1 research outputs found
Development of a Fluorescent Bodipy Probe for Visualization of the Serotonin 5‑HT<sub>1A</sub> Receptor in Native Cells of the Immune System
Serotonin
(5-HT) modulates key aspects of the immune system. However,
its precise function and the receptors involved in the observed effects
have remained elusive. Among the different serotonin receptors, 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> plays an important role in the immune system given its presence
in cells involved in both the innate and adaptive immune responses,
but its actual levels of expression under different conditions have
not been comprehensively studied due to the lack of suitable tools.
To further clarify the role of 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor in the immune
system, we have developed a fluorescent small molecule probe that
enables the direct study of the receptor levels in native cells. This
probe allows direct profiling of the receptor expression in immune
cells using flow cytometry. Our results show that important subsets
of immune cells including human monocytes and dendritic cells express
functional 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> and that its activation is associated
with anti-inflammatory signaling. Furthermore, application of the
probe to the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of multiple
sclerosis demonstrates its potential to detect the specific overexpression
of the 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor in CD4+ T cells. Accordingly, the
probe reported herein represents a useful tool whose use can be extended
to study the levels of 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor in ex vivo samples
of different immune system conditions