Cysteamine functionalized MoS2 quantum dots inhibit amyloid aggregation

Int J Biol Macromol. 2019 May 1:128:870-876. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.01.212. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Abstract

In this study, cysteamine-functionalized molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS2 QDs) were synthesized by a one-pot hydrothermal method. A range of techniques including of Thioflavin T and 8-Anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid fluorescence assays, circular dichroism, and transmission electron microscope have been employed to determination the efficacy of MoS2 QDs on the inhibition/reversion of fibrillation and hindering cytotoxicity induced by protofibrils and amyloid fibrils of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Results demonstrated that MoS2 QDs could effectively inhibit the fibrillogenesis and destabilize preformed fibrils of BSA in a concentration-dependent manner. Cytotoxicity protection and imagine on Hela cells was investigated using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. It was found that MoS2 QDs not only has good biocompatibility, low toxicity and good cell penetration, but also could effectively decrease the cytotoxicity caused by the formed fibrils of BSA. The results obtained in this work suggested the potential biological application of MoS2 QDs in therapeutics and provided new insight into the design of multifunctional nanomaterials for amyloid-related diseases.

Keywords: Bovine serum albumin (BSA); Cell imaging; Cytotoxicity; Fibrillation; MoS(2) QDs.

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid / chemistry*
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport
  • Cattle
  • Cysteamine / chemistry*
  • Disulfides / chemistry*
  • Disulfides / metabolism
  • Disulfides / pharmacology*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Molybdenum / chemistry*
  • Molybdenum / metabolism
  • Molybdenum / pharmacology*
  • Protein Aggregates / drug effects*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Quantum Dots / chemistry*
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry*

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Disulfides
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine
  • Cysteamine
  • Molybdenum
  • molybdenum disulfide