Gold nanoparticles capped by a GC-containing peptide functionalized with an RGD motif for integrin targeting

Gold nanoparticles were obtained by reduction of a tetrachloroaurate aqueous solution in the presence of a RGD-(GC)2 peptide as stabilizer. As comparison, the behavior of the (GC)2 peptide has been studied. The (GC)2 and RGD-(GC)2 peptides were prepared ad hoc by Fmoc synthesis. The colloidal systems have been characterized by UV–visible, TGA, ATR-FTIR, mono and bidimensional NMR techniques, confocal and transmission (TEM) microscopy, ζ-potential, and light scattering measurements. The efficient cellular uptake of Au-RGD-(GC)2 and Au-(GC)2 stabilized gold nanoparticles into U87 cells (human glioblastoma cells) were investigated by confocal microscopy and compared with the behavior of (GC)2 capped gold nanoparticles. A quantitative determination of the nanoparticles taken up has been carried out by measuring the pixel brightness of the images, a measure that highlighted the importance of the RGD termination of the peptide. Insight in the cellular uptake mechanism was investigated by TEM microscopy. Various important evidences indicated the selective uptake of RGD-(GC)2 gold nanoparticles into the nucleus.