High Dye-Loaded and Thin-Shell Fluorescent Polymeric Nanoparticles for Enhanced FRET Imaging of Protein-Specific Sialylation on the Cell Surface

Nanoparticle-based probes have great potential for imaging specific biomolecules in signal distinguishing and amplification via Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Protein-specific sialylation plays key roles in the regulation of protein structure and function, as well as in various pathophysiological processes. Here, we developed a fluorescent polymeric nanoparticle with a biocompatible hydrophilic thin shell loaded with plentiful dye and used it as the donor to enhance the FRET imaging of cell surface protein-specific sialylation. The hydrophobic core decreased the self-quenching of loaded fluorescent molecules, while the hydrophilic thin shell ensured that the nanoparticles remained on the extracellular surface and guaranteed the FRET effect. Thus, the thin-shell polymeric nanoparticles enhanced the FRET imaging of protein tyrosine kinase-7-specific sialylation on the CCRF-CEM cell surface and showed high sensitivity under drug treatment. This nanoparticle has great potential for elucidating the relationship between dynamic specific glycosylation states and disease processes, as well as for the study of new cell surface imaging methodologies.