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Synthesis and Characterization of Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles
Published on: July 2, 2019
Effect of gold nanoparticle morphology on adsorbed protein structure and function
Jennifer E Gagner1, Marimar D Lopez, Jonathan S Dordick
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
Biomaterials
|June 28, 2011
Summary
Gold nanoparticle shape significantly impacts protein structure and function. Nanorods caused greater enzyme activity loss than nanospheres, especially at high protein density, highlighting morphology
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Biomedical applications often utilize protein-gold nanoparticle (NP) conjugates.
- Protein functionality is influenced by NP characteristics like size and morphology.
- Understanding NP morphology's effect on adsorbed proteins is crucial for nanobioconjugate design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how gold nanoparticle morphology affects the structure and function of adsorbed enzymes, lysozyme (Lyz) and α-chymotrypsin (ChT).
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of gold nanospheres (AuNS) and gold nanorods (AuNR) with specific dimensions.
- Adsorption of Lyz and ChT onto AuNS and AuNR surfaces.
- Analysis of protein secondary structure loss and enzymatic activity of the resulting conjugates.
Main Results:
- Proteins adsorbed with higher surface density on AuNR compared to AuNS.
- Lyz showed significant secondary structure loss and reduced activity on both NP types.
- ChT retained activity at low coverages but experienced substantial loss on AuNR at monolayer conditions; multilayer adsorption restored activity.
Conclusions:
- Gold nanoparticle morphology critically influences adsorbed protein structure and enzymatic activity.
- AuNRs induce greater structural changes and activity loss in adsorbed enzymes than AuNSs, particularly at higher surface coverages.
- Tailoring NP morphology is essential for developing stable and functional nanobioconjugates for biomedical applications.
