Receptor Surface Localization
Receptor Surface Localization - Related Videos
12:03
Receptor Autoradiography Protocol for the Localized Visualization of Angiotensin II Receptors
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Cited by 14 •
2016
Here we present a protocol to describe the localization of angiotensin II Type 1 receptors in the rat brain by quantitative, densitometric, in vitro receptor autoradiography using an iodine-125 labeled analog of angiotensin II.
04:55
Assaying Surface Expression of Chemosensory Receptors in Heterologous Cells
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Cited by 6 •
2011
Here we demonstrate a protocol to carry out live cell staining that can be used to detect odorant receptors on the surface of HEK293T cells conveniently. In addition, it may also be used to assay for surface expression of other chemosensory receptors or GPCRs.
01:28
Types of Receptors: Cell Surface Receptors
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2023
Cell-surface receptors, also known as transmembrane receptors, are cell surface, membrane-anchored (integral) proteins that bind to external ligand molecules. This type of receptor spans the plasma membrane and performs signal transduction, converting an extracellular signal into an intracellular signal. Ligands that interact with cell-surface receptors do not have to enter the cell that they affect. Cell-surface receptors are also called cell-specific proteins or markers because they are...
09:59
Utilizing pHluorin-tagged Receptors to Monitor Subcellular Localization and Trafficking
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Cited by 3 •
2017
Labeling the extracellular domain of a membrane protein with a pH sensitive fluorophore, superecliptic pHluorin (SEP), allows subcellular localization, expression, and trafficking to be determined. Imaging SEP-labeled proteins with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) enables the quantification of protein levels in the peripheral ER and plasma membrane.
11:57
Using an α-Bungarotoxin Binding Site Tag to Study GABA A Receptor Membrane Localization and Trafficking
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Cited by 5 •
2014
Here we demonstrate the use of fluorescent Alexa dye coupled to α-bungarotoxin to measure GABA A receptor surface localization and endocytosis in hippocampal neurons. Through the use of constructs bearing a short extracellular tag that binds α-bungarotoxin, analysis of plasma membrane protein endocytic trafficking can be achieved.
FAQs
Surface abundance reflects the balance between delivery, insertion, endocytosis, recycling, and degradation. Vesicle transport can bring receptors toward the neuronal plasma membrane, while endocytosis removes them for possible recycling or degradation. Changing this balance alters how many receptors remain available to respond to extracellular signals, making trafficking a direct regulator of neuronal communication.
Cellular activity can shift receptors between delivery, recycling, and removal pathways, changing their abundance at the membrane. These adjustments modify synaptic sensitivity rather than simply changing the total receptor pool inside the neuron. Consequently, activity-dependent trafficking provides a mechanism through which synapses can strengthen or weaken their responses during synaptic plasticity.
Receptors are not distributed uniformly across a neuron. Their abundance and positioning can be examined separately at dendrites, axons, and synapses, where they may contribute to different aspects of signaling. Comparing these compartments helps distinguish broad changes in neuronal trafficking from localized redistribution at synaptic sites, an important distinction when interpreting communication and plasticity.
Recycling returns internalized receptors to the cell surface, allowing a neuron to restore signaling capacity after receptor removal. Degradation instead reduces the available receptor pool more persistently. The relative use of these routes influences how quickly surface responses recover and how long activity-dependent changes in receptor abundance or synaptic sensitivity remain detectable.
Experimental analysis focuses on receptor abundance and spatial distribution at neuronal membranes, including dendritic, axonal, and synaptic regions. Researchers can compare these features across developmental or activity-related conditions to identify redistribution or changes in surface availability. Such measurements connect trafficking behavior with altered neuronal communication and synaptic plasticity without treating total cellular receptor levels as the sole outcome.
During development, learning, and synaptic plasticity, regulated receptor positioning can alter how strongly neurons respond to signals. Conversely, disrupted trafficking may produce abnormal receptor availability or distribution and impair signaling. Studying these changes therefore links cellular transport mechanisms to both adaptive neural processes and neurological disorders associated with defective receptor trafficking.