We sincerely appreciate the support from Philipp Kukura, Gavin Young, and the Refeyn software team and acknowledge their assistance by sharing parts of the image analysis code. We thank the Cryo-EM MPIB Core Facility for providing access to the commercial Refeyn mass photometer. F.S. gratefully acknowledges the support and funding granted by J&#252;rgen Plitzko and Wolfgang Baumeister. T.H. and P.S. received funding through the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) - Project-ID 201269156 - SFB 1032 (A09). N.H. was supported by a DFG return grant HU 2462/3-1. P.S. acknowledges support through the research network MaxSynBio via the joint funding initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Max Planck Society.

<ol>
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The authors have no conflicts of interest.

The presented protocol extends mass photometry21, a technique that analyzes the mass of single biomolecules adsorbing on glass, to an even more versatile tool capable of simultaneously measuring the mass and diffusion of unlabeled membrane-interacting biomolecules. This analysis extension is achieved through the implementation of a modified background removal strategy adapted to the lateral motion of molecules24,25. In general, the background removal is of utmost importance for iSCAT-based approaches, since the strong scattering of the glass surface roughness represents the main analysis impediment, and the accurate determination of each pixel&#39;s local background is essential for quantification of particle mass and location. Besides the image-analysis adapted to particle motion, subsequent particle detection, trajectory linking, and data analysis complete the novel expansion of MP into mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT).
In general, thoroughly cleaned glass cover slides and a clean working environment are critical requirements for the successful performance of MSPT experiments. Due to the absence of macromolecule labeling, the acquired signal is inherently nonselective. Clean samples, as well as proper sample handling, are hence crucial to ensure that observations cannot be misinterpreted. In particular, when molecules of low molecular weight are examined, control measurements of protein-free membranes are endorsed to assess background contributions (Supplementary Figure 1). Besides the inclusion of control measurements, it is thus recommended to follow the preparation steps displayed in Figure 2 for each flow chamber. When combined, these safety measures will ensure that the detected signal originates from the biomolecule of interest and not, for example, a contaminated flow chamber, buffer, or membrane.
Besides the precautions regarding the experimental design, care needs to also be taken during MSPT image processing. During video processing, the value for three parameters should be chosen carefully to ensure correct results: i) the length of the median window for background removal, ii) the threshold for particle detection, and iii) the maximum search radius during the linking assignment. A larger median window (i) generally facilitates the separation of diffusing particles from the superimposed quasi-constant background. However, for too large window sizes sample drift will eventually become noticeable and diminish the accuracy of the background estimation. Optimal settings heavily depend on sample properties and measurement conditions. Nevertheless, a value of 1,001 can be used as a robust starting point. The threshold parameter (ii) must be tuned depending on the lowest molecular mass expected in the sample. A value below 0.0005 is not recommended for measurements taken with the mass photometer used in this study. To speed up analysis times, higher values can be chosen if a sample with high molecular weight is expected. The search radius in trajectory linking (iii) specifies the maximum radial distance in pixels in which the particle&#39;s shifted location will be searched for in consecutive frames. It should be adapted to the fastest particle in the sample, and, if favored, an adaptive search range (see documentation of trackpy) could be used instead to reduce computation time. Especially during the initial phase of a project, re-analyzing the movies with varying parameters is recommended to validate the obtained results.
In light of the single-molecule nature of MSPT, it should be avoided to measure at high membrane particle densities as those can interfere with accurate contrast and mass determination. It has been shown that densities below one particle per squared micrometer are favorable for MSPT measurements24. An additional consideration is the expected diffusion coefficients in the sample. Although applicable to a broad range of diffusion coefficients, MSPT has a lower limit of accessible diffusion coefficients. Local confinement to a region of few pixels during a significant portion of the median window period merges the particle with the static background. For the imaging conditions used in this protocol, measurement of diffusion coefficients below 0.01 &#181;m2/s is not recommended. At this diffusion speed, for example, the mean squared displacement of a particle during the median window half-size is about 4 pixels and hence of similar size as the extent of the PSF. As a consequence, the static background estimate is likely to contain signal contributions from the particle itself, which results in an apparently reduced contrast of the particle until it eventually approaches the noise level. However, macromolecule diffusion coefficients ranging between 0.05 and 10 &#181;m2/s can clearly be resolved.
To further extend the range of MSPT applications, one can envision an advancement of the median-based background algorithm through the elimination of pixels that are temporarily occupied with a particle, or by sample drift correction enabling larger median window sizes. Both approaches would alleviate the problems regarding measurements at high particle densities and slow diffusion. Improvements in terms of lower mass sensitivity are on the horizon with a new generation of mass photometers, which may provide access to biomolecules smaller than 50 kDa. Therefore, future MSPT experiments will be able to study single-molecule dynamics and membrane-related interactions for an even wider range of membrane mimicries such as cushioned bilayers and macromolecular systems.

