Lactose as a "Trojan horse" for quantum dot cell transport

David Benito-Alifonso; Shirley Tremel; Bo Hou; Harriet Lockyear; Judith Mantell; David J Fermin; Paul Verkade; Monica Berry; M Carmen Galan

doi:10.1002/anie.201307232

Lactose as a "Trojan horse" for quantum dot cell transport

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2014 Jan 13;53(3):810-4. doi: 10.1002/anie.201307232. Epub 2013 Dec 5.

Authors

David Benito-Alifonso¹, Shirley Tremel, Bo Hou, Harriet Lockyear, Judith Mantell, David J Fermin, Paul Verkade, Monica Berry, M Carmen Galan

Affiliation

¹ School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS (UK).

Abstract

A series of glycan-coated quantum dots were prepared to probe the effect of glycan presentation in intracellular localization in HeLa and SV40 epithelial cells. We show that glycan density mostly impacts on cell toxicity, whereas glycan type affects the cell uptake and intracellular localization. Moreover, we show that lactose can act as a "Trojan horse" on bi-functionalized QDs to help intracellular delivery of other non-internalizable glycan moieties and largely avoid the endosomal/lysosomal degradative pathway.

Keywords: glycans; intracellular localization; multivalency; nanoparticles; quantum dots.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cell Line, Transformed
Cell Survival / drug effects
HeLa Cells
Humans
Lactose / chemistry
Lactose / metabolism*
Microscopy, Confocal
Polysaccharides / chemistry
Quantum Dots / chemistry
Quantum Dots / metabolism*
Quantum Dots / toxicity

Substances

Polysaccharides
Lactose