Super-resolution microscopy allows observation of cellular phenomena below the “magic” limit of the visible light wavelength of 200 nm to the nanometer level. For Stimulated Emission Depletion microscopy, only fluorescence probes compatible with an additional laser beam that allows emission depletion are suitable. Characterisation of such a probe was an overarching aim of our research work.
In the master thesis we studied the process of internalisation of a fluorescent probe into different cell types. Most attention was paid to the dendritic cells and the DC-SIGN receptor (Dendritic Cell-Specific, Intracellular adhesion molecule-3-Grabbing Non-integrin), which plays an important role in infections with many pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The main roles of the DC-SIGN are recognition of pathogens/their molecules and internalisation, as well as their contribution to pathogen destruction. Despite all these properties, the DC-SIGN receptor can also accelerate the development of infection, which is a hallmark of HIV virus, by ensuring pathogen entry into dendritic cells. DC-SIGN binds various manosylated proteins, oligomanosides, and molecules containing only one unit of D-mannose. We have investigated an α-D-mannosylated fluorescent probe that is resistant to glycosidases. Fluorescence spectrometry showed that its emission spectra did not change as a function of environmental pH. The behaviour of the probe in different cell types was observed using a fluorescence microscope. It was demonstrated that the probe passes the interior of cells only when they express DC-SIGN receptors or other Mannose binding lectins (MBL) on their membranes. The added value of the probe is its suitability for Stimulated Emission Depletion Microscopy, as the choice of probes suitable for this type of microscopy is quite limited. All these experiments demonstrated that the fluorescent probe is a highly effective tool for observing biological processes, such as lectin-mediated cell uptake in a variety of biological environments.
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