Selective binding of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins onto DNA molecules adsorbed on single-walled carbon nanotubes

• SSB proteins selectively bound to ssDNA–SWNT hybrids.
• SSB proteins rarely bound to dsDNA–SWNT hybrids.
• DNA molecules on SWNT surfaces retained their structures and properties.
• Electrophoresis procedure was modified for examining SSB–DNA–SWNT hybrids.

Single-stranded DNA-binding (SSB) proteins were treated with hybrids of DNA and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to examine the biological function of the DNA molecules adsorbed on the SWNT surface. When single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was used for the hybridization, significant binding of the SSB molecules to the ssDNA–SWNT hybrids was observed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and agarose gel electrophoresis. When double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was used, the SSB molecules did not bind to the dsDNA–SWNT hybrids in most of the conditions that we evaluated. A specifically modified electrophoresis procedure was used to monitor the locations of the DNA, SSB, and SWNT molecules. Our results clearly showed that ssDNA/dsDNA molecules on the SWNT surfaces retained their single-stranded/double-stranded structures.

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