The possibility to monitor peptide and protein aggregation is of paramount importance in the so-called conformational diseases, as the understanding of many physiological pathways, as well as pathological processes involved in the development of such diseases, depends very much on the actual possibility to monitor biomolecule oligomeric distribution and aggregation. In this work, we report a novel experimental method to monitor protein aggregation, based on the change of the fluorescent properties of carbon dots upon protein binding. The results obtained in the case of insulin with this newly proposed experimental approach are compared with those obtained with other common experimental techniques normally used for the same purpose (circular dichroism, DLS, PICUP and ThT fluorescence). The greatest advantage of the hereby presented methodology over all the other experimental methods considered is the possibility to monitor the initial stages of insulin aggregation under the different experimental conditions sampled and the absence of possible disturbances and/or molecular probes during the aggregation process. Graphical abstract:

Carbon dots as a versatile tool to monitor insulin aggregation

Alessia Distefano;Irene Pandino;Nunzio Tuccitto;Valentina Oliveri;Massimiliano Gaeta;Alessandro D’Urso;Giuseppe Grasso
2023-01-01

Abstract

The possibility to monitor peptide and protein aggregation is of paramount importance in the so-called conformational diseases, as the understanding of many physiological pathways, as well as pathological processes involved in the development of such diseases, depends very much on the actual possibility to monitor biomolecule oligomeric distribution and aggregation. In this work, we report a novel experimental method to monitor protein aggregation, based on the change of the fluorescent properties of carbon dots upon protein binding. The results obtained in the case of insulin with this newly proposed experimental approach are compared with those obtained with other common experimental techniques normally used for the same purpose (circular dichroism, DLS, PICUP and ThT fluorescence). The greatest advantage of the hereby presented methodology over all the other experimental methods considered is the possibility to monitor the initial stages of insulin aggregation under the different experimental conditions sampled and the absence of possible disturbances and/or molecular probes during the aggregation process. Graphical abstract:
2023
Aggregation; Covalent bond; Diabetes; Quantum dots; Spectroscopy; Surface chemistry
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
ABC carbon dots.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: PDF
Tipologia: Documento in Post-print
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 2.39 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
2.39 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Zingale_Carbon dots as a versatile tool to monitor insulin aggregation_2023.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: Articolo
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 2.4 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
2.4 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/550602
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 3
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 3
social impact