title: Aptamer-based single-molecule imaging of insulin receptors in living cells.
abstract: We present a single-molecule imaging platform that quantitatively explores the spatiotemporal dynamics of individual insulin receptors in living cells. Modified DNA aptamers that specifically recognize insulin receptors (IRs) with a high affinity were selected through the SELEX process. Using quantum dot-labeled aptamers, we successfully imaged and analyzed the diffusive motions of individual IRs in the plasma membranes of a variety of cell lines (HIR, HEK293, HepG2). We further explored the cholesterol-dependent movement of IRs to address whether cholesterol depletion interferes with IRs and found that cholesterol depletion of the plasma membrane by methyl-β-cyclodextrin reduces the mobility of IRs. The aptamer-based single-molecule imaging of IRs will provide better understanding of insulin signal transduction through the dynamics study of IRs in the plasma membrane.
authors.affiliation: Pohang University of Science & Technology, Department of Physics, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Minhyeok
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Mijin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Sooran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Na-Oh
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Yunn
authors.forename: Daehyung
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jong-Bong
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004058:Diffusion; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D052156:SELEX Aptamer Technique
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D002784:Cholesterol; D011972:Receptor, Insulin