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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Thermodynamic Analysis of Protein-Nanoparticle Interactions Links Binding Affinity and Structural Stability
ClearThermodynamic Analysis of Protein-Nanoparticle Interactions Links Binding Affinity and Structural Stability
Researchers examined how protein charge distribution influences adsorption onto polystyrene nanoparticles by engineering a series of lysozyme variants and analyzing binding affinity through thermodynamic analysis. They found that electrostatic properties of proteins strongly govern corona formation kinetics and structural stability when nanoplastics enter biological fluids.
Modelling bionano interactions and potential health risks for environmental nanoplastics: the case of functionalized polystyrene
Researchers used computer simulations to model how proteins adsorb onto polystyrene nanoplastic surfaces, investigating bionano interactions relevant to potential health risks. The study focused on functionalized polystyrene as a model for environmental nanoplastics. The findings contribute to understanding how nanoplastics interact with biological molecules, which is important for evaluating their toxicological potential.
Mechanistic Insights into Cellular and Molecular Basis of Protein‐Nanoplastic Interactions
This review examines how nanoplastic particles interact with proteins at the cellular and molecular level, disrupting normal protein function and triggering oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cell death. Researchers found that nanoplastics alter the structural shape of important proteins, which helps explain their toxic effects on living organisms. The study also covers how understanding these protein-plastic interactions could inform both toxicity assessment and potential enzymatic plastic degradation strategies.
Structure of soft and hard protein corona around polystyrene nanoplastics—Particle size and protein types
Researchers characterized the protein corona that forms around polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes, finding that particle size influences which proteins bind and how tightly, with implications for nanoplastic toxicity and biological uptake.
Nanoplastics can change the secondary structure of proteins
Researchers found that nanoplastic particles interact directly with proteins and fundamentally alter their secondary structure, effectively denaturing them in a manner that could cause cellular and ecological damage. The study presents the first direct evidence that plastic-protein interactions represent a distinct and potentially serious biological hazard beyond the previously studied effects of microplastic ingestion.
Interfacial interactions between PMMA nanoplastics and a model globular protein: towards a molecular understanding of nanoplastic-driven biological dyshomeostasis
Researchers investigated the molecular interactions between PMMA nanoplastics and a model globular protein to understand how nanoplastics disrupt normal protein function. They found that PMMA nanoplastics bind to and alter the structural conformation of the protein, potentially contributing to cellular protein dysfunction.
Binding of Perfluoroalkyl Substances to Nanoplastic Protein Corona Is pH‐Dependent and Attenuates Their Bioavailability and Toxicity
Researchers investigated how pH affects the binding of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the protein corona that forms on nanoplastic surfaces in biological fluids. pH-dependent changes in protein corona composition significantly altered PFAS binding capacity, with implications for how nanoplastics transport PFAS in the body.
Role of nanoparticle surface charge in their toxicity
This study examined how surface charge (carboxyl vs. amino functionalization) affects the toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles formed during plastic degradation, noting that nanoparticle toxicity can differ substantially from bulk material. Results highlighted that surface chemistry is a critical determinant of nanoparticle behavior in biological environments.
Impact of Protein Corona Formation and Polystyrene Nanoparticle Functionalisation on the Interaction with Dynamic Biomimetic Membranes Comprising of Integrin
Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoparticles interact with blood proteins and cell membranes to understand potential health effects of nanoplastic exposure. They found that when blood proteins coat the nanoparticles, forming a so-called protein corona, it actually reduces the particles' ability to damage cell membranes. The study suggests that the body's natural protein coating of nanoplastics may offer some protection against membrane disruption, though the long-term implications remain unclear.
Binding divergence of polystyrene nanoparticles with serum albumin caused by surface functionalization
Researchers used multi-spectroscopy to show that surface functionalization of polystyrene nanoparticles determines how strongly they bind to human serum albumin — with carboxylated particles causing the greatest protein structural disruption and reduction in esterase activity, driven by differences in surface charge and hydrophobicity.
Polystyrene-InducedDehydration of Lipid Membranes:Insights from Atomistic Simulations
Researchers performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to characterize how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with and dehydrate lipid bilayer membranes following membrane penetration. The simulations revealed the structural and thermodynamic mechanisms by which nanoplastic particles disrupt membrane hydration, contributing to understanding of nanoplastic toxicity at the cellular level.
Molecular insights into nanoplastics-peptides binding and their interactions with the lipid membrane
Using computer simulations, researchers studied how nanoplastics interact with small protein fragments and cell membranes at the molecular level. They found that nanoplastics readily bind to proteins, forming a coating called a protein corona, which changes how the plastics behave when they encounter cell membranes. This research helps explain how nanoplastics might enter human cells, since the protein coating could either help or hinder the particles from crossing biological barriers.
Nanoplastics alter the conformation and activity of human serum albumin
Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with human serum albumin, a key blood protein, and found that nanoplastics bind to the protein through hydrophobic forces, altering its structure and reducing its enzymatic activity. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure could interfere with normal protein function in the bloodstream, highlighting the need for regulation of nanoplastics in consumer products.
