic Metallography: A Simple New Staining Method Our 2006 paper on Light and Electron Microscopy of Microsporida using Enzyme Metallography. Our 2004 paper on Enzymatic Metallography as a Correlative Light and Electron Microscopic Method. Our 2002 paper on Enzymatic Metallography: A Simple New Staining Method.

Research Applications (continued) Our 2007 paper on Correlative Enzymatic and Gold Probes for Light and Electron Microscopy. Our 1995 paper on Aldehyde Gold Clusters for Molecular Labeling. Our 2000 paper on Gold Cluster Crystals. Larger covalent gold probes: Our 2005 paper on Preparation of Covalent 3nm Gold – Fab’ Probes. Our 1999 paper on A Covalently Linked 10 nm Gold Immunoprobe. Combined fluorescent and gold probes: Our 2003 paper featuring Dextran-Texas Red®-Nanogold® Fluorescent Dyes for Use in Correlative Microscopy and Intravital Imaging. Our 2002 paper on Combined ALEXA-488 and Nanogold Antibody Probes. Our 1999 paper on Combined Cy3 / Nanogold Probes for Immunocytochemistry and In Situ Hybridization. Our 1998 paper on Dual-Labeled Probes for Fluorescence and Electron Microscopy. News: our original 1997 paper on Combined Fluorescent and Gold Immunoprobes. Our 1996 paper on Large Cluster and Combined Fluorescent and Gold Immunoprobes. Our 1994 paper on Combined Fluorescent and Gold Nucleic Acid Probes. Our 2005 paper on High Z Metal Carbonyls for Imaging and Microspectroscopy. Our 2005 paper on In Vivo Vascular Casting.