Real-time PCR detection of pre-micRNA let-7a expression.

<p>(a) normal human vascular endothelial cells, (b) MCF-7 and (c) MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.</p

Cytotoxicity induced by QD-RNA-Au NP probe loaded CS, CS/γ-PGA complex and liposome in MCF-7 cells.

<p>Cytotoxicity induced by QD-RNA-Au NP probe loaded CS, CS/γ-PGA complex and liposome in MCF-7 cells.</p

Flow cytometric analysis.

<p>(A) MCF-7 and (B)MDA-MB-231 cells after transfected with probe loaded complex.</p

In vitro fluorescent detection of pre-microRNA.

<p>(A) Fluorescence spectra of (a) QD-RNA-Au NP and (b) QD-control RNA-Au NP probe loaded CS/γ-PGA complex in presence of target pre-miRNA. (B) Fluorescence spectra of QD-RNA-Au NP probe loaded CS/γ-PGA complex at different amounts of pre-miRNA and (C) linear plot of fluorescence intensity vs pre-miRNA amount. (D) Fluorescence spectra of the mixtures of QD-RNA-Au NP probe loaded CS/γ-PGA complex and 50 ng of total RNAs extracted from MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, 100 µl DEPC-treated water was used as control.</p

Gel retardation assay of NP probe complex.

<p>(a) QD-RNA-Au NP probe, (b) QD-RNA-Au NP probe loaded CS, and (c) QD-RNA-Au NP probe loaded CS/γ-PGA complex.</p