1. Antibody Capture onto High Capacity Magnetic Protein A or Magnetic Protein G Beads
<ol>
	<li>Uniformly re-suspend magnetic beads by gentle shaking. Keep the suspension uniform when aliquoting beads.</li>
	<li>Add 50 &#181;l of bead slurry to a 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube. Place in the magnetic stand for 10 sec. Carefully remove the storage buffer.</li>
	<li>Add 250 &#181;l of antibody binding buffer.</li>
	<li>Mix and place in the magnetic stand for 10 sec. Carefully remove the binding buffer.</li>
	<li>Add 1.0 ml of the sample containing 50-100 &#181;g of antibody to the beads. Samples can be purified antibodies or antibodies in cell media.</li>
	<li>Mix sample for 60 min at RT using a vortex mixer or end-over-end mixer.</li>
	<li>Place tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec and remove the supernatant.</li>
	<li>Add 250 &#181;l of antibody binding/washing buffer and mix. Place in the magnetic stand for 10 sec and remove binding/washing buffer. Repeat this step for a total of two washes.</li>
	<li>Proceed to Section 2 to label antibodies using amine chemistry or to Section 3 to label antibodies using thiol chemistry.</li>
</ol>
2. Antibody Labeling Using Amine Chemistry
<ol>
	<li>Conjugate Antibody
	<ol>
		<li>Add 100 &#181;l of amine conjugation buffer to the beads.</li>
		<li>Dissolve the amine-reactive fluorescent dyes (AlexaFluor 532-SE) at 10 mg/ml by adding 100 &#181;l of Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to 1.0 mg of dye. Mix by vortexing. Make this solution just before use.</li>
		<li>Add 2.5 &#181;l of amine-reactive dye for 100 &#181;g of antibody. 
		Note: Typically a 5-20 molar excess of reactive dye is recommended. However, amount of reactive dye added to the reaction needs to be empirically optimized depending on desired dye to antibody ratio and intrinsic antibody properties.</li>
		<li>Mix sample for 60 min at RT using a vortex mixer or end-over-end mixer. Make sure that the beads remain in suspension.</li>
		<li>Place tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec and remove the supernatant.</li>
		<li>Add 250 &#181;l of antibody binding/washing buffer and mix. Place in the magnetic stand for 10 sec. Remove and discard binding/washing buffer. Repeat this step for a total of two washes.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Antibody Recovery
	<ol>
		<li>Add 50 &#181;l of elution buffer to the beads.</li>
		<li>Mix for 5 min at RT using a vortex mixer or end-over-end mixer. Make sure that the beads remain in suspension.</li>
		<li>Place tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec. Remove eluted sample and transfer to a new micro-centrifuge tube containing 5 &#181;l of neutralization buffer.</li>
		<li>Repeat the process one more time and pool the eluted samples.</li>
		<li>Quantitate the antibody concentration and dye-to-antibody ratio as described in Section 4.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Antibody Labeling Using Thiol Chemistry
<ol>
	<li>Antibody Reduction
	<ol>
		<li>Add 250 &#181;l of thiol conjugation buffer and mix. Place the tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec. Remove and discard the buffer. Repeat this step twice.</li>
		<li>Add 100 &#181;l of thiol conjugation buffer.</li>
		<li>Add Dithiothreitol (DTT) to a final concentration of 2.5 mM.</li>
		<li>Mix sample for 60 min at RT using a vortex mixer or end-over-end mixer. Make sure that the beads remain in suspension.</li>
		<li>Place the tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec and discard the buffer.</li>
		<li>Add 250 &#181;l of thiol conjugation buffer and mix. Place the tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec. Remove and discard the buffer. Repeat this step for a total of two washes.</li>
		<li>Add 100 &#181;l of thiol conjugation buffer.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Conjugate Antibody
	<ol>
		<li>Dissolve the thiol-reactive dye at 10 mg/ml by adding 100 &#181;l of DMSO to 1.0 mg of dye. Mix by vortexing. Make this solution just before use.</li>
		<li>Add 2.5 &#181;l of thiol-reactive dye for 100 &#181;g of antibody. 
		Note: Typically a 5-20 molar excess of reactive dye is recommended. However, amount of reactive dye added to the reaction needs to be empirically optimized depending on desired dye to antibody ratio and intrinsic antibody properties.</li>
		<li>Mix sample for 60 min at RT using a vortex mixer or end-over-end mixer. Make sure that the beads remain in suspension.</li>
		<li>Place the tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec and remove supernatant.</li>
		<li>Add 250 &#181;l of thiol conjugation buffer and mix. Place in the magnetic stand for 10 sec and remove the buffer. Repeat this step for a total of two washes.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Elute Antibody
	<ol>
		<li>Add 50 &#181;l of elution buffer to the beads.</li>
		<li>Mix for 5 min at RT using a vortex mixer or end-over-end mixer. Make sure that the beads remain in suspension.</li>
		<li>Place tube in the magnetic stand for 10 sec. Remove eluted sample and transfer to a new micro-centrifuge tube containing 5 &#181;l of neutralization buffer.</li>
		<li>Repeat the process one more time and pool the eluted samples.</li>
		<li>Quantitate the antibody concentration and dye-to-antibody ratio as described in Section 4.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Calculate Dye-to-Antibody Ratio
<ol>
	<li>Measure the absorbance of the antibody-dye conjugate at 280 nm (A280) and at the &#955;max for the dye (Amax).</li>
	<li>Calculate the antibody concentration: 
	Antibody Concentration (mg/ml) = A280 - (Amax &#215; CF) / 1.4 
	where CF = Correction factor of the dye (provided by the manufacturer).</li>
	<li>Calculate the dye-to-antibody ratio: 
	Dye-to-Antibody Ratio (DAR) = (Amax &#215; 150,000)/Ab Concentration (mg/ml) &#215; &#949;dye 
	where, &#949;dye = the extinction coefficient of the dye at its absorbance maximum and molecular weight of antibody = 150,000 Da.</li>
</ol>

