Name: applying fluorescence resonance energy transfer (fret) to examine effector translocation efficiency by coxiella burnetii during sirna silencing
Uploaded: 2016-07-06T15:00:00.000+00:00
Duration: 10 min 29 s
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Applying Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer FRET to Examine Effector Translocation Efficiency by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA Silencing at JoVE.com

This work was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants (Grant ID 1062383 and 1063646) awarded to HJN. EAL is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award.

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Secretion systems, and the bacterial effector proteins these systems transport into the cytoplasm of host cells, are an important virulence component that many pathogenic bacteria utilize to establish an infection within unique replicative niches. The focus of many research groups has been to investigate the interplay between bacterial effectors and host proteins and the influence these effectors have on host cellular pathways. Very limited research, if any, has examined the potential for host proteins to be necessary fo...

Coxiella burnetii is a unique intracellular pathogen that causes the zoonotic human infection Q fever. This disease is associated with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations extending from asymptomatic seroconversion to life-threatening chronic infection that often manifests as endocarditis years after exposure1. Human infection occurs primarily through the inhalation of contaminated aerosols with ruminants the major reservoir for infection, in particular, dairy cows, sheep and goats. Although Coxiella infection in these animals is typically subclinical, the infection may trigger abortion and the considerable bacterial load within the birthing fluid and placenta can contaminate the local environment1. An example of the enormous burden such contamination can have on both public health and the agriculture industry was recently observed in the Q fever outbreak that occurred in the Netherlands2. Between 2007 and 2010, over 4,000 human cases of Q fever were diagnosed and this outbreak was linked to significant contamination of goat farms3. Additionally, Coxiella is a potential biological weapon, as classified by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, due to the environmental stability of the bacteria and low infectious dose necessary to cause severe morbidity and mortality4.
Coxiella exists in two phases: Phase I organisms, isolated from natural sources, are extremely virulent and Phase II organisms are highly attenuated in vivo. For example, after several in vitro passages of Coxiella burnetii Nine Mile Phase I organisms, Phase II bacteria were produced that contain an irreversible chromosomal deletion resulting in truncated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)5. This strain, C. burnetii NMII, is phenotypically similar to Phase I in tissue culture models and provides a safer model for researchers to study Coxiella pathogenesis in laboratories5. In recent years several breakthroughs have rapidly advanced the field of Coxiella genetics. Most notably, the development of axenic media (acidified citrate cysteine medium - ACCM-2) has allowed the cell-free growth of Coxiella in both liquid and on solid media6,7. This resulted in direct improvements of genetic tools available for Coxiella including an inducible gene expression system, shuttle vectors and random transposon systems8-11. Most recently, two methods for targeted gene inactivation have also been developed, paving the way for examining specific virulence gene candidates12.
Following internalization by alveolar macrophages, Coxiella replicates to high numbers within a membrane-bound compartment termed the Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV). The CCV requires host endocytic trafficking through early and late endosomes until it matures into a lysosome-derived organelle13. Throughout this process, the CCV acquires host factors that either appear transiently or remain associated with the vacuole, including, but not limited to, Rab5, Rab7, CD63 and LAMP-113-15. Replication of Coxiella within host cells is entirely dependent on a fully functional Dot/Icm Type IVB Secretion System (T4SS)8,16,17. This secretion system is a multi-protein structure ancestrally related to conjugation systems and spans both bacterial and vacuolar membranes to deliver bacterial proteins, termed effectors, into the host cytoplasm18. The Coxiella T4SS is functionally very similar to the well characterized Type IVB Dot/Icm Secretion System of Legionella pneumophila19,20. Interestingly, activation of the T4SS and subsequent effector translocation does not occur until Coxiella reaches the acidic lysosome-derived organelle, approximately 8 hr post-infection17,21. To date, over 130 Dot/Icm effectors have been identified9,17,22-24. Many of these effectors likely play important roles during replication of Coxiella within host cells; however, only a few effectors have been functionally characterized25-29.
In this study we utilize a fluorescence based translocation assay that relies on cleavage of the CCF2-AM FRET substrate (hereafter referred to as the BlaM substrate) via &#946;-lactamase activity within the host cell cytoplasm (Figure 1). The gene of interest is fused to TEM-1 &#946;-lactamase (BlaM) on a reporter plasmid that provides constitutive expression. The BlaM substrate is composed of two fluorophores (coumarin and fluorescein) that form a FRET pair. Excitation of the coumarin results in FRET of the fluorescein and green fluorescence emission in the absence of effector translocation; however, if the BlaM-effector fusion protein is translocated into the host cytoplasm, the resultant &#946;-lactamase activity cleaves the &#946;-lactam ring of the BlaM substrate, separating the FRET pair producing blue fluorescence emission following excitation. This translocation assay has been well proven as an approach to identify effector proteins from a range of different intracellular and extracellular bacteria, including C. burnetii, L. pneumophila, L. longbeachae, Chlamydia trachomatis, enteropathogenic E. coli, Salmonella and Brucella17,30-35.
To determine the role of specific host factors on Coxiella effector translocation we utilize a well-established method for gene silencing known as RNA interference, in particular small interfering RNA (siRNA). Originally identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, RNA interference is a conserved endogenous cellular process used for innate defense against viruses as well as gene regulation36,37. After binding of sequence-specific siRNA, degradation of mRNA occurs through RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex) resulting in specific gene silencing or knockdown38. In this study, siRNA was used to target two host proteins, Rab5A and Rab7A, which are important regulators of the endocytic pathway. The impact of silencing Rab5A and Rab7A on effector translocation was ascertained using C. burnetii pBlaM-CBU0077. CBU0077 was selected as it was previously shown to be translocated by the Dot/Icm secretion system of Coxiella17.
Utilizing both siRNA gene silencing and the fluorescencebased translocation assay described here, we are beginning to establish a role for host factors in the translocation of effector proteins by Coxiella. This approach can be applied to a wide range of both intracellular and extracellular bacteria that possess similar secretion systems responsible for the translocation of effector proteins.

