Department of Biology, Missouri State University, 901 S National, Springfield, MO 65897, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Apr 26;25(9):4714. doi: 10.3390/ijms25094714.
Despite the promising applications of the use of quantum dots (QDs) in the biomedical field, the long-lasting effects of QDs on the cell remain poorly understood. To comprehend the mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of QDs in yeast, we characterized defects associated with receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) as well as pinocytosis using as a model in the presence of cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide (CdSe/ZnS) QDs. Our findings revealed that QDs led to an inefficient RME at the early, intermediate, and late stages of endocytic patch maturation at the endocytic site, with the prolonged lifespan of GFP fused yeast fimbrin (Sac6-GFP), a late marker of endocytosis. The transit of FM1-43, a lipophilic dye from the plasma membrane to the vacuole, was severely retarded in the presence of QDs. Finally, QDs caused an accumulation of monomeric red fluorescent protein fused carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (mRFP-Cps1), a vacuolar lumen marker in the vacuole. In summary, the present study provides novel insights into the possible impact of CdSe/ZnS QDs on the endocytic machinery, enabling a deeper comprehension of QD toxicity.
尽管量子点（QDs）在生物医学领域的应用前景广阔，但 QDs 对细胞的长期影响仍知之甚少。为了理解 QDs 在酵母中产生毒性作用的机制，我们以作为模型，研究了在镉硒/硫化锌（CdSe/ZnS）QDs 存在的情况下，与受体介导的内吞作用（RME）以及胞饮作用相关的缺陷。我们的研究结果表明，QDs 导致内吞位点处的内吞斑成熟的早期、中期和晚期阶段的 RME 效率降低， GFP 融合酵母 fimbrin（Sac6-GFP）的寿命延长，这是内吞作用的晚期标志物。在 QDs 的存在下，亲脂性染料 FM1-43 从质膜向液泡的转运严重受阻。最后，QDs 导致液泡中单体红色荧光蛋白融合的氨甲酰磷酸合成酶 1（mRFP-Cps1），一种液泡腔标记物的积累。总之，本研究为 CdSe/ZnS QDs 对细胞内吞机制的可能影响提供了新的见解，有助于更深入地理解 QD 毒性。
