Name: highly sensitive and rapid fluorescence detection with a portable fret analyzer
Uploaded: 2016-10-01T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Highly Sensitive and Rapid Fluorescence Detection with a Portable FRET Analyzer at JoVE.com

This research was supported by grants from the Intelligent Synthetic Biology Center of Global Frontier Project (2011-0031944) and the KRIBB Research Initiative Program.

1. Preparation of Biosensor
<ol>
	<li>Construct the plasmid pET21a(+)-CFP-MBP-YFP-His6 by following the previously-established protocol2.</li>
	<li>Inoculate 5 ml of Luria broth (LB) with a single colony of an Escherichia coli DE3 strain and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 16 hr with shaking.</li>
	<li>Transfer 1 ml of the O/N culture into a 500-ml flask containing 100 ml LB and incubate at 37 &#176;C in a shaking incubator until the optical density at 600 nm (OD600) reaches 0.5 (about 3 hr).<...

<ol>
	<li>Deuschle, K., Okumoto, S., Fehr, M., Looger, L. L., Kozhukh, L., Frommer, W. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Construction+and+optimization+of+a+family+of+genetically+encoded+metabolite+sensors+by+semirational+protein+engineering.">Construction and optimization of a family of genetically encoded metabolite sensors by semirational protein engineering.</a> Protein Sci. 14 (9), 2304-2314 (2005).</li><li>Ha, J. S., Song, J. J., Lee, Y. M., Kim, S. J., Sohn, J. H., Shin, C. S., Lee, S. 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U.S.A. 102 (24), 8740-8745 (2005).</li><li>Merzlyakov, M., Li, E., Casas, R., Hristova, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Spectral+F&#246;rster+resonance+energy+transfer+detection+of+protein+interactions+in+surface-supported+bilayers.">Spectral F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer detection of protein interactions in surface-supported bilayers.</a> Langmuir. 22 (16), 6986-6992 (2006).</li><li>Zhang, J., Campbell, R. E., Ting, A. Y., Tsien, R. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Creating+new+fluorescent+probes+for+cell+biology.">Creating new fluorescent probes for cell biology.</a> Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 3 (12), 906-918 (2002).</li><li>Kim, H., Kim, H. S., Ha, J. S., Lee, S. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+portable+FRET+analyzer+for+rapid+detection+of+sugar+content.">A portable FRET analyzer for rapid detection of sugar content.</a> Analyst. 140 (10), 3384-3389 (2015).</li><li>Gam, J., Ha, J. -. S., Kim, H., Lee, D. -. H., Lee, J., Lee, S. -. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ratiometric+analyses+at+critical+temperatures+can+magnify+the+signal+intensity+of+FRET-based+sugar+sensors+with+periplasmic+binding+proteins.">Ratiometric analyses at critical temperatures can magnify the signal intensity of FRET-based sugar sensors with periplasmic binding proteins.</a> Biosens. Bioelectron. 72, 37-43 (2015).</li><li>Hessels, A. M., Merkx, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetically-encoded+FRET-based+sensors+for+monitoring+Zn2++in+living+cells.">Genetically-encoded FRET-based sensors for monitoring Zn2+ in living cells.</a> Metallomics. 7 (2), 258-266 (2015).</li><li>Song, Y., Yang, M., Wegner, S. V., Zhao, J., Zhu, R., Wu, Y., He, C., Chen, P. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+genetically+encoded+FRET+sensor+for+intracellular+heme.">A genetically encoded FRET sensor for intracellular heme.</a> ACS Chem. Biol. 10 (7), 1610-1615 (2015).</li><li>. Fluorescent Protein Guide: Biosensors Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.addgene.org/fluorescent-proteins/biosensors/">https://www.addgene.org/fluorescent-proteins/biosensors/</a> (2015)</li><li>Rajendran, R., Rayman, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Point-of-care+blood+glucose+testing+for+diabetes+care+in+hospitalized+patients:+an+evidence-based+review.">Point-of-care blood glucose testing for diabetes care in hospitalized patients: an evidence-based review.</a> J. Diabetes Sci. Technol. 8 (6), 1081-1090 (2014).</li><li>Vyas, N. K., Vyas, M. N., Quiocho, F. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sugar+and+signal-transducer+binding+sites+of+the+Escherichia+coli+galactose+chemoreceptor+protein.">Sugar and signal-transducer binding sites of the Escherichia coli galactose chemoreceptor protein.</a> Science. 242, 1290-1295 (1988).</li><li>Leermakers, E. T. M., Felix, J. F., Erler, N. S., &#266;erimagi&#263;, A., Wijtzes, A. I., Hofman, A., Raat, H., Moll, H. A., Rivadeneira, F., Jaddoe, V. W., Franco, O. H., Kiefte-de Jong, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sugar-containing+beverage+intake+in+toddlers+and+body+composition+up+to+age+6+years:+The+Generation+R+Study.">Sugar-containing beverage intake in toddlers and body composition up to age 6 years: The Generation R Study.</a> Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 69 (3), 314-321 (2015).</li><li>Shilts, M., Styne, D., Drake, C., Aden, C., Townsend, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fast+food,+fat+and+sugar+sweetened+beverage+items+are+related+to+children's+dietary+energy+density.">Fast food, fat and sugar sweetened beverage items are related to children's dietary energy density.</a> FASEB J. 29 (1), 731-736 (2015).</li><li>Larsson, S. C., &#197;kesson, A., Wolk, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sweetened+beverage+consumption+is+associated+with+increased+risk+of+stroke+in+women+and+men.">Sweetened beverage consumption is associated with increased risk of stroke in women and men.</a> J Nutr. 144 (6), 856-860 (2014).</li><li>Melkko, S., Neri, D., Vaillancourt, P. 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This protocol allows rapid and efficient quantification of the sugar content in beverage samples, using a custom-made FRET analyzer7 at an optimal temperature for FRET sensors. The analyzer was designed with a recently-developed, inexpensive 405-nm band ultraviolet-LED as the light source and two photodetectors with a silicon photodiode. This device is more cost-effective than other comparable fluorometers. The device showed high detection sensitivity, specifically when measuring the ratio of two emission wave...