<table><tbody><tr><td>&lt;strong&gt;Reagents&lt;/strong&gt;</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Citric acid</td><td>Sigma</td><td>C0759</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Sodium citrate</td><td>Sigma</td><td>S4641</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Potassium phosphate</td><td>Sigma</td><td>60218</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Magnesium chloride</td><td>Calbiochem</td><td>442611</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Calcium chloride</td><td>Sigma</td><td>C5080</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Iron sulfate</td><td>Fisher</td><td>S93248</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Sodium chloride</td><td>Sigma</td><td>S9625</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>L-cysteine</td><td>Sigma</td><td>C6852</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Bacto-neopeptone</td><td>BD</td><td>211681</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Casamino acids</td><td>Fisher</td><td>BP1424</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Methyl beta cyclodextrin</td><td>Sigma</td><td>C4555</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>RPMI + Glutamax</td><td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td><td>61870-036</td><td>ACCM-2 medium component</td></tr><tr><td>Chloramphenicol</td><td>Sigma</td><td>C0378</td><td>For bacterial culture</td></tr><tr><td>ON-TARGETplus Non-targeting Control Pool (OTP)</td><td>Dharmacon</td><td>D-001810-10-05</td><td>Non-targeting control</td></tr><tr><td>siGENOME Human PLK1 (5347) siRNA - SMARTpool</td><td>Dharmacon</td><td>M-003290-01-005</td><td>Causes cell death; measure of transfection efficiency</td></tr><tr><td>siGENOME Human RAB5A (5968) siRNA - SMARTpool</td><td>Dharmacon</td><td>M-004009-00-0005</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>siGENOME Human RAB7A (7879) siRNA - SMARTpool</td><td>Dharmacon</td><td>M-010388-00-0005</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5x siRNA buffer</td><td>Dharmacon</td><td>B-002000-UB-100</td><td>Use sterile RNase-free water to dilute 5x siRNA buffer to 1x siRNA buffer</td></tr><tr><td>DharmaFECT-1 Transfection Reagent</td><td>Dharmacon</td><td>T-2001-01</td><td>For transfection</td></tr><tr><td>Opti-MEM + GlutaMAX</td><td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td><td>51985-034</td><td>Reduced-serum medium used for transfection</td></tr><tr><td>DMEM + GlutaMAX</td><td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td><td>10567-014</td><td>For cell culture and infection</td></tr><tr><td>Heat-inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS)</td><td>Thermo Scientific</td><td>SH30071.03</td><td>Can use alternate equivalent product</td></tr><tr><td>DMSO</td><td>Sigma</td><td>D8418</td><td>For storage of Coxiella strain</td></tr><tr><td>PBS</td><td></td><td></td><td>For cell culture</td></tr><tr><td>0.05% Trypsin + EDTA</td><td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td><td>25300-054</td><td>For cell culture</td></tr><tr><td>dH&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O</td><td></td><td></td><td>For dilution of samples and standards for qPCR</td></tr><tr><td>Quick-gDNA Mini Prep</td><td>ZYMO