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Authors are employees of Promega Corporation.

The goal of this study was to develop a method to label antibodies, present in the cell media at low concentrations, with a variety of small molecules. Such a method will allow a large number of antibodies, during the early stages of antibody discovery, to be labeled with small molecules and screened using a biologically relevant assay. One such assay is the receptor-mediated antibody internalization assay where internalization may vary between antibodies even with similar binding affinities. Hence, it is important to sc...

Antibodies labeled with small molecules are perhaps the most commonly used reagents in biology1,2. Antibodies labeled with fluorescent dyes and biotin are extensively used in imaging, immunoassays, flow cytometry, western blots, and immunoprecipitation among other applications3-6. Radiolabeled antibodies3,7 find extensive use in imaging and therapy, antibodies labeled with cytotoxic drugs (ADCs) are offering new options for the treatment of cancers, and two ADCs have already been approved for therapeutic use8. In spite of their extensive use, the methods for labeling antibodies have remained surprisingly unchanged and typically involve multiple reactions and desalting steps9-12. Solution methods work very well in cases where only a few antibodies need to be labeled and are available in highly purified form at high concentration and in sufficient volumes. However, for newer applications like ADCs, there is a need to label antibodies at the early hybridoma stage so that they can be screened for biologically relevant properties, for example, receptor-mediated antibody internalization13-16. At the hybridoma stage, sample volumes are limited, antibodies are expressed at low concentrations and a number of samples are large, hence solution based labeling methods are not suitable.
To simplify and improve the throughput of the traditional antibody labeling methods, a few alternative approaches have been proposed17,18. One approach is to use non-magnetic Protein A affinity beads packed in small columns to capture antibodies followed by the labeling reaction and elution of labeled and purified protein. This method can be used to label antibodies directly from cell media, however, the use of columns can be laborious. A magnetic bead based method has recently been reported19 that eliminates the use of columns and improves throughput but due to the limited antibody binding capacity of the beads, only nanogram to low microgram quantities of the antibodies could be labeled.
We recently developed and used high capacity magnetic Protein A and Protein G beads (&#62;20 mg of Human IgG/ml of settled beads) to label antibodies present in cell media with small molecules20. The high capacity of the beads allows tens to hundreds of micrograms of antibody to be labeled conveniently and the rapid magnetic response of the beads simplifies handling and processing of a large number of samples in parallel. Using fluorescent dyes as surrogates for small molecules, we show that the method is compatible with amine and thiol labeling chemistry and offers high recoveries of labeled and very pure antibodies.
This protocol and the accompanying video describe on-bead labeling of mouse antibodies present in the cell media using Magnetic Protein A and Protein G beads. The protocol is divided into four sections: Section 1 describes the capture of antibodies onto the bead from biological samples. Following capture, the labeling of antibodies with fluorescent dye using amine chemistry or using thiol chemistry is described in sections 2 and section 3, respectively. Finally, section 4 describes the method for the calculations of the antibody concentration and the dye to antibody ratio.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="592">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">Magne Protein A Beads</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Promega Corporation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">&#160;G8781</td>
			<td style="width:155px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">Magne Protein G Beads</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Promega Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">&#160;G7471</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">AlexaFluor 532-SE (Succinimidyl Ester)</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A20001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">AlexaFluor 532-ME (Malemide)</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A10255</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">AlexaFluor 647-ME (Maleimide)</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A20347</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">Fluorescein-ME (Maleimide)</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">F-150</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Magnetic Stand</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Z5332</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

