Conformational-transited protein corona regulated cell-membrane penetration and induced cytotoxicity of ultrasmall Au nanoparticles.

ABSTRACT: Nanoparticles (NP) in biological fluids almost invariably become coated with proteins to form protein coronas. It is the NP-protein corona rather than the bare nanoparticle that determines the nanoparticle's bio-behavior. Here, ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coated by a human serum albumin (HSA) corona were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, denature experiments, fluorescence quenching. Moreover, the intracellular fate of AuNPs and the AuNP-HSA corona has also been investigated. The results show that HSA corona undergo a conformational transition (partial β-sheet changed to α-helicity) when they adsorb on AuNPs, which lead to an enhanced thermal stability. Importantly, we observed that the conformation-transited protein corona-AuNP complex could induce cell apoptosi

SUBMITTER: Yang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9060578 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature