The impact of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots in cells of Medicago sativa in suspension culture

Abstract

BackgroundNanotechnology has the potential to provide agriculture with new tools that may be used in the rapid detection and molecular treatment of diseases and enhancement of plant ability to absorb nutrients, among others. Data on nanoparticle toxicity in plants is largely heterogeneous with a diversity of physicochemical parameters reported, which difficult generalizations. Here a cell biology approach was used to evaluate the impact of Quantum Dots (QDs) nanocrystals on plant cells, including their effect on cell growth, cell viability, oxidative stress and ROS accumulation, besides their cytomobility.ResultsA plant cell suspension culture of Medicago sativa was settled for the assessment of the impact of the addition of mercaptopropanoic acid coated CdSe/ZnS QDs. Cell growth was significantly reduced when 100 mM of mercaptopropanoic acid -QDs was added during the exponential growth phase, with less than 50% of the cells viable 72 hours after mercaptopropanoic acid -QDs addition. They were up taken by Medicago sativa cells and accumulated in the cytoplasm and nucleus as revealed by optical thin confocal imaging. As part of the cellular response to internalization, Medicago sativa cells were found to increase the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in a dose and time dependent manner. Using the fluorescent dye H2DCFDA it was observable that mercaptopropanoic acid-QDs concentrations between 5-180 nM led to a progressive and linear increase of ROS accumulation.ConclusionsOur results showed that the extent of mercaptopropanoic acid coated CdSe/ZnS QDs cytotoxicity in plant cells is dependent upon a number of factors including QDs properties, dose and the environmental conditions of administration and that, for Medicago sativa cells, a safe range of 1-5 nM should not be exceeded for biological applications.

Highly efficient uptake of ultrafine mesoporous silica nanoparticles with excellent biocompatibility by Liriodendron hybrid suspension cells

“…In contrast with the investigations of other nanoparticles described in the literature [3,15,25,26], in this study, nearly all of the plant cells retained high viability after the longest incubation time (24 h) with the highest concentration (1 mg mL 1 ) of MSNs or A-MSNs.…”

“…Significantly, after 24 h of incubation with large added amounts of MSNs (1 mg mL 1 ), the plant cells retained high viability, and successfully developed into somatic embryos and emblings via somatic embryogenesis. In contrast with other nanomaterials such as CNTs or CdSe/ZnS QDs that show high cytotoxicity toward plant cells [15,25,26], these ultrafine MSNs with excellent biocompatibility show great potential in the field of plant biotechnology as nano-carriers for the targeted delivery of small molecules, peptides, and nucleic acids to specific organelles or host genomes at the cellular level.…”

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes in alfalfa and wheat: toxicology and uptake

“…These were vacuum fixed in 6.25 vol% glutaraldehyde and 4 vol% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer ( pH 7.4) for 30 min and then at ambient pressure overnight (48C). Sections were washed with 0.1 M phosphate buffer and stained with 1% w/v aqueous OsO 4 for 2 h, then with 1% w/v aqueous U(OAc) 2 for 1 h, and finally dehydrated in an ethanol series (30,50,70,90, 99, 100 vol%). Samples were infiltrated and embedded in Spurr's resin and oven-cured at 608C for 24 h. Sections were cut using an ultramicrotome (Ultracut E1, Leica).…”

“…Thorough characterization of nanomaterials used in bioassays is essential because their phytotoxicity and ability to penetrate tissues depends strongly on their physical and chemical properties [15,29,30], and the complex matrix formed by CNTs and their impurities necessitates a multitechnique approach. Table 1 summarizes the characterization of our multiwalled CNTs.…”

INTERACTIONS OF PLANTS WITH NOBLE METAL NANOPARTICLES (review)

“…Given that the protective mechanisms against adverse factors have much in common for all living organisms, we suggest that the use of plant cell suspension cultures can be quite effective in studying the effect of metal nanoparticles on plant cells. A distinctive feature of plant cell suspension cultures is their higher susceptibility to a wide range of compounds and abiotic effects compared to the whole plant [94,95]. These properties are determined by the peculiarities of the physiological state of cells, including the ability to reproduce various responses at metabolic and gene regulation levels.…”