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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Live-cell Imaging of Endocytic Transport using Functionalized Nanobodies in Cultured Cells
Published on: October 17, 2025
A versatile nanobody-based toolkit to analyze retrograde transport from the cell surface
Dominik P Buser1, Kai D Schleicher2, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong2
1Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland dominik-pascal.buser@unibas.ch martin.spiess@unibas.ch.
Researchers developed functionalized nanobodies to track cell surface protein transport to the Golgi. This tool quantifies retrograde transport pathways, aiding in understanding cellular homeostasis and compartment identity.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Retrograde transport is crucial for cellular homeostasis and function.
- Studying retrograde traffic requires advanced biochemical and imaging techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer functionalized nanobodies for studying retrograde transport.
- To establish a tool for quantifying retrograde transport pathways.
Main Methods:
- Bacterial expression and purification of functionalized anti-GFP nanobodies.
- Fusion of tyrosine sulfation sequences, fluorophores, and APEX2 to nanobodies.
- Utilizing GFP-modified reporter proteins for nanobody capture and transport.
Main Results:
- Functionalized nanobodies were successfully engineered and applied.
- Demonstrated the contribution of adaptor protein-1/clathrin in retrograde transport kinetics.
- Quantified retrograde transport of mannose-6-phosphate receptors.
Conclusions:
- Functionalized nanobodies are a powerful tool for studying retrograde transport.
- This method enables biochemical detection, live imaging, and electron microscopy analysis.
- The tool facilitates the demonstration and quantification of complex cellular transport pathways.
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11:05Analysis of Endocytic Uptake and Retrograde Transport to the Trans-Golgi Network Using Functionalized Nanobodies in Cultured Cells
Published on: February 21, 2019
09:12Selection of Transporter-Targeted Inhibitory Nanobodies by Solid-Supported-Membrane SSM-Based Electrophysiology
Published on: May 3, 2021
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