Direct Synthesis of Rev Peptide-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles and Their Application in Cancer Therapeutics

We have developed a simple approach for generating peptide-conjugated gold nanopartides (AuNPs) from the Rev peptide and gold aqueous solution. The peptide functions as both a reducing agent and a capping molecule. AuNPs of various sizes (20-300 urn) and shapes (spheres, triangular plates, and polygons) can be obtained upon modulating the ratio of gold ions to the Rey peptide. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-vis spectroscopy were utilized to characterize these nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed to investigate chemical interactions between the Rev peptide and AuNPs. Lactate dehydrogenase and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays revealed that the Rev peptide-AuNP nanocomposites exhibited exceptionally high cytotoxic effects toward mouse ovarian surface epithelial cell lines, relative to the effects of equal doses of the free Rev peptide. Our study suggests a new way of utilizing biomolecule-conjugated AuNPs as potentially effective anticancer drugs.