Protein–Nanoparticle Interaction: Corona Formation and Conformational Changes in Proteins on Nanoparticles
This review examines how proteins adsorb onto the surfaces of nanoparticles to form a protein corona, which significantly alters the particles' biological behavior and functionality. Researchers describe how the corona can cause conformational changes in proteins that lead to unexpected immune responses, altered cellular uptake, and changes in toxicity. The findings are relevant to understanding how nanoplastics interact with biological systems, since protein corona formation is a key factor governing their environmental and health effects.
Plastic Nanoparticles Cause Proteome Stress and Aggregation by Compromising Cellular Protein Homeostasis ex vivo and in vivo.
Researchers demonstrated for the first time that plastic nanoparticles can compromise cellular protein homeostasis ex vivo and in vivo, causing proteome stress and protein aggregation by disrupting the cellular machinery responsible for maintaining protein stability. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure poses risks beyond cytotoxicity, potentially triggering protein misfolding pathways relevant to neurodegenerative and other protein aggregation diseases.
Cation-π mechanism promotes the adsorption of humic acid on polystyrene nanoplastics to differently affect their aggregation: Evidence from experimental characterization and DFT calculation
Researchers investigated how humic acid and metal ions in natural lake water affect the clumping behavior of polystyrene nanoplastics, finding that a cation-π bonding mechanism — where metal ions bridge humic acid molecules onto the nanoplastic surface — governs whether particles aggregate or remain dispersed, with major implications for their environmental persistence and toxicity.
Aging Processes Dramatically Alter the Protein Corona Constitution, Cellular Internalization, and Cytotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics
Researchers found that aging processes such as UV and ozone exposure dramatically alter how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with blood plasma proteins, form protein coronas, and enter cells. The study suggests that environmentally aged nanoplastics may have different biological effects than pristine particles, which has important implications for accurately assessing the health risks of real-world nanoplastic exposure.
Soft and Hard Interactions between Polystyrene Nanoplastics and Human Serum Albumin Protein Corona
The structure of protein coronas formed when polystyrene nanoplastics interact with human serum albumin (HSA) was analyzed, finding that nanoplastic size and pH influenced whether hard (irreversible) or soft (exchangeable) corona formed, with weak but size-dependent interactions occurring despite the overall low affinity. The study provides mechanistic insight into how nanoplastics may interact with blood proteins upon entering the human circulatory system.
Effect of Plastic Type and Salt Concentration on Interactions Between Nanoscale Plastic and Amino Acids in Solution Using Saturation-Transfer Difference NMR Spectroscopy
Using NMR spectroscopy, researchers measured how individual amino acids bind to nanoplastic particles made of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene, finding that plastic type, salt concentration, and amino acid chemistry all influence binding strength. Because amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, understanding these interactions is fundamental to predicting how nanoplastics might interfere with biological molecules — and ultimately with human and animal health.
Cellular interactions with polystyrene nanoplastics—The role of particle size and protein corona
Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with mammalian cells, finding that particle size and the protein corona that forms around particles in biological fluids strongly influence cellular uptake and toxicity. Smaller nanoplastics penetrated cell membranes more readily and caused greater disruption, suggesting that the tiniest plastic particles may pose the greatest biological risk.
The Challenges and Opportunities of Protein Coronas for Nanoscale Biomolecular Sensing
Researchers reviewed how protein layers that naturally form around nanoscale objects in biological fluids affect the performance of tiny biosensors. They found that this protein coating can block sensors from detecting target molecules, but new strategies are emerging to work around or even take advantage of this effect. The study is relevant to understanding how nanoplastics behave in the body, since similar protein layers form around plastic nanoparticles and influence their biological interactions.
The crucial role of a protein corona in determining the aggregation kinetics and colloidal stability of polystyrene nanoplastics
Time-resolved dynamic light scattering was used to study how protein coronas — protein layers that form on nanoplastics in biological or environmental fluids — control the aggregation kinetics and colloidal stability of polystyrene nanoplastics. Protein identity and concentration profoundly shifted nanoplastic behavior, with implications for how these particles move and persist in natural water systems.
Strong binding between nanoplastic and bacterial proteins facilitates protein corona formation and reduces nanoplastics toxicity
Researchers demonstrated that bacteria-derived proteins adsorb strongly onto nanoplastic surfaces to form a 'protein corona,' altering nanoplastic morphology and reducing their toxicity to bacterial cells — with the degree of protection varying by surface chemistry, as amino-modified nanoplastics showed the greatest reduction in oxidative damage after corona formation.
Binding of Perfluoroalkyl Substances to Nanoplastic Protein Corona Is pH‐Dependent and Attenuates Their Bioavailability and Toxicity
Researchers studied how common industrial pollutants called PFAS chemicals interact with nanoplastics and blood proteins in the human body. The study found that when nanoplastics are present, they actually reduce the cellular uptake of PFAS chemicals and lessen their toxicity, because the protein layer that forms on nanoplastic surfaces traps the pollutants and limits their availability to cells.