Name: dna tension probes to map the transient piconewton receptor forces by immune cells
Uploaded: 2021-03-20T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about DNA Tension Probes to Map the Transient Piconewton Receptor Forces by Immune Cells at JoVE.com

This work was supported by NIH Grants R01GM131099, NIH R01GM124472, and NSF CAREER 1350829. We thank the NIH Tetramer Facility for pMHC ligands. This study was supported, in part, by the Emory Comprehensive Glycomics Core.

The OT-1 transgenic mice are housed at the Division of Animal Resources Facility at Emory University. All the experiments were approved and performed under the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocol.
1. Oligonucleotide preparation
<ol>
	<li>Dissolve the ligand strand DNA in water (18.2 M&#937; resistivity, used throughout the whole protocol). Vortex and spin down the solution with a tabletop centrifuge. Tune the volume of water such that the final concentration is 1 mM....

<ol>
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T., 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=CD28+and+CD3+have+complementary+roles+in+T-cell+traction+forces.">CD28 and CD3 have complementary roles in T-cell traction forces.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 111 (6), 2241-2246 (2014).</li><li>Ma, V. P. Y., Salaita, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=DNA+nanotechnology+as+an+emerging+tool+to+study+mechanotransduction+in+living+systems.">DNA nanotechnology as an emerging tool to study mechanotransduction in living systems.</a> Small. 15 (26), 1900961 (2019).</li><li>Liu, Y., Yehl, K., Narui, Y., Salaita, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tension+sensing+nanoparticles+for+mechano-imaging+at+the+living/nonliving+interface.">Tension sensing nanoparticles for mechano-imaging at the living/nonliving interface.</a> Journal of the American Chemical Society. 135 (14), 5320-5323 (2013).</li><li>Glazier, R., 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=DNA+mechanotechnology+reveals+that+integrin+receptors+apply+pN+forces+in+podosomes+on+fluid+substrates.">DNA mechanotechnology reveals that integrin receptors apply pN forces in podosomes on fluid substrates.</a> Nature Communications. 10 (1), 1-13 (2019).</li><li>Galior, K., Liu, Y., Yehl, K., Vivek, S., Salaita, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Titin-based+nanoparticle+tension+sensors+map+high-magnitude+integrin+forces+within+focal+adhesions.">Titin-based nanoparticle tension sensors map high-magnitude integrin forces within focal adhesions.</a> Nano Letters. 16 (1), 341-348 (2016).</li><li>Zhang, Y., Ge, C., Zhu, C., Salaita, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=DNA-based+digital+tension+probes+reveal+integrin+forces+during+early+cell+adhesion.">DNA-based digital tension probes reveal integrin forces during early cell adhesion.</a> Nature Communications. 5, 5167 (2014).</li><li>Liu, Y., 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=DNA-based+nanoparticle+tension+sensors+reveal+that+T-cell+receptors+transmit+defined+pN+forces+to+their+antigens+for+enhanced+fidelity.">DNA-based nanoparticle tension sensors reveal that T-cell receptors transmit defined pN forces to their antigens for enhanced fidelity.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 113 (20), 5610-5615 (2016).</li><li>Zhang, Y., 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=Platelet+integrins+exhibit+anisotropic+mechanosensing+and+harness+piconewton+forces+to+mediate+platelet+aggregation.">Platelet integrins exhibit anisotropic mechanosensing and harness piconewton forces to mediate platelet aggregation.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 115 (2), 325-330 (2018).</li><li>Huang, 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=The+kinetics+of+two-dimensional+TCR+and+pMHC+interactions+determine+T-cell+responsiveness.">The kinetics of two-dimensional TCR and pMHC interactions determine T-cell responsiveness.</a> Nature. 464 (7290), 932-936 (2010).</li><li>Ma, R., 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=DNA+probes+that+store+mechanical+information+reveal+transient+piconewton+forces+applied+by+T+cells.">DNA probes that store mechanical information reveal transient piconewton forces applied by T cells.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (34), 16949-16954 (2019).</li><li>Hui, 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=T+cell+costimulatory+receptor+CD28+is+a+primary+target+for+PD-1-mediated+inhibition.">T cell costimulatory receptor CD28 is a primary target for PD-1-mediated inhibition.</a> Science. 355 (6332), 1428-1433 (2017).</li><li>Whitley, K. D., Comstock, M. J., Chemla, Y. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Elasticity+of+the+transition+state+for+oligonucleotide+hybridization.">Elasticity of the transition state for oligonucleotide hybridization.</a> Nucleic Acids Research. 45 (2), 547-555 (2016).</li><li>Brockman, J. M., 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=Live-cell+super-resolved+PAINT+imaging+of+piconewton+cellular+traction+forces.">Live-cell super-resolved PAINT imaging of piconewton cellular traction forces.</a> Nature Methods. 17 (10), 1018-1024 (2020).</li></ol>

With the detailed procedures provided here, one can prepare DNA hairpin tension probe substrates to map and quantify the receptor tension produced by immune cells. When cells are plated onto the DNA hairpin tension probe substrate, they land, attach, and spread as the receptors sense the ligands both chemically and mechanically, the latter of which is detected by our probes. However, in some cases cells may fail to spread (Figure 7A) or fail to produce tension signal. This is often a consequ...