antibody labeling with fluorescent dyes using magnetic protein a and protein g beads

Antibodies labeled with small molecules like fluorescent dyes, cytotoxic drugs, and radioactive tracers are essential tools in biomedical research, immunodiagnostics and more recently as therapeutic agents. Traditional methods for labeling antibodies with small molecules require purified antibodies at relatively high concentration, involve multiple dialysis steps and have limited throughput. However, several applications, including the field of Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), will benefit from new methods that will allow labeling of antibodies directly from cell media. Such methods may allow antibodies to be screened in biologically relevant assays, for example, the receptor-mediated antibody internalization assay in the case of ADCs. Here, we describe a method (on-bead method) that enables labeling of small amounts of antibodies directly from cell media. This approach utilizes high capacity magnetic Protein A and Protein G affinity beads to capture antibodies from the cell media followed by labeling with small molecules using either amine or thiol chemistry and subsequent elution of the labeled antibodies. Taking fluorescent dyes as surrogates for small molecules, we demonstrate the on-bead labeling of three different mouse antibodies directly from cell media using both amine and thiol labeling chemistry. The high binding affinity of antibodies to Protein A and Protein G ensures high recoveries as well as high purity of the labeled antibodies. In addition, use of magnetic beads allows multiple samples to be handled manually, thereby significantly improving labeling throughput.

A schematic for labeling antibodies with small molecules using high capacity magnetic Protein A and Protein G beads is shown in Figure 1. Antibodies captured on the magnetic Protein G beads can be labeled with small molecules, for example fluorescent dyes, using either amine chemistry which labels primary amines of the lysine amino acids or using thiol chemistry which labels at the reduced thiols in the hinge region of the antibodies. Affinity between antibodies and Prote...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Antibody Labeling with Fluorescent Dyes Using Magnetic Protein A and Protein G Beads at JoVE.com

Antibody Labeling with Fluorescent Dyes Using Magnetic Protein A and Protein G Beads

The on-bead method for labeling antibodies with small molecules enables labeling of a small amount of antibodies directly from cell media. This method is compatible with amine and thiol chemistry, and can handle multiple samples in parallel, manually or using automated platforms.

Antibodies labeled with small molecules like fluorescent dyes, cytotoxic drugs, and radioactive tracers are essential tools in biomedical research, ...

antibody-labeling-with-fluorescent-dyes-using-magnetic-protein

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

11.7K Views.  Promega Corporation. The on-bead method for labeling antibodies with small molecules enables labeling of a small amount of antibodies directly from cell media. This method is compatible with amine and thiol chemistry, and can handle multiple samples in parallel, manually or using automated platforms.

