1
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Bhardwaj R, Mishra P. Engineered Recombinant EGFP-Azurin Theranostic Nanosystem for Targeted Therapy of Prostate Cancer. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:6066-6078. [PMID: 37906960 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (Eph) receptors and their ligands, ephrins, are the largest subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that have emerged as a new class of cancer biomarkers due to their aberrant expression in cancer progression. The activation of Eph receptors either due to their hyperexpression or via high affinity binding with their respective ephrin ligands initiates a cascade of signals that impacts cancer development and progression. In prostate cancer, the overexpression of the EphA6 receptor has been correlated with increased metastatic potential. Azurin, a small redox protein, is known to prevent tumor progression by binding to cell surface Eph receptors, inhibiting its autophosphorylation in the kinase domain and thereby disrupting Eph-ephrin signaling. Hence, a self-assembled, theranostic nanosystem of recombinant fusion protein his6EGFP-azu (80-128) was designed by conjugating enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) with the C-terminal region of azurin. This design was inspired by the in silico binding study, where the analogue of ephrinA, his6EGFP-azu (80-128) showed higher binding affinity for the EphA6 receptor than the ephrinA ligands. The his6EGFP-azu (80-128) nanosystem which assembled as nanoparticles was tested for its ability to simultaneously detect and kill the prostate cancer cells, LNCaP. This was achieved by specifically targeting EphA6 receptors overexpressed on the cancer cell surface via C-terminal peptide, azu (80-128). Herein, we report antiproliferative, apoptotic, antimigratory, and anti-invasive effects of this nanosystem on LNCaP cells, while having no similar effects on EphA6 negative human normal lung cells, WI-38.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Bhardwaj
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Prashant Mishra
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
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2
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Cruz-Samperio R, Hicks CL, Scott A, Gispert Contamina I, Elani Y, Richardson RJ, Perriman AW. Modular Bioorthogonal Lipid Nanoparticle Modification Platforms for Cardiac Homing. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:22659-22670. [PMID: 37812759 PMCID: PMC10591475 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c07811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are becoming widely adopted as vectors for the delivery of therapeutic payloads but generally lack intrinsic tissue-homing properties. These extracellular vesicle (EV) mimetics can be targeted toward the liver, lung, or spleen via charge modification of their lipid headgroups. Homing to other tissues has only been achieved via covalent surface modification strategies using small-molecule ligands, peptides, or monoclonal antibodies─methods that are challenging to couple with large-scale manufacturing. Herein, we design a novel modular artificial membrane-binding protein (AMBP) platform for the modification of LNPs postformation. The system is composed of two protein modules that can be readily coupled using bioorthogonal chemistry to yield the AMBP. The first is a membrane anchor module comprising a supercharged green fluorescent protein (scGFP) electrostatically conjugated to a dynamic polymer surfactant corona. The second is a functional module containing a cardiac tissue fibronectin homing sequence from the bacterial adhesin CshA. We demonstrate that LNPs modified using the AMBP exhibit a 20-fold increase in uptake by fibronectin-rich C2C12 cells under static conditions and a 10-fold increase under physiologically relevant shear stresses, with no loss of cell viability. Moreover, we show targeted localization of the AMBP-modified LNPs in zebrafish hearts, highlighting their therapeutic potential as a vector for the treatment of cardiac disease and, more generally, as a smart vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Cruz-Samperio
- School
of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University
of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K.
| | - Corrigan L. Hicks
- School
of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University
of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K.
| | - Aaron Scott
- School
of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K.
| | | | - Yuval Elani
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Rebecca J. Richardson
- School
of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K.
| | - Adam W. Perriman
- School
of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University
of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K.
