Abstracts Book - IMRC 2018

• SB5-O020 Invited Talk
PEPTIDE-MEDIATED CYTOSOLIC DELIVERY OF QUANTUM DOTS
AND GOLD NANOMATERIALS
Hedi Mattoussi 1
1 Florida State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, United States.
There has been a long-standing interest in developing luminescent quantum
and plasmonic nanomaterials as novel tools for use in biomedical imaging,
biosensing and photothermal therapy. A major challenge limiting the
implementation of these goals is the lack of adequate strategies to deliver these
nanocrystals into the cytoplasm of live cells. We report on the use of an antimicrobial
peptide, SVS-1, to promote the uptake of QDs, small size gold
nanoparticles (AuNPs) and larger size gold nanorods (AuNRs) into mammalian
cells. For this colloidally stable nanoparticles nanorods, ligand exchanged with
amine functionalized polymeric ligand, His-PIMA-PEG/NH2 were utilized. The
amine groups allow covalent coupling of cysteine terminated SVS-1 and/or NHS
ester-Texas-Red dye to the nanocrystal surface. Using fluorescence microscopy
experiments, we found that incubation with these conjugates yields nanocrystal
staining throughout the cell volumes. Furthermore, additional endocytosis
inhibition experiments were carried out, where the cells were incubated with
the conjugates at low temperature, in presence of sodium azide, and hypertonic
sucrose solution. The imaging data shows significant levels of NC uptake, which
supports the hypothesis of physical translocation of these conjugates through
the membrane rather than endocytosis. These finding were further
complemented with confocal microcopy and flow cytometry measurements.
Keywords: nanoparticles, conjugates, cell imaging
Presenting authors email: mattoussi@chem.fsu.edu