Video: Antibody Labeling with Fluorescent Dyes Using Magnetic Protein A and Protein G Beads

Specific Marking of HIV-1 Positive Cells using a Rev-dependent Lentiviral Vector Expressing the Green Fluorescent Protein

Most of HIV-responsive expression vectors are based on the HIV promoter, the long terminal repeat (LTR). While responsive to an early HIV protein, Tat, the LTR is also responsive to cellular activation states and to the local chromatin activity where the integration has occurred. This can result in high HIV-independent activity, and has restricted the usefulness of LTR-based reporter to mark HIV positive cells 1,2,3. Here, we constructed an expression lentiviral vector that possesses, in addition to the Tat-responsive LTR, numerous HIV DNA sequences that include the Rev-response element and HIV splicing sites 4,5,6. The vector was incorporated into a lentiviral reporter virus, permitting highly specific detection of replicating HIV in living cell populations. The activity of the vector was measured by expression of the green fluorescence protein (GFP). The application of this vector as reported here offers a novel alternative approach to existing methods, such as in situ PCR or HIV antigen staining, to identify HIV-positive cells. The vector can also express therapeutic genes for basic or clinical experimentation to target HIV-positive cells.

We have developed a lentiviral vector that possesses, in addition to the Tat-responsive LTR, the Rev-response element (RRE) that can regulate reporter gene expression in an HIV-1 Tat- and Rev-dependent fashion. The vector permits the specific detection of replicating HIV in living cells via the expression of GFP.

Most of HIV-responsive expression vectors are based on the HIV promoter, the long terminal repeat (LTR). While responsive to an early HIV protein, Tat, ...

A Calcium Bioluminescence Assay for Functional Analysis of Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and Tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) G Protein-coupled Receptors

Arthropod hormone receptors are potential targets for novel pesticides as they regulate many essential physiological and behavioral processes. The majority of them belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). We have focused on characterizing arthropod kinin receptors from the tick and mosquito. Arthropod kinins are multifunctional neuropeptides with myotropic, diuretic, and neurotransmitter function. Here, a method for systematic analyses of structure-activity relationships of insect kinins on two heterologous kinin receptor-expressing systems is described. We provide important information relevant to the development of biostable kinin analogs with the potential to disrupt the diuretic, myotropic, and/or digestive processes in ticks and mosquitoes.
The kinin receptors from the southern cattle tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini), and the mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), were stably expressed in the mammalian cell line CHO-K1. Functional analyses of these receptors were completed using a calcium bioluminescence plate assay that measures intracellular bioluminescence to determine cytoplasmic calcium levels upon peptide application to these recombinant cells. This method takes advantage of the aequorin protein, a photoprotein isolated from luminescent jellyfish. We transiently transfected the aequorin plasmid (mtAEQ/pcDNA1) in cell lines that stably expressed the kinin receptors. These cells were then treated with the cofactor coelenterazine, which complexes with intracellular aequorin. This bond breaks in the presence of calcium, emitting luminescence levels indicative of the calcium concentration. As the kinin receptor signals through the release of intracellular calcium, the intensity of the signal is related to the potency of the peptide.
This protocol is a synthesis of several previously described protocols with modifications; it presents step-by-step instructions for the stable expression of GPCRs in a mammalian cell line through functional plate assays (Staubly et al., 2002 and Stables et al., 1997). Using this methodology, we were able to establish stable cell lines expressing the mosquito and the tick kinin receptors, compare the potency of three mosquito kinins, identify critical amino acid positions for the ligand-receptor interaction, and perform semi-throughput screening of a peptide library. Because insect kinins are susceptible to fast enzymatic degradation by endogenous peptidases, they are severely limited in use as tools for pest control or endocrinological studies. Therefore, we also tested kinin analogs containing amino isobutyric acid (Aib) to enhance their potency and biostability. This peptidase-resistant analog represents an important lead in the development of biostable insect kinin analogs and may aid in the development of neuropeptide-based arthropod control strategies.

