Table 2.
Effect of NP parameters on the changes of protein corona
| NP parameter | Observed effects |
|---|---|
| NP size | • Bigger size, larger degree of protein coverage8,11,26,118 |
| • Smaller size increases corona thickness and decreases conformational change119–121 | |
| • Evolution of composition and relative abundance of adsorbed proteins23,122 | |
| NP shape | Higher protein adsorption onto nanorods compared to nanospheres123 |
| NP surface Charge | • Charge affects composition of formed protein corona |
| • More highly charged surfaces increase protein conformational changes | |
| • Protein conformation: positive > negative > neutral | |
| • Charged particles have higher cell internalization and faster opsonization rates than electrically neutral particles;124 positively charged NPs are incorporated by cells in higher numbers and faster than negatively charged NPs8 | |
| Hydrophobicity | Higher hydrophobic NPs: |
| • Increase adsorbed protein quantity13,26 and qualitatively change obtained protein adsorption patterns125 | |
| • Increase affinities of biomolecules | |
| • Increase protein conformational changes | |
| • Are opsonized more quickly than hydrophilic NPs | |
| Smoothness/roughness | Surface roughness greatly minimizes repulsive interaction and influences the amount of protein, but not the protein identity |
Abbreviation: NP, nanoparticle.