title: Fluorescence-tagged metallothionein with CdTe quantum dots analyzed by the chip-CE technique.
abstract: Quantum dots (QDs) are fluorescence nanoparticles (NPs) with unique optic properties which allow their use as probes in chemical, biological, immunological, and molecular imaging. QDs linked with target ligands such as peptides or small molecules can be used as tumor biomarkers. These particles are a promising tool for selective, fast, and sensitive tagging and imaging in medicine. In this study, an attempt was made to use QDs as a marker for human metallothionein (MT) isoforms 1 and 2. Four kinds of CdTe QDs of different sizes bioconjugated with MT were analyzed using the chip-CE technique. Based on the results, it can be concluded that MT is willing to interact with QDs, and the chip-CE technique enables the observation of their complexes. It was also observed that changes ranging roughly 6-7 kDa, a value corresponding to the MT monomer, depend on the hydrodynamic diameters of QDs; also, the MT sample without cadmium interacted stronger with QDs than MT saturated with cadmium. Results show that MT is willing to interact with smaller QDs (blue CdTe) rather than larger ones QDs (red CdTe). To our knowledge, chip-CE has not previously been applied in the study of CdTe QDs interaction with MT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guszpit
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1/1665, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic ; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, 616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Sona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krizkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kepinska
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1/1665, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic ; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, 616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miguel Angel Merlos
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Milnerowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1/1665, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic ; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, 616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kopel
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1/1665, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic ; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, 616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kizek
keywords: Bioconjugation; Biomarkers; Chip-CE; Health effects; Metallothionein; Quantum dots