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Di Matteo P, Calvello M, Luin S, Marchetti L, Cattaneo A. An Optimized Procedure for the Site-Directed Labeling of NGF and proNGF for Imaging Purposes. Front Mol Biosci 2017; 4:4. [PMID: 28210618 PMCID: PMC5288393 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2017.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophins are growth factors of fundamental importance for the development, survival and maintenance of different neuronal and non-neuronal populations. Over the years, the use of labeled neurotrophins has helped in the study of their biological functions, leading to a better understanding of the processes that regulate their transport, traffic, and signaling. However, the diverse and heterogeneous neurotrophin labeling strategies adopted so far have often led to poorly reproducible protocols and sometimes conflicting conclusions. Here we present a robust, reliable, and fast method to obtain homogeneous preparations of fluorescent proNGF and NGF with 1:1 labeling stoichiometry. This strategy is well suited for several applications, ranging from advanced imaging techniques such as single particle tracking, to analyses that require large amounts of neurotrophins such as in vivo monitoring of protein biodistribution. As a proof of the quality of the labeled NGF and proNGF preparations, we provide a quantitative analysis of their colocalization with proteins involved in the signaling endosome function and sorting. This new analysis allowed demonstrating that proNGF localizes at a sub-population of endosomes not completely overlapped to the one hosting NGF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluigi Di Matteo
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Luin
- NEST Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze - CNR Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Marchetti
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNRPisa, Italy; Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaPisa, Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR Pisa, Italy
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De Nadai T, Marchetti L, Di Rienzo C, Calvello M, Signore G, Di Matteo P, Gobbo F, Turturro S, Meucci S, Viegi A, Beltram F, Luin S, Cattaneo A. Precursor and mature NGF live tracking: one versus many at a time in the axons. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20272. [PMID: 26829890 PMCID: PMC4735336 DOI: 10.1038/srep20272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The classical view of nerve growth factor (NGF) action in the nervous system is linked to its retrograde axonal transport. However, almost nothing is known on the trafficking properties of its unprocessed precursor proNGF, characterized by different and generally opposite biological functions with respect to its mature counterpart. Here we developed a strategy to fluorolabel both purified precursor and mature neurotrophins (NTs) with a controlled stoichiometry and insertion site. Using a single particle tracking approach, we characterized the axonal transport of proNGF versus mature NGF in living dorsal root ganglion neurons grown in compartmentalized microfluidic devices. We demonstrate that proNGF is retrogradely transported as NGF, but with a lower flux and a different distribution of numbers of neurotrophins per vesicle. Moreover, exploiting a dual-color labelling technique, we analysed the transport of both NT forms when simultaneously administered to the axon tips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa De Nadai
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Marchetti
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy.,NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carmine Di Rienzo
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy.,Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Signore
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Di Matteo
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Gobbo
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Sandro Meucci
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy.,Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Viegi
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Beltram
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy.,Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Luin
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
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Marchetti L, Luin S, Bonsignore F, de Nadai T, Beltram F, Cattaneo A. Ligand-induced dynamics of neurotrophin receptors investigated by single-molecule imaging approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:1949-79. [PMID: 25603178 PMCID: PMC4307343 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16011949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophins are secreted proteins that regulate neuronal development and survival, as well as maintenance and plasticity of the adult nervous system. The biological activity of neurotrophins stems from their binding to two membrane receptor types, the tropomyosin receptor kinase and the p75 neurotrophin receptors (NRs). The intracellular signalling cascades thereby activated have been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, a comprehensive description of the ligand-induced nanoscale details of NRs dynamics and interactions spanning from the initial lateral movements triggered at the plasma membrane to the internalization and transport processes is still missing. Recent advances in high spatio-temporal resolution imaging techniques have yielded new insight on the dynamics of NRs upon ligand binding. Here we discuss requirements, potential and practical implementation of these novel approaches for the study of neurotrophin trafficking and signalling, in the framework of current knowledge available also for other ligand-receptor systems. We shall especially highlight the correlation between the receptor dynamics activated by different neurotrophins and the respective signalling outcome, as recently revealed by single-molecule tracking of NRs in living neuronal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Marchetti
- National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology (NEST) Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa I-56127, Italy.
