Decoding Chiral Interactions: Molecular Insights into the Selective Binding of Nanoparticles at Biological Interfaces
Jing Liu1, Chaofan Deng1, Lin Yang1
1Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Coastal Environmental Pollution Control, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266110, China.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|June 9, 2025
Summary
Chiral gold nanoparticles (GNPs) show preferential cell membrane attachment due to stereomatching with lipids. This molecular insight advances understanding of chiral selectivity in nanomedicine applications.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biophysics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Chirality is critical for nanoparticles in biomedicine, but its molecular basis for biological interactions is not fully understood.
- Chiral preferences in biological responses suggest specific molecular recognition mechanisms at nano-bio interfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular origins of chiral selectivity in nanoparticle interactions with cell membranes.
- To elucidate the role of stereomatching in gold nanoparticle (GNP) attachment and protein adsorption.
Main Methods:
- Designed gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with opposite chirality (l/d-GNPs).
- Employed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to model interactions with lipid bilayers and proteins.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated preferential attachment of l-GNPs to lipid bilayers, driven by stereomatching with lipid headgroups.
- Identified that anionic lipids exhibit stronger chiral preference than zwitterionic lipids due to electrostatic interactions.
- Observed diminished chiral selectivity for lipids with exposed primary charged groups and varied protein interactions.
Conclusions:
- Provided molecular-level insights into chiral selectivity at nano-bio interfaces.
- Stereomatching is a key factor in chiral nanoparticle-cell membrane interactions.
- Findings contribute to the advancement of chiral nanomedicine development.
Related Concept Videos
02:30Chirality in Nature
14.0K
Chirality is the most intriguing yet essential facet of nature, governing life’s biochemical processes and precision. It can be observed from a snail shell pattern in a macroscopic world to an amino acid, the minutest building block of life. Most of the snails around the world have right-coiled shells because of the intrinsic chirality in their genes. All the amino acids present in the human body exist in an enantiomerically pure state, except for glycine - the sole achiral amino acid.
14.0K
02:40Ligand Binding Sites
13.6K
Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
13.6K
01:20Factors Affecting Dissolution: Drug Permeability, Stability and Stereochemistry
269
Orally administered drugs primarily enter the systemic circulation via passive diffusion through the intestinal membranes. The drug's absorption is influenced by drug stability in the gastrointestinal GI tract, membrane permeability, the surface area available for absorption, luminal drug concentration, and residence time in the lumen. Drug permeability can be enhanced by adjusting the lipophilicity, polarity, or molecular size of the drug, promoting its passive transport across intestinal...
269