Once merely perceived as a barrier against the wide range of ambient physical conditions, biological membranes are nowadays considered functional entities and catalytic platforms1,2. Based on their ability to localize, amplify, and direct signals in response to membrane-associated macromolecule reactions, lipid interfaces constitute a crucial element for a wide variety of cellular processes such as membrane trafficking and signaling cascades3,4,5. Serving as a nucleation site for the assembly of stable complexes, membrane attachment often relies on a dynamic equilibrium between membrane-associated and cytosolic forms of macromolecules and is hence of transient nature6,7.
Despite their great importance in biology, it has so far been challenging to develop methods that can provide access to the compositional, spatial, and temporal heterogeneities of membrane-associated macromolecule reactions in real-time7,8. To resolve the underlying molecular processes, two experimental aspects are decisive: sufficient time resolution and single-particle sensitivity. Therefore, ensemble average techniques such as fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) but also the much more sensitive fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) do have limitations, since they largely uncouple spatial information from temporal information9. An important step toward the characterization of individual molecule dynamics has thus been the advent of single-particle tracking (SPT) in combination with highly sensitive microscopy. In particular, two SPT approaches have proven to be effective in this regard. Firstly, the utilization of fluorophores as labels and the corresponding fluorescence detection systems paved the way for nanometer precision and millisecond time resolution10,11,12. Secondly, scattering-based detection using gold nanoparticles improved both localization precision and time resolution to the sub-nanometer and microsecond range, respectively13,14,15,16. Despite the many advantages of both approaches and their significant contributions regarding the mechanistic understanding of membrane-associated systems17,18, both techniques have so far been limited:&#160;they require labeling of the molecules of interest, which potentially perturbs their native behavior and are&#160;insensitive to the molecular composition of membrane-associated particles19,20.
Both these limitations have recently been overcome by the introduction of a novel interferometric scattering (iSCAT)-based approach termed mass photometry (MP)21,22,23. This technique allows the determination of in-solution mass distributions of biomolecules according to their iSCAT contrast when landing on a glass interface. However, for the detection and characterization of mobile molecules diffusing on lipid membranes, a more sophisticated image analysis approach had to be developed. This has meanwhile been successfully implemented and allows to detect, track, and determine the molecular mass of single unlabeled biomolecules diffusing on a lipid interface24,25. Referred to as dynamic mass photometry or mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT), this technique now enables the assessment of complex macromolecule interactions by directly recording changes in the molecular mass of the tracked entities and hence opens up new possibilities for the mechanistic analysis of membrane-associated molecular dynamics.
Here, a detailed protocol for sample preparation, imaging, and the data analysis pipeline required for MSPT is presented. In particular, sample requirements and potential problems that may occur during measurement and analysis are discussed. Furthermore, the unparalleled potential to analyze membrane-interacting macromolecule systems is showcased through various representative results.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>annexin V</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>#SRP8026</td>
			<td>examplary membrane-interacting protein</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bio-Rad Protein Assay</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.</td>
			<td>#5000006</td>
			<td>bradford assay kit to determine protein stock concentrations</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>biotin labeled bovine albumin</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>#A8549</td>
			<td>examplary protein that can be used as standard protein for MSPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cholera toxin subunit B</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>#SAE0069</td>
			<td>examplary membrane-interacting protein</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cover glasses, #1.5, 24 x 24 mm</td>
			<td>Paul Marienfeld GmbH &#38; Co. KG</td>
			<td>#0102062</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cover glasses, #1.5, 24 x 60 mm</td>
			<td>Paul Marienfeld GmbH &#38; Co. KG</td>
			<td>#0102242</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC)</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>#850375</td>