F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has been widely used as a biometric sensor to detect small molecules such as sugars, calcium ions, and amino acids1-4. FRET biosensors contain fluorescent proteins, cyan fluorescent proteins (CFPs), and yellow fluorescent proteins (YFPs), which are fused to both ends of periplasmic-binding proteins (PBPs). Sugars bind to PBPs located in the middle of the FRET sensor, causing structural changes to the sensor that subsequently alter the distance and transition dipole orientation of the two fluorescent proteins at either end of the PBPs. This change enables quantitative analysis of sugar content by measuring the ratio of the emission wavelengths of EYFP (530 nm) and ECFP (480 nm). Owing to the high sensitivity, specificity, real-time monitoring capacity, and fast response time of FRET biosensors, these sensors are widely used in environmental, industrial, and medical applications5. Moreover, ratiometric measurement using FRET biosensors has important practical benefits, as it can be used to measure components in complex biological samples where the sensor concentration cannot be easily controlled and background fluorescence is always present.
Despite these advantages of FRET-based sensors for quantitative visualization, small structural changes with incomplete domain motion-transfer to the fluorescent proteins produce inherently weak signal intensity. This weak signal limits the application of FRET-based sensors for in vitro or in vivo analysis6. Consequently, most FRET biosensors require the use of expensive and highly sensitive equipment. Previously, we developed an inexpensive and portable FRET analyzer with capabilities similar to those of the existing fluorescence analyzers7. In this device, inexpensive 405-nm band ultraviolet light-emitting diode (LED) was used as the light source to cause excitation of the fluorescence signal, replacing an expensive lamp or laser. The detection system of the analyzer efficiently focuses the dissipating fluorescence signal onto two photodetectors with a silicon photodiode. In a more recent study, we showed that optimization of detection temperature at 50 - 55 &#176;C could significantly magnify the ratiometric FRET signal8. This temperature-specific signal enhancement, along with the custom-made FRET analyzer, enables the use of FRET sensors in more general diagnostic applications with rapid and high sensitivity.
In this protocol, we demonstrated the general applicability of the FRET analyzer under optimal FRET temperature conditions by quantifying the sugar content of commercially-available beverages. This protocol provides the details of the FRET device operation, as well as a brief description of sensor and sample preparation. We anticipate that this report will promote the potential application of the portable analyzer in small-scale laboratory environments and provide a foundation for further development of an inexpensive on-site diagnostic device with FRET-based biosensors.