A Calcium Bioluminescence Assay for Functional Analysis of Mosquito Aedes aegypti and Tick Rhipicephalus microplus G Protein-coupled Receptors

This protocol provides instructions for clonal-cell line selection and a calcium bioluminescence assay to analyze the structure-activity relationships of synthesized arthropod neuropeptides on their cognate GPCRs. This assay can be used for receptor deorphanization and structure-activity relationship studies for synthetic analog design and peptide/drug-lead discovery.

Arthropod hormone receptors are potential targets for novel pesticides as they regulate many essential physiological and behavioral processes.  The ...

Colorectal Cancer Cell Surface Protein Profiling Using an Antibody Microarray and Fluorescence Multiplexing

The current prognosis and classification of CRC relies on staging systems that integrate histopathologic and clinical findings. However, in the majority of CRC cases, cell dysfunction is the result of numerous mutations that modify protein expression and post-translational modification1.
A number of cell surface antigens, including cluster of differentiation (CD) antigens, have been identified as potential prognostic or metastatic biomarkers in CRC. These antigens make ideal biomarkers as their expression often changes with tumour progression or interactions with other cell types, such as tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs).
The use of immunohistochemistry (IHC) for cancer sub-classification and prognostication is well established for some tumour types2,3. However, no single &#x2018;marker&#x2019; has shown prognostic significance greater than clinico-pathological staging or gained wide acceptance for use in routine pathology reporting of all CRC cases. 
A more recent approach to prognostic stratification of disease phenotypes relies on surface protein profiles using multiple 'markers'. While expression profiling of tumours using proteomic techniques such as iTRAQ is a powerful tool for the discovery of biomarkers4, it is not optimal for routine use in diagnostic laboratories and cannot distinguish different cell types in a mixed population. In addition, large amounts of tumour tissue are required for the profiling of purified plasma membrane glycoproteins by these methods. 
In this video we described a simple method for surface proteome profiling of viable cells from disaggregated CRC samples using a DotScan CRC antibody microarray. The 122-antibody microarray consists of a standard 82-antibody region recognizing a range of lineage-specific leukocyte markers, adhesion molecules, receptors and markers of inflammation and immune response5, together with a satellite region for detection of 40 potentially prognostic markers for CRC. Cells are captured only on antibodies for which they express the corresponding antigen. The cell density per dot, determined by optical scanning, reflects the proportion of cells expressing that antigen, the level of expression of the antigen and affinity of the antibody6. 
For CRC tissue or normal intestinal mucosa, optical scans reflect the immunophenotype of mixed populations of cells. Fluorescence multiplexing can then be used to profile selected sub-populations of cells of interest captured on the array. For example, Alexa 647-anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM; CD326), is a pan-epithelial differentiation antigen that was used to detect CRC cells and also epithelial cells of normal intestinal mucosa, while Phycoerythrin-anti-CD3, was used to detect infiltrating T-cells7. The DotScan CRC microarray should be the prototype for a diagnostic alternative to the anatomically-based CRC staging system.

We described a procedure for the disaggregation of colorectal cancer (CRC) to produce viable single cells, which are then captured on customized antibody microarrays recognizing surface antigens (DotScan CRC microarray). Sub-populations of cells bound to the microarray can be profiled by fluorescence multiplexing using monoclonal antibodies tagged with fluorescent dyes.

The current prognosis and classification of CRC relies on staging systems that integrate histopathologic and clinical findings. However, in the majority ...

Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification of Prions

Prions are infectious agents that cause the inevitably fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in animals and humans9,18. The prion protein has two distinct isoforms, the non-infectious host-encoded protein (PrPC) and the infectious protein (PrPSc), an abnormally-folded isoform of PrPC 8.
One of the challenges of working with prion agents is the long incubation period prior to the development of clinical signs following host inoculation13. This traditionally mandated long and expensive animal bioassay studies. Furthermore, the biochemical and biophysical properties of PrPSc are poorly characterized due to their unusual conformation and aggregation states.
PrPSc can seed the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc in vitro14. PMCA is an in vitro technique that takes advantage of this ability using sonication and incubation cycles to produce large amounts of PrPSc, at an accelerated rate, from a system containing excess amounts of PrPC and minute amounts of the PrPSc seed19. This technique has proven to effectively recapitulate the species and strain specificity of PrPSc conversion from PrPC, to emulate prion strain interference, and to amplify very low levels of PrPSc from infected tissues, fluids, and environmental samples6,7,16,23 .
This paper details the PMCA protocol, including recommendations for minimizing contamination, generating consistent results, and quantifying those results. We also discuss several PMCA applications, including generation and characterization of infectious prion strains, prion strain interference, and the detection of prions in the environment.

Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) is an in vitro assay for the study of prion conversion and strain and species barriers. It can also be used as a prion detection assay.

Prions  are infectious agents that cause the inevitably fatal transmissible spongiform  encephalopathy (TSE) in animals and humans9,18. The prion protein ...

Monitoring Changes in Membrane Polarity, Membrane Integrity, and Intracellular Ion Concentrations in Streptococcus pneumoniae Using Fluorescent Dyes

Membrane depolarization and ion fluxes are events that have been studied extensively in biological systems due to their ability to profoundly impact cellular functions, including energetics and signal transductions. While both fluorescent and electrophysiological methods, including electrode usage and patch-clamping, have been well developed for measuring these events in eukaryotic cells, methodology for measuring similar events in microorganisms have proven more challenging to develop given their small size in combination with the more complex outer surface of bacteria shielding the membrane. During our studies of death-initiation in Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), we wanted to elucidate the role of membrane events, including changes in polarity, integrity, and intracellular ion concentrations. Searching the literature, we found that very few studies exist. Other investigators had monitored radioisotope uptake or equilibrium to measure ion fluxes and membrane potential and a limited number of studies, mostly in Gram-negative organisms, had seen some success using carbocyanine or oxonol fluorescent dyes to measure membrane potential, or loading bacteria with cell-permeant acetoxymethyl (AM) ester versions of ion-sensitive fluorescent indicator dyes. We therefore established and optimized protocols for measuring membrane potential, rupture, and ion-transport in the Gram-positive organism S. pneumoniae. We developed protocols using the bis-oxonol dye DiBAC4(3) and the cell-impermeant dye propidium iodide to measure membrane depolarization and rupture, respectively, as well as methods to optimally load the pneumococci with the AM esters of the ratiometric dyes Fura-2, PBFI, and BCECF to detect changes in intracellular concentrations of Ca2+, K+, and H+, respectively, using a fluorescence-detection plate reader. These protocols are the first of their kind for the pneumococcus and the majority of these dyes have not been used in any other bacterial species. Though our protocols have been optimized for S. pneumoniae, we believe these approaches should form an excellent starting-point for similar studies in other bacterial species.

Monitoring Changes in Membrane Polarity, Membrane Integrity, and Intracellular Ion Concentrations in Streptococcus pneumoniae Using Fluorescent Dyes

Unlike that seen for eukaryotes, there is a paucity of studies that detail membrane depolarization and ion concentration changes in bacteria, primarily as their small size makes conventional methods of measurement difficult. Here, we detail protocols for monitoring such events in the significant Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae utilizing fluorescence techniques.

Membrane depolarization and ion fluxes are events that have been studied extensively in biological systems due to their ability to profoundly impact ...

Co-immunoprecipitation of the Mouse Mx1 Protein with the Influenza A Virus Nucleoprotein

