Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Real Time Measurements of Membrane Protein:Receptor Interactions Using Surface Plasmon Resonance SPR
Published on: November 29, 2014
Study on Saccharide-Glucose Receptor Interactions with the Use of Surface Plasmon Resonance
Maciej Trzaskowski1, Marcin Drozd1,2, Tomasz Ciach3
1Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the process of attachment of saccharide particles differing in degree of complexity to cell receptors responsible for transport of glucose across the cell membrane (GLUT proteins). This phenomenon is currently considered when designing modern medicines, e.g., peptide drugs to which glucose residues are attached, enabling drugs to cross the barrier of cell membranes and act inside cells. This study aims to help us understand the process of assimilation of polysaccharide nanoparticles by tumour cells. In this study, the interactions between simple saccharides (glucose and sucrose) and dextran nanoparticles with two species of GLUT proteins (GLUT1 and GLUT4) were measured using the surface plasmon resonance technique. We managed to observe the interactions of glucose and sucrose with both applied proteins. The lowest concentration that resulted in the detection of interaction was 4 mM of glucose on GLUT1. Nanoparticles were measured using the same proteins with a detection limit of 40 mM. These results indicate that polysaccharide nanoparticles interact with GLUT proteins. The measured strengths of interactions differ between proteins; thus, this study can suggest which protein is preferable when considering it as a mean of nanoparticle carrier transport.
Related Concept Videos
Van der Waals Interactions
Solution Equilibrium and Saturation
Sugars as Energy Storage Molecules
Glucose Transporters
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
Sugars as Energy Storage Molecules
Surface Tension

