A Rhodamine-Mannan Fluorescent Probe Targeting M₂ Macrophages for Polarization Imaging.

Authors

Lei Wen, Yuan Li, Ting Wu, Yue Yu, Yong Wu, Yue Wang, Deguo Wang

Published in

Journal of fluorescence. Jul 30, 2026. Epub Jul 30, 2026.

Abstract

Macrophage polarization into M₁ and M₂ phenotypes plays critical roles in homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. M₂ macrophages are characterized by high expression of the mannose receptor (CD206), which specifically binds and internalizes mannosylated ligands. In this study, we developed a novel fluorescent probe by conjugating Rhodamine B (RhB) to mannan isolated from Tremella fuciformis (RhB-mannan). The probe was thoroughly characterized by FTIR, NMR, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Using Raw 264.7 macrophages polarized to M₁ (LPS) or M₂ (IL-4) phenotypes, we demonstrated that the RhB-mannan probe selectively labels M₂ cells, correlating with CD206 expression confirmed by immunofluorescence. The specificity of the probe was further validated by competitive inhibition with free mannose, which abolished the fluorescent labeling. This probe provides a valuable tool for live-cell imaging of M₂ macrophages and studying their role in disease progression.

PMID:
42530757
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Jul 2026.

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