Studying the interaction between proteins is key in understanding their function(s). A very powerful method that is frequently used to study interactions of proteins with other macromolecules in a complex sample is called co-immunoprecipitation. The described co-immunoprecipitation protocol allows to demonstrate and further investigate the interaction between the antiviral myxovirus resistance protein 1 (Mx1) and one of its viral targets, the influenza A virus nucleoprotein (NP). The protocol starts with transfected mammalian cells, but it is also possible to use influenza A virus infected cells as starting material. After cell lysis, the viral NP protein is pulled-down with a specific antibody and the resulting immune-complexes are precipitated with protein G beads. The successful pull-down of NP and the co-immunoprecipitation of the antiviral Mx1 protein are subsequently revealed by western blotting. A prerequisite for successful co-immunoprecipitation of Mx1 with NP is the presence of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) in the cell lysis buffer. NEM alkylates free thiol groups. Presumably this reaction stabilizes the weak and/or transient NP&#8211;Mx1 interaction by preserving a specific conformation of Mx1, its viral target or an unknown third component. An important limitation of co-immunoprecipitation experiments is the inadvertent pull-down of contaminating proteins, caused by nonspecific binding of proteins to the protein G beads or antibodies. Therefore, it is very important to include control settings to exclude false positive results. The described co-immunoprecipitation protocol can be used to study the interaction of Mx proteins from different vertebrate species with viral proteins, any pair of proteins, or of a protein with other macromolecules. The beneficial role of NEM to stabilize weak and/or transient interactions needs to be tested for each interaction pair individually.

This co-immunoprecipitation protocol allows to study the interaction between the influenza A virus nucleoprotein and the antiviral Mx1 protein in human cells. The protocol emphasizes the importance of N-ethylmaleimide for successful co-immunoprecipitation of Mx1 and influenza A virus nucleoprotein.

Studying the interaction between proteins is key in understanding their function(s). A very powerful method that is frequently used to study interactions ...

Inoculating Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes with Beads to Induce and Measure the Melanization Immune Response

The stimulation of immune responses is a common tool in invertebrate studies to examine the efficacy and the mechanisms of immunity. This stimulation is based on the injection of non-pathogenic particles into insects, as the particles will be detected by the immune system and will induce the production of immune effectors. We focus here on the stimulation of the melanization response in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. The melanization response results in the encapsulation of foreign particles and parasites with a dark layer of melanin. To stimulate this response, mosquitoes are inoculated with beads in the thoracic cavity using microcapillary glass tubes. Then, after 24 hr, the mosquitoes are dissected to retrieve the beads. The degree of melanization of the bead is measured using image analysis software. Beads do not have the pathogenic effects of parasites, or their capacity to evade or suppress the immune response. These injections are a way to measure immune efficacy and the impact of immune stimulations on other life history traits, such as fecundity or longevity. It is not exactly the same as directly studying host-parasite interactions, but it is an interesting tool to study immunity and its evolutionary ecology.

Inoculating Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes with Beads to Induce and Measure the Melanization Immune Response

Through inoculation with beads, the described technique enables the stimulation of the mosquito melanization response in the hemolymph circulating system. The amount of melanin covering the beads can be measured after dissection as a measure of the immune response.

The stimulation of immune responses is a common tool in invertebrate studies to examine the efficacy and the mechanisms of immunity. This stimulation is ...

Dissecting Multi-protein Signaling Complexes by Bimolecular Complementation Affinity Purification (BiCAP)

The assembly of protein complexes is a central mechanism underlying the regulation of many cell signaling pathways. A major focus of biomedical research is deciphering how these dynamic protein complexes act to integrate signals from multiple sources in order to direct a specific biological response, and how this becomes deregulated in many disease settings. Despite the importance of this key biochemical mechanism, there is a lack of experimental techniques that can facilitate the specific and sensitive deconvolution of these multi-molecular signaling complexes.
Here this shortcoming is addressed through the combination of a protein complementation assay with a conformation-specific nanobody, which we have termed Bimolecular Complementation Affinity Purification (BiCAP). This novel technique facilitates the specific isolation and downstream proteomic characterization of any pair of interacting proteins, to the exclusion of un-complexed individual proteins and complexes formed with competing binding partners. 
The BiCAP technique is adaptable to a wide array of downstream experimental assays, and the high degree of specificity afforded by this technique allows more nuanced investigations into the mechanics of protein complex assembly than is currently possible using standard affinity purification techniques.

