Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol. 2012 Sep-Oct;4(5):547-61. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1179. Epub 2012 Jul 3.
Cell-surface sensors are powerful tools to elucidate cell functions including cell signaling, metabolism, and cell-to-cell communication. These sensors not only facilitate our understanding in basic biology but also advance the development of effective therapeutics and diagnostics. While genetically encoded fluorescent protein/peptide sensors have been most popular, emerging cell surface sensor systems including polymer-, nanoparticle-, and nucleic acid aptamer-based sensors have largely expanded our toolkits to interrogate complex cellular signaling and micro- or nano-environments. In particular, cell-surface sensors that interrogate in vivo cellular microenvironments represent an emerging trend in the development of next generation tools which biologists may routinely apply to elucidate cell biology in vivo and to develop new therapeutics and diagnostics. This review focuses on the most recent development in areas of cell-surface sensors. We will first discuss some recently reported genetically encoded sensors that were used for monitoring cellular metabolites, proteins, and neurotransmitters. We will then focus on the emerging cell surface sensor systems with emphasis on the use of DNA aptamer sensors for probing cell signaling and cell-to-cell communication.
细胞表面传感器是阐明细胞功能的有力工具，包括细胞信号转导、代谢和细胞间通讯。这些传感器不仅有助于我们理解基础生物学，还推动了有效治疗和诊断方法的发展。虽然基于遗传编码的荧光蛋白/肽传感器最为流行，但新兴的细胞表面传感器系统，包括聚合物、纳米粒子和核酸适体传感器，在很大程度上扩展了我们的工具包，以探究复杂的细胞信号和微观或纳米环境。特别是，用于检测体内细胞微环境的细胞表面传感器代表了下一代工具开发的一个新兴趋势，生物学家可能会常规地应用这些工具来阐明体内细胞生物学，并开发新的治疗和诊断方法。本综述重点介绍了细胞表面传感器领域的最新进展。我们将首先讨论一些最近报道的用于监测细胞代谢物、蛋白质和神经递质的遗传编码传感器。然后，我们将重点介绍新兴的细胞表面传感器系统，强调使用 DNA 适体传感器来探测细胞信号和细胞间通讯。