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		<col />
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	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">LB</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">BD</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">#244620</td>
			<td style="width:760px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:227px;">isopropyl &#946;-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG)</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">I6758</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Ampicillin</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A9518</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Tri-HCl</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Bioneer</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C-9006-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">PMSF</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">78830</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">EDTA</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Bioneer</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C-9007</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">DTT</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D0632</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">NaCl</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Junsei</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">19015-0350</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;width:227px;">phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">70011-044</td>
			<td>0.8% NaCl, 0.02% KCl, 0.0144% Na2HPO4, 0.024% KH2OP4, pH 7.4</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">SOC</td>
			<td style="width:191px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>2% tryptone, 0.5% Yeast extract, 10 mM NaCl, 2.5 mM KCl, 10 mM MGCl2, 20 mM Glucose</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Resource Q</td>
			<td>Amersham Biosciences</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">17-1177-01</td>
			<td>6 &#215; 30 mm anion-exchange chromatography column&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">HisTrap HP1</td>
			<td>Amersham Biosciences</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">29-0510-21</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">Quartz cuvette</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Z802875</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">AK&#196;KTAFPLC</td>
			<td>Amersham Biosciences</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">18-1900-26</td>
			<td>a fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Cary Eclipse</td>
			<td>VarianInc</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>a fluorescence spectrophotometer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">VICTOR&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">PerkinElmer</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">2030-0050</td>
			<td>a multilabel plate reader</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">E. coli JM109 (DE3)</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Electrocompetent cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">A (Beverage)</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Korea Yakult Co. (Korea)</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Birak</td>
			<td>Fermented drinks</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">B (Beverage)</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Lotte Foods (Korea)</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Epro</td>
			<td>Soft drink</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:227px;">C (Beverage)</td>
			<td style="width:191px;">Lotte Foods (Korea)</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Getoray</td>
			<td>Sports drink</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

highly sensitive and rapid fluorescence detection with a portable fret analyzer

Recent improvements in F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensors have enabled their use to detect various small molecules including ions and amino acids. However, the innate weak signal intensity of FRET sensors is a major challenge that prevents their application in various fields and makes the use of expensive, high-end fluorometers necessary. Previously, we built a cost-effective, high-performance FRET analyzer that can specifically measure the ratio of two emission wavelength bands (530 and 480 nm) to achieve high detection sensitivity. More recently, it was discovered that FRET sensors with bacterial periplasmic binding proteins detect ligands with maximum sensitivity in the critical temperature range of 50 - 55 &#176;C. This report describes a protocol for assessing sugar content in commercially-available beverage samples using our portable FRET analyzer with a temperature-specific FRET sensor. Our results showed that the additional preheating process of the FRET sensor significantly increases the FRET ratio signal, to enable more accurate measurement of sugar content. The custom-made FRET analyzer and sensor were successfully applied to quantify the sugar content in three types of commercial beverages. We anticipate that further size reduction and performance enhancement of the equipment will facilitate the use of hand-held analyzers in environments where high-end equipment is not available.

To perform quantitative analysis of sugar content using the FRET analyzer, it is necessary to build a fitted curve estimating the target sugar concentration from the observed FRET ratio. Let r define the ratio of the emission intensity of CFP at 480 nm and the emission intensity of YFP generated at 530 nm (Eq. 1).
<img alt="Equation 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/54144/54144equation1.jpg" />
<p class="jove_content" fo:ke...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Highly Sensitive and Rapid Fluorescence Detection with a Portable FRET Analyzer at JoVE.com

Highly Sensitive and Rapid Fluorescence Detection with a Portable FRET Analyzer

This protocol describes the rapid and highly sensitive quantification of F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensor data using a custom-made portable FRET analyzer. The device was used to detect maltose within a critical temperature range that maximizes detection sensitivity, enabling practical and efficient assessment of sugar content.

