Protein Corona Analysis of Silver Nanoparticles Exposed to Fish Plasma

Nanoparticles (NPs) in contact with biological fluids experience changes in surface chemistry that can impact their biodistribution and downstream physiological impact. One such change involves the formation of a protein corona (PC) on the surface of NPs. Here we present a foundational study on PC formation following the incubation of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs, 50 nm) in the plasma of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). PC formation increases with exposure time and is also affected by gender, with AgNPs incubated in male plasma having slightly thinner PCs and less negative zeta potentials than those incubated in female plasma. Proteomic analysis also revealed gender-specific differences in PC composition: in particular, egg-specific proteins (vitellogenin (VTG) and zona pellucida (ZP) were identified only in PCs derived from female plasma, raising the possibility of their roles in AgNP-related reproductive toxicity by promoting their accumulation in developing oocytes.