- Research
School of Chemistry, Australian National
University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
- John
Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian
National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
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3
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Sekhon H, Ha JH, Presti MF, Procopio SB, Mirsky PO, John AM, Loh SN. Adaptable, Turn-On Monobody (ATOM) Fluorescent Biosensors for Multiplexed Detection in Cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.28.534597. [PMID: 37034669 PMCID: PMC10081266 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.28.534597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A grand challenge in biosensor design is to develop a single molecule, fluorescent protein-based platform that can be easily adapted to recognize targets of choice. Conceptually, this can be achieved by fusing a small, antibody-like binding domain to a fluorescent protein in such a way that target binding activates fluorescence. Although this design is simple to envision, its execution is not obvious. Here, we created a family of adaptable, turn-on monobody (ATOM) biosensors consisting of a monobody, circularly permuted at one of two positions, inserted into a fluorescent protein at one of three surface loops. Multiplexed imaging of live human cells co-expressing cyan, yellow, and red ATOM sensors detected the biosensor targets (WDR5, SH2, and hRAS proteins) that were localized to the nucleus, cytoplasm, and plasma membrane, respectively, with high specificity. ER- and mitochondria-localized ATOM sensors also detected ligands that were targeted to those organelles. Fluorescence activation involved ligand-dependent chromophore maturation with fluorescence turn-on ratios of >20-fold in cells and up to 100-fold in vitro . The sensing mechanism was validated with three arbitrarily chosen monobodies inserted into jellyfish as well as anemone lineages of fluorescent proteins, suggesting that ATOM sensors with different binding specificities and additional colors can be generated relatively quickly.
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4
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Arakawa M, Yoshida A, Okamura S, Ebina H, Morita E. A highly sensitive NanoLuc-based protease biosensor for detecting apoptosis and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1753. [PMID: 36720982 PMCID: PMC9887574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28984-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteases play critical roles in various biological processes, including apoptosis and viral infection. Several protease biosensors have been developed; however, obtaining a reliable signal from a very low level of endogenous protease activity remains a challenge. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive protease biosensor, named FlipNanoLuc, based on the Oplophorus gracilirostris NanoLuc luciferase. The flipped β-strand was restored by protease activation and cleavage, resulting in the reconstitution of luciferase and enzymatic activity. By making several modifications, such as introducing NanoBiT technology and CL1-PEST1 degradation tag, the FlipNanoLuc-based protease biosensor system achieved more than 500-fold luminescence increase in the corresponding protease-overexpressing cells. We demonstrated that the FlipNanoLuc-based caspase sensor can be utilized for the detection of staurosporine-induced apoptosis with sixfold increase in luminescence. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that the FlipNanoLuc-based coronavirus 3CL-protease sensor can be used to detect human coronavirus OC43 with tenfold increase in luminescence and severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infections with 20-fold increase in luminescence by introducing the stem-loop 1 sequence to prevent the virus inducing global translational shutdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Arakawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-Cho, Hirosaki-Shi, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan.,Division of Biomolecular Function, Bioresources Science, United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-0066, Japan
| | - Akiho Yoshida
- Virus Vaccine Group, BIKEN Innovative Vaccine Research Alliance Laboratories, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,The Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinya Okamura
- Virus Vaccine Group, BIKEN Innovative Vaccine Research Alliance Laboratories, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,The Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Ebina
- Virus Vaccine Group, BIKEN Innovative Vaccine Research Alliance Laboratories, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Virus Vaccine Group, BIKEN Innovative Vaccine Research Alliance Laboratories, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,The Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Eiji Morita
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-Cho, Hirosaki-Shi, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan. .,Division of Biomolecular Function, Bioresources Science, United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-0066, Japan.
