Zwitterionic glutathione monoethyl ester as a new capping ligand for ultrasmall gold nanoparticles

Author(s)

Knittel, Luiza L. ^[1] ; Schuck, Peter ^[2] ; Ackerson, Christopher J. ^[3] ; Sousa, Alioscka A. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biochem, BR-04044 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Natl Inst Biomed Imaging & Bioengn, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892 - USA

^[3] Colorado State Univ, Dept Chem, Ft Collins, CO 80521 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: RSC ADVANCES; v. 6, n. 52, p. 46350-46355, 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 5

Abstract

The natural tripeptide glutathione has become a popular choice for passivating the surface of gold nanoparticles (NPs) intended for in vivo applications. Here we investigate a zwitterionic derivative of glutathione - glutathione monoethyl ester - as a new capping ligand for ultrasmall NPs. The new zwitterionic particles (AuGSH(zwt)) were colloidally stable in biological media and resistant against binding from serum proteins. AuGSH(zwt), but not glutathione-coated particles, could be successfully functionalized with strep-tag II for binding specifically to target streptactin in the presence of serum proteins. Taken together, these results place AuGSH(zwt) as a promising choice for attaining simultaneous in vivo renal clearance and targeted delivery via incorporation of functional peptides. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/18481-5 - Biological interactions of a gold nanoparticle library with applications in nanomedicine
• Grantee: Alioscka Augusto Sousa
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants