Ganglioside GD2 is associated with the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. However, the precise role of GD2 is unclear because its tendency to form dynamic and transient domains in cell plasma membranes (PMs), called lipid rafts, makes it difficult to observe. Previously, we developed fluorescent analogs of gangliosides (e.g., GM3 and GM1), which enabled the observation of lipid raft formation for the first time using single-molecule imaging. In this report, we describe the first chemical synthesis of a fluorescent ganglioside, GD2. A biophysical analysis of the synthesized analog revealed its raft-philic character, suggesting its potential to aid single-molecule imaging-based investigations into raft-associated interactions.

神经节苷脂 GD2 与乳腺癌细胞的增殖和迁移有关。然而，GD2 的确切作用尚不清楚，因为它倾向于在细胞质膜 (PM) 中形成动态和瞬态结构域，称为脂筏，使其难以观察。以前，我们开发了神经节苷脂的荧光类似物（例如GM3 和 GM1），这使得首次使用单分子成像观察脂筏形成成为可能。在本报告中，我们描述了荧光神经节苷脂 GD2 的首次化学合成。对合成类似物的生物物理分析揭示了其亲筏特性，表明其有助于基于单分子成像研究筏相关相互作用的潜力。