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5
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Li J, Wang JL, Gan CY, Cai XF, Wang YW, Long QX, Sun YX, Wei XF, Cui J, Huang AL, Hu JL. Caspase sensors based on NanoLuc. J Biotechnol 2022; 357:100-107. [PMID: 35963591 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Caspases are a family of evolutionary conserved cysteine proteases that play key roles in programmed cell death and inflammation. Among the methods for the detection of caspase activity, biosensors based on luciferases have advantages in genetical encoding and convenience in assay. In this study, we constructed a new set of caspase biosensors based on NanoLuc luciferase. This kind of sensors, named NanoLock, work in dark-to-bright model, with the help of a NanoLuc quencher peptide (HiBiT-R/D) mutated from HiBiT. Optimized NanoLock responded to proteases with high signal to noise ratio (S/N), 1233-fold activation by tobacco etch virus protease in HEK293 cells and > 500-fold induction to caspase 3 in vitro. We constructed NanoLocks for the detection of caspase 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, and assays in HEK293 cells demonstrated that these sensors performed better than commercial kits in the aspect of S/N and convenience. We further established a cell line stably expressing NanoLock-casp 6 and provided a proof-of-concept for the usage of this cell line in the high throughput screening of caspase 6 modulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jin-Lan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chun-Yang Gan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xue-Fei Cai
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China; Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu-Wei Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China; Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Quan-Xin Long
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu-Xue Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xia-Fei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Cui
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ai-Long Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Jie-Li Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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6
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Kaur H, Nguyen K, Kumar P. Pressure and temperature dependence of fluorescence anisotropy of green fluorescent protein. RSC Adv 2022; 12:8647-8655. [PMID: 35424839 PMCID: PMC8984833 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra08977c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We have studied the effect of high hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the steady state fluorescence anisotropy of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). We find that the fluorescence anisotropy of GFP at a constant temperature decreases with increasing pressure. At atmospheric pressure, anisotropy decreases with increasing temperature but exhibits a maximum with temperature for pressure larger than 20 MPa. The temperature corresponding to the maximum of anisotropy increases with increasing pressure. By taking into account of the rotational correlation time changes of GFP with the pressure–temperature dependent viscosity of the solvent, we argue that viscosity increase with pressure is not a major contributing factor to the decrease in anisotropy with pressure. The decrease of anisotropy with pressure may result from changes in H-bonding environment around the chromophore. Effect of high hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the steady state fluorescence anisotropy of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP).![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Kaur
- Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Khanh Nguyen
- Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
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7
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Abstract
Apoptosis is a process in which cells are genetically regulated to cause a series of changes in morphology and metabolic activity, which ultimately lead to cell death. Apoptosis plays a vital role in the entire life cycle of an organism. Too much or too little apoptosis can cause a variety of diseases. Therefore, efficient and convenient methods for detecting apoptosis are necessary for clinical treatment and drug development. Traditional methods for detecting apoptosis may cause damage to the body during sample collection, such as for flow cytometry analysis. So it is necessary to monitor apoptosis without invasion in vivo. Optical imaging technique provides a more sensitive and economical way for apoptosis visualization. A subset of engineered reporter genes based on fluorescent proteins or luciferases are currently developed to monitor the dynamic changes in apoptotic markers, such as activation of caspases and exposure of phosphatidylserine on the surface of dying cells. These reporters detect apoptosis when cells have not undergone significant morphological changes, providing conditions for early diagnosis of tumors. In addition, these reporters show considerable value in high-throughput screening of apoptosis-related drugs and evaluation of their efficacy in treating tumors. In this review, we will discuss the recent research progress in the optical imaging of apoptosis based on the genetically encoded reporter genes.
