posted on 2000-10-26, 00:00authored byMurali Sastry, Vidya Ramakrishnan, Mrunalini Pattarkine, Anand Gole, K. N. Ganesh
The hybridization of DNA by sequential electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding immobilization of single-stranded complementary oligonucleotides at the air−water interface with cationic Langmuir monolayers
is demonstrated. The complexation of the single-stranded DNA molecules with octadecylamine (ODA)
Langmuir monolayers was followed in time by monitoring the pressure−area isotherms. A large (and slow)
expansion of the ODA monolayer was observed during each stage of complexation in the following sequence:
primary single-stranded DNA followed by complementary single-stranded DNA followed by the intercalator,
ethidium bromide. Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) films of the ODA−DNA complex were formed on different
substrates and characterized using quartz-crystal microgravimetry (QCM), Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy (FTIR), polarized-UV−vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as thermal melting studies.
These measurements clearly showed that hybridization of the complementary single-stranded DNA
molecules had occurred at the air−water interface, leading to the characteristic double-helical structure.
Furthermore, it was observed that the DNA molecules in the LB films were oriented parallel to the substrate
withdrawal direction.