Name: how to quantify the fraction of photoactivated fluorescent proteins in bulk and in live cells
Uploaded: 2019-01-07T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about How to Quantify the Fraction of Photoactivated Fluorescent Proteins in Bulk and in Live Cells at JoVE.com

We would like to thank the Dorigo laboratory and the Neuroscience Imaging Service at Stanford University School of Medicine for providing equipment and space for this project.

1. Plasmid Construction
<ol>
	<li>Generate two-color fusion probes. Use a mammalian cell expression vector (see Table of Materials) in which mCherry112 and PA-mCherry113 have been inserted with the restriction sites AgeI and BsrGI.</li>
	<li>Order custom oligo-nucleotides to amplify the monomeric variants of eGFP and PA-eGFP containing the A206K mutation, i.e., mEGFP and PA-mEGFP14 without a stop codon as...

<ol>
	<li>Patterson, G. H., Lippincott-Schwartz, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+photoactivatable+GFP+for+selective+photolabeling+of+proteins+and+cells.">A photoactivatable GFP for selective photolabeling of proteins and cells.</a> Science. 297 (5588), 1873-1877 (2002).</li><li>Ando, R., Hama, H., Yamamoto-Hino, M., Mizuno, H., Miyawaki, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+optical+marker+based+on+the+UV-induced+green-to-red+photoconversion+of+a+fluorescent+protein.">An optical marker based on the UV-induced green-to-red photoconversion of a fluorescent protein.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 99 (20), 12651-12656 (2002).</li><li>Renz, M., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Day, R. N., Davidson, M. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ch.+9.">Ch. 9.</a> The Fluorescent Protein Revolution Series in Cellular and Clinical Imaging. , 201-228 (2014).</li><li>Shcherbakova, D. M., Sengupta, P., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Verkhusha, V. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Photocontrollable+fluorescent+proteins+for+superresolution+imaging.">Photocontrollable fluorescent proteins for superresolution imaging.</a> Annual Review of Biophysics. , 303-329 (2014).</li><li>Betzig, E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Imaging+intracellular+fluorescent+proteins+at+nanometer+resolution.">Imaging intracellular fluorescent proteins at nanometer resolution.</a> Science. 313 (5793), 1642-1645 (2006).</li><li>Hess, S. T., Girirajan, T. P., Mason, M. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultra-high+resolution+imaging+by+fluorescence+photoactivation+localization+microscopy.">Ultra-high resolution imaging by fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy.</a> Biophysical Journal. 91 (11), 4258-4272 (2006).</li><li>Henderson, J. N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structure+and+mechanism+of+the+photoactivatable+green+fluorescent+protein.">Structure and mechanism of the photoactivatable green fluorescent protein.</a> Journal of the American Chemical Society. 131 (12), 4176-4177 (2009).</li><li>Subach, F. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Photoactivation+mechanism+of+PAmCherry+based+on+crystal+structures+of+the+protein+in+the+dark+and+fluorescent+states.">Photoactivation mechanism of PAmCherry based on crystal structures of the protein in the dark and fluorescent states.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106 (50), 21097-21102 (2009).