Recent improvements in F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensors have enabled their use to detect various small molecules including ions and ...

The overall goal of this protocol is to demonstrate the general applicability of the FRET analyzer under optimal conditions by quantifying the sugar content of commercially available beverages. This method can help answer key questions in the sensing and monitoring field of small molecules, such as sugar. The main advantage of this technique is that it can efficiently monitor a fresh signal responsing to the small molecules without expensive, high-end fluorometers.Demonstrating the procedure will be Dr.Han from our laboratory. First, prepare the maltose or sucrose-specific cyan and yellow fluorescent biosensor plasmid. Then innoculate five milliliters of Luria broth with a single colony of DE3 E.Coli, and incubate the culture at 37 degrees Celsius in a shaking incubator for 16 hours.Next, place one millileter of the culture into a flask containing 100 milliliters of LB.Incubate the flask at 37 degrees Celsius in a shaking incubator until the optical density at 600 nanometers is about 0.5. Centrifuge the culture for 20 minutes at four degrees Celsius. Quickly resuspend the pellet in 50 milliliters of ice-cold distilled water, and centrifuge for 20 minutes again.Resuspend the pellet in 50 microliters of a 10 volume percent solution of glycerol and ice-cold distilled water. Gently swirl the mixture until the optical density at 600 nanometers reaches 100. In an ice-cold electroporation cuvette, combine the mixture with 10 nanograms of CMY plasmid.Electroporate the mixture. In the cuvette, resuspend the cells in one millileter of SOC medium, and then transfer them to a 15 milliliter round-bottom tube. Recover the cells by gently shaking at 37 degrees for one hour.Spread the cells on an LB agar plate with 100 micrograms per a milliliter ampicillin. Incubate the cells at 37 degrees for 12 hours. Using a loop, transfer a single colony to 10 milliliters of LB containing 100 micrograms per milliliter ampicillin.Incubate the mixture at 37 degrees while shaking for 12 hours to create the seed culture. Transfer five milliliters of the seed culture to 500 milliliters of LB with ampicillin, and incubate the cells at 37 degrees in a shaking incubator. Once the optical density at 600 nanometers reaches 0.5, add IPTG to make a final concentration of 0.5 millimolar.After incubating the culture for 24 hours, centrifuge the cells for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the supernatant and resuspend the pellet in five milliliters of binding buffer. Sonicate the cells on ice for 10 seconds, and then cool the cells for 10 seconds.Repeat the sonication and cooling five more times. Centrifuge the lysate for 30 minutes. Transfer the supernatant to another collection tube.Purify the supernatant on a nickel NTA affinity column. Fill a 10, 000 milliwatt concentrator with 20 milliliters of the purified sample. Centrifuge the sample for 10 minutes, and then refill the concentrator with 0.8%phosphate buffered saline.Repeat this process with the rest of the sample in this way, 20 milliliters at a time, until all of the protein has been concentrated and desalted. Store the purified FRET biosensor at 80 degrees Celsius. Prepare a 0.2 micromolar solution of CMY biosensor protein and 0.8%PBS as the detection solution.Turn on a handheld FRET analyzer. Set the analysis temperature to 53 degrees Celsius. Then set the instrument to calibration mode.Fill a cuvette with 0.8%PBS as a background. Preheat the sample to 53 degrees Celsius in the analyzer, and then set the background. Next, fill a cuvette with detection solution.Place the cuvette into the analyzer and set the baseline. Replace the cuvette with one containing detection solution and one millimolar sugar. Set the intensity at saturation to finish the calibration.To begin preparing a beverage sample for sugar content analysis, using a 1.5 milliliter microcentrifuge tube, centrifuge one milliliter of the beverage. Remove the supernatant with a one milliliter syringe and filter the supernatant though a 0.2 micrometer syringe filter. Combine 0.1 milliliters of filtrate and 0.9 milliliters of 0.8%PBS in a 1.5 milliliter microcentrifuge tube.Gently vortex the mixture to ensure complete dilution. Place five microliters of the diluted beverage sample and 495 microliters of detection solution in a cuvette. Place the cuvette in the analyzer and preheat the sample to 53 degrees Celsius.Press the set button to measure the sugar content of the sample. In this method, the FRET efficiency is measured by the ratio of the emission intensity of the yellow fluorescent protein to the cyan fluorescent protein in the biosensor. The optimal measurement temperature for these CMY biosensors is between 50 and 55 degrees Celsius, as the difference in the emission intensity ratio between a control solution and a saturated solution of maltose is greatest.The CMY-BII biosensor was used to evalute the maltose content of three beverages at 53 degrees. A dose response curve is generated from obtaining this ratio at various maltose concentrations at a given temperature. The emission ratio is related to the maltose concentration using the values obtained during calibration.The measured maltose contents are shown with the total sugar contents reported by the beverage manufacturers. Beverage A contained maltose sources such as rice and barley. Correspondingly, the observed amount of maltose accounts for about half of the total reported sugar content.Beverage C, a sports drink, had a very low maltose content. While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to operate the device and FRET sensors between 50 and 55 degrees Celsius. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to quantify such a small molecules with a custom-made handheld FRET analyzer.