Research</td><td>D3007</td><td>Can use alternate equivalent product to extract gDNA</td></tr><tr><td>SensiFAST SYBR No-ROX Kit</td><td>Bioline</td><td>BIO-98020</td><td>Can use alternate equivalent qPCR master mix product for qPCR reaction</td></tr><tr><td>LiveBLAzer FRET-B/G Loading kit with CCF2-AM</td><td>Invitrogen</td><td>K1032</td><td>For measurement of translocation using fluorescence and generation of the 6X loading solution (contains Solution A, B, C and DMSO)</td></tr><tr><td>Sodium hydroxide</td><td>Merck</td><td>106469</td><td>Probenicid solution component</td></tr><tr><td>Sodium phosphate monobasic</td><td>Sigma</td><td>71505</td><td>Probenicid solution component</td></tr><tr><td>di-Sodium hydrogen orthophosphate</td><td>Merck</td><td>106586</td><td>Probenicid solution component</td></tr><tr><td>Probenicid</td><td>Sigma</td><td>P8761</td><td>Probenicid solution component</td></tr><tr><td>DRAQ5 Fluorescent Probe Solution (5 mM)</td><td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td><td>62251</td><td>Nuclei stain to determine cell viablity. Use 1:4000 diluted in PBS.&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>4% PFA (paraformaldehyde) solution in PBS</td><td>Sigma</td><td>P6148</td><td>Fixing solution for HeLa 229 cells</td></tr><tr><td>25 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; tissue culture flask with vented cap</td><td>Corning</td><td>430639</td><td>For growth of bacterial strain</td></tr><tr><td>96 Well Flat Clear bottom Black Polystyrene TC-Treated Microplates, Individually wrapped, with Lid, Sterile</td><td>Corning</td><td>3603</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>75 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; tissue culture flask with vented cap</td><td>Corning</td><td>430641</td><td>For growth of HeLa 229 cells</td></tr><tr><td>175 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; tissue culture flask with vented cap</td><td>Corning</td><td>431080</td><td>For growth of HeLa 229 cells</td></tr><tr><td>Haemocytometer</td><td></td><td></td><td>For quantification of HeLa 229 cells</td></tr><tr><td>Tear-A-Way 96 Well PCR plates</td><td>4titude</td><td>4ti-0750/TA</td><td>For qPCR reaction</td></tr><tr><td>8-Lid chain, flat</td><td>Sarstedt</td><td>65.989.002</td><td>For qPCR reaction</td></tr><tr><td>&lt;strong&gt;Name&lt;/strong&gt;</td><td>&lt;strong&gt;Company&lt;/strong&gt;</td><td>&lt;strong&gt;Catalog Number&lt;/strong&gt;</td><td>&lt;strong&gt;Comments&lt;/strong&gt;</td></tr><tr><td>&lt;strong&gt;Equipment&lt;/strong&gt;</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bench top microfuge</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bench top vortex</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Orbital mixer</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Centrifuge</td><td>Eppendorf</td><td>5810 R</td><td>For pelleting bacterial culture</td></tr><tr><td>Nanodrop</td><td></td><td></td><td>For gDNA quantification</td></tr><tr><td>Mx3005P QPCR machine</td><td>Aligent Technologies</td><td>401456</td><td>For quantification of Coxiella genomes in 7 day culture</td></tr><tr><td>ClarioSTAR microplate reader</td><td>BMG LabTech</td><td></td><td>For measurement of fluorescence</td></tr></tbody></table>

