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Chemical and Synthetic Approaches in Membrane Biology pp 1–16Cite as

Lipid-Coated Gold Nanoparticles as Probes for Membrane Binding

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Abstract

A synthetic protocol is described for preparing lipid-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of varying shape, size, and membrane composition. Using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the AuNPs is used to examine nanoparticle stability. Highly spherical AuNPs are obtained by selectively etching octahedral nanoparticles with cyanide. Alkanethiols are used to anchor the membranes to the gold surface, creating hybrid lipid membranes. Cyanide etch studies are described that test membrane stability and coverage and are performed by monitoring changes to the LSPR. A strategy is provided for minimizing the amounts of excess lipids and thiols present while using minimal purification steps. The design strategy can be used to produce a library of stable, hybrid lipid-coated AuNPs for applications including drug delivery, imaging, and sensing. Methods for using these AuNPs to study protein-membrane interactions using UV-Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light-scattering (DLS) measurements are also described.

Keywords

  • Beta amyloid (Aβ) peptides
  • C-reactive protein
  • Gold nanoparticles
  • Hybrid membranes
  • Protein-membrane interactions
  • Sensors

These authors contributed equally to the work.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the NIH (2R15GM088960-02) (to SMR) and the Collins Medical Trust (to MMR). We thank the Electron Microscopy Center in the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine and Dorothy Dill for assistance in running the TEM. Support from The Wenner-Gren Foundation for SMR is acknowledged. We also appreciate input from many group members that assisted in the development of these protocols over many years including Min Wang, Heather Hodges, Reid Messersmith, and Benjamin Ayres.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, 80217, USA

      Desmond J. Hamilton, Yuheng Cai, Rupinder Kaur & Scott M. Reed

    2. Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, Portland, OR, 97207, USA

      Grant W. Marquart & Marilyn R. Mackiewicz

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    1. Desmond J. Hamilton
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    2. Yuheng Cai
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    3. Rupinder Kaur
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    4. Grant W. Marquart
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    5. Marilyn R. Mackiewicz
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    Editors and Affiliations

    1. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India

      Arun K. Shukla

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    Hamilton, D.J., Cai, Y., Kaur, R., Marquart, G.W., Mackiewicz, M.R., Reed, S.M. (2016). Lipid-Coated Gold Nanoparticles as Probes for Membrane Binding. In: Shukla, A. (eds) Chemical and Synthetic Approaches in Membrane Biology. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2016_8

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2016_8

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