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Sensors 2011, 11(2), 2077-2089; doi:10.3390/s110202077
Article
Observing GLUT4 Translocation in Live L6 Cells Using Quantum Dots
Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 30 November 2010; in revised form: 29 December 2010 / Accepted: 6 February 2011 / Published: 10 February 2011
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensing with Quantum Dots)
Download PDF Full-Text [725 KB, uploaded 10 February 2011 12:49 CET]
Abstract: The glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) plays a key role in maintaining whole body glucose homeostasis. Tracking GLUT4 in space and time can provide new insights for understanding the mechanisms of insulin-regulated GLUT4 translocation. Organic dyes and fluorescent proteins were used in previous studies for investigating the traffic of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes. Because of their relative weak fluorescent signal against strong cellular autofluorescence background and their fast photobleaching rate, most studies only focused on particular segments of GLUT4 traffic. In this study, we have developed a new method for observing the translocation of GLUT4 targeted with photostable and bright quantum dots (QDs) in live L6 cells. QDs were targeted to GLUT4myc specifically and internalized with GLUT4myc through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Compared with traditional fluorescence dyes and fluorescent proteins, QDs with high brightness and extremely photostability are suitable for long-term single particle tracking, so individual GLUT4-QD complex can be easily detected and tracked for long periods of time. This newly described method will be a powerful tool for observing the translocation of GLUT4 in live L6 cells.
Keywords: quantum dots; GLUT4; confocal microscopy; translocation; endocytosis
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MDPI and ACS Style
Qu, F.; Chen, Z.; Wang, X.; Meng, L.; Wu, Z.; Qu, A. Observing GLUT4 Translocation in Live L6 Cells Using Quantum Dots. Sensors 2011, 11, 2077-2089.
AMA StyleQu F, Chen Z, Wang X, Meng L, Wu Z, Qu A. Observing GLUT4 Translocation in Live L6 Cells Using Quantum Dots. Sensors. 2011; 11(2):2077-2089.
Chicago/Turabian StyleQu, Feng; Chen, Zubin; Wang, Xiaoxuan; Meng, Lingfeng; Wu, Zhengxing; Qu, Anlian. 2011. "Observing GLUT4 Translocation in Live L6 Cells Using Quantum Dots." Sensors 11, no. 2: 2077-2089.