applying fluorescence resonance energy transfer (fret) to examine effector translocation efficiency by coxiella burnetii during sirna silencing

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is an intracellular pathogen that relies on a Type IV Dot/Icm Secretion System to establish a replicative niche. A cohort of effectors are translocated through this system into the host cell to manipulate host processes and allow the establishment of a unique lysosome-derived vacuole for replication. The method presented here involves the combination of two well-established techniques: specific gene silencing using siRNA and measurement of effector translocation using a FRET-based substrate that relies on &#946;-lactamase activity. Applying these two approaches, we can begin to understand the role of host factors in bacterial secretion system function and effector translocation. In this study we examined the role of Rab5A and Rab7A, both important regulators of the endocytic trafficking pathway. We demonstrate that silencing the expression of either protein results in a decrease in effector translocation efficiency. These methods can be easily modified to examine other intracellular and extracellular pathogens that also utilize secretion systems. In this way, a global picture of host factors involved in bacterial effector translocation may be revealed.

For this study, the C. burnetii pBlaM-CBU0077 strain was selected as CBU0077 has been previously shown to be a translocated effector of the Coxiella Dot/Icm secretion system17. Prior to infection, the total number of genomes/ml in the seven day C. burnetii pBlaM-CBU0077 culture was enumerated using qPCR. Figure 4 demonstrates an example of the cycle threshold (Ct) values expected from both standards and samples following qPCR. The Ct ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Applying Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer FRET to Examine Effector Translocation Efficiency by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA Silencing at JoVE.com

Applying Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer FRET to Examine Effector Translocation Efficiency by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA Silencing

Investigating the interactions between bacterial pathogens and their hosts is an important area of biological research. Here, we describe the necessary techniques to measure effector translocation by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA gene silencing using BlaM substrate.

Applying Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to Examine Effector Translocation Efficiency by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA Silencing

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is an intracellular pathogen that relies on a Type IV Dot/Icm Secretion System to establish a ...

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Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

10.6K Views.  University of Melbourne. Investigating the interactions between bacterial pathogens and their hosts is an important area of biological research. Here, we describe the necessary techniques to measure effector translocation by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA gene silencing using BlaM substrate.

Video: Applying Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer FRET to Examine Effector Translocation Efficiency by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA Silencing

Using In Vitro Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Study the Dynamics Of Protein Complexes at a Millisecond Time Scale

Proteins are the primary operators of biological systems, and they usually interact with other macro- or small molecules to carry out their biological functions. Such interactions can be highly dynamic, meaning the interacting subunits are constantly associated and dissociated at certain rates. While measuring the binding affinity using techniques such as quantitative pull-down reveals the strength of the interaction, studying the binding kinetics provides insights on how fast the interaction occurs and how long each complex can exist. Furthermore, measuring the kinetics of an interaction in the presence of an additional factor, such as a protein exchange factor or a drug, helps reveal the mechanism by which the interaction is regulated by the other factor, providing important knowledge for the advancement of biological and medical research. Here, we describe a protocol for measuring the binding kinetics of a protein complex that has a high intrinsic association rate and can be dissociated quickly by another protein. The method uses fluorescence resonance energy transfer to report the formation of the protein complex in vitro, and it enables monitoring the fast association and dissociation of the complex in real time on a stopped-flow fluorimeter. Using this assay, the association and dissociation rate constants of the protein complex are quantified.

Protein-protein interactions are critical for biological systems, and studies of the binding kinetics provide insights into the dynamics and function of protein complexes. We describe a method that quantifies the kinetic parameters of a protein complex using fluorescence resonance energy transfer and the stopped-flow technique. &#160;

Proteins are the primary operators of biological systems, and they usually interact with other macro- or small molecules to carry out their biological ...

Biochemistry

Screening and Identification of RNA Silencing Suppressors from Secreted Effectors of Plant Pathogens

RNA silencing is an evolutionarily conserved, sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism in eukaryotes. Several plant pathogens have evolved proteins with the ability to inhibit the host plant RNA silencing pathway. Unlike virus effector proteins, only several secreted effector proteins have showed the ability to suppress RNA silencing in bacterial, oomycete, and fungal pathogens, and the molecular functions of most effectors remain largely unknown. Here, we describe in detail a slightly modified version of the co-infiltration assay that could serve as a general method for observing RNA silencing and for characterizing effector proteins secreted by plant pathogens. The key steps of the approach are choosing the healthy and fully developed leaves, adjusting the bacteria culture to the appropriate optical density (OD) at 600 nm, and observing green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorescence at the optimum time on the infiltrated leaves in order to avoid omitting effectors with weak suppression activity. This improved protocol will contribute to rapid, accurate, and extensive screening of RNA silencing suppressors and serve as an excellent starting point for investigating the molecular functions of these proteins.

Here, we present a modified screening method that can be extensively used to quickly screen RNA silencing suppressors in plant pathogens.

RNA silencing is an evolutionarily conserved, sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism in eukaryotes. Several plant pathogens have evolved proteins ...