Dissecting Multi-protein Signaling Complexes by Bimolecular Complementation Affinity Purification BiCAP

This manuscript describes the protocol for Bimolecular Complementation Affinity Purification (BiCAP). This novel method facilitates the specific isolation and downstream proteomic characterization of any two interacting proteins, while excluding un-complexed individual proteins as well as complexes formed with competing binding partners.

The assembly of protein complexes is a central mechanism underlying the regulation of many cell signaling pathways. A major focus of biomedical research ...

A Protein Microarray Assay for Serological Determination of Antigen-specific Antibody Responses Following Clostridium difficile Infection

We provide a detailed overview of a novel high-throughput protein microarray assay for the determination of anti-Clostridium difficile antibody levels in human sera and in separate preparations of polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). The protocol describes the methodological steps involved in sample preparation, printing of arrays, assay procedure, and data analysis. In addition, this protocol could be further developed to incorporate diverse clinical samples including plasma and cell culture supernatants. We show how protein microarray can be used to determine a combination of isotype (IgG, IgA, IgM), subclass (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA1, IgA2), and strain-specific antibodies to highly purified whole C. difficile toxins A and B (toxinotype 0, strain VPI 10463, ribotype 087), toxin B from a C. difficile toxin-B-only expressing strain (CCUG 20309), a precursor form of a B fragment of binary toxin, pCDTb, ribotype-specific whole surface layer proteins (SLPs; 001, 002, 027), and control proteins (tetanus toxoid and Candida albicans). During the experiment, microarrays are probed with sera from individuals with C. difficile infection (CDI), individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) without diarrhea, healthy controls (HC), and from individuals pre- and post-IVIg therapy for the treatment of CDI, combined immunodeficiency disorder, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy. We encounter significant differences in toxin neutralization efficacies and multi-isotype specific antibody levels between patient groups, commercial preparations of IVIg, and sera before and following IVIg administration. Also, there is a significant correlation between microarray and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antitoxin IgG levels in serum samples. These results suggest that microarray could become a promising tool for profiling antibody responses to C.difficile antigens in vaccinated or infected humans. With further refinement of antigen panels and a reduction in production costs, we anticipate that microarray technology may help optimize and select the most clinically useful immunotherapies for C. difficile infection in a patient-specific manner.

A Protein Microarray Assay for Serological Determination of Antigen-specific Antibody Responses Following Clostridium difficile Infection

This article describes a simple protein microarray method for profiling humoral immune responses to a 7-plex panel of highly purified Clostridium difficile antigens in human sera. The protocol can be extended for the determination of specific antibody responses in preparations of polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin.

We provide a detailed overview of a novel high-throughput protein microarray assay for the determination of anti-Clostridium difficile antibody levels in ...

TurboID-Based Proximity Labeling for In Planta Identification of Protein-Protein Interaction Networks

Proximity labeling (PL) techniques using engineered ascorbate peroxidase (APEX) or Escherichia coli biotin ligase BirA (known as BioID) have been successfully used for identification of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in mammalian cells. However, requirements of toxic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in APEX-based PL, longer incubation time with biotin (16&#8211;24 h), and higher incubation temperature (37 &#176;C) in BioID-based PL severely limit their applications in plants. The recently described TurboID-based PL addresses many limitations of BioID and APEX. TurboID allows rapid proximity labeling of proteins in just 10&#8201;min under room temperature (RT) conditions. Although the utility of TurboID has been demonstrated in animal models, we recently showed that TurboID-based PL performs better in plants compared to BioID for labeling of proteins that are proximal to a protein of interest. Provided here is a step-by-step protocol for the identification of protein interaction partners using the N-terminal Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain of the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) protein family as a model. The method describes vector construction, agroinfiltration of protein expression constructs, biotin treatment, protein extraction and desalting, quantification, and enrichment of the biotinylated proteins by affinity purification. The protocol described here can be easily adapted to study other proteins of interest in Nicotiana and other plant species.

Described here is a proximity labeling method for identification of interaction partners of the TIR domain of the NLR immune receptor in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf tissue. Also provided is a detailed protocol for the identification of interactions between other proteins of interest using this technique in Nicotiana and other plant species.