</li><li>Wiedenmann, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=EosFP,+a+fluorescent+marker+protein+with+UV-inducible+green-to-red+fluorescence+conversion.">EosFP, a fluorescent marker protein with UV-inducible green-to-red fluorescence conversion.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 101 (45), 15905-15910 (2004).</li><li>Habuchi, S., Tsutsui, H., Kochaniak, A. B., Miyawaki, A., van Oijen, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=mKikGR,+a+monomeric+photoswitchable+fluorescent+protein.">mKikGR, a monomeric photoswitchable fluorescent protein.</a> PLoS One. 3 (12), e3944 (2008).</li><li>McKinney, S. A., Murphy, C. S., Hazelwood, K. L., Davidson, M. W., Looger, L. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+bright+and+photostable+photoconvertible+fluorescent+protein.">A bright and photostable photoconvertible fluorescent protein.</a> Nature Methods. 6 (2), 131-133 (2009).</li><li>Shaner, N. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improved+monomeric+red,+orange+and+yellow+fluorescent+proteins+derived+from+Discosoma+sp.+red+fluorescent+protein.">Improved monomeric red, orange and yellow fluorescent proteins derived from Discosoma sp. red fluorescent protein.</a> Nature Biotechnology. 22 (12), 1567-1572 (2004).</li><li>Subach, F. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Photoactivatable+mCherry+for+high-resolution+two-color+fluorescence+microscopy.">Photoactivatable mCherry for high-resolution two-color fluorescence microscopy.</a> Nature Methods. 6 (2), 153-159 (2009).</li><li>Zacharias, D. A., Violin, J. D., Newton, A. C., 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=Partitioning+of+lipid-modified+monomeric+GFPs+into+membrane+microdomains+of+live+cells.">Partitioning of lipid-modified monomeric GFPs into membrane microdomains of live cells.</a> Science. 296 (5569), 913-916 (2002).</li><li>Slocum, J. D., Webb, L. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Double+Decarboxylation+in+Superfolder+Green+Fluorescent+Protein+Leads+to+High+Contrast+Photoactivation.">A Double Decarboxylation in Superfolder Green Fluorescent Protein Leads to High Contrast Photoactivation.</a> Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 8 (13), 2862-2868 (2017).</li><li>Subach, F. V., Patterson, G. H., Renz, M., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Verkhusha, V. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bright+monomeric+photoactivatable+red+fluorescent+protein+for+two-color+super-resolution+sptPALM+of+live+cells.">Bright monomeric photoactivatable red fluorescent protein for two-color super-resolution sptPALM of live cells.</a> Journal of the American Chemical Society. 132 (18), 6481-6491 (2010).</li><li>Renz, M., Wunder, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Internal+rulers+to+assess+fluorescent+protein+photoactivation+efficiency.">Internal rulers to assess fluorescent protein photoactivation efficiency.</a> Cytometry A. , (2017).</li><li>Renz, M., Daniels, B. R., Vamosi, G., Arias, I. M., Lippincott-Schwartz, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plasticity+of+the+asialoglycoprotein+receptor+deciphered+by+ensemble+FRET+imaging+and+single-molecule+counting+PALM+imaging.">Plasticity of the asialoglycoprotein receptor deciphered by ensemble FRET imaging and single-molecule counting PALM imaging.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109 (44), E2989-E2997 (2012).</li></ol>