Immune cells defend against pathogens and cancer cells by continuously crawling and scanning the surfaces of target cells for antigens, studding their surface1,2. Antigen recognition is initiated upon binding between the T cell receptor (TCR) and the peptide-major histocompatibility complex MHC (pMHC) complex expressed on the surface of target cells. Because TCR-pMHC recognition occurs at the junction between two mobile cells, it has long been suspected of experiencing mechanical forces. Moreover, this led to the mechanosensor model of TCR activation, which suggests that TCR forces contribute to its function3,4. To understand when, where, and how mechanical forces contribute to T cell function, it is imperative to develop tools to visualize the molecular forces transmitted by T cells. Traditionally, methods such as traction force microscopy (TFM) and micropillar arrays are used to investigate cellular forces5,6. However, the force sensitivity of TFM and micropillar arrays is at the nanonewton (nN) scale and thus is often insufficient to study the molecular piconewton (pN) forces transmitted by cell receptors7. To improve the force and spatial resolution for detection, our lab pioneered the development of molecular tension probes, which were initially synthesized using polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers7. Molecular tension probes are comprised of an extendible molecular &#34;spring&#34; (PEG, protein, DNA) flanked by a fluorophore and quencher and are anchored on a surface. Forces applied to the terminus of the probe lead to its extension, separating the fluorophore and quencher, and thus generating a strong fluorescence signal (Figure 1A)8,9,10.
Over the past decade we have developed a library of different classes of molecular tension probes with spring elements made from nucleic acids11, proteins10, and polymers8. Among these, the DNA-based tension probes provide the highest signal to noise ratio and the greatest force sensitivity, which is easily tuned from a few pN up to ~20 pN11. We have used these real-time DNA tension probes to study the molecular forces generated by many diverse cell types, including fibroblasts, cancer cells, platelets, and immune cells11,12,13. This manuscript will describe protocols to synthesize and assemble DNA tension probes on a surface to map molecular receptor forces with pN force resolution using a conventional fluorescence microscope. While the current procedure includes chemical modifications to the nucleic acid to introduce the fluorescent reporter (Figure 1B), it is important to note that many of the modification and purification steps can be outsourced to custom DNA synthesis companies. Therefore, DNA tension probes technology is facile, and accessible to the broader cell biology and mechanobiology communities.
Briefly, to assemble DNA tension sensors, a DNA hairpin is hybridized to a fluorescent ligand strand on one arm and a quencher anchor strand on the other arm and then immobilized on a glass substrate (Figure 1C, real-time tension). In the absence of mechanical force, the hairpin is closed, and thus the fluorescence is quenched. However, when the applied mechanical force is greater than the F1/2 (the force at equilibrium that leads to a 50% probability of unfolding), the hairpin mechanically melts, and a fluorescent signal is generated.
Building on the real-time DNA tension sensor, we also describe protocols to map accumulated forces, which is particularly useful for studying interactions between receptors on immune cells and their natural ligand. This is because immune receptors often display short-lived bonds3,14. Accumulated forces are imaged using a &#34;locking&#34; strand that preferentially binds to open DNA hairpins and allows for the storage of fluorescence signals associated with mechanical pulling events (Figure 1C, locked tension). The locking strand is designed to bind a cryptic binding site that is exposed upon mechanically induced melting of the hairpin and lock the hairpin in the open state by blocking hairpin refolding, thus storing the tension signal, and generating an accumulated tension map. Moreover, the locking strand is designed with an eight-nucleotide toehold, which enables a toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction with its full complement, the &#34;unlocking&#34; strand. With the addition of the unlocking strand, the bound locking strand is stripped off the hairpin construct, erasing the stored tension signal and resetting the hairpin back to the real-time state.
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/62348/62348fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1:&#160;Scheme of the state-of-art molecular tension probes. (A) General design of real-time molecular tension probe, (B) Strands for the DNA-based tension probe construct, and (C) engineered DNA-based tension probes and their toggling between real-time state and locked state. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/62348/62348fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
The main protocol consists of four major sections - oligonucleotide preparation, surface preparation, imaging, and data analysis. This protocol has been successfully demonstrated by our lab and others in na&#239;ve and activated OT-1 CD8+ T cells, OT-II CD4+ cells, as well as hybridomas, and can be applied to interrogate different immune cell receptors including T cell receptor, programmed cell death receptor (PD1), and lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) forces. OT-1 CD8+ na&#239;ve T cells are used as an example cell line in this paper.