highly-sensitive-rapid-fluorescence-detection-with-portable-fret

Research

JoVE Journal

Biochemistry

Regeneration of Arrayed Gold Microelectrodes Equipped for a Real-Time Cell Analyzer

The label-free cell-based assay is advantageous for biochemical study because of it does not require the use of experimental animals. Due to its ability to provide more dynamic information about cells under physiological conditions than classical biochemical assays, this label-free real-time cell assay based on the electric impedance principle is attracting more attention during the past decade. However, its practical utilization may be limited due to the relatively expensive cost of measurement, in which costly consumable disposable gold microchips are used for the cell analyzer. In this protocol, we have developed a general strategy to regenerate arrayed gold microelectrodes equipped for a commercial label-free cell analyzer. The regeneration process includes trypsin digestion, rinsing with ethanol and water, and a spinning step. The proposed method has been tested and shown to be effective for the regeneration and repeated usage of commercial electronic plates at least three times, which will help researchers save on the high running cost of real-time cell assays.

This protocol describes a general strategy to regenerate commercial arrayed gold microelectrodes equipped for a label-free cell analyzer aimed at saving on the high running costs ofmicrochip-based assays. The regeneration process includes trypsin digestion, rinsing with ethanol and water, and a spinning step, which enables repeated usage of microchips.

The label-free cell-based assay is advantageous for biochemical study because of it does not require the use of experimental animals. Due to its ability ...

Rab10 Phosphorylation Detection by LRRK2 Activity Using SDS-PAGE with a Phosphate-binding Tag

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been shown to be linked with familial Parkinson&#39;s disease (FPD). Since abnormal activation of the kinase activity of LRRK2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD, it is essential to establish a method to evaluate the physiological levels of the kinase activity of LRRK2. Recent studies revealed that LRRK2 phosphorylates members of the Rab GTPase family, including Rab10, under physiological conditions. Although the phosphorylation of endogenous Rab10 by LRRK2 in cultured cells could be detected by mass spectrometry, it has been difficult to detect it by immunoblotting due to the poor sensitivity of currently available phosphorylation-specific antibodies for Rab10. Here, we describe a simple method of detecting the endogenous levels of Rab10 phosphorylation by LRRK2 based on immunoblotting utilizing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) combined with a phosphate-binding tag (P-tag), which is N-(5-(2-aminoethylcarbamoyl)pyridin-2-ylmetyl)-N,N&#39;,N&#39;-tris(pyridin-2-yl-methyl)-1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol. The present protocol not only provides an example of the methodology utilizing the P-tag but also enables the assessment of how mutations as well as inhibitor treatment/administration or any other factors alter the downstream signaling of LRRK2 in cells and tissues.

The present study describes a simple method of detecting endogenous levels of Rab10 phosphorylation by leucine-rich repeat kinase 2.

