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2021
Journal Article
Title
Intracellular Dynamic Assembly of Deep-Red Emitting Supramolecular Nanostructures Based on the PtELPt Metallophilic Interaction
Abstract
Many drug delivery systems end up in the lysosome because they are built from covalent or kinetically inert supramolecular bonds. To reach other organelles, nanoparticles hence need to either be made from a kinetically labile interaction that allows re-assembly of the nanoparticles inside the cell following endocytic uptake, or, be taken up by a mechanism that short-circuits the classical endocytosis pathway. In this work, the intracellular fate of nanorods that self-assemble via the PtELPt interaction of cyclometalated platinum(II) compounds, is studied. These deep-red emissive nanostructures (638 nm excitation, ≈700 nm emission) are stabilized by proteins in cell medium. Once in contact with cancer cells, they cross the cell membrane via dynamin- and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. However, time-dependent confocal colocalization and cellular electron microscopy demonstrate that they directly move to mitochondria without passing by the lysosomes. Altogether, this study suggests that PtELPt interaction is strong enough to generate emissive, aggregated nanoparticles inside cells, but labile enough to allow these nanostructures to reach the mitochondria without being trapped in the lysosomes. These findings open new venues to the development of bioimaging nanoplatforms based on the PtELPt interaction.
Author(s)
Mytiliniou, Maria
Leiden Institute of Physics, Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
Dominguez, Maximilian Paradiz
Molecular Photonics Group, Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hesselberth, Marcel B.S.
Leiden Institute of Physics, Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
Bos, Erik
Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
Brouwer, Albert M.
Materials Department, Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Koning, Roman I.
Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center,Leiden, Netherlands