<table fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;3-hydroxypicolinic acid (3-HPA)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>56197</td>
			<td>maldi-TOF-MS matrix</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;mPEG-SC</td>
			<td>Biochempeg</td>
			<td>MF001023-2K</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>(3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane</td>
			<td>Acros</td>
			<td>AC430941000</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10x Red blood cell lysis buffer</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>00-4333-57</td>
			<td>buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>8.8 nm gold nanoparticles, tannic acid</td>
			<td>Nanocomposix</td>
			<td>customized order</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Atto647N NHS ester</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>18373-1MG-F</td>
			<td>fluorophore, oligo prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Attofluor Cell Chamber, for microscopy</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A7816</td>
			<td>imaging</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Syringes only with Luer-Lok</td>
			<td>BD bioscience</td>
			<td>309657</td>
			<td>cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>biotinylated anti-mouse CD3e</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>13-0031-82</td>
			<td>antibody/ligand</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Biotinylated pMHC ovalbumin (SIINFEKL)</td>
			<td>NIH Tetramer Core Facility at Emory University</td>
			<td>NA</td>
			<td>antibody/ligand</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>bovine serum albumin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>735078001</td>
			<td>block non-specific interactions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell strainers</td>
			<td>Biologix</td>
			<td>15-1100</td>
			<td>cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Coverslip Mini-Rack, teflon</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>C14784</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cy3B NHS ester</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare</td>
			<td>PA63101</td>
			<td>fluorophore, oligo prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS)</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>21-031-CM</td>
			<td>buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ethanol</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>459836</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hank&#8217;s balanced salts (HBSS)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H8264</td>
			<td>buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>hydrogen peroxide</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H1009</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LA-PEG-SC</td>
			<td>Biochempeg</td>
			<td>HE039023-3.4K</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Midi MACS (LS) startup kit</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-042-301</td>
			<td>cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mouse CD8+ T cell isolation kit</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-104-075</td>
			<td>cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nanosep MF centrifugal devices</td>
			<td>Pall laboratory</td>
			<td>ODM02C35</td>
			<td>oligo prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>No. 2 round glass coverslips</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>48382-085</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NTA-SAM</td>
			<td>Dojindo Molecular Technologies</td>
			<td>N475-10</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>P2 gel</td>
			<td>Bio-rad</td>
			<td>1504118</td>
			<td>oligo prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sufuric acid</td>
			<td>EMD Millipore Corporation</td>
			<td>SX1244-6</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sulfo-NHS acetate</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>26777</td>
			<td>surface prep</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Equipment</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agilent AdvanceBio Oligonucleotide C18 column, 4.6 x 150 mm, 2.7 &#956;m</td>
			<td>653950-702</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>oligonucleotide preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Barnstead Nanopure water purifying system</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>water</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CFI Apo 100&#215; NA 1.49 objective</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cy5 cube</td>
			<td>CHROMA</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>evolve electron multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD)</td>
			<td>Photometrics</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High-performance liquid chromatography</td>
			<td>Agilent 1100</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>oligonucleotide preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Intensilight epifluorescence source</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF-MS)</td>
			<td>Voyager STR</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>oligonucleotide preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nanodrop 2000 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>oligonucleotide preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nikon Eclipse Ti inverted microscope</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nikon Perfect Focus System</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NIS Elements software</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>quad band TIRF 405/488/561/647 cube</td>
			<td>CHROMA</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RICM cube</td>
			<td>CHROMA</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TIRF launcher with 488 nm (50 mW), 561 nm (50 mW), and 640 nm</td>
			<td>Coherent</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TRITC cube</td>
			<td>CHROMA</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Microscopy</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>oligo name</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification / 3&#39; modification</td>
			<td>sequence (5&#39; to 3&#39;)</td>
			<td>Use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15mer amine locking strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: no modification 
			3&#39; modification: /3AmMO/</td>
			<td>AAA AAA CAT TTA TAC CCT ACC TA</td>
			<td>locking real-time tension signal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15mer Atto647N locking strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: Atto647N 
			3&#39; modification: /3AmMO/</td>
			<td>AAA AAA CAT TTA TAC CCT ACC TA</td>
			<td>locking real-time tension signal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15mer non-fluoresccent locking strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: no modification 
			3&#39; modification: no modification</td>
			<td>A AAA AAC ATT TAT AC</td>
			<td>locking real-time tension signal for quantitative analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4.7 pN hairpin strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: no modification 
			3&#39; modification: no modification</td>
			<td>GTGAAATACCGCACAGATGCGT 
 TTGTATAAATGTTTTTTTCATTTAT 
 ACTTTAAGAGCGCCACGTAGCC 
CAGC</td>
			<td>hairpin probe</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>amine ligand strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: /5AmMC6/ 
			3&#39; modification: /3Bio/</td>
			<td>CGCATCTGTGCG GTA TTT CAC TTT</td>
			<td>hairpin probe</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BHQ2 anchor strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: /5ThiolMC6-D/ 
			3&#39; modification: /3BHQ_2/</td>
			<td>TTTGCTGGGCTACGTGGCGCTCTT</td>
			<td>&#160;&#160;&#160;hairpin probe</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cy3B ligand strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: Cy3B 
			3&#39; modification: /3Bio/</td>
			<td>CGCATCTGTGCG GTA TTT CAC TTT</td>
			<td>hairpin probe</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>unlocking strand</td>
			<td>5&#39; modification: no modification 
			3&#39; modification: no modification</td>
			<td>TAG GTA GGG TAT AAA TGT TTT TTT C</td>
			<td>unlocking accumulated tension signal</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

