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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol. 2012 Aug 9;4(6):605–619. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1186

Table 2.

Selected examples of quantum dot applications in the studies of neuronal receptors and transporters

Protein of interest Targeting
probe		 QDot Conjugation
strategy		 Cellular expression model Reference
Serotonin transporter Organic ligand Ligand exchange Transfected HEK293 cells 41
Serotonin transporter Organic ligand Biotin-Sav binding mRNA-microinjected Xenopus 47
Serotonin transporter Organic ligand Biotin-Sav binding Serotonergic RN46A cells 67
Dopamine transporter Organic ligand Biotin-Sav binding Transfected flp-In 293 cells 48, 66
GABAc receptor Organic ligand EDC coupling mRNA-microinjected Xenopus oocytes 54
GABAA receptor (with GFP tag) Anti-GFP antibody 2nd antibody coupled to QDot Hippocampal neurons 72
Glycine receptor Antibody Biotin-Sav binding Primary rat spinal cord neurons 56, 57
Glycine receptor Antibody SPDP/SMCC coupling Transfected HeLa cells, primary neurons 73
Glial fibrillary acidic protein Antibody Biotin-Sav binding Primary neurons and glia 70
TrkA and and P75 NGF receptors NGF peptide Biotin-Sav binding PC12 cells 71, 74
5-HT1A receptor (with HA tag) Anti-HA antibody Biotin-Sav binding N2a cells 64
AMPA receptor Antibody 2nd antibody coupled to QDot Primary rat cortical neurons 58, 75
AMPA receptor Peptide 2nd antibody coupled to QDot Primary rat hippocampal neurons 62
Cannabinoid type 1 receptor Antibody 2nd antibody coupled to QDot Primary rat hippocampal neurons 76
NMDA receptor Antibody 2nd antibody coupled to QDot Primary rat hippocampal neurons 77
metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR5) Antibody Biotin-Sav binding Primary rat hippocampal neurons 78
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) Protein/toxin Biotin-Sav binding Neuromuscular synapses in the mouse diaphragm 46
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) Antibody; Protein/toxin Biotin-Sav binding Chick CG neurons 79
Angiotensin II receptor type 1 Peptide EDC coupling Transfected CHO cells 80
Presynaptic L-type calcium channel Antibody Biotin-Sav binding Synapses of the tiger salamander retina 81
P2 purinergic receptors Organic ligand EDC coupling PC12 cells 82
D2 dopamine receptor Organic ligand EDC coupling Transfected A9 cells 55