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been shown to be linked with familial Parkinson&#39;s disease (FPD). Since abnormal activation of ...

Highly Sensitive and Quantitative Detection of Proteins and Their Isoforms by Capillary Isoelectric Focusing Method

Immunoblotting has become a routine technique in many laboratories for protein characterization from biological samples. The following protocol provides an alternative strategy, capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF), with many advantages compared to conventional immunoblotting. This is an antibody-based, automated, rapid, and quantitative method in which a complete western blotting procedure takes place inside an ultrathin capillary. This technique does not require a gel to transfer to a membrane, stripping of blots, or x-ray films, which are typically required for conventional immunoblotting. Here, proteins are separated according to their charge (isoelectric point; pI), using less than a microliter (400 nL) of total protein lysate. After electrophoresis, proteins are immobilized onto the capillary walls by ultraviolet light treatment, followed by primary and secondary (horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugated) antibody incubation, whose binding is detected through enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL), generating a light signal that can be captured and recorded by a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The digital image can be analyzed and quantified (peak area) using software. This high throughput procedure can handle 96 samples at a time; is highly sensitive, with protein detection in the picogram range; and produces highly reproducible results because of automation. All of these aspects are extremely valuable when the quantity of samples (e.g., tissue samples and biopsies) is a limiting factor. The technique has wider applications as well, including screening of drugs or antibodies, biomarker discovery, and diagnostic purposes.

Capillary isoelectric focusing is an antibody-based, ultrasensitive, high throughput technique, enabling detailed characterization of proteins and their isoforms from extremely small biological samples. The following describes a protocol for detection and quantification of specific proteins and their isoforms in an automated and robotized manner.

Immunoblotting has become a routine technique in many laboratories for protein characterization from biological samples. The following protocol provides ...

Detection of Detergent-sensitive Interactions Between Membrane Proteins

Our ability to explore protein-protein interactions is the key to understanding regulatory connections in the cell. However, detection of protein-protein interactions in many cases is associated with significant experimental challenges. In particular, sorting receptors interact with their protein cargo in the lumen of the membrane compartments often in a detergent-sensitive fashion, making co-immunoprecipitation of these proteins unusable. Binding of the sorting receptor sortilin to glucose transporter GLUT4 may serve as an example of weak luminal interactions between membrane proteins. Here, we describe a fast, simple, and inexpensive assay to validate the interaction between sortilin and GLUT4. For that, we have designed and chemically synthesized the myc-tagged peptide corresponding to the potential sortilin-binding epitope in the luminal part of GLUT4. Sortilin tagged with six histidines was expressed in mammalian cells, and isolated from cell lysates using Cobalt beads. Sortilin immobilized on the beads was incubated with the peptide solution at different pH values, and the eluted material was analyzed by Western blotting. This assay can be easily adapted to study other detergent-sensitive protein-protein interactions.

We describe a protocol for detection of detergent-sensitive interactions between membrane proteins using binding of the sorting receptor, sortilin, to the first luminal loop of the glucose transporter protein, GLUT4, as an example.

Our ability to explore protein-protein interactions is the key to understanding regulatory connections in the cell. However, detection of protein-protein ...

Detection of Small GTPase Prenylation and GTP Binding Using Membrane Fractionation and  GTPase-linked Immunosorbent Assay

The Rho GTPase family belongs to the Ras superfamily and includes approximately 20 members in humans. Rho GTPases are important in the regulation of diverse cellular functions, including cytoskeletal dynamics, cell motility, cell polarity, axonal guidance, vesicular trafficking, and cell cycle control. Changes in Rho GTPase signaling play an essential regulatory role in many pathological conditions, such as&#160;cancer, central nervous system diseases, and immune system-dependent diseases. The posttranslational modification of Rho GTPases (i.e., prenylation by mevalonate pathway intermediates) and GTP binding are key factors which affect the activation of this protein. In this paper, two essential and simple methods are provided to detect a broad range of Rho GTPase prenylation and GTP binding activities. Details of the technical procedures that have been used are explained step by step in this manuscript.