dna tension probes to map the transient piconewton receptor forces by immune cells

Mechanical forces transmitted at the junction between two neighboring cells and at the junction between cells and the extracellular matrix are critical for regulating many processes ranging from development to immunology. Therefore, developing the tools to study these forces at the molecular scale is critical. Our group developed a suite of molecular tension sensors to quantify and visualize the forces generated by cells and transmitted to specific ligands. The most sensitive class of molecular tension sensors are comprised of nucleic acid stem-loop hairpins. These sensors use fluorophore-quencher pairs to report on the mechanical extension and unfolding of DNA hairpins under force. One challenge with DNA hairpin tension sensors is that they are reversible with rapid hairpin refolding upon termination of the tension and thus transient forces are difficult to record. In this article, we describe the protocols for preparing DNA tension sensors that can be "locked" and prevented from refolding to enable "storing" of mechanical information. This allows for the recording of highly transient piconewton forces, which can be subsequently "erased" by the addition of complementary nucleic acids that remove the lock. This ability to toggle between real-time tension mapping and mechanical information storing reveals weak, short-lived, and less abundant forces, that are commonly employed by T cells as part of their immune functions.

Here we show representative surface quality control images (Figure 4). A high-quality surface should have a clean background in RICM channel (Figure 4B), and uniform fluorescence intensity in Cy3B channel (Figure 4C). With the same imaging equipment and identical fluorescence imaging acquisition conditions, the background fluorescence intensity should be consistent and reproducible each time when conducting experiments with DNA prob...

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DNA Tension Probes to Map the Transient Piconewton Receptor Forces by Immune Cells

This paper describes a detailed protocol for using DNA-based tension probes to image the receptor forces applied by immune cells. This approach can map receptor forces &gt;4.7pN in real-time and can integrate forces over time.

Mechanical forces transmitted at the junction between two neighboring cells and at the junction between cells and the extracellular matrix are critical ...

