Targeting Nanodiamonds to the Nucleus in Yeast Cells

Abstract

Nanodiamonds are widely used for drug delivery, labelling or nanoscale sensing. For all these applications it is highly beneficial to have control over the intracellular location of the particles. For the first time, we have achieved targeting the nucleus of yeast cells. In terms of particle uptake, these cells are challenging due to their rigid cell wall. Thus, we used a spheroplasting protocol to remove the cell wall prior to uptake. To achieve nuclear targeting we used nanodiamonds, which were attached to antibodies. When using non-targeted particles, only 20% end up at the nucleus. In comparison, by using diamonds linked to antibodies, 70% of the diamond particles reach the nucleus.