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Mechanism-Oriented Controllability of Intracellular Quantum Dots Formation: The Role of Glutathione Metabolic Pathway

Authors :
Zhi-Quan Tian
Bin Hu
Beibei Chen
Yong Li
Peng Zhang
Li Li
Zhi-Xiong Xie
Dai-Wen Pang
Ran Cui
Source :
ACS Nano. 7:2240-2248
Publication Year :
2013
Publisher :
American Chemical Society (ACS), 2013.

Abstract

Microbial cells have shown a great potential to biosynthesize inorganic nanoparticles within their orderly regulated intracellular environment. However, very little is known about the mechanism of nanoparticle biosynthesis. Therefore, it is difficult to control intracellular synthesis through the manipulation of biological processes. Here, we present a mechanism-oriented strategy for controlling the biosynthesis of fluorescent CdSe quantum dots (QDs) by means of metabolic engineering in yeast cells. Using genetic techniques, we demonstrated that the glutathione metabolic pathway controls the intracellular CdSe QD formation. Inspired from this mechanism, the controllability of CdSe QD yield was realized through engineering the glutathione metabolism in genetically modified yeast cells. The yeast cells were homogeneously transformed into more efficient cell-factories at the single-cell level, providing a specific way to direct the cellular metabolism toward CdSe QD formation. This work could provide the foundation for the future development of nanomaterial biosynthesis.

Details

ISSN :
1936086X and 19360851
Volume :
7
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
ACS Nano
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....c6ab69a3d46740fd665b8cd8227c4a78
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1021/nn305346a