This protocol offers a method to map the molecular forces generated by cells and particularly immune cells. The protocol is critical to labs interested in studying mechanotransduction in mechanobiology. The main advantage of this technique is that it is super easy and allows one to use conventional fluorescence microscopy to quantify force transmission in immortalized and primary cells.To begin, place 25 millimeter coverslips on a polytetrafluoroethylene rack in a 50 milliliter beaker and rinse the coverslips three times by submerging them in water. Mix equal volumes of ethanol and water and add 40 milliliters of this solution to the beaker containing the rack and the coverslips. Then, seal the beaker using parafilm tape.Clean the coverslips by sonicating the beaker for 15 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner and discard the liquid after sonication. Then, rinse the beaker containing the rack and coverslips with water at least six times to remove any remaining organic solvent. To prepare a fresh piranha solution, add 30 milliliters of sulfuric acid to a 50 milliliter beaker and slowly add 10 milliliters of hydrogen peroxide.Gently mix the piranha solution using the end of a glass pipette. To initiate etching, transfer the rack holding the coverslips to the beaker containing piranha solution and incubate for 30 minutes at room temperature to cleanse and hydroxylate the coverslips. Then, transfer the rack using steel or polytetrafluoroethylene tweezers to a clean 50 milliliter beaker and rinse with water six times.In order to remove water completely, immerse the rack holding the coverslips in a 50 milliliter beaker with 40 milliliters of ethanol. Then, discard the ethanol. Next, immerse the rack in 40 milliliters of ethanol containing 3%aminopropyltriethoxysilane for one hour at room temperature to initiate the reaction with the hydroxyl group on the coverslips.Rinse the surface of the coverslips six times by submerging them in 40 milliliters of ethanol and dry them in an oven at 80 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. Cover the inner bottom of the Petri dish with a parafilm tape to prevent the coverslips from sliding inside the Petri dish. Then place the amine covered coverslips with the side to be functionalized with DNA tension probes facing up.Cover the coverslips at 20 degrees Celsius for future use. To modify the amine groups on the coverslips, add lipoic acid PEG NHS and mPEG NHS and incubate the Petri dish at room temperature for one hour. At the end of the incubation, rinse the surface three times with water.After that, add 100 microliters of 0.1 molar sodium bicarbonate containing one milligram per milliliter of Sulfo-NHS-Acetate to a set of sandwich coverslips and incubate for 30 minutes for passivation to occur. Add 0.5 milliliters of gold nanoparticles to each coverslip and incubate for 30 minutes at room temperature. After incubation, rinse the coverslips with water three times.After adding Black Hole Quencher 2 strand to the annealed DNA tension probe at a ten to one ratio, add 100 microliters of the mixture per two coverslips to make the sandwich. Carefully place a wet lab tissue ball in the Petri dish away from the coverslips and seal the dish with parafilm tape to prevent the solution from drying. After that, cover the dish with a foil and incubate it at four degrees Celsius overnight.On the next day, assemble the imaging chamber, taking care to prevent surface cracking while tightening the chamber. Then, add 0.5 to one milliliters of Hank's Balanced Salt Solution to the imaging chamber. Use the Cy3B channel with a 100X objective to capture fluorescent signals of cells plated onto the DNA hairpin tension probes when they start to spread.After preparing 100 microMolar non fluorescent locking strand stock, at the desired time point, add it to the cells at a final concentration of one microMolar in the imaging chamber to store the tension signal and mix it with the cells by pipetting. After about 10 minutes of locking, acquire time-lapse movies or endpoint images in epifluorescence for both qualitative tension mapping and quantitative analysis. A successful surface had a pale pink color.The high quality of the surface was demonstrated with a clean background and the reflection interference contrast microscopy or RICM channel and uniform fluorescence intensity in the Cy3B channel. Time-lapse images of tension locking indicated that both TCR anti-CD3 epsilon and TCR-peptide-MHC tension signals were amplified because of hairpin locking and signal accumulation. The locking strand recorded short-lived mechanical pulling events of TCR peptide MHCN4 starting at zero minutes, which facilitated quantitative analysis and revealed the distinct pattern of the TCR peptide MHC force that resembled the bullseye pattern of immune synapses.Every step, your intention probe substrate preparation needs attention to detail and careful handling of the materials. This technology enables visualization of transient molecular forces that occur at the cell surface when it interacts with the environment, especially in the immune cells in search for antigens.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

Attaching Biological Probes to Silica Optical Biosensors Using Silane Coupling Agents

In order to interface with biological environments, biosensor platforms, such as the popular Biacore system (based on the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technique), make use of various surface modification techniques, that can, for example, prevent surface fouling, tune the hydrophobicity / hydrophilicity of the surface, adapt to a variety of electronic environments, and most frequently, induce specificity towards a target of interest.1-5 These techniques extend the functionality of otherwise highly sensitive biosensors to real-world applications in complex environments, such as blood, urine, and wastewater analysis.2,6-7 While commercial biosensing platforms, such as Biacore, have well-understood, standard techniques for performing such surface modifications, these techniques have not been translated in a standardized fashion to other label-free biosensing platforms, such as Whispering Gallery Mode (WGM) optical resonators.8-9
WGM optical resonators represent a promising technology for performing label-free detection of a wide variety of species at ultra-low concentrations.6,10-12 The high sensitivity of these platforms is a result of their unique geometric optics: WGM optical resonators confine circulating light at specific, integral resonance frequencies.13 Like the SPR platforms, the optical field is not totally confined to the sensor device, but evanesces; this "evanescent tail" can then interact with species in the surrounding environment. This interaction causes the effective refractive index of the optical field to change, resulting in a slight, but detectable, shift in the resonance frequency of the device. Because the optical field circulates, it can interact many times with the environment, resulting in an inherent amplification of the signal, and very high sensitivities to minor changes in the environment.2,14-15
To perform targeted detection in complex environments, these platforms must be paired with a probe molecule (usually one half of a binding pair, e.g. antibodies / antigens) through surface modification.2 Although WGM optical resonators can be fabricated in several geometries from a variety of material systems, the silica microsphere is the most common. These microspheres are generally fabricated on the end of an optical fiber, which provides a "stem" by which the microspheres can be handled during functionalization and detection experiments. Silica surface chemistries may be applied to attach probe molecules to their surfaces; however, traditional techniques generated for planar substrates are often not adequate for these three-dimensional structures, as any changes to the surface of the microspheres (dust, contamination, surface defects, and uneven coatings) can have severe, negative consequences on their detection capabilities. Here, we demonstrate a facile approach for the surface functionalization of silica microsphere WGM optical resonators using silane coupling agents to bridge the inorganic surface and the biological environment, by attaching biotin to the silica surface.8,16 Although we use silica microsphere WGM resonators as the sensor system in this report, the protocols are general and can be used to functionalize the surface of any silica device with biotin.

