National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
Optical Sciences Division, Code 5600, Naval Research Laboratory.
J Vis Exp. 2022 Apr 21(182). doi: 10.3791/63202.
The development of new technologies for cellular fluorescence microscopy has facilitated high-throughput screening methods for drug discovery. Quantum dots are fluorescent nanoparticles with excellent photophysical properties imbued with bright and stable photoluminescence as well as narrow emission bands. Quantum dots are spherical in shape, and with the proper modification of the surface chemistry, can be used to conjugate biomolecules for cellular applications. These optical properties, combined with the ability to functionalize them with biomolecules, make them an excellent tool for investigating receptor-ligand interactions and cellular trafficking. Here, we present a method that uses quantum dots to track the binding and endocytosis of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This protocol can be used as a guide for experimentalists looking to utilize quantum dots to study protein-protein interactions and trafficking in the context of cellular physiology.
新的细胞荧光显微镜技术的发展促进了高通量药物发现筛选方法。量子点是具有优异光物理性质的荧光纳米粒子，具有明亮和稳定的光致发光以及窄的发射带。量子点呈球形，通过适当修饰表面化学，可以将其与生物分子结合用于细胞应用。这些光学性质，加上能够用生物分子对其进行功能化，使它们成为研究受体-配体相互作用和细胞运输的极好工具。在这里，我们介绍了一种使用量子点来跟踪 SARS-CoV-2 刺突蛋白结合和内吞作用的方法。该方案可作为实验人员的指南，帮助他们利用量子点研究细胞生理学背景下蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用和运输。