Genetics

Generation and Multi-phenotypic High-content Screening of Coxiella burnetii Transposon Mutants

Invasion and colonization of host cells by bacterial pathogens depend on the activity of a large number of prokaryotic proteins, defined as virulence factors, which can subvert and manipulate key host functions. The study of host/pathogen interactions is therefore extremely important to understand bacterial infections and develop alternative strategies to counter infectious diseases. This approach however, requires the development of new high-throughput assays for the unbiased, automated identification and characterization of bacterial virulence determinants. Here, we describe a method for the generation of a GFP-tagged mutant library by transposon mutagenesis and the development of high-content screening approaches for the simultaneous identification of multiple transposon-associated phenotypes. Our working model is the intracellular bacterial pathogen Coxiellaburnetii, the etiological agent of the zoonosis Q fever, which is associated with severe outbreaks with a consequent health and economic burden. The obligate intracellular nature of this pathogen has, until recently, severely hampered the identification of bacterial factors involved in host pathogen interactions, making of Coxiella the ideal model for the implementation of high-throughput/high-content approaches.

Generation and Multi-phenotypic High-content Screening of Coxiella burnetii Transposon Mutants

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium responsible for the zoonotic disease Q fever. Here we describe methods for the generation of Coxiella fluorescent transposon mutants as well as the automated identification and analysis of the resulting internalization, replication and cytotoxic phenotypes.

Invasion and colonization of host cells by bacterial pathogens depend on the activity of a large number of prokaryotic proteins, defined as virulence ...

Analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica Effector Translocation into Host Cells Using Beta-lactamase Effector Fusions

Many gram-negative bacteria including pathogenic Yersinia spp. employ type III secretion systems to translocate effector proteins into eukaryotic target cells. Inside the host cell the effector proteins manipulate cellular functions to the benefit of the bacteria. To better understand the control of type III secretion during host cell interaction, sensitive and accurate assays to measure translocation are required. We here describe the application of an assay based on the fusion of a Yersinia enterocolitica effector protein fragment (Yersinia outer protein; YopE) with TEM-1 beta-lactamase for quantitative analysis of translocation. The assay relies on cleavage of a cell permeant FRET dye (CCF4/AM) by translocated beta-lactamase fusion. After cleavage of the cephalosporin core of CCF4 by the beta-lactamase, FRET from coumarin to fluorescein is disrupted and excitation of the coumarin moiety leads to blue fluorescence emission. Different applications of this method have been described in the literature highlighting its versatility. The method allows for analysis of translocation in vitro and also in in vivo, e.g., in a mouse model. Detection of the fluorescence signals can be performed using plate readers, FACS analysis or fluorescence microscopy. In the setup described here, in vitro translocation of effector fusions into HeLa cells by different Yersinia mutants is monitored by laser scanning microscopy. Recording intracellular conversion of the FRET reporter by the beta-lactamase effector fusion in real-time provides robust quantitative results. We here show exemplary data, demonstrating increased translocation by a Y. enterocolitica YopE mutant compared to the wild type strain.

Analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica Effector Translocation into Host Cells Using Beta-lactamase Effector Fusions

Effector translocation into host cells via a type III secretion system is a common virulence strategy among gram-negative bacteria. A beta-lactamase effector fusion based assay for quantitative analysis of translocation was applied. In Yersinia infected cells, conversion of a FRET reporter by the beta-lactamase is monitored using laser scanning microscopy.

Many gram-negative bacteria including pathogenic Yersinia spp. employ type III secretion systems to translocate effector proteins into eukaryotic target ...

In Situ Detection of Ribonucleoprotein Complex Assembly in the C. elegans Germline using Proximity Ligation Assay

Understanding when and where protein-protein interactions (PPIs) occur is critical to understanding protein function in the cell and how broader processes such as development are affected. The Caenorhabditis elegans germline is a great model system for studying PPIs that are related to the regulation of stem cells, meiosis, and development. There are a variety of well-developed techniques that allow proteins of interest to be tagged for recognition by standard antibodies, making this system advantageous for proximity ligation assay (PLA) reactions. As a result, the PLA is able to show where PPIs occur in a spatial and temporal manner in germlines more effectively than alternative approaches. Described here is a protocol for the application and quantification of this technology to probe PPIs in the C. elegans germline.

In Situ Detection of Ribonucleoprotein Complex Assembly in the C. elegans Germline using Proximity Ligation Assay

This protocol demonstrates use of the proximity ligation assay to probe for protein-protein interactions in situ in the C. elegans germline.

