Surface-Tunable Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer via Geometry-Controlled ZnO Nanorod Coordination

Small. 2015 Jul;11(28):3469-75. doi: 10.1002/smll.201403700. Epub 2015 Mar 19.

Abstract

The use of ZnO nanorods (NRs) as an effective coordinator and biosensing platform to create bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) is reported. Herein, a hydrothermal approach is applied to obtain morphologically controlled ZnO NRs, which are directly bound to luciferase (Luc) and carboxy-modified quantum dot (QD) acting as a donor-acceptor pair for BRET. BRET efficiency varies significantly with the geometry of ZnO NRs, which modulates the coordination between hexahistidine-tagged Luc (Luc-His6 ) and QD, owing to the combined effect of the total surface area consisting of (001) and (100) planes and their surface polarities. Unlike typical QD-BRET reactions with metal ions (e.g., zinc ions), a geometry-controlled ZnO NR platform can facilitate the design of surface-initiated BRET sensors without being supplemented by copious metal ions: the geometry-controlled ZnO NR platform can therefore pave the way for nanostructure-based biosensors with enhanced analytical performance.

Keywords: ZnO nanorods; affinity tags; bioluminescence; metal coordination; quantum dots; resonance energy transfer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / methods*
  • Light
  • Luciferases, Renilla / chemistry*
  • Luminescent Measurements / methods*
  • Materials Testing
  • Nanotubes / chemistry*
  • Nanotubes / radiation effects
  • Nanotubes / ultrastructure
  • Particle Size
  • Quantum Dots*
  • Surface Properties / radiation effects
  • Zinc Oxide / chemistry*
  • Zinc Oxide / radiation effects

Substances

  • Luciferases, Renilla
  • Zinc Oxide