Ribosome affinity carbon dots for live-cell imaging of endoplasmic reticulum.

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Targeted intracellular delivery of molecules, particularly to organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), remains a challenge in cell biology.
• Ribosomes, the cellular machinery for protein synthesis, offer potential as natural intracellular carriers due to their abundance and functional role.
• Developing non-toxic, efficient targeting moieties is crucial for harnessing ribosomes for therapeutic or diagnostic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a strategy for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) fluorescence delivery using ribosomes as intracellular carriers.
• To investigate the feasibility of employing levofloxacin as a ribosome-anchoring moiety without compromising ribosome function.
• To synthesize and evaluate levofloxacin-conjugated lipid-templated carbon dots (LT-CDs) for active ER targeting during cell translation.

Main Methods:

• Ribosomes were utilized as intracellular carriers for fluorescence delivery.
• Levofloxacin was chosen as a ribosome-anchoring moiety due to its low toxicity to eukaryotic cells and its ability to not alter ribosome function.
• Surface-modified levofloxacin LT-CDs were synthesized to facilitate active targeting of the ER.

Main Results:

• A strategy was successfully designed to achieve ER fluorescence delivery by employing ribosomes as intracellular carriers.
• Levofloxacin was confirmed to function as a ribosome anchoring moiety with low toxicity and no impact on ribosome function.
• Surface-modified levofloxacin LT-CDs demonstrated active targeting of the ER during the process of cell translation.

Conclusions:

• Ribosomes can be effectively utilized as intracellular carriers for targeted delivery to the endoplasmic reticulum.
• Levofloxacin is a suitable and safe moiety for anchoring to ribosomes for targeted delivery applications.
• The developed levofloxacin LT-CDs represent a promising tool for ER-specific delivery and imaging in cellular processes.