			<td>lipid - in the form of extruded small unilamellar vesicles required for supported lipid bilayer formation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-cap biotinyl (18:1 Biotinyl Cap PE</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>#870273</td>
			<td>lipid - in the form of extruded small unilamellar vesicles required for supported lipid bilayer formation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DOPG)</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>#840475</td>
			<td>lipid - in the form of extruded small unilamellar vesicles required for supported lipid bilayer formation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine (DOPS)</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>#840035</td>
			<td>lipid - in the form of extruded small unilamellar vesicles required for supported lipid bilayer formation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>double-sided tape</td>
			<td>tesa</td>
			<td>#57912-00000-02</td>
			<td>needed for the assembly of glass sample chambers</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Extruder</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>#610023</td>
			<td>Lipid extruder to enable monodisperse vesicle distributions</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EZ-Link Maleimide-PEG2-Biotin</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>#A39261</td>
			<td>maileimide-fused biotin that can be used to biotinylate standard proteins for MSPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fibronectin (Biotinylated)</td>
			<td>Cytoskeleton Inc.</td>
			<td>#FNR03-A</td>
			<td>examplary protein that can be used as standard protein for MSPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gel Filtration HMW Calibration Kit</td>
			<td>Cytiva</td>
			<td>#28403842</td>
			<td>standard proteins, e.g. aldolase that can be biotinylated and used as molecular weight standards for MSPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GM1 Ganglioside (Brain, Ovine-Sodium Salt)</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>#860065</td>
			<td>lipid - in the form of extruded small unilamellar vesicles required for supported lipid bilayer formation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Goat anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody, Biotin</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, USA)</td>
			<td>#31820</td>
			<td>examplary protein to highlight the existence of different protein states</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isopropanol, 99.5%, for spectroscopy</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>#10003643</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Low Autofluorescence Immersion Oil</td>
			<td>Olympus K.K.</td>
			<td>#IMMOIL-F30CC</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pET21a-Streptavidin-Alive</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>#20860</td>
			<td>required to express and purify divalent streptavidin in combination with each other</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pET21a-Streptavidin-Dead</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>#20859</td>
			<td>required to express and purify divalent streptavidin in combination with each other</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pierce Alkaline Phosphatase, biotinylated</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>#29339</td>
			<td>examplary protein that can be used as standard protein for MSPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pierce Protein A, Biotinylated</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>#29989</td>
			<td>examplary protein that can be used as standard protein for MSPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Refeyn Acquire</td>
			<td>Refeyn Ltd.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>control software for Refeyn OneMP</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Refeyn One</td>
			<td>Refeyn Ltd.</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>mass photometer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sterile syringe filters 0.45 &#181;m cellulose acetate membrane</td>
			<td>VWR International</td>
			<td>#514-0063</td>
			<td>needed to filter particles from the buffer of interest</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>tetravalent streptavidin</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>#SNN1001</td>
			<td>tetravalent streptavidin to enable the presence of several biotin binding sites</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Whatman Nuclepore Hydrophilic Membrane, 0.05 &#181;m Pore Size, 25 mm Circle</td>
			<td>Cytiva</td>
			<td>#110603</td>
			<td>a pore size of 50 nm is recommended for supported lipid bilayer formation in the context of MSPT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zepto model 2 plasma cleaner</td>
			<td>Diener electronic GmbH</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