Understanding when and where protein-protein interactions (PPIs) occur is critical to understanding protein function in the cell and how broader processes ...

Developmental Biology

Single-molecule Imaging of Gene Regulation In vivo Using Cotranslational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC)

We describe a fluorescence microscopy method, Co-Translational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC) to image the production of protein molecules in live cells with single-molecule precision without perturbing the protein's functionality. This method makes it possible to count the numbers of protein molecules produced in one cell during sequential, five-minute time windows. It requires a fluorescence microscope with laser excitation power density of ~0.5 to 1 kW/cm2, which is sufficiently sensitive to detect single fluorescent protein molecules in live cells. The fluorescent reporter used in this method consists of three parts: a membrane targeting sequence, a fast-maturing, yellow fluorescent protein and a protease recognition sequence. The reporter is translationally fused to the N-terminus of a protein of interest. Cells are grown on a temperature-controlled microscope stage. Every five minutes, fluorescent molecules within cells are imaged (and later counted by analyzing fluorescence images) and subsequently photobleached so that only newly translated proteins are counted in the next measurement.
Fluorescence images resulting from this method can be analyzed by detecting fluorescent spots in each image, assigning them to individual cells and then assigning cells to cell lineages. The number of proteins produced within a time window in a given cell is calculated by dividing the integrated fluorescence intensity of spots by the average intensity of single fluorescent molecules. We used this method to measure expression levels in the range of 0-45 molecules in single 5 min time windows. This method enabled us to measure noise in the expression of the &lambda; repressor CI, and has many other potential applications in systems biology.

Single-molecule Imaging of Gene Regulation In vivo Using Cotranslational Activation by Cleavage CoTrAC

We describe a fluorescence microscopy method, Co-Translational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC), to image the production of protein molecules in live cells with single-molecule precision without perturbing the protein's functionality. This method has been used to follow the stochastic expression dynamics of a transcription factor, the &lambda; repressor CI 1.

We describe a fluorescence microscopy method, Co-Translational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC) to image the production of protein molecules in live cells ...

Biology

RNA Catalyst as a Reporter for Screening Drugs against RNA Editing in Trypanosomes

Substantial progress has been made in determining the mechanism of mitochondrial RNA editing in trypanosomes. Similarly, considerable progress has been made in identifying the components of the editosome complex that catalyze RNA editing. However, it is still not clear how those proteins work together. Chemical compounds obtained from a high-throughput screen against the editosome may block or affect one or more steps in the editing cycle. Therefore, the identification of new chemical compounds will generate valuable molecular probes for dissecting the editosome function and assembly. In previous studies, in vitro editing assays were carried out using radio-labeled RNA. These assays are time consuming, inefficient and unsuitable for high-throughput purposes. Here, a homogenous fluorescence-based &#8220;mix and measure&#8221; hammerhead ribozyme in vitro reporter assay to monitor RNA editing, is presented. Only as a consequence of RNA editing of the hammerhead ribozyme a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) oligoribonucleotide substrate undergoes cleavage. This in turn results in separation of the fluorophore from the quencher thereby producing a signal. In contrast, when the editosome function is inhibited, the fluorescence signal will be quenched. This is a highly sensitive and simple assay that should be generally applicable to monitor in vitro RNA editing or high throughput screening of chemicals that can inhibit the editosome function.

A highly sensitive ribozyme-based assay, applicable to high-throughput screening of chemicals targeting the unique process of RNA editing in trypanosomatid pathogens, is described in this paper. Inhibitors can be used as tools for hypothesis-driven analysis of the RNA editing process and ultimately as therapeutics.

Substantial progress has been made in determining the mechanism of mitochondrial RNA editing in trypanosomes. Similarly, considerable progress has been ...

Workflow for High-content, Individual Cell Quantification of Fluorescent Markers from Universal Microscope Data, Supported by Open Source Software

