A Universal Law for Cell Uptake of One-Dimensional Nanomaterials

Abstract

Understanding cell interaction with one-dimensional nanomaterials, including nanotubes, nanowires, nanofibers, filamentous bacteria, and certain nanoparticle chains, has fundamental importance to many applications such as biomedical diagnostics, therapeutics, and nanotoxicity. Here we show that cell uptake of one-dimensional nanomaterials via receptor-mediated endocytosis is dominated by a single dimensionless parameter that scales with the membrane tension and radius of the nanomaterial and inversely with the membrane bending stiffness. It is shown that as cell membrane internalizes one-dimensional nanomaterials the uptake follows a near-perpendicular entry mode at small membrane tension but it switches to a near-parallel interaction mode at large membrane tension.

Ellipsoidal Relaxation of Deformed Vesicles

“…The methodology can be potentially extended to study important mechanical problems of biological cells. For example, both bending rigidity and membrane tension are found to play critical roles in nanoparticle-cell membrane interaction [35]. The current approach promises consistent and specific property differentiation, in contrast to the deformation-based, bulkaveraged measurements [36].…”

Cooperative wrapping of nanoparticles of various sizes and shapes by lipid membranes

“…3,4 Therefore, there is an urgent need for a better understanding of the interaction between NPs and cell membranes. 5 At present, a large number of experimental and theoretical studies have demonstrated that the size, [6][7][8][9][10] shape, [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] orientation, [21][22][23][24][25][26] stiffness, [27][28][29][30][31] and surface properties [32][33][34][35] of NPs will affect the cellular uptake of NPs. Recent experimental studies have shown that when the radius of the NPs is less than 15 nm, a group of NPs can be internalized by cells or polymersomes as a whole.…”

Molecular extraction in single live cells by sneaking in and out magnetic nanomaterials

“…However, SEM images are only capable of showing the MCNTs in the membrane, whereas MCNTs still inside or those that have escaped from the cells cannot be visualized. A recent study of interaction between 1D nanomaterial and cell membrane revealed a nearperpendicular entry mode and near-parallel adhesion mode (32). In our study, MCNTs were aligned to the magnetic pulling force.…”