Fluorescent quantum dots-zika virus hybrid nanoconjugates for biolabeling, bioimaging, and tracking host-cell interactions

Sandhra M Carvalho; Alexandra A P Mansur; Isadora C Carvalho; Érica A Costa; Maria Isabel M C Guedes; Erna G Kroon; Zelia I P Lobato; Herman S Mansur

doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2020.128279

Fluorescent quantum dots-zika virus hybrid nanoconjugates for biolabeling, bioimaging, and tracking host-cell interactions

Mater Lett. 2020 Oct 15:277:128279. doi: 10.1016/j.matlet.2020.128279. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

Authors

Sandhra M Carvalho^{1

2}, Alexandra A P Mansur¹, Isadora C Carvalho¹, Érica A Costa², Maria Isabel M C Guedes², Erna G Kroon³, Zelia I P Lobato², Herman S Mansur¹

Affiliations

¹ Center of Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, and Innovation-DEMET, Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Brazil.
² LPVA, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Brazil.
³ Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - UFMG, Brazil.

Abstract

The earliest possible diagnosis and understanding of the infection mechanisms play a crucial role in the outcome of fighting viral diseases. Thus, we designed and developed for the first time, novel bioconjugates made of Ag-In-S@ZnS (ZAIS) fluorescent quantum dots coupled with ZIKA virus via covalent amide bond with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) biopolymer for labeling and bioimaging the virus-host cell interactions mechanisms through confocal laser scanning microscopy. This work offers relevant insights regarding the profile of the ZIKA virus-nanoparticle conjugates interactions with VERO cells, which can be applied as a nanoplatform to elucidate the infection mechanisms caused by this viral disease.

Keywords: Bioconjugates; Nano-biomaterials; Nanoconjugates; Nanomedicine; Nanoparticles for biomedical applications; Virus bioimaging.