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Fluorescent Protein Nanovessels: A New Platform to Generate Bio–Abiotic Hybrid Materials for Bioimaging
Author(s) -
Wang Xiaoliang,
Zhang Jianxu,
Wang Youjun,
Liu Yang,
Li Zhenhua,
Xie Zhigang,
Chen Zhijun
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201702051
Subject(s) - fluorescence , bovine serum albumin , green fluorescent protein , materials science , scaffold , fluorescent protein , bromophenol blue , nanotechnology , biocompatible material , biophysics , chemistry , biomedical engineering , biochemistry , chromatography , biology , medicine , quantum mechanics , gene , physics
In this report, a new platform to generate fluorescent protein nanovessels is described. Based on systemic analyses and reconstitution experiments, a combination of protein scaffold and organic dye is identified. Briefly, certain proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) can rapidly form cube‐like scaffold upon heating. This protein scaffolds intrinsically interact with nonfluorescent dyes such as bromophenol blue (BPB), forming BSA‐BPB nanocubes (BBNCs). Moreover, it turns out that the commercially available dye BPB contains aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) properties, allowing the BBNCs emissive upon irradiation. The fluorescent protein nanovessels are highly biocompatible and can be readily internalized by different type of cells. The fluorescent signal of the materials is well‐penetrable from mouse tissues and can be detected at near‐infrared region, making it a useful tool for various biological imaging studies. This platform for making fluorescent protein nanovessels is green, rapid, and cost‐effective and can be extended to other protein scaffolds and possibly other dye/AIE molecules.