mass-sensitive particle tracking to characterize membrane-associated macromolecule dynamics

Short-lived or transient interactions of macromolecules at and with lipid membranes, an interface where a multitude of essential biological reactions take place, are inherently difficult to assess with standard biophysical methods. The introduction of mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT) constitutes an important step toward a thorough quantitative characterization of such processes. Technically, this was made possible through the advent of interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT)-based mass photometry (MP). When the background removal strategy is optimized to reveal the two-dimensional motion of membrane-associated particles, this technique allows the real-time analysis of both diffusion and molecular mass of unlabeled macromolecules on biological membranes. Here, a detailed protocol to perform and analyze mass-sensitive particle tracking of membrane-associated systems is described. Measurements performed on a commercial mass photometer achieve time resolution in the millisecond regime and, depending on the MP system, a mass detection limit down to 50 kDa. To showcase the potential of MSPT for the in-depth analysis of membrane-catalyzed macromolecule dynamics in general, results obtained for exemplary protein systems such as the native membrane interactor annexin V are presented.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Mass-Sensitive Particle Tracking to Characterize Membrane-Associated Macromolecule Dynamics at JoVE.com

Mass-Sensitive Particle Tracking to Characterize Membrane-Associated Macromolecule Dynamics

This protocol describes an iSCAT-based image processing and single-particle tracking approach that enables the simultaneous investigation of the molecular mass and the diffusive behavior of macromolecules interacting with lipid membranes. Step-by-step instructions for sample preparation, mass-to-contrast conversion, movie acquisition, and post-processing are provided alongside directions to prevent potential pitfalls.

Short-lived or transient interactions of macromolecules at and with lipid membranes, an interface where a multitude of essential biological reactions take ...

mass-sensitive-particle-tracking-to-characterize-membrane-associated

Research

JoVE Journal

Biochemistry

3.9K Views.  Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. This protocol describes an iSCAT-based image processing and single-particle tracking approach that enables the simultaneous investigation of the molecular mass and the diffusive behavior of macromolecules interacting with lipid membranes. Step-by-step instructions for sample preparation, mass-to-contrast conversion, movie acquisition, and post-processing are provided alongside directions to prevent potential pitfalls.

Video: Mass-Sensitive Particle Tracking to Characterize Membrane-Associated Macromolecule Dynamics

High-resolution Single Particle Analysis from Electron Cryo-microscopy Images Using SPHIRE

SPHIRE (SPARX for High-Resolution Electron Microscopy) is a novel open-source, user-friendly software suite for the semi-automated processing of single particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) data. The protocol presented here describes in detail how to obtain a near-atomic resolution structure starting from cryo-EM micrograph movies by guiding users through all steps of the single particle structure determination pipeline. These steps are controlled from the new SPHIRE graphical user interface and require minimum user intervention. Using this protocol, a 3.5 &#197; structure of TcdA1, a Tc toxin complex from Photorhabdus luminescens, was derived from only 9500 single particles. This streamlined approach will help novice users without extensive processing experience and a priori structural information, to obtain noise-free and unbiased atomic models of their purified macromolecular complexes in their native state.

This paper presents a protocol for processing cryo-EM images using the software suite SPHIRE. The present protocol can be applied for nearly all single particle EM projects that target near-atomic resolution.

SPHIRE (SPARX for High-Resolution Electron Microscopy) is a novel open-source, user-friendly software suite for the semi-automated processing of single ...