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8
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Shi J, Hu J, Yuan Y, Zhang B, Guo W, Wu Y, Jiang L. Genetic Fusion of Transacting Activator of Transcription Peptide to Cyclized Green Fluorescence Protein Improves Stability, Intracellular Delivery, and Tumor Retention. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:7931-7940. [PMID: 33778304 PMCID: PMC7992142 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic proteins such as enzymes, hormones, and cytokines suffer from poor stability, inefficient cellular penetration, and rapid clearance from circulation. Conjugation with polymers (such as poly(ethylene glycol)) and fusion with long-acting proteins (such as albumin and Fc fragments) have been utilized to partially address the delivery issues, but these strategies require the introduction of new macromolecular substances, resulting in potential immunogenicity and toxicity. Herein, we report an easy strategy to increase the intracellular delivery efficiency and stability of proteins by combining of sortase-mediated protein cyclization and cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-mediated intracellular delivery. We, for the first time, genetically constructed a green fluorescence protein (GFP) fused with a CPP, a transacting activator of transcription (TAT) peptide, at its C-terminus for intracellular internalization, and two sortase recognition sequences, pentaglycine and LPETG, at its N- and C-termini for cyclization. Notably, the cyclized GFP-TAT (cGFP-TAT) not only highly retained the photophysical properties of the protein but also significantly improved the in vitro stability compared with the native linear GFP (lGFP) and linear TAT peptide-fused GFP (lGFP-TAT).Moreover, cGFP-TAT showed better cellular internalization ability compared with lGFP. In C26 tumor-inoculated mice, cGFP-TAT exhibited enhanced in vivo tumor retention, with increases of 7.79- and 6.52-fold relative to lGFP and lGFP-TAT in tumor retention 3 h after intratumor administration. This proof-of-concept study has provided an easy strategy to increase the in vitro stability, intracellular delivery efficiency, and in vivo tumor retention of GFP, which would be applicable to numerous therapeutic proteins and peptides for clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianquan Shi
- Department
of Intensive Care Unit, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor
Research Institute, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Jin Hu
- Department
of Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe
and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union
Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yeshuang Yuan
- Department
of Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe
and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union
Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, North Sichuan
Medical College, Nanchong 637100, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department
of Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe
and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union
Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Wenting Guo
- Department
of Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe
and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union
Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yuanhao Wu
- Department
of Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe
and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union
Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lingjuan Jiang
- Department
of Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe
and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union
Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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9
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Anson F, Kanjilal P, Thayumanavan S, Hardy JA. Tracking exogenous intracellular casp-3 using split GFP. Protein Sci 2021; 30:366-380. [PMID: 33165988 PMCID: PMC7784757 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cytosolic protein delivery promises diverse applications from therapeutics, to genetic modification and precision research tools. To achieve effective cellular and subcellular delivery, approaches that allow protein visualization and accurate localization with greater sensitivity are essential. Fluorescently tagging proteins allows detection, tracking and visualization in cellulo. However, undesired consequences from fluorophores or fluorescent protein tags, such as nonspecific interactions and high background or perturbation to native protein's size and structure, are frequently observed, or more troublingly, overlooked. Distinguishing cytosolically released molecules from those that are endosomally entrapped upon cellular uptake is particularly challenging and is often complicated by the inherent pH-sensitive and hydrophobic properties of the fluorophore. Monitoring localization is more complex in delivery of proteins with inherent protein-modifying activities like proteases, transacetylases, kinases, etc. Proteases are among the toughest cargos due to their inherent propensity for self-proteolysis. To implement a reliable, but functionally silent, tagging technology in a protease, we have developed a caspase-3 variant tagged with the 11th strand of GFP that retains both enzymatic activity and structural characteristics of wild-type caspase-3. Only in the presence of cytosolic GFP strands 1-10 will the tagged caspase-3 generate fluorescence to signal a non-endosomal location. This methodology facilitates easy screening of cytosolic vs. endosomally-entrapped proteins due to low probabilities for false positive results, and further, allows tracking of the resultant cargo's translocation. The development of this tagged casp-3 cytosolic reporter lays the foundation to probe caspase therapeutic properties, charge-property relationships governing successful escape, and the precise number of caspases required for apoptotic cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Anson