So far, no method existed to determine in bulk the fraction of PA-FPs expressed in live cells that is photoactivated to be fluorescent. The presented protocol can be used for any spectrally distinct fluorescent protein pair. While exemplified here for the irreversible PA-FPs PA-GFP and PA-Cherry, this approach is in principle applicable to photoconvertible proteins as well. The spectrally distinct fluorescent protein, however, must be selected carefully to minimize spectral overlap given that photoconvertible fluorescent...

In 2002, the first broadly applicable photoactivatable (PA-GFP1) and photoconvertible (Kaede2) fluorescent proteins were described. These optical highlighter fluorescent proteins change their spectral properties upon irradiation with UV-light, i.e., they become bright (photoactivatable fluorescent proteins, i.e., PA-FPs), or change their color (photoconvertible FPs). To date, several reversible and irreversible photoactivatable and photoconvertible fluorescent proteins have been developed3,4. In ensemble or bulk studies, optical highlighters have been used to study the dynamics of entire cells or proteins, and the connectivity of subcellular compartments. Furthermore, optical highlighters enabled single-molecule based superresolution imaging techniques such as PALM5 and FPALM6.
Although the photochemical processes during photoactivation or -conversion have been described for many optical highlighters and even crystallographic structures before and after photoactivation/ -conversion have been made available7,8, the underlying photophysical mechanism of photoactivation and -conversion is not completely understood. Furthermore, thus far only crude estimates exist of the efficiency of photoactivation and -conversion, that is, the fraction of fluorescent proteins expressed that is actually photoconverted or photoactivated to be fluorescent. In vitro ensemble studies have been reported quantifying the shift in absorption spectra and the amount of native and activated protein in a gel9,10,11.
Here, we present a protocol involving fluorescent protein chimeras to assess the fraction of photoactivated fluorescent proteins in bulk and in live cells. Whenever working with genetically encoded fluorescent proteins, the absolute amount of protein expressed varies from cell to cell and is unknown. If one cell expressing a PA-FP shows a brighter signal after photoactivation than another cell, it cannot be differentiated if this brighter signal is due to higher expression of the PA-FP or a more efficient photoactivation of the PA-FP. To standardize the expression level in cells, we introduce internal rulers of genetically coupled spectrally distinct fluorescent proteins. By coupling the genetic information of a photoactivatable fluorescent protein to a spectrally distinct always-on fluorescent proteins, internal rulers are created that will still be expressed to an unknown total amount but in a fixed and known relative amount of 1:1. This strategy allows the quantitative characterization of different UV-light photoactivation schemes, i.e., the assessment of the relative amount of PA-FPs that can be photoactivated with different modes of photoactivation, and thereby permits to define photoactivation schemes that are more effective than others. Furthermore, this strategy allows in principle the assessment of the absolute quantification of the photoactivated PA-FP fraction. To this end, it is important to realize that the presented ensemble studies are intensity-based which makes the analysis more complex as laid out in this protocol. Parameters determining the measured fluorescent intensity, i.e., different molecular brightness, absorbance and emission spectra and FRET effects, need to be considered when comparing fluorescence intensities of different fluorescent proteins.
The presented ratiometric intensity-based quantification of photoactivation efficiency is exemplified for PA-GFP and PA-Cherry in live cells, but is in principle broadly applicable and can be used for any photoactivatable fluorescent protein under any experimental condition.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>pEGFP-N1 mammalian cell expression vector</td>
			<td>Clontech</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM w/o phenol red</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>11054020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin w/o phenol red</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>15400054</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-Glutamine (200 mM)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>25030081</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>15630080</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LabTek 8-well chambers #1.0</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12565470</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fugene 6</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>E2691</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

how to quantify the fraction of photoactivated fluorescent proteins in bulk and in live cells

Photoactivatable and -convertible fluorescent proteins (PA-FPs) have been used in fluorescence live-cell microscopy for analyzing the dynamics of cells and protein ensembles. Thus far, no method has been available to quantify in bulk and in live cells how many of the PA-FPs expressed are photoactivated to fluoresce.
Here, we present a protocol involving internal rulers, i.e., genetically coupled spectrally distinct (photoactivatable) fluorescent proteins, to ratiometrically quantify the fraction of all PA-FPs expressed in a cell that are switched on to be fluorescent. Using this protocol, we show that different modes of photoactivation yielded different photoactivation efficiencies. Short high-power photoactivation with a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) resulted in up to four times lower photoactivation efficiency than hundreds of low-level exposures applied by CLSM or a short pulse applied by widefield illumination. While the protocol has been exemplified here for (PA-)GFP and (PA-)Cherry, it can in principle be applied to any spectrally distinct photoactivatable or photoconvertible fluorescent protein pair and any experimental set-up.

The protocol presented here shows the ratiometric quantification of the fraction of fluorescent proteins that are photoactivated to be fluorescent (Figure 1). This fraction differs depending upon the mode of photoactivation.
A typical result using short time high-power photoactivation with a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) is shown in Figure 2c. After titratin...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about How to Quantify the Fraction of Photoactivated Fluorescent Proteins in Bulk and in Live Cells at JoVE.com

How to Quantify the Fraction of Photoactivated Fluorescent Proteins in Bulk and in Live Cells

Here, we present a protocol that involves genetically coupled spectrally distinct photoactivatable and fluorescent proteins. These fluorescent protein chimeras permit quantification of the PA-FP fraction that is photoactivated to be fluorescent, i.e., the photoactivation efficiency. The protocol reveals that different modes of photoactivation yield different photoactivation efficiencies.

Photoactivatable and -convertible fluorescent proteins (PA-FPs) have been used in fluorescence live-cell microscopy for analyzing the dynamics of cells ...

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