Biosensors interface with complex, biological environments and perform targeted detection by combining highly sensitive sensors with highly specific probes attached to the sensor via surface modification. Here, we demonstrate the surface functionalization of silica optical sensors with biotin using silane coupling agents to bridge the sensor and the biological environment.

In order to interface with biological environments, biosensor platforms, such as the popular Biacore system (based on the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) ...

Measurement of Tension Release During Laser Induced Axon Lesion to Evaluate Axonal Adhesion to the Substrate at Piconewton and Millisecond Resolution

The formation of functional connections in a developing neuronal network is influenced by extrinsic cues. The neurite growth of developing neurons is subject to chemical and mechanical signals, and the mechanisms by which it senses and responds to mechanical signals are poorly understood. Elucidating the role of forces in cell maturation will enable the design of scaffolds that can promote cell adhesion and cytoskeletal coupling to the substrate, and therefore improve the capacity of different neuronal types to regenerate after injury.
Here, we describe a method to apply simultaneous force spectroscopy measurements during laser induced cell lesion. We measure tension release in the partially lesioned axon by simultaneous interferometric tracking of an optically trapped probe adhered to the membrane of the axon. Our experimental protocol detects the tension release with piconewton sensitivity, and the dynamic of the tension release at millisecond time resolution. Therefore, it offers a high-resolution method to study how the mechanical coupling between cells and substrates can be modulated by pharmacological treatment and/or by distinct mechanical properties of the substrate.

We measured the tension release in an axon that was partially lesioned with a laser dissector by simultaneous force spectroscopy measurement performed on an optically-trapped probe adhered to the membrane of the axon. The developed experimental protocol evaluates the axon adhesion to the culture substrate.

The formation of functional connections in a developing neuronal network is influenced by extrinsic cues. The neurite growth of developing neurons is ...

Insertion of Flexible Neural Probes Using Rigid Stiffeners Attached with Biodissolvable Adhesive

Microelectrode arrays for neural interface devices that are made of biocompatible thin-film polymer are expected to have extended functional lifetime because the flexible material may minimize adverse tissue response caused by micromotion. However, their flexibility prevents them from being accurately inserted into neural tissue. This article demonstrates a method to temporarily attach a flexible microelectrode probe to a rigid stiffener using biodissolvable polyethylene glycol (PEG) to facilitate precise, surgical insertion of the probe. A unique stiffener design allows for uniform distribution of the PEG adhesive along the length of the probe. Flip-chip bonding, a common tool used in microelectronics packaging, enables accurate and repeatable alignment and attachment of the probe to the stiffener. The probe and stiffener are surgically implanted together, then the PEG is allowed to dissolve so that the stiffener can be extracted leaving the probe in place. Finally, an in vitro test method is used to evaluate stiffener extraction in an agarose gel model of brain tissue. This approach to implantation has proven particularly advantageous for longer flexible probes (&gt;3 mm). It also provides a feasible method to implant dual-sided flexible probes. To date, the technique has been used to obtain various in vivo recording data from the rat cortex.

Insertion of flexible neural microelectrode probes is enabled by attaching probes to rigid stiffeners with polyethylene glycol (PEG). A unique assembly process ensures uniform and repeatable attachment. After insertion into tissue, the PEG dissolves and the stiffener is extracted. An in vitro test method evaluates the technique in agarose gel.

Microelectrode  arrays for neural interface devices that are made of biocompatible thin-film  polymer are expected to have extended functional lifetime ...

