Quantum dots functionalized with 3-mercaptophenylboronic acids as novel nanoplatforms to evaluate sialic acid content on cell membranes

[Display omitted] •QDs were conjugated with 3-mercaptophenylboronic acids by a simple/fast procedure.•Erythrocytes were used as biological models to evaluate the novel nanoplatforms.•Conjugates recognized specifically sialic acids (SAs) on membranes in 5 min.•Conjugates revealed more intense and homogeneous labeling for KG-1 than K562 cells.•Conjugates can quantitatively assess SA profiles for hematology and cancer research. Sialic acids (SAs) modulate essential physiological and pathological conditions, including cell-cell communication, immune response, neurological disorders, and cancer. Besides, SAs confer negative charges to cell membranes, also contributing to hemorheology. Phenylboronic acids, called as mimetic lectins, have been highlighted to study SA profiles. The association of these interesting molecules with the optical properties of quantum dots (QDs) can provide a deeper/complementary understanding of mechanisms involving SAs. Herein, we explored the thiol affinity to the QD surface to develop a simple, fast and direct attachment procedure to functionalize these nanocrystals with 3-mercaptophenylboronic acids (MPBAs). The functionalization was confirmed by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. The conjugate specificity/efficiency was proved in experiments using red blood cells (RBCs). A labeling >90% was found for RBCs incubated with conjugates, which reduced to 17% after neuraminidase pretreatment. Moreover, QDs-MPBA conjugates were applied in a comparative study using acute (KG-1) and chronic (K562) myelogenous leukemia cell lines. Results indicated that KG-1 membranes have a greater level of SA, with 100% of cells labeled and a median of fluorescence intensity of ca. 2.5-fold higher when compared to K562 (94%). Therefore, this novel QDs-MPBA conjugate can be considered a promising nanoplatform to evaluate SA contents in a variety of biological systems.