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Abstract：
Quantum dots (QDs) are a novel type of nanomaterial that has unique optical and physical characteristics. As such, QDs are highly desired because of their potential to be used in both biomedical and industrial applications. However, the mass adoption of QDs usage has raised concerns among the scientific community regarding QDs\' toxicity. Although many papers have reported the negative impact of QDs on a cellular level, the exact mechanism of the QDs\' toxicity is still unclear. In this investigation, we study the adverse effects of QDs by focusing on one of the most important cellular processes: actin polymerization and depolymerization. Our results showed that QDs act in a biphasic manner where lower concentrations of QDs stimulate the polymerization of actin, while high concentrations of QDs inhibit actin polymerization. Furthermore, we found that QDs can bind to filamentous actin (F-actin) and cause bundling of the filament while also promoting actin depolymerization. Through this study, we found a novel mechanism in which QDs negatively influence cellular processes and exert toxicity.
摘要：
量子点(QDs)是一种具有独特光学和物理特性的新型纳米材料。因此，QD是高度期望的,因为它们具有用于生物医学和工业应用的潜力。然而,量子点的大量使用引起了科学界对量子点毒性的担忧。尽管许多论文报道了量子点对细胞水平的负面影响，量子点毒性的确切机制尚不清楚。在这次调查中,我们通过关注最重要的细胞过程之一：肌动蛋白聚合和解聚来研究量子点的不利影响。我们的结果表明，QDs以双相方式起作用，其中较低浓度的QDs刺激肌动蛋白的聚合，而高浓度的量子点抑制肌动蛋白聚合。此外，我们发现QD可以与丝状肌动蛋白（F-actin）结合并引起细丝的成束，同时还促进肌动蛋白解聚。通过这项研究,我们发现了QDs对细胞过程产生负面影响并产生毒性的新机制。