| | - Stefano Luin
- National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology (NEST) Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa I-56127, Italy.
| | - Fulvio Bonsignore
- National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology (NEST) Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa I-56127, Italy.
| | - Teresa de Nadai
- Biology Laboratory (BioSNS), Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze-CNR, via Moruzzi 1, Pisa I-56100, Italy.
| | - Fabio Beltram
- National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology (NEST) Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa I-56127, Italy.
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- Biology Laboratory (BioSNS), Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze-CNR, via Moruzzi 1, Pisa I-56100, Italy.
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Marchetti L, De Nadai T, Bonsignore F, Calvello M, Signore G, Viegi A, Beltram F, Luin S, Cattaneo A. Site-specific labeling of neurotrophins and their receptors via short and versatile peptide tags. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113708. [PMID: 25426999 PMCID: PMC4245215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a toolbox for the study of molecular interactions occurring between NGF and its receptors. By means of a suitable insertional mutagenesis method we show the insertion of an 8 amino acid tag (A4) into the sequence of NGF and of 12 amino acid tags (A1 and S6) into the sequence of TrkA and P75NTR NGF-receptors. These tags are shortened versions of the acyl and peptidyl carrier proteins; they are here covalently conjugated to the biotin-substituted arm of a coenzyme A (coA) substrate by phosphopantetheinyl transferase enzymes (PPTases). We demonstrate site-specific biotinylation of the purified recombinant tagged neurotrophin, in both the immature proNGF and mature NGF forms. The resulting tagged NGF is fully functional: it can signal and promote PC12 cells differentiation similarly to recombinant wild-type NGF. Furthermore, we show that the insertion of A1 and S6 tags into human TrkA and P75NTR sequences leads to the site-specific biotinylation of these receptors at the cell surface of living cells. Crucially, the two tags are labeled selectively by two different PPTases: this is exploited to reach orthogonal fluorolabeling of the two receptors co-expressed at low density in living cells. We describe the protocols to obtain the enzymatic, site-specific biotinylation of neurotrophins and their receptors as an alternative to their chemical, nonspecific biotinylation. The present strategy has three main advantages: i) it yields precise control of stoichiometry and site of biotin conjugation; ii) the tags used can be functionalized with virtually any small probe that can be carried by coA substrates, besides (and in addition to) biotin; iii) above all it makes possible to image and track interacting molecules at the single-molecule level in living systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Marchetti
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze – CNR, Pisa, Italy
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Teresa De Nadai
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fulvio Bonsignore
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze – CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessandro Viegi
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Beltram
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze – CNR, Pisa, Italy
- IIT@NEST, Center for Nanotechnology Innovation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Luin
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze – CNR, Pisa, Italy
- * E-mail: (SL); (AC)
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- BioSNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Neuroscienze - CNR, Pisa, Italy
- * E-mail: (SL); (AC)
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The role of rab proteins in neuronal cells and in the trafficking of neurotrophin receptors. MEMBRANES 2014; 4:642-77. [PMID: 25295627 PMCID: PMC4289860 DOI: 10.3390/membranes4040642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that are important for neuronal development, neuronal survival and neuronal functions. Neurotrophins exert their role by binding to their receptors, the Trk family of receptor tyrosine kinases (TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC) and p75NTR, a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily. Binding of neurotrophins to receptors triggers a complex series of signal transduction events, which are able to induce neuronal differentiation but are also responsible for neuronal maintenance and neuronal functions. Rab proteins are small GTPases localized to the cytosolic surface of specific intracellular compartments and are involved in controlling vesicular transport. Rab proteins, acting as master regulators of the membrane trafficking network, play a central role in both trafficking and signaling pathways of neurotrophin receptors. Axonal transport represents the Achilles' heel of neurons, due to the long-range distance that molecules, organelles and, in particular, neurotrophin-receptor complexes have to cover. Indeed, alterations of axonal transport and, specifically, of axonal trafficking of neurotrophin receptors are responsible for several human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and some forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. In this review, we will discuss the link between Rab proteins and neurotrophin receptor trafficking and their influence on downstream signaling pathways.
