Neurexin/neuroligin interaction kinetics characterized by counting single cell-surface attached quantum dots.

ABSTRACT: We report what to our knowledge is a new method to characterize kinetic rates between cell-surface-attached adhesion molecules. Cells expressing specific membrane receptors are surface-labeled with quantum dots coated with their respective ligands. The progressive diminution in the total number of surface-diffusing quantum dots tracked over time collectively reflects intrinsic ligand/receptor interaction kinetics. The probability of quantum dot detachment is modeled using a stochastic analysis of bond formation and dissociation, with a small number of ligand/receptor pairs, resulting in a set of coupled differential equations that are solved numerically. Comparison with the experimental data provides an estimation of the kinetic rates, together with the mean number of ligands per quantum d

SUBMITTER: Saint-Michel E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2711312 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature