Spectroscopic investigation of the effects of aqueous‐phase prepared CdTe quantum dots on protein hemoglobin at the molecular level

Abstract

3-Mercaptopropionic Acid-modified CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized and characterized by infrared, fluorescence, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra and Nano-ZetaSizer measurements. Then the interaction between QDs and hemoglobin was studied to investigate the effects of QDs on the structure and function of hemoglobin by using a variety of spectroscopy methods and isothermal titration calorimetry. The results showed van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding predominantly played major roles in the binding. The intrinsic fluorescence of hemoglobin was quenched with changes to the microenvironment of tyrosine and tryptophan residues and complex conformational changes of hemoglobin were induced with the loosening and unfolding skeleton. However, the heme in hemoglobin was still stable, indicating that the main physiological function of hemoglobin might not be significantly inhibited. This study will provide a new strategy to study the biological toxicity of QDs at the molecular level.

Maltose-mediated long-term stabilization of freeze- and spray- dried forms of bovine and porcine hemoglobin

“…UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy has been employed as a universal method for investigating structural changes of proteins. 29 Absorption bands at 275, 350, 413-415, 541, 576 and 630 nm, characteristic for native oxyhemoglobin, were identified (Fig. 1D).…”

“…The heme group is hidden in the hydrophobic cavity formed by protein chains to avoid the entry of polar molecules or oxidizing agents to protect its stability. 29 Thus, the absorption maximum that originates from heme is an indicator of the deterioration of Hb. 41 As could be seen from Fig.…”

Is Chronic Kidney Disease Due to Cadmium Exposure Inevitable and Can It Be Reversed?

“…In a lysate of rabbit RBCs, the metal associated primarily with haemoglobin and glutathione [67] in the lysates of RBCs from mice pretreated with subcutaneous Cd for six months, the metal was bound to haemoglobin and to a smaller species, probably MT [66]. Multiple investigative techniques have shown that Cd binds to specific sites on the globin chains of haemoglobin, represented in Figure 1 [82].…”

Frontiers in Toxicogenomics in the Twenty-First Century—the Grand Challenge: To Understand How the Genome and Epigenome Interact with the Toxic Environment at the Single-Cell, Whole-Organism, and Multi-Generational Level

“…Confocal microscopy, and other high-resolution 3D-imaging techniques, can be used to study intracellular alterations caused by toxicant exposure (Fretaud et al, 2017 ). Intracellular changes can be studied by fluorescent fusion proteins, such as, green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions (Walmsley, 2008 ), or fluorescent molecules, such as, quantum dots (Guo and Liu, 2017 ; Zhu et al, 2017 ), or fluorescent DNA dyes (Edward, 2012 ). Advanced microscopic approaches will always be important in developing toxicogenomic research technologies.…”