title: Molecular interaction investigation between three CdTe:Zn(2+) quantum dots and human serum albumin: A comparative study.
abstract: Water-soluble Zn-doped CdTe quantum dots (CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs) have attracted great attention in biological and biomedical applications. In particular, for any potential in vivo application, the interaction of CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs with human serum albumin (HSA) is of greatest importance. As a step toward the elucidation of the fate of CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs introduced to organism, the molecular interactions between CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs with three different sizes and HSA were systematically investigated by spectroscopic techniques. Three CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs with maximum emission of 514 nm (green QDs, GQDs), 578 nm (yellow QDs, YQDs), and 640 nm (red QDs, RQDs) were tested. The binding of CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs with HSA was a result of the formation of HSA-QDs complex and electrostatic interactions played major roles in stabilizing the complex. The Stern-Volmer quenching constant, associative binding constant, and corresponding thermodynamic parameters were calculated. The site-specific probe competitive experiments revealed that the binding location of CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs with HSA was around site I. The microenvironmental and conformational changes of HSA induced by CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs were analyzed. These results suggested that the conformational change of HSA was dramatically at secondary structure level and the biological activity of HSA was weakened in the present of CdTe:Zn(2+) QDs with bigger size.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, PR China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, PR China.
authors.forename: Hangna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, PR China.
authors.forename: Chusheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, PR China.
authors.forename: Jiarong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China. Electronic address: qi.xiao@whu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D006801:Humans; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013691:Tellurium / Q000737:chemistry*; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D012709:Serum Albumin; D015032:Zinc; D013691:Tellurium; C028337:cadmium telluride
keywords: CdTe:Zn(2+) quantum dots; Human serum albumin; Molecular interaction; Size effect; Spectrometry