Spatial control of cells, peptide delivery and dynamic monitoring of cellular physiology with chitosan-assisted dual color quantum dot FRET peptides.
Cell-based assays have become important tools in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. However, observing and monitoring molecules in cells that mimic the physiological environment is often difficult. Dynamic processes not only increase the accuracy of simulations, but also improve our understanding of the function and regulation of molecules within cells. In this study we used chitosan as a multifunctional biomaterial for selective micropatterning of cells, peptide delivery and covalent bonding with quantum dots (QD) to decrease the cytotoxicity of QD. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of chitosan-QD-peptide-Alexa Fluor 488 in controlling the spread and spatial organization of cells. Cationic chitosan also provided an efficient delivery mechanism to live cells. We used the shift from green to red fluorescence of the chitosan dual color QD peptide to detect biological activity. This methodology has potential applications in high throughput screening of inhibitors and activators of biological mechanisms and pathways and for use in the pharmaceutical industry.
Fu
Ru-Huei
RH
Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Liu
Shih-Ping
SP
Ou
Chen-Wei
CW
Huang
Chin-Mao
CM
Wang
Yu-Chi
YC
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003116:Color; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D014162:Transfection
D010455:Peptides; D048271:Chitosan