Here we describe a protocol to investigate the prenylation and guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP)-loading of Rho GTPase. This protocol consists of two detailed methods, namely membrane fractionation and a GTPase-linked immunosorbent assay. The protocol can be used for measuring the prenylation and GTP loading of different other small GTPases.

The Rho GTPase family belongs to the Ras superfamily and includes approximately 20 members in humans. Rho GTPases are important in the regulation of ...

Rapid Fluorescence-based Characterization of Single Extracellular Vesicles in Human Blood with Nanoparticle-tracking Analysis

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are specialized membranous nano-sized vesicles found in bodily fluids that are constitutively released from many cell types and play a pivotal role in regulating cell-cell communication and a diverse range of biological processes. Many different methods for the characterization of EVs have been described. However, most of these methods have the disadvantage that the preparation and characterization of the samples are very time-consuming, or it is extremely difficult to analyze specific markers of interest due to their small size and due to the lack of discrete populations. While methods for analysis of EVs have been considerably improved over the last decade, there is still no standardized method for characterization of single EVs. Here, we demonstrate a semi-automated method for characterization of single EVs by fluorescence-based nanoparticle-tracking analysis. The protocol that is presented addresses the common problem of many researchers in this field and provides the complete workflow for rapid isolation of EVs and characterization with PKH67, a general cell membrane linker, as well as with specific surface markers such as CD63, CD9, vimentin, and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1). The presented results show a high level of reproducibility, as confirmed by other methods, such as Western blotting. In the conducted experiments, we exclusively used EVs isolated from human serum samples, but this method is also suitable for plasma or other body fluids and can be adjusted for characterization of EVs from cell culture supernatants. Irrespective of the future progress of research on EV biology, the protocol that is presented here provides a rapid and reliable method for rapid characterization of single EVs with specific markers.

In this protocol, we describe the complete workflow for rapid isolation of extracellular vesicles from human whole blood and characterization of specific markers by fluorescence-based nanoparticle-tracking analysis. The presented results show a high level of reproducibility and can be adjusted to cell culture supernatants.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are specialized membranous nano-sized vesicles found in bodily fluids that are constitutively released ...

Detection of Protein Ubiquitination Sites by Peptide Enrichment and Mass Spectrometry

The posttranslational modification of proteins by the small protein ubiquitin is involved in many cellular events. After tryptic digestion of ubiquitinated proteins, peptides with a diglycine remnant conjugated to the epsilon amino group of lysine (&#39;K-&#949;-diglycine&#39; or simply &#39;diGly&#39;) can be used to track back the original modification site. Efficient immunopurification of diGly peptides combined with sensitive detection by mass spectrometry has resulted in a huge increase in the number of ubiquitination sites identified up to date. We have made several improvements to this workflow, including offline high pH reverse-phase fractionation of peptides prior to the enrichment procedure, and the inclusion of more advanced peptide fragmentation settings in the ion routing multipole. Also, more efficient cleanup of the sample using a filter-based plug in order to retain the antibody beads results in a greater specificity for diGly peptides. These improvements result in the routine detection of more than 23,000 diGly peptides from human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) cell lysates upon proteasome inhibition in the cell. We show the efficacy of this strategy for in-depth analysis of the ubiquitinome profiles of several different cell types and of in vivo samples, such as brain tissue. This study presents an original addition to the toolbox for protein ubiquitination analysis to uncover the deep cellular ubiquitinome.

We present a method for the purification, detection, and identification of diGly peptides that originate from ubiquitinated proteins from complex biological samples. The presented method is reproducible, robust, and outperforms published methods with respect to the level of depth of the ubiquitinome analysis.

The posttranslational modification of proteins by the small protein ubiquitin is involved in many cellular events. After tryptic digestion of ...

