ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Step by step towards understanding gold glyconanoparticles as elements of the nanoworld

L. Sihelníková and I. Tvaroška

Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-845 38 Bratislava, Slovakia

E-mail: chemsihl@savba.sk chemitsa@savba.sk

Received: 22 January 2007  Revised: 11 April 2007  Accepted: 16 April 2007

Abstract: Gold glyconanoparticles as elements of the nanoworld belong to a group of particles with diameters not exceeding 100 nm. This size scale makes them conformable to common biomolecules. A gold glyconanoparticle consists of three different parts: the gold core, the linkers, and saccharide ligands. The glycocalyx-like surface of these particles mimics the presentation of carbohydrate epitopes of cell surface glycoconjugates. As a consequence, gold glyconanoparticles provide inimitable tools for probing and manipulating the mechanisms of biological processes based on carbohydrate interactions. Each component of the gold glyconanoparticle has a profound effect on the nanoparticle’s properties. Therefore, in this review, elucidation of the overall behavior and properties of gold glyconanoparticles is based on a step by step (component by component) description of the system.

Keywords: nanoparticles - gold glyconanoparticles - properties - structure

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-007-0029-0

Chemical Papers 61 (4) 237–255 (2007)