Insights into the effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-capped CdTe quantum dots on the structure and activity of human serum albumin by spectroscopic techniques

Abstract Quantum dots (QDs) are a kind of nanostructured semiconductor crystals with the size range of 1–10 nm. Their unique photophysical properties and potential toxicity to human health have aroused wide concern of scientists and general public. However, the interaction mechanism of QDs on human serum albumin (HSA, the vital protein in human blood) from both structural and functional perspectives is rarely reported. In the present work, effects of N-acetyl- L -cysteine-capped CdTe quantum dots with fluorescence emission peak at 612 nm (QDs-612) on the conformation and function of HSA were investigated by spectroscopic methods, molecular docking study and esterase activity assay. The hydrophobic interaction between HSA and QDs-612 was spontaneous with the binding constants calculated to be 6.85×10 5  L mol −1 (298 K) and 8.89×10 5  L mol −1 (308 K). The binding of QDs-612 to HSA induced the static quenching of fluorescence and the changes of secondary structure and microenvironment of Tyr-411 residue, which resulted in serious decrease on the hydrolysis of substrate p-nitrophenylacetate in esterase activity assay of HSA. This work confirms the possibility on direct interaction of QDs-612 with HSA and obtains a possible mechanism of relationship between conformation and function of HSA.