title: Effect of hyaluronic acid molecular weight on the morphology of quantum dot-hyaluronic acid conjugates.
abstract: The morphological analysis of novel quantum dot-hyaluronic acid (QDot-HA) conjugates was carried out with a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Adipic acid dihydrazide-modified HA (HA-ADH) was synthesized and conjugated to quantum dots (QDots) having carboxyl terminal ligands which were activated with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (sulfo-NHS). HA molecules with a molecular weight (MW) of 20K, 234 K and 3000 K were used to investigate the effect of MW on the morphology of QDot-HA conjugates. The TEM micrographs of QDot-HA conjugates showed branched and multi-layered chain type morphology formed by inter- and intra-molecular conjugation of QDots to HA molecules. The size of QDot-HA conjugate increased with the MW of HA. QDot-HA conjugate could be successfully used for real-time bio-imaging of HA derivatives in nude mice. The novel QDot-HA conjugate will be further used to investigate the biological roles of HA with a different MW in the body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang 790-784, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiseok
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kitae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sei Kwang
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005022:Ethyldimethylaminopropyl Carbodiimide / Q000737:chemistry*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008970:Molecular Weight; D045663:Quantum Dots; D013388:Succinimides / Q000737:chemistry*; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D013388:Succinimides; C035761:N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D005022:Ethyldimethylaminopropyl Carbodiimide