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A Label-free Technique for the Spatio-temporal Imaging of Single Cell Secretions
Published on: November 23, 2015
Subcellular resolution mapping of endogenous cytokine secretion by nano-plasmonic-resonator sensor array
Sheng Wang1, Sadao Ota, Bin Guo
1NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC), 3112 Etcheverry Hall, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
Nano Letters
|July 26, 2011
Summary
Researchers developed a new technique to measure extracellular signals at the subcellular level. This method revealed high local concentrations of interleukin-2 (IL-2) near cells, validating long-standing hypotheses about cell communication.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Nanotechnology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Extracellular signaling is crucial for cellular interactions and organization.
- Understanding subcellular signaling requires high-resolution techniques.
- Previous methods lacked the sensitivity for submicrometer quantitative mapping of endogenous signaling molecules.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel sensing technique for interrogating extracellular signaling at the subcellular level.
- To quantitatively map endogenous cytokine secretion with submicrometer resolution.
- To validate hypotheses regarding autocrine signaling concentration and spatial range.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a tunable nano-plasmonic-resonator array using nanoimprint lithography.
- Development of an in situ immunoassay leveraging giant optical enhancement.
- Utilizing the nanoplasmonic device to achieve high signal-to-noise ratios for sensitive detection.
Main Results:
- Achieved submicrometer resolution quantitative mapping of endogenous cytokine secretion for the first time.
- Demonstrated a markedly high local interleukin-2 (IL-2) concentration in the immediate vicinity of cells.
- Validated a decades-old hypothesis on autocrine physiological concentration and spatial range.
Conclusions:
- The novel nanoplasmonic sensing technique enables unprecedented resolution in studying extracellular signaling.
- The findings provide direct evidence for high local cytokine concentrations supporting autocrine signaling.
- This generalizable sensing platform can advance the study of cellular communication and subcellular function.
