Dynamic protein coronas revealed as a modulator of silver nanoparticle sulphidation in vitro

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dynamic protein coronas revealed as a modulator of silver nanoparticle sulphidation in vitro

AU - Miclaus, Teodora

AU - Beer, Christiane

AU - Chevallier, Jacques

AU - Scavenius, Carsten

AU - Bochenkov, Vladimir E

AU - Enghild, Jan J

AU - Sutherland, Duncan S

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Proteins adsorbing at nanoparticles have been proposed as critical toxicity mediators and are included in ongoing efforts to develop predictive tools for safety assessment. Strongly attached proteins can be isolated, identified and correlated to changes in nanoparticle state, cellular association or toxicity. Weakly attached, rapidly exchanging proteins are also present at nanoparticles, but are difficult to isolate and have hardly been examined. Here we study rapidly exchanging proteins and show for the first time that they have a strong modulatory effect on the biotransformation of silver nanoparticles. Released silver ions, known for their role in particle toxicity, are found to be trapped as silver sulphide nanocrystals within the protein corona at silver nanoparticles in serum-containing cell culture media. The strongly attached corona acts as a site for sulphidation, while the weakly attached proteins reduce nanocrystal formation in a serum-concentration-dependent manner. Sulphidation results in decreased toxicity of Ag NPs.

AB - Proteins adsorbing at nanoparticles have been proposed as critical toxicity mediators and are included in ongoing efforts to develop predictive tools for safety assessment. Strongly attached proteins can be isolated, identified and correlated to changes in nanoparticle state, cellular association or toxicity. Weakly attached, rapidly exchanging proteins are also present at nanoparticles, but are difficult to isolate and have hardly been examined. Here we study rapidly exchanging proteins and show for the first time that they have a strong modulatory effect on the biotransformation of silver nanoparticles. Released silver ions, known for their role in particle toxicity, are found to be trapped as silver sulphide nanocrystals within the protein corona at silver nanoparticles in serum-containing cell culture media. The strongly attached corona acts as a site for sulphidation, while the weakly attached proteins reduce nanocrystal formation in a serum-concentration-dependent manner. Sulphidation results in decreased toxicity of Ag NPs.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms11770

DO - 10.1038/ncomms11770

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27278102

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 7

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 11770

ER -