Mass Spectrometry and Luminogenic-based Approaches to Characterize Phase I Metabolic Competency of In Vitro Cell Cultures

Xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes play a key function in the biotransformation of medicines and toxicants by adding functional groups that increase solubility and facilitate excretion. On some occasions those structural modifications lead to the formation of new toxic products. In order to reduce animal testing, chemical risk can be assessed using metabolically competent cells. The expression of metabolic enzymes, however, is not stable over time in many in vitro primary culture systems and is often partial or absent in cell lines. Therefore, the study of medicines, additives, and environmental pollutants metabolism in vitro should ideally be conducted in cell systems where metabolic activity has been characterized. We explain here an approach to measure the activity of a class of metabolic enzymes (Human Phase I) in 2D cell lines and primary 3D cultures using chemical probes and their metabolic products quantifiable by UPLC mass spectrometry and luminometry. The method can be implemented to test the metabolic activity in cell lines and primary cells derived from a variety of tissues.

Mass Spectrometry and Luminogenic-based Approaches to Characterize Phase I Metabolic Competency of In Vitro Cell Cultures

Metabolic competency of in vitro systems is a key requirement for the biotransformation and disposition of drugs and toxicants. In this protocol, we describe the application of reference metabolic probes to assess phase I metabolism in cell cultures.

Xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes play a key function in the biotransformation of medicines and toxicants by adding functional groups that increase ...

Real-time Tracking of DNA Fragment Separation by Smartphone

Slab gel electrophoresis (SGE) is the most common method for the separation of DNA fragments; thus, it is broadly applied to the field of biology and others. However, the traditional SGE protocol is quite tedious, and the experiment takes a long time. Moreover, the chemical consumption in SGE experiments is very high. This work proposes a simple method for the separation of DNA fragments based on an SGE chip. The chip is made by an engraving machine. Two plastic sheets are used for the excitation and emission wavelengths of the optical signal. The fluorescence signal of the DNA bands is collected by smartphone. To validate this method, 50, 100, and 1,000 bp DNA ladders were separated. The results demonstrate that a DNA ladder smaller than 5,000 bp can be resolved within 12 min and with high resolution when using this method, indicating that it is an ideal substitute for the traditional SGE method.

Traditional slab gel electrophoresis (SGE) experiments require a complicated apparatus and high chemical consumption. This work presents a protocol that describes a low-cost method to separate DNA fragments within a short timeframe.

Slab gel electrophoresis (SGE) is the most common method for the separation of DNA fragments; thus, it is broadly applied to the field of biology and ...

Measuring Biomolecular DSC Profiles with Thermolabile Ligands to Rapidly Characterize Folding and Binding Interactions

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a powerful technique for quantifying thermodynamic parameters governing biomolecular folding and binding interactions. This information is critical in the design of new pharmaceutical compounds. However, many pharmaceutically relevant ligands are chemically unstable at the high temperatures used in DSC analyses. Thus, measuring binding interactions is challenging because the concentrations of ligands and thermally-converted products are constantly changing within the calorimeter cell. Here, we present a protocol using thermolabile ligands and DSC for rapidly obtaining thermodynamic and kinetic information on the folding, binding, and ligand conversion processes. We have applied our method to the DNA aptamer MN4 that binds to the thermolabile ligand cocaine. Using a new global fitting analysis that accounts for thermolabile ligand conversion, the complete set of folding and binding parameters are obtained from a pair of DSC experiments. In addition, we show that the rate constant for thermolabile ligand conversion may be obtained with only one supplementary DSC dataset. The guidelines for identifying and analyzing data from several more complicated scenarios are presented, including irreversible aggregation of the biomolecule, slow folding, slow binding, and rapid depletion of the thermolabile ligand.

We present a protocol for rapid characterization of biomolecular folding and binding interactions with thermolabile ligands using differential scanning calorimetry.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a powerful technique for quantifying thermodynamic parameters governing biomolecular folding and binding ...

