The translocation of fullerenic nanoparticles into lysosome via the pathway ofclathrin-mediated endocytosis

Abstract

Manufactured fullerene nanoparticles easily enter into cells and hence have beenrapidly developed for biomedical uses. However, it is generally unknown whichroute the nanoparticles undergo when crossing cell membranes and wherethey localize to the intracellular compartments. Herein we have used bothmicroscopic imaging and biological techniques to explore the processes of[C60(C(COOH)2)2]n nanoparticles across cellular membranes and their intracellular translocation in 3T3L1 and RH-35 living cells. The fullerene nanoparticles are quickly internalizedby the cells and then routed to the cytoplasm with punctate localization.Upon entering the cell, they are synchronized to lysosome-like vesicles. The[C60(C(COOH)2)2]n nanoparticles entering cells are mainly via endocytosis with time-,temperature- and energy-dependent manners. The cellular uptake of[C60(C(COOH)2)2]n nanoparticles was found to be clathrin-mediated but not caveolae-mediated endocytosis.The endocytosis mechanism and the subcellular target location provide key information forthe better understanding and predicting of the biomedical function of fullerenenanoparticles inside cells.