Membrane-Targeting Peptides for Nanoparticle-Facilitated Cellular Imaging and Analysis

摘要

The controlled delivery of nanomaterials to the plasma membrane is critical for the development of nanoscale probes that can eventually enable cellular imaging and analysis of membrane processes. Chief among the requisite criteria are delivery/targeting modalities that result in the long-term residence (e.g., days) of the nanoparticles on the plasma membrane while simultaneously not interfering with regular cellular physiology and homeostasis. Our laboratory has developed a suite of peptidyl motifs that target semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots (QDs)) to the plasma membrane where they remain resident for up to three days. Notably, only small a percentage of the QDs are endocytosed over this time course and cellular viability is maintained. This talk will highlight the utility of these peptide-QD constructs for cellular imaging and analysis.