Study on Saccharide–Glucose Receptor Interactions with the Use of Surface Plasmon Resonance

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.