Revealing the Effect of Protein Weak Adsorption to Nanoparticles on the Interaction between the Desorbed Protein and its Binding Partner by Surface-Enhanced Infrared Spectroelectrochemistry

Nanoparticle Effects on Stress Response Pathways and Nanoparticle-Protein Interactions

Nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used in a wide variety of applications and products; however, NPs may affect stress response pathways and interact with proteins in biological systems. This review article will provide an overview of the beneficial and detrimental effects of NPs on stress response pathways with a focus on NP-protein interactions. Depending upon the particular NP, experimental model system, and dose and exposure conditions, the introduction of NPs may have either positive or negative effects. Cellular processes such as the development of oxidative stress, the initiation of the inflammatory response, mitochondrial function, detoxification, and alterations to signaling pathways are all affected by the introduction of NPs. In terms of tissue-specific effects, the local microenvironment can have a profound effect on whether an NP is beneficial or harmful to cells. Interactions of NPs with metal-binding proteins (zinc, copper, iron and calcium) affect both their structure and function. This review will provide insights into the current knowledge of protein-based nanotoxicology and closely examines the targets of specific NPs.

Revealing the Hydrogen Bonding Interaction of DNA with Unnatural Bases via Plasmonic Antenna Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy

The incorporation of unnatural bases in DNA programming can break through the limits of Watson-Crick and Hoogsteen base pairing to expand the diversity of DNA structures. Thus, understanding the interaction between DNA and unnatural bases is of great importance in DNA nanotechnology. Here, we propose an approach of plasmonic antenna enhanced infrared spectroscopy to study the hydrogen bonding interaction between poly(thymine) DNA (poly T DNA) and melamine. The formation of multiple hydrogen bonds between melamine and thymine of poly T DNA is revealed by the appearance of a new infrared (IR) feature of the NH₂ deformation vibration at 1680 cm^-1. The binding rate constant (k_b) and the dissociation rate constant (k_d) of the affinity reaction reach 39.70 M^-1·s^-1 and 4.49 × 10^-5 s^-1, respectively. This work offers a valuable IR technique to study DNA nanostructures at the molecular level, providing unique physicochemical views of the interaction mechanism between DNA and unnatural bases in DNA programming.

Spectroelectrochemistry, the future of visualizing electrode processes by hyphenating electrochemistry with spectroscopic techniques

Reviewing the future of electrochemistry combined with infrared, Raman, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as well as mass spectrometry.

Water as a Universal Infrared Probe for Bioanalysis in Aqueous Solution by Attenuated Total Reflection-Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy

Monitoring the properties and reactions of biomolecules at their interface has attracted ever-growing interest. Here, we propose an approach of infrared analysis technique that utilizes water molecule as a universal probe for in situ and label free monitoring of interfacial bioevents in aqueous solution with high sensitivity. The strong infrared (IR) signal of O-H stretching vibrations from the repelled water is used to sensitively reveal the kinetics of interfacial bioevents at molecular level based on the steric displacement of water using an attenuated total reflection-surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy. Using interfacial immuno-recognition and DNA hybridization as demonstrations, water IR probe offers 26 and 34 times higher sensitivity and even 200 and 86 times lower detection limit for immunosensing and DNA sensing, respectively, as compared to the traditional IR molecular fingerprints.