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Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Conjugated to Quantum Dot ® s is Biologically Functional.

Authors :
Halloran D
Vrathasha V
Durbano HW
Nohe A
Source :
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) [Nanomaterials (Basel)] 2020 Jun 20; Vol. 10 (6). Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jun 20.
Publication Year :
2020

Abstract

Quantum Dot <superscript>®</superscript> s (QDot <superscript>®</superscript> s) are novel, semi-conductive nanostructures that emit a certain fluorescence when excited by specific wavelengths. QDot <superscript>®</superscript> s are more photostable, brighter, and photobleach less than other fluorescent dyes. These characteristics give them the potential to be used in many biological applications. The shells of QDot <superscript>®</superscript> s are coated with functional groups, such as carboxylate and organic groups, allowing them to couple to peptides/proteins and be used for real-time imaging and high-resolution microscopy. Here, we utilize Quantum Dot <superscript>®</superscript> s and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2) to create a BMP-2-QDot <superscript>®</superscript> s conjugate. BMP-2 is a growth factor that drives many processes such as cardiogenesis, neural growth, and osteogenesis. Despite its numerous roles, the trafficking and uptake of BMP-2 into cells is not well-established, especially during progression of diseases. The results presented here demonstrate for the first time a fluorescent BMP-2 analog that binds to the BMP-receptors (BMPRs), remains biologically active, and is stable for long time periods. Previous attempts to develop a biological BMP-2 analog with Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) or nanodiamonds lacked data on the analog's stability. Furthermore, these analogs did not address whether they can signal within the cell by binding to the BMPRs or were mediated by non-stable conjugates.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2079-4991
Volume :
10
Issue :
6
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
32575709
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061208