Quantum Dots as probes of Living Cells.

HERNAN E. GRECCO; CARLA SPAGNUOLO; DIANE LIDKE; KEITH LIDKE; RUDOLPH J. VERMEIJ; METER NAGY; RAINER HEINTZMANN; DONNA ARNDT-JOVIN; THOMAS M. JOVIN; ELIZABETH JARES-ERIJMAN

Tucumán

Taller; NSF-CONICET Quilmes Nanoscience Workshop: Electronics with Molecules and Quantum Dots .; 2003

CONICET-NSF

Bioconjugated Quantum Dots (QDs), such as the streptnvidin-linked preparations of Quantum dots Corp., provide photostable and highly selective probes of proteins and their dynamics, as in signal transduction of living cells. However, knowledge of the phiysical and photophysical properties of QDs in biological environments is essential. We have determined (1) QD spectral properties (emission lifetime and anisotropy, two-photon excitation), light-induced perturbations (spectral shifting, blinking, bleaching), and function as donors in FRET ; and (2) used QDs as probes of cellular receptors. QDs were coupled to growth factors (e.g. EGF) and antibodies specific for the transmembrane erbB receptor tyrosine kinase family. Confocal microscopy revealed details about ccll surface distribution, kinase activation, internalization, and endocytic trafficking.