Effects of ligand distribution on receptor-diffusion-mediated cellular uptake of nanoparticles

Biophysical-factor-dependent cellular uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) through receptor-diffusion-mediated endocytosis bears significance in pathology, cellular immunity and drug-delivery systems. Advanced nanotechnology of NP synthesis provides methods for modifying NP surface with different ligand distributions. However, no report discusses effects of ligand distribution on NP surface on receptor-diffusion-mediated cellular uptake. In this article, we used a statistical dynamics model of receptor-diffusion-mediated endocytosis to examine ligand-distribution-dependent cellular uptake dynamics by considering that ligand–receptor complexes drive engulfing to overcome resistance to membrane deformation and changes in configuration entropy of receptors. Results showed that cellular internalization of NPs strongly depended on ligand distribution and that cellular-uptake efficiency of NPs was high when ligand distribution was within a range around uniform distribution. This feature of endocytosis ensures robust infection ability of viruses to enter host cells. Interestingly, results also indicated that optimal ligand distribution associated with highest cellular-uptake efficiency slightly depends on distribution pattern of ligands and density of receptors, and the optimal distribution becomes uniform when receptor density is sufficiently large. Position of initial contact point is also a factor affecting dynamic wrapping. This study explains why most enveloped viruses present almost homogeneous ligand distribution and is useful in designing controlled-release drug-delivery systems.