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Morphology‐Dependent Cell Imaging by Using a Self‐Assembled Diacetylene Peptide Amphiphile
Author(s) -
Jiang Hao,
Hu XiaoYu,
Schlesiger Stefanie,
Li Mao,
Zellermann Eilo,
Knauer Shirley K.,
Schmuck Carsten
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201708168
Subject(s) - diacetylene , vesicle , hela , biophysics , amphiphile , chemistry , cell , nanofiber , cationic polymerization , fluorescence , membrane , peptide , polymerization , nanotechnology , materials science , polymer chemistry , copolymer , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , polymer
Herein, a novel cationic peptide gemini amphiphile containing diacetylene motifs ( DA 2 P ) is presented, which self‐assembles into novel tadpole‐ and bola‐shaped nanostructures at low concentrations and nanofibers at higher concentrations. Interestingly, the DA 2 P assemblies can be polymerized into a fluorescent red phase but only during incubation with HeLa cells, most likely owing to the reorganization of the diacetylene chains of DA 2 P upon interaction with the cell membrane. The red‐fluorescent polymerized DA 2 P assemblies can serve as a novel cell imaging probe. However, only vesicles, tadpole‐ and bola‐shaped DA 2 P assemblies can be translocated into HeLa cells, whereas the nanofiber‐like DA 2 P assemblies are trapped by the cell membranes and do not enter the cells. Hence, morphology‐dependent cell imaging is observed.