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Zhai LM, Zhao Y, Xiao RL, Zhang SQ, Tian BH, Li XX, Zhang R, Ma RS, Liang HX. Nuclear-targeted carbon quantum dot mediated CRISPR/Cas9 delivery for fluorescence visualization and efficient editing. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:14645-14660. [PMID: 36165075 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr04281a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear targeted delivery has great potential in improving the efficiency of non-viral carrier mediated genome editing. However, direct and efficient delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid into the nucleus remains a challenge. In this study, a nuclear targeted gene delivery platform based on fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) was developed. Polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) synergistically passivated the surface of CQDs, providing an excitation-independent green-emitting fluorescent CQDs-PEI-PEG conjugate (CQDs-PP) with an ultra-small size and positive surface charge. Here we show that CQDs-PP could bind CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid to form a nano-complex by electrostatic attraction, which can bypass lysosomes and enter the nucleus by passive diffusion, and thereby improve the transfection efficiency. Also, CQDs-PP could deliver CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid into HeLa cells, resulting in the insertion/deletion mutation of the target EFHD1 gene. More importantly, CQDs-PP exhibited a considerably higher gene editing efficiency as well as comparable or lower cytotoxicity relative to Lipo2000 and PEI-passivated CQDs-PEI (CQDs-P). Thus, the nuclear-targeted CQDs-PP is expected to constitute an efficient CRISPR/Cas9 delivery carrier in vitro with imaging-trackable ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Min Zhai
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong, 030600, China.
- School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- College of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Rui-Lin Xiao
- School of Ecology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
| | - Shi-Quan Zhang
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong, 030600, China.
| | - Bao-Hua Tian
- School of Ecology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
| | - Xin-Xin Li
- School of Ecology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Shanxi Eye Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030002, China
| | - Ri-Sheng Ma
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong, 030600, China.
| | - Hai-Xia Liang
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong, 030600, China.
- School of Ecology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
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Alaş M, Doğan G, Yalcin MS, Ozdemir S, Genç R. Multicolor Emitting Carbon Dot-Reinforced PVA Composites as Edible Food Packaging Films and Coatings with Antimicrobial and UV-Blocking Properties. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:29967-29983. [PMID: 36061643 PMCID: PMC9434783 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c02984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Active food packaging has become attractive because of the possibility to provide a longer shelf-life by loading functional agents into the packages to maintain the quality of food products. Herein, photoluminescent and transparent polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based composites embedding multicolor fluorescent carbon dots (CD/PVA) were prepared by the solvent casting method. The prepared CDs emit a strong and stable fluorescence in solution while the CD/PVA composite films were transparent, flexible, and showed UV-blocking activity with a strong fluorescence emission. Blue color-emitting CDs showed the highest UV blockage at UVA (87.04%), UVB (87.04%), and UVC (92.22%) regions while PVA alone absorbed only less than 25% of the light in all UV regions. UV blockage capacity was shown to be decreased by half, in line with the emission color shift from blue to red. Thermal properties of the PVA film were improved by the addition of CDs to the polymer, and in vitro cell viability tests showed that none of the CDs were cytotoxic against the human lung fibroblast healthy cell line (MRC-F cells) when integrated into the PVA. The antimicrobial activity of CD/PVA nanofilms was qualitatively determined. The prepared films exhibited good antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with mild antioxidant and metal chelating activity, and significant inhibition of biofilm formation with a strong link with emitted color and the concentration of the composites. Green- and red-emitting CD/PVA with the highest antimicrobial activity were then analyzed and compared with the plane PVA employing their effect on the shelf-life of strawberries as a model for perishable foods. Fresh strawberries dip coated with CD/PVA and PVA were monitored over time, and virtual evaluations showed that CDs/PVA film coating resulted in reduced weight and moisture loss and significantly inhibited the fungal growth and spoiling for over 6 days at RT and 12 days at fridge conditions maintaining the visual appearance and natural color of the fruit. The findings in this work indicated the potential of reported CD as non-cytotoxic, UV-blocking antimicrobial additives for the development of edible coatings and packages for their use in the food industry, as well as pharmaceutical and healthcare applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis
Özge Alaş
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Mersin University, Mersin TR-33343, Turkey
| | - Gamze Doğan
- Faculty
of Engineering Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla-Izmir TR-35430, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Serkan Yalcin
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Processing Technologies, Technical Science
Vocational School, Mersin University, Mersin TR-33343, Yenisehir, Turkey
| | - Sadin Ozdemir
- Food
Processing Programme, Technical Science Vocational School, Mersin University, Mersin TR-33343, Yenisehir, Turkey
| | - Rükan Genç
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Mersin University, Mersin TR-33343, Turkey
- Nanotechnology
Research and Application Centre, Sabanci
University, Istanbul TR-34956, Turkey
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Şimşek S, Şüküroğlu AA, Yetkin D, Özbek B, Battal D, Genç R. DNA-damage and cell cycle arrest initiated anti-cancer potency of super tiny carbon dots on MCF7 cell line. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13880. [PMID: 32807820 PMCID: PMC7431908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70796-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
While carbon-based materials have spearheaded numerous breakthroughs in biomedicine, they also have procreated many logical concerns on their overall toxicity. Carbon dots (CDs) as a respectively new member have been extensively explored in nucleus directed delivery and bioimaging due to their intrinsic fluorescence properties coupled with their small size and surface properties. Although various in vitro/in vivo studies have shown that CDs are mostly biocompatible, sufficient information is lacking regarding genotoxicity of them and underlying mechanisms. This study aims to analyze the real-time cytotoxicity of super tiny CDs (2.05 ± 0.22 nm) on human breast cancer cells (MCF7) and human primary dermal fibroblast cell cultures (HDFa) by xCELLigence analysis system for further evaluating their genotoxicity and clastogenicity to evaluate the anti-tumor potential of CDs on breast adenocarcinoma. As combined with flow cytometry studies, comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay suggest that the CDs can penetrate to the cell nuclei, interact with the genetic material, and explode DNA damage and G0/G1 phase arrest in cancer cells even at very low concentrations (0.025 ppm) which provide a strong foundation for the design of potentially promising CD-based functional nanomaterials for DNA-damage induced treatment in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinem Şimşek
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Yıldız Technical University, 34210, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ayça Aktaş Şüküroğlu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Derya Yetkin
- Advanced Technology Research and Application Center, Mersin University, 33343, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Belma Özbek
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Yıldız Technical University, 34210, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Dilek Battal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mersin University, 33169, Yenişehir, Mersin, Turkey.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Near East University, 99138, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Rükan Genç
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mersin University, 33343, Yenişehir, Mersin, Turkey.
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