Biomolecular environment, quantification, and intracellular interaction of multifunctional magnetic SERS nanoprobes

Abstract

Multifunctional composite nanoprobes, Ag–Magnetite and Au–Magnetite, were manipulated in fibroblast cells and characterized using SERS, LA-ICP-MS, and nanotomography.

X-ray tomography shows the varying three-dimensional morphology of gold nanoaggregates in the cellular ultrastructure

“…The high resolution and contrast in the tomographic slices suggests differences in nanoparticle density between intracellular aggregates, in agreement with known variations in the composition of the biomolecular corona of gold nanoparticles in endosomes that have been suggested by in situ vibrational spectroscopic probing. 29,42,43 The possibility to detect different aggregate morphologies within subcellular structures of eukaryotic cells highlights the resolution that is presently attainable with cryo-SXT. This technique can be applied to obtain quantitative information together with the localization, which is essential for understanding the cellular effects in response to nanoparticle exposure, for the identication of drug targets, and for determining modes of toxic action.…”

“…25 In cryo-XM images, many different cellular organelles and membranes can be resolved, 17,26,27 enabling the localization of nanoparticles in the cellular ultrastructure with a resolution of a few tens of nanometers. 16,[28][29][30] Here, the cellular uptake and 3D distribution of gold nanoparticles in the cell under different conditions are observed by synchrotron so X-ray tomography (SXT) using a photon energy of 510 eV. As will be discussed, nanoscale SXT can, in addition to the characterization of the nanoparticle-incubated cells, be applied for the quantitative analysis of the average particle properties, the statistical distributions for the level of uptake and the size of nanoparticle aggregates inside the cells.…”

Self-assembly of robust gold nanoparticle monolayer architectures for quantitative protein interaction analysis by LSPR spectroscopy

“…Based on the collective electronic oscillation of metal nanoparticles (NP), LSPR spectroscopy probes the changes in refractive index highly confined to the NP surface. With its very high sensitivity and ease-of-use, LSPR spectroscopy has been highly successfully applied for label-free detection of protein-protein interactions in complex sample matrices and clinically relevant conditions [6][7][8][9][10]. For such applications, reliable analyses rely on maintenance of the colloidal stability of plasmonic nanoactuators and stable protein immobilization on the nanoplasmonic centers.…”

Plasmonic labeling of subcellular compartments in cancer cells: multiplexing with fine-tuned gold and silver nanoshells

“…Gold nanorods have been 3-D imaged inside osteosarcoma cells through two-photon luminescence with precision regarding their spatial orientation, 14 and surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurements have been made probing the endosomal environment through the use of magnetite–metal composite nanoparticles. 15 In both cases the nanoparticles were internalized through nonspecific interactions with the cells.…”