Glicodendrímeros como ferramentas para estudos de microalgas

Abstract

The plasma membrane and the extracellular matrix are involved in important cell interactions, such as recognition, adhesion and reproduction. The extracellular matrix may vary in both composition and molecular architecture, which can be different for higher taxonomic groups or even at the generic or specific level. The composition of the extracellular matrix is best known for animals, fungi and bacteria, but there is a lack of knowledge regarding to the photosynthetic cells (cyanobacteria, algae and plants). For algae, mainly the microscopic ones, this knowledge is even smaller and the studies are recent and rare. These studies have generally focused in the identification of the biomolecules present on the surface of algal cells by using labeled lectins, which are proteins that specifically interact with carbohydrates. They are found on cell surfaces of almost all living beings and their specificity to recognize and bind carbohydrates are the key for many cell interactions. Alternatively to the studies based on labeled lectins, this research was performed with three different labeled carbohydrate (glicodendrimers) to detect the presence of lectins on cell surfaces of twelve algal species. Thus the goal was to detect specificity of the interactions in a reverse way, so as to meet the probable lectins expressed on the surfaces of the cells. Based on the results, we suggest that the receptors found in the species tend to differ both in composition and quantity. The differences were mainly species-specific, since higher taxonomic groups did not presented any pattern of results.