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Fukuda N, Matsuda T, Nagai T. Optical control of the Ca2+ concentration in a live specimen with a genetically encoded Ca2+-releasing molecular tool. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:1197-203. [PMID: 24625002 DOI: 10.1021/cb400849n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Calcium ion (Ca2+) is an important second messenger implicated in the control of many different cellular processes in living organisms. Ca2+ is typically studied by direct visualization using chemically or genetically encoded indicators. A complementary, and perhaps more useful, approach involves direct manipulation of Ca2+ concentration; tools for this exist but are rather poorly developed compared to the indicators at least. Here, we report a photoactivatable Ca2+-releasing protein, photoactivatable Ca2+ releaser (PACR), made by the insertion of a photosensitive protein domain (LOV2) into a Ca2+ binding protein (calmodulin fused with the M13 peptide). As the PACR is genetically encoded, and unlike conventional optical control tools (e.g., channel rhodopsin) not membrane bound, we are able to restrict expression within the cell, to allow subcellular perturbation of Ca2+ levels. In whole animals, we are able to control the behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans with light by expressing the PACR only in the touch neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noritaka Fukuda
- Graduate
School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoki Matsuda
- The
Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, 8-1
Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Takeharu Nagai
- Graduate
School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- The
Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, 8-1
Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
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Marchetti L, Callegari A, Luin S, Signore G, Viegi A, Beltram F, Cattaneo A. Ligand signature in the membrane dynamics of single TrkA receptor molecules. J Cell Sci 2013; 126:4445-56. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.129916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurotrophin receptor TrkA is critically involved in several physio-pathological processes. Still, a clear description of the early steps of ligand-induced TrkA responses at the cell plasma membrane is missing. Here we exploit single particle tracking (SPT) and TIRF microscopy to study TrkA membrane lateral mobility and changes of oligomerization state upon binding of diverse TrkA agonists (NGF, NGF R100E HSANV mutant, proNGF and NT-3). We show that, in the absence of ligands, most of TrkA receptors are fast moving monomers characterized by an average diffusion coefficient of 0.47 µm2/s; about 20% TrkA molecules are moving at least an order of magnitude slower and around 4% are almost immobile within regions of about 0.6 µm diameter. Ligand binding results in increased slow and/or immobile populations over the fast one, slowing down of non-immobile trajectories and reduction of confinement areas, observations which are consistent with the formation of receptor dimeric and oligomeric states. We demonstrate that the extent of TrkA lateral mobility modification is strictly ligand-dependent and that each ligand promotes distinct trajectory patterns of TrkA receptors at the cell membrane (ligand “fingerprinting” effect). This ligand-signature of receptor dynamics results from a differential combination of receptor-binding affinity, intracellular effectors recruited in the signalling platforms and formation of signalling/recycling endosome precursors. Thus, our data uncover a close correlation between the initial receptor membrane dynamics triggered upon binding and the specific biological outcomes induced by different ligands for the same receptor.
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Abstract
Neurotrophins are a family of target-derived growth factors that support survival, development, and maintenance of innervating neurons. Owing to the unique architecture of neurons, neurotrophins that act locally on the axonal terminals must convey their signals across the entire axon for subsequent regulation of gene transcription in the cell nucleus. This long-distance retrograde signaling, a motor-driven process that can take hours or days, has been a subject of intense interest. In the last decade, live-cell imaging with high sensitivity has significantly increased our capability to track the transport of neurotrophins, their receptors, and subsequent signals in real time. This review summarizes recent research progress in understanding neurotrophin-receptor interactions at the axonal terminal and their transport dynamics along the axon. We emphasize high-resolution studies at the single-molecule level and also discuss recent technical advances in the field.
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