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Multivalent display of DNA conjugates on semiconductor quantum dots utilizing a novel conjugation method

One of the most prominent research areas in nanotechnology is the development of nanoparticle systems for biomedical applications. This is founded upon the expectation that such species could ultimately be imbued with multiple simultaneous functions, such as the presentation of a therapeutic payload or diagnostic sensor for in vivo trafficking to desired cell types. In recent years, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been actively explored as novel display systems, because of their unique photophysical properties. Using an aniline-mediated hydrazone coupling, a polyhisitidine-appended peptide was derivatized with a DNA strand and successfully self-assembled to QDs, yielding nanoparticles displaying up to approximately 15 peptide/DNA conjugates. This ligation method is a viable chemistry for displaying biomolecules, because of the orthogonality of the ketone and hydrazine moieties to most biological functionality and the reaction can be performed under mild conditions in aqueous media. The modified QDs were further characterized by gel electrophoresis, and microarray studies; showing the self-assembly was successful and the DNA strands were still available for hybridization with a complement sequence.