Local Delivery of Molecules from a Nanopipette for Quantitative Receptor Mapping on Live Cells

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2013 papers

Abstract

Using nanopipettes to locally deliver molecules to the surface of living cells could potentially open up studies of biological processes down to the level of single molecules. However, in order to achieve precise and quantitative local delivery it is essential to be able to determine the amount and distribution of the molecules being delivered. In this work, we investigate how the size of the nanopipette, the magnitude of the applied pressure or voltage, which drives the delivery, and the distance to the underlying surface influences the number and spatial distribution of the delivered molecules. Analytical expressions describing the delivery are derived and compared with the results from finite element simulations and experiments on delivery from a 100 nm nanopipette in bulk solution and to the surface of sensory neurons. We then developed a setup for rapid and quantitative delivery to multiple subcellular areas, delivering the molecule capsaicin to stimulate opening of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1) channels, membrane receptors involved in pain sensation. Overall, precise and quantitative delivery of molecules from nanopipettes has been demonstrated, opening up many applications in biology such as locally stimulating and mapping receptors on the surface of live cells.

Related Papers

• → The Role of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 in Common Diseases of the Digestive Tract and the Cardiovascular and Respiratory System(2019)123 cited
• TRP channel antagonists for pain--opportunities beyond TRPV1.(2009)
• → Answering the Burning Question of How Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid-1 Channel Antagonists Cause Unwanted Hyperthermia(2009)11 cited
• → Vanilloid (TRPV1) and Other Transient Receptor Potential Channels(2009)2 cited
• Role of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 channel in pancreatitis(2009)