Study on the Metabolism of Six Systemic Insecticides in a Newly Established Cell Suspension Culture Derived from Tea (Camellia Sinensis L.) Leaves

A platform for studying insecticide metabolism using in vitro tissues of tea plant was developed. Leaves from sterile tea plantlets were induced to form loose callus on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal media with the plant hormones 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 1.0 mg L-1) and kinetin (KT, 0.1 mg L-1). Callus formed after 3 or 4 rounds of subculturing, each lasting 28 days. Loose callus (about 3 g) was then inoculated into B5 liquid media containing the same plant hormones and was cultured in a shaking incubator (120 rpm) in the dark at 25 &#177; 1 &#176;C. After 3&#8722;4 subcultures, a cell suspension derived from tea leaf was established at a subculture ratio ranging between 1:1 and 1:2 (suspension mother liquid: fresh medium). Using this platform, six insecticides (5 &#181;g mL-1 each thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, imidaclothiz, dimethoate, and omethoate) were added into the tea leaf-derived cell suspension culture. The metabolism of the insecticides was tracked using liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. To validate the usefulness of the tea cell suspension culture, the metabolites of thiamethoxan and dimethoate present in treated cell cultures and intact plants were compared using mass spectrometry. In treated tea cell cultures, seven metabolites of thiamethoxan and two metabolites of dimethoate were found, while in treated intact plants, only two metabolites of thiamethoxam and one of dimethoate were found. The use of a cell suspension simplified the metabolic analysis compared to the use of intact tea plants, especially for a difficult matrix such as tea.

Study on the Metabolism of Six Systemic Insecticides in a Newly Established Cell Suspension Culture Derived from Tea Camellia Sinensis L. Leaves

This work presents a protocol for establishing a cell suspension culture derived from tea (Camellia sinensis L.) leaves that can be used to study the metabolism of external compounds that can be taken up by the whole plant, such as insecticides.

A platform for studying insecticide metabolism using in vitro tissues of tea plant was developed. Leaves from sterile tea plantlets were induced to form ...

Extremely Rapid and Specific Metabolic Labelling of RNA In Vivo with 4-Thiouracil (Ers4tU)

The nucleotide analogue, 4-thiouracil (4tU), is readily taken up by cells and incorporated into RNA as it is transcribed in vivo, allowing isolation of the RNA produced during a brief period of labelling. This is done by attaching a biotin moiety to the incorporated thio group and affinity purifying, using streptavidin coated beads. Achieving a good yield of pure, newly synthesized RNA that is free of pre-existing RNA makes shorter labelling times possible and permits increased temporal resolution in kinetic studies. This is a protocol for very specific, high yield purification of newly synthesized RNA. The protocol presented here describes how RNA is extracted from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the protocol for purification of thiolated RNA from total RNA should be effective using RNA from any organism once it has been extracted from the cells. The purified RNA is suitable for analysis by many widely used techniques, such as reverse transcriptase-qPCR, RNA-seq and SLAM-seq. The specificity, sensitivity and flexibility of this technique allow unparalleled insights into RNA metabolism.

Extremely Rapid and Specific Metabolic Labelling of RNA In Vivo with 4-Thiouracil Ers4tU

The use of thiolated uracil to sensitively and specifically purify newly transcribed RNA from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The nucleotide analogue, 4-thiouracil (4tU), is readily taken up by cells and incorporated into RNA as it is transcribed in vivo, allowing isolation of ...

Making Precise and Accurate Single-Molecule FRET Measurements using the Open-Source smfBox

The smfBox is a recently developed cost-effective, open-source instrument for single-molecule F&#246;rster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET), which makes measurements on freely diffusing biomolecules more accessible. This overview includes a step-by-step protocol for using this instrument to make measurements of precise FRET efficiencies in duplex DNA samples, including details of the sample preparation, instrument setup and alignment, data acquisition, and complete analysis routines. The presented approach, which includes how to determine all the correction factors required for accurate FRET-derived distance measurements, builds on a large body of recent collaborative work across the FRET Community, which aims to establish standard protocols and analysis approaches. This protocol, which is easily adaptable to a range of biomolecular systems, adds to the growing efforts in democratising smFRET for the wider scientific community.

This article provides step-by-step instructions for making fully-corrected accurate FRET measurements on individual, freely diffusing biomolecules using the open-source, inexpensive smfBox, from switch on, through alignment and focusing, to data collection and analysis.

The smfBox is a recently developed cost-effective, open-source instrument for single-molecule F&#246;rster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET), which makes ...