Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Conjugated to Quantum Dots is Biologically Functional

Quantum Dots (QDots) are novel, semi-conductive nanostructures that emit a certain fluorescence when excited by specific wavelengths. QDots are more photostable, brighter, and photobleach less than other fluorescent dyes. These characteristics give them the potential to be used in many biological applications. The shells of QDots are coated with functional groups, such as carboxylate and organic groups, allowing them to couple to peptides/proteins and be used for real-time imaging and high-resolution microscopy. Here, we utilize Quantum Dots and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2) to create a BMP-2-QDots conjugate. BMP-2 is a growth factor that drives many processes such as cardiogenesis, neural growth, and osteogenesis. Despite its numerous roles, the trafficking and uptake of BMP-2 into cells is not well-established, especially during progression of diseases. The results presented here demonstrate for the first time a fluorescent BMP-2 analog that binds to the BMP-receptors (BMPRs), remains biologically active, and is stable for long time periods. Previous attempts to develop a biological BMP-2 analog with Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) or nanodiamonds lacked data on the analog's stability. Furthermore, these analogs did not address whether they can signal within the cell by binding to the BMPRs or were mediated by non-stable conjugates.