Generation of Shear Adhesion Map Using SynVivo Synthetic Microvascular Networks

Cell/particle adhesion assays are critical to understanding the biochemical interactions involved in disease pathophysiology and have important applications in the quest for the development of novel therapeutics. Assays using static conditions fail to capture the dependence of adhesion on shear, limiting their correlation with in vivo environment. Parallel plate flow chambers that quantify adhesion under physiological fluid flow need multiple experiments for the generation of a shear adhesion map. In addition, they do not represent the in vivo scale and morphology and require large volumes (~ml) of reagents for experiments. In this study, we demonstrate the generation of shear adhesion map from a single experiment using a microvascular network based microfluidic device, SynVivo-SMN. This device recreates the complex in vivo vasculature including geometric scale, morphological elements, flow features and cellular interactions in an in vitro format, thereby providing a biologically realistic environment for basic and applied research in cellular behavior, drug delivery, and drug discovery. The assay was demonstrated by studying the interaction of the 2 &#181;m biotin-coated particles with avidin-coated surfaces of the microchip. The entire range of shear observed in the microvasculature is obtained in a single assay enabling adhesion vs. shear map for the particles under physiological conditions.

Flow chambers used in adhesion experiments typically consist of linear flow paths and require multiple experiments at different flow rates to generate a shear adhesion map. SynVivo-SMN enables the generation of shear adhesion map using a single experiment utilizing microliter volumes resulting in significant savings in time and consumables.

Cell/particle adhesion assays are critical to understanding the biochemical interactions involved in disease pathophysiology and have important ...

High-resolution Spatiotemporal Analysis of Receptor Dynamics by Single-molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

Single-molecule microscopy is emerging as a powerful approach to analyze the behavior of signaling molecules, in particular concerning those aspect (e.g., kinetics, coexistence of different states and populations, transient interactions), which are typically hidden in ensemble measurements, such as those obtained with standard biochemical or microscopy methods. Thus, dynamic events, such as receptor-receptor interactions, can be followed in real time in a living cell with high spatiotemporal resolution. This protocol describes a method based on labeling with small and bright organic fluorophores and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to directly visualize single receptors on the surface of living cells. This approach allows one to precisely localize receptors, measure the size of receptor complexes, and capture dynamic events such as transient receptor-receptor interactions. The protocol provides a detailed description of how to perform a single-molecule experiment, including sample preparation, image acquisition and image analysis. As an example, the application of this method to analyze two G-protein-coupled receptors, i.e., &#946;2-adrenergic and &#947;-aminobutyric acid type B (GABAB) receptor, is reported. The protocol can be adapted to other membrane proteins and different cell models, transfection methods and labeling strategies.

This protocol describes how to use total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to visualize and track single receptors on the surface of living cells and thereby analyze receptor lateral mobility, size of receptor complexes as well as to visualize transient receptor-receptor interactions. This protocol can be extended to other membrane proteins.

Single-molecule microscopy is emerging as a powerful approach to analyze the behavior of signaling molecules, in particular concerning those aspect (e.g., ...

Studying the Stoichiometry of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Intact Cells using Correlative Microscopy

This protocol describes the labeling of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on COS7 fibroblast cells, and subsequent correlative fluorescence microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) of whole cells in hydrated state. Fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) were coupled to EGFR via a two-step labeling protocol, providing an efficient and specific protein labeling, while avoiding label-induced clustering of the receptor. Fluorescence microscopy provided overview images of the cellular locations of the EGFR. The scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) detector was used to detect the QD labels with nanoscale resolution. The resulting correlative images provide data of the cellular EGFR distribution, and the stoichiometry at the single molecular level in the natural context of the hydrated intact cell. ESEM-STEM images revealed the receptor to be present as monomer, as homodimer, and in small clusters. Labeling with two different QDs, i.e.,&#160;one emitting at 655 nm and at 800 revealed similar characteristic results.

This protocol describes the labeling of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on COS7 fibroblast cells, and subsequent correlative light- and electron microscopy of whole cells in hydrated state. The label contained fluorescent quantum dots. The protocol can be used to study the stoichiometry of EGFR at the single molecule level.

This protocol describes the labeling of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on COS7 fibroblast cells, and subsequent correlative fluorescence ...