Cryo-EM and Single-Particle Analysis with Scipion

Cryo-electron microscopy has become one of the most important tools in biological research to reveal the structural information of macromolecules at near-atomic resolution. In single-particle analysis, the vitrified sample is imaged by an electron beam and the detectors at the end of the microscope column produce movies of that sample. These movies contain thousands of images of identical particles in random orientations. The data need to go through an image processing workflow with multiple steps to obtain the final 3D reconstructed volume. The goal of the image processing workflow is to identify the acquisition parameters to be able to reconstruct the specimen under study. Scipion provides all the tools to create this workflow using several image processing packages in an integrative framework, also allowing the traceability of the results. In this article the whole image processing workflow in Scipion is presented and discussed with data coming from a real test case, giving all the details necessary to go from the movies obtained by the microscope to a high resolution final 3D reconstruction. Also, the power of using consensus tools that allow combining methods, and confirming results along every step of the workflow, improving the accuracy of the obtained results, is discussed.

Single-particle analysis in cryo-electron microscopy is one of the main techniques used to determine the structure of biological ensembles at high resolution. Scipion provides the tools to create the whole pipeline to process the information acquired by the microscope and achieve a 3D reconstruction of the biological specimen.

Cryo-electron microscopy has become one of the most important tools in biological research to reveal the structural information of macromolecules at ...

Single Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy: From Sample to Structure

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) is a powerful technique for structure determination of macromolecular complexes, via single particle analysis (SPA). The overall process involves i) vitrifying the specimen in a thin film supported on a cryoEM grid; ii) screening the specimen to assess particle distribution and ice quality; iii) if the grid is suitable, collecting a single particle dataset for analysis; and iv) image processing to yield an EM density map. In this protocol, an overview for each of these steps is provided, with a focus on the variables which a user can modify during the workflow and the troubleshooting of common issues. With remote microscope operation becoming standard in many facilities, variations on imaging protocols to assist users in efficient operation and imaging when physical access to the microscope is limited will be described.

Structure determination of macromolecular complexes using cryoEM has become routine for certain classes of proteins and complexes. Here, this pipeline is summarized (sample preparation, screening, data acquisition and processing) and readers are directed towards further detailed resources and variables that may be altered in the case of more challenging specimens.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) is a powerful technique for structure determination of macromolecular complexes, via single particle analysis (SPA). The ...

Manual Blot-and-Plunge Freezing of Biological Specimens for Single-Particle Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

Imaging biological specimens with electrons for high-resolution structure determination by single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) requires a thin layer of vitreous ice containing the biomolecules of interest. Despite numerous technological advances in recent years that have propelled single-particle cryoEM to the forefront of structural biology, the methods by which specimens are vitrified for high-resolution imaging often remain the rate-limiting step. Although numerous recent efforts have provided means to overcome hurdles frequently encountered during specimen vitrification, including the development of novel sample supports and innovative vitrification instrumentation, the traditional manually operated plunger remains a staple in the cryoEM community due to the low cost to purchase and ease of operation. Here, we provide detailed methods for using a standard, guillotine-style manually operated blot-and-plunge device for the vitrification of biological specimens for high-resolution imaging by single-particle cryoEM. Additionally, commonly encountered issues and troubleshooting recommendations for when a standard preparation fails to yield a suitable specimen are also described.

This manuscript outlines the blot-and-plunge method to manually freeze biological specimens for single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy.

Imaging biological specimens with electrons for high-resolution structure determination by single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) requires ...

High-Resolution Neutron Spectroscopy to Study Picosecond-Nanosecond Dynamics of Proteins and Hydration Water