Advances in understanding the control mechanisms governing the behavior of cells in adherent mammalian tissue culture models are becoming increasingly dependent on modes of single-cell analysis. Methods which deliver composite data reflecting the mean values of biomarkers from cell populations risk losing subpopulation dynamics that reflect the heterogeneity of the studied biological system. In keeping with this, traditional approaches are being replaced by, or supported with, more sophisticated forms of cellular assay developed to allow assessment by high-content microscopy. These assays potentially generate large numbers of images of fluorescent biomarkers, which enabled by accompanying proprietary software packages, allows for multi-parametric measurements per cell. However, the relatively high capital costs and overspecialization of many of these devices have prevented their accessibility to many investigators.
Described here is a universally applicable workflow for the quantification of multiple fluorescent marker intensities from specific subcellular regions of individual cells suitable for use with images from most fluorescent microscopes. Key to this workflow is the implementation of the freely available Cell Profiler software1&#160;to distinguish individual cells in these images, segment them into defined subcellular regions and deliver fluorescence marker intensity values specific to these regions. The extraction of individual cell intensity values from image data is the central purpose of this workflow and will be illustrated with the analysis of control data from a siRNA screen for G1 checkpoint regulators in adherent human cells. However, the workflow presented here can be applied to analysis of data from other means of cell perturbation (e.g., compound screens) and other forms of fluorescence based cellular markers and thus should be useful for a wide range of laboratories.

Presented is a flexible informatics workflow enabling multiplexed image-based analysis of fluorescently labeled cells. The workflow quantifies nuclear and cytoplasmic markers and computes marker translocation between these compartments. Procedures are provided for perturbation of cells using siRNA and reliable methodology for marker detection by indirect immunofluorescence in 96-well formats.

Advances in understanding the control mechanisms governing the behavior of cells in adherent mammalian tissue culture models are becoming increasingly ...

Investigating Interactions Between Histone Modifying Enzymes and Transcription Factors in vivo by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is commonly affected by histone modifying enzymes (HMEs) that generate heterochromatic or euchromatic histone marks for transcriptional repression or activation, respectively. HMEs are recruited to their target chromatin by transcription factors (TFs). Thus, detecting and characterizing direct interactions between HMEs and TFs are critical for understanding their function and specificity better. These studies would be more biologically relevant if performed in vivo within living tissues. Here, a protocol is described for visualizing interactions in plant leaves between a plant histone deubiquitinase and a plant transcription factor using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), which allows the detection of complexes between protein molecules that are within &#60;10 nm from each other. Two variations of the FRET technique are presented: SE-FRET (sensitized emission) and AB-FRET (acceptor bleaching), in which the energy is transferred non-radiatively from the donor to the acceptor or emitted radiatively by the donor upon photobleaching of the acceptor. Both SE-FRET and AB-FRET approaches can be adapted easily to discover other interactions between other proteins in planta.

Investigating Interactions Between Histone Modifying Enzymes and Transcription Factors in vivo by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is an imaging technique for detecting protein interactions in living cells. Here, a FRET protocol is presented to study the association of histone-modifying enzymes with transcription factors that recruit them to the target promoters for epigenetic regulation of gene expression in plant tissues.

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is commonly affected by histone modifying enzymes (HMEs) that generate heterochromatic or euchromatic histone ...

An Introduction to Transfection

Transfection is the process of inserting genetic material, such as DNA and double stranded RNA, into mammalian cells. The insertion of DNA into a cell enables the expression, or production, of proteins using the cells own machinery, whereas insertion of RNA into a cell is used to down-regulate the production of a specific protein by stopping translation. While the site of action for transfected RNA is the cytoplasm, DNA must be transported to the nucleus for effective transfection. There, the DNA can be transiently expressed for a short period of time, or become incorporated into the genomic DNA, where the change is passed on from cell to cell as it divides.
This video describes the basics behind chemical mediated transfections and introduces some of the most commonly-used reagents, including charged lipids, polymers, and calcium phosphate. Each step is described from the preparation of cells for transfection through analysis of transfection efficiency. Additionally, the applications section of this video-article describes the use of electroporation and a biolistic transfection as alternative methods for introducing nucleic acid into mammalian cells. It also describes an advanced use of transfection where co-transfection of interfering RNA and DNA are introduced as a way to down-regulate a naturally occurring protein while at the same time producing a mutant variant of it within the same cell.

Transfection: Inserting Genetic Materials into Mammalian Cells

Transfection is the process of inserting genetic material, such as DNA and double stranded RNA, into mammalian cells. The insertion of DNA into a cell ...

Applying Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to Examine Effector Translocation Efficiency by Coxiella burnetii during siRNA Silencing

Summary

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Chapters in this video

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Generation and Multi-phenotypic High-content Screening of Coxiella burnetii Transposon Mutants

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Workflow for High-content, Individual Cell Quantification of Fluorescent Markers from Universal Microscope Data, Supported by Open Source Software

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An Introduction to Transfection