title: Carbon nanotubes as intracellular protein transporters: generality and biological functionality.
abstract: Various proteins adsorb spontaneously on the sidewalls of acid-oxidized single-walled carbon nanotubes. This simple nonspecific binding scheme can be used to afford noncovalent protein-nanotube conjugates. The proteins are found to be readily transported inside various mammalian cells with nanotubes acting as the transporter via the endocytosis pathway. Once released from the endosomes, the internalized protein-nanotube conjugates can enter into the cytoplasm of cells and perform biological functions, evidenced by apoptosis induction by transported cytochrome c. Carbon nanotubes represent a new class of molecular transporters potentially useful for future in vitro and in vivo protein delivery applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Nadine Wong Shi
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Kam
authors.forename: Hongjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019809:Streptavidin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011506:Proteins; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D045304:Cytochromes c; D019809:Streptavidin