In-situ synthesis of quantum dots in the nucleus of live cells

Cell nucleus is the main site for the storage and replication of genetic material, and the synthesis of substances in the nucleus is rhythmic, regular, and strictly regulated with physiological processes. However, whether exogenous substances, such as nanoparticles, can be synthesized in situ in the nucleus of live cells has not been reported. Here, we have achieved in-situ synthesis of CdSxSe1−x quantum dots (QDs) in the nucleus by regulation of the glutathione (GSH) metabolic pathway. High enrichment of GSH in the nucleus can be accomplished by the addition of GSH with the help of the Bcl-2 protein. Then, high-valence Se is reduced to low-valence Se by glutathione reductase (GR)-catalyzed GSH, and interacts with Cd precursor formed through Cd and thiol-rich proteins, eventually generating QDs in the nucleus. Our work contributes to a new understanding of the syntheses of substances in cell nucleus and will pave the way to the development of advanced ‘supercells’.