Neutron scattering offers the possibility to probe the dynamics within samples for a wide range of energies in a nondestructive manner and without labeling other than deuterium. In particular, neutron backscattering spectroscopy records the scattering signals at multiple scattering angles simultaneously and is well suited to study the dynamics of biological systems on the ps-ns timescale. By employing D2O-and possibly deuterated buffer components-the method allows monitoring of both center-of-mass diffusion and backbone and side-chain motions (internal dynamics) of proteins in liquid state.
Additionally, hydration water dynamics can be studied by employing powders of perdeuterated proteins hydrated with H2O. This paper presents the workflow employed on the instrument IN16B at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) to investigate protein and hydration water dynamics. The preparation of solution samples and hydrated protein powder samples using vapor exchange is explained. The data analysis procedure for both protein and hydration water dynamics is described for different types of datasets (quasielastic spectra or fixed-window scans) that can be obtained on a neutron backscattering spectrometer.
The method is illustrated with two studies involving amyloid proteins. The aggregation of lysozyme into &#181;m sized spherical aggregates-denoted particulates-is shown to occur in a one-step process on the space and time range probed on IN16B, while the internal dynamics remains unchanged. Further, the dynamics of hydration water of tau was studied on hydrated powders of perdeuterated protein. It is shown that translational motions of water are activated upon the formation of amyloid fibers. Finally, critical steps in the protocol are discussed as to how neutron scattering is positioned regarding the study of dynamics with respect to other experimental biophysical methods.

Neutron backscattering spectroscopy offers a nondestructive and label-free access to the ps-ns dynamics of proteins and their hydration water. The workflow is presented with two studies on amyloid proteins: on the time-resolved dynamics of lysozyme during aggregation and on the hydration water dynamics of tau upon fiber formation.

Neutron scattering offers the possibility to probe the dynamics within samples for a wide range of energies in a nondestructive manner and without ...

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles

In order to decipher the complex molecular mechanisms that regulate the assembly and disassembly of actin filaments, it is a great asset to monitor individual reactions live in well-controlled conditions. To do so, live single-filament experiments have emerged over the past 20 years, mostly using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, and have provided a trove of key results. In 2011, in order to further expand the possibilities of these experiments and to avoid recurring problematic artifacts, we introduced simple microfluidics in these assays. This study details our basic protocol, where individual actin filaments are anchored by one end to the passivated coverslip surface, align with the flow, and can be successively exposed to different protein solutions. We also present the protocols for specific applications and explain how controlled mechanical forces can be applied, thanks to the viscous drag of the flowing solution. We highlight the technical caveats of these experiments and briefly present possible developments based on this technique. These protocols and explanations, along with today&#39;s availability of easy-to-use microfluidics equipment, should allow non-specialists to implement this assay in their labs.

We present protocols for simple actin filament microfluidic assays, in combination with fluorescence microscopy, that allow one to accurately monitor individual actin filaments in real-time while sequentially exposing them to different protein solutions.

In order to decipher the complex molecular mechanisms that regulate the assembly and disassembly of actin filaments, it is a great asset to monitor ...

Single-Particle Cryo-EM Data Collection with Stage Tilt using Leginon

Single-particle analysis (SPA) by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is now a mainstream technique for high-resolution structural biology. Structure determination by SPA relies upon obtaining multiple distinct views of a macromolecular object vitrified within a thin layer of ice. Ideally, a collection of uniformly distributed random projection orientations would amount to all possible views of the object, giving rise to reconstructions characterized by isotropic directional resolution. However, in reality, many samples suffer from preferentially oriented particles adhering to the air-water interface. This leads to non-uniform angular orientation distributions in the dataset and inhomogeneous Fourier-space sampling in the reconstruction, translating into maps characterized by anisotropic resolution. Tilting the specimen stage provides a generalizable solution to overcoming resolution anisotropy by virtue of improving the uniformity of orientation distributions, and thus the isotropy of Fourier space sampling. The present protocol describes a tilted-stage automated data collection strategy using Leginon, a software for automated image acquisition. The procedure is simple to implement, does not require any additional equipment or software, and is compatible with most standard transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) used for imaging biological macromolecules.

The present protocol describes a generalized and easy-to-implement scheme for tilted single-particle data collection in cryo-EM experiments. Such a procedure is especially useful for obtaining a high-quality EM map for samples suffering from preferential orientation bias due to adherence to the air-water interface.

Single-particle analysis (SPA) by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is now a mainstream technique for high-resolution structural biology. Structure ...