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Embryonic development is traditionally studied from the perspective of biomolecular genetics, but the fundamental importance of mechanics in morphogenesis is becoming increasingly recognized. In particular, the embryonic chick heart and brain tube, which undergo drastic morphological changes as they develop, are among the prime candidates to study the role of physical forces in morphogenesis. Progressive ventral bending&#160;and rightward torsion of the tubular embryonic chick brain happen at the earliest stage of organ-level left-right asymmetry in chick embryonic development. The vitelline membrane (VM) constrains the dorsal side of the embryo and has been implicated in providing the force necessary to induce torsion of the developing brain. Here we present a combination of new ex-ovo experiments and physical modeling to identify the mechanics of brain torsion. At Hamburger-Hamilton stage 11, embryos are harvested and cultured ex ovo (in media). The VM is subsequently removed using a pulled capillary tube. By controlling the level of the fluid and subjecting the embryo to a fluid-air interface, the fluid surface tension of the media can be used to replace the mechanical role of the VM. Microsurgery experiments were also performed to alter the position of the heart to find the resultant change in the chirality of brain torsion. Results from this protocol illustrate the fundamental roles of mechanics in driving morphogenesis.

Here, we present a protocol introducing a set of new ex-ovo experiments and physical modeling approaches for studying the mechanics of morphogenesis during early chick embryonic brain torsion.

Embryonic development is traditionally studied from the perspective of biomolecular genetics, but the fundamental importance of mechanics in morphogenesis ...

Imaging Integrin Tension and Cellular Force at Submicron Resolution with an Integrative Tension Sensor

Molecular tension transmitted by integrin-ligand bonds is the fundamental mechanical signal in the integrin pathway that plays significant roles in many cell functions and behaviors. To calibrate and image integrin tension with high force sensitivity and spatial resolution, we developed an integrative tension sensor (ITS), a DNA-based fluorescent tension sensor. The ITS is activated to fluoresce if sustaining a molecular tension, thus converting force to fluorescent signal at the molecular level. The tension threshold for ITS activation is tunable in the range of 10&#8211;60 pN that well covers the dynamic range of integrin tension in cells. On a substrate grafted with an ITS, the integrin tension of adherent cells is visualized by fluorescence and imaged at submicron resolution. The ITS is also compatible with cell structural imaging in both live cells and fixed cells. The ITS has been successfully applied to the study of platelet contraction and cell migration. This paper details the procedure for the synthesis and application of the ITS in the study of integrin-transmitted cellular force.

Integrin tension plays important roles in various cell functions. With an integrative tension sensor, integrin tension is calibrated with picoNewton (pN) sensitivity and imaged at submicron resolution.

Molecular tension transmitted by integrin-ligand bonds is the fundamental mechanical signal in the integrin pathway that plays significant roles in many ...

Single-Cell Optical Action Potential Measurement in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Conventional intracellular microelectrode techniques to quantify cardiomyocyte electrophysiology are extremely complex, labor intensive, and typically carried out in low throughput. Rapid and ongoing expansion of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology presents a new standard in cardiovascular research and alternate methods are now necessary to increase throughput of electrophysiological data at a single cell level. VF2.1Cl is a recently derived voltage sensitive dye which provides a rapid single channel, high magnitude response to fluctuations in membrane potential. It possesses kinetics superior to those of other existing voltage indicators and makes available functional data equivalent to that of traditional microelectrode techniques. Here, we demonstrate simplified, non-invasive action potential characterization in externally paced human iPSC derived cardiomyocytes using a modular and highly affordable photometry system.

Here we describe optical acquisition and characterization of action potentials from induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes using a high-speed modular photometry system.

Conventional intracellular microelectrode techniques to quantify cardiomyocyte electrophysiology are extremely complex, labor intensive, and typically ...

Fibroblast Derived Human Engineered Connective Tissue for Screening Applications

Fibroblasts are phenotypically highly dynamic cells, which quickly transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts in response to biochemical and biomechanical stimuli. The current understanding of fibrotic processes, including cardiac fibrosis, remains poor, which hampers the development of new anti-fibrotic therapies. Controllable and reliable human model systems are crucial for a better understanding of fibrosis pathology. This is a highly reproducible and scalable protocol to generate engineered connective tissues (ECT) in a 48-well casting plate to facilitate studies of fibroblasts and the pathophysiology of fibrotic tissue in a 3-dimensional (3D) environment. ECT are generated around the poles with tunable stiffness, allowing for studies under a defined biomechanical load. Under the defined loading conditions, phenotypic adaptations controlled by cell-matrix interactions can be studied. Parallel testing is feasible in the 48-well format with the opportunity for the time-course analysis of multiple parameters, such as tissue compaction and contraction against the load. From these parameters, biomechanical properties such as tissue stiffness and elasticity can be studied.

Presented here is a protocol to generate engineered connective tissues for a parallel culture of 48 tissues in a multi-well plate with double poles, suitable for mechanistic studies, disease modeling, and screening applications. The protocol is compatible with fibroblasts from different organs and species and is exemplified here with human primary cardiac fibroblasts.

Fibroblasts are phenotypically highly dynamic cells, which quickly transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts in response to biochemical and biomechanical ...