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
| | - Pintu Kanjilal
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
| | - S. Thayumanavan
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
- The Center for Bioactive Delivery at the Institute for Applied Life SciencesUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jeanne A. Hardy
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
- The Center for Bioactive Delivery at the Institute for Applied Life SciencesUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
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10
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Zhou Y, Huo S, Loznik M, Göstl R, Boersma AJ, Herrmann A. Kontrolle über die optische und katalytische Aktivität gentechnisch hergestellter Proteine mit Ultraschall. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202010324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien Forckenbeckstraße 50 52056 Aachen Deutschland
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen Niederlande
| | - Shuaidong Huo
- DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien Forckenbeckstraße 50 52056 Aachen Deutschland
- Institut für Technische Chemie und Makromolekulare Chemie RWTH Aachen Worringerweg 1 52074 Aachen Deutschland
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen Niederlande
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research School of Pharmaceutical Science Xiamen University 361102 Xiamen China
| | - Mark Loznik
- DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien Forckenbeckstraße 50 52056 Aachen Deutschland
- Institut für Technische Chemie und Makromolekulare Chemie RWTH Aachen Worringerweg 1 52074 Aachen Deutschland
| | - Robert Göstl
- DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien Forckenbeckstraße 50 52056 Aachen Deutschland
| | - Arnold J. Boersma
- DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien Forckenbeckstraße 50 52056 Aachen Deutschland
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien Forckenbeckstraße 50 52056 Aachen Deutschland
- Institut für Technische Chemie und Makromolekulare Chemie RWTH Aachen Worringerweg 1 52074 Aachen Deutschland
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen Niederlande
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11
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Zhou Y, Huo S, Loznik M, Göstl R, Boersma AJ, Herrmann A. Controlling Optical and Catalytic Activity of Genetically Engineered Proteins by Ultrasound. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:1493-1497. [PMID: 33104261 PMCID: PMC7839785 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202010324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasound (US) produces cavitation-induced mechanical forces stretching and breaking polymer chains in solution. This type of polymer mechanochemistry is widely used for synthetic polymers, but not biomacromolecules, even though US is biocompatible and commonly used for medical therapy as well as in vivo imaging. The ability to control protein activity by US would thus be a major stepping-stone for these disciplines. Here, we provide the first examples of selective protein activation and deactivation by means of US. Using GFP as a model system, we engineer US sensitivity into proteins by design. The incorporation of long and highly charged domains enables the efficient transfer of force to the protein structure. We then use this principle to activate the catalytic activity of trypsin by inducing the release of its inhibitor. We expect that this concept to switch "on" and "off" protein activity by US will serve as a blueprint to remotely control other bioactive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- DWI—Leibniz Institute for Interactive MaterialsForckenbeckstrasse 5052056AachenGermany
- Zernike Institute for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Shuaidong Huo
- DWI—Leibniz Institute for Interactive MaterialsForckenbeckstrasse 5052056AachenGermany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular ChemistryRWTH Aachen UniversityWorringerweg 152074AachenGermany
- Zernike Institute for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target ResearchSchool of Pharmaceutical ScienceXiamen University361102XiamenChina
| | - Mark Loznik
- DWI—Leibniz Institute for Interactive MaterialsForckenbeckstrasse 5052056AachenGermany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular ChemistryRWTH Aachen UniversityWorringerweg 152074AachenGermany
| | - Robert Göstl
- DWI—Leibniz Institute for Interactive MaterialsForckenbeckstrasse 5052056AachenGermany
| | - Arnold J. Boersma
- DWI—Leibniz Institute for Interactive MaterialsForckenbeckstrasse 5052056AachenGermany
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- DWI—Leibniz Institute for Interactive MaterialsForckenbeckstrasse 5052056AachenGermany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular ChemistryRWTH Aachen UniversityWorringerweg 152074AachenGermany
- Zernike Institute for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AGGroningenThe Netherlands
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12
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Ding SS, Romenskyy M, Sarkisyan KS, Brown AEX. Measuring Caenorhabditis elegans Spatial Foraging and Food Intake Using Bioluminescent Bacteria. Genetics 2020; 214:577-587. [PMID: 31911453 PMCID: PMC7054024 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
For most animals, feeding includes two behaviors: foraging to find a food patch and food intake once a patch is found. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model for studying the genetics of both behaviors. However, most methods of measuring feeding in worms quantify either foraging behavior or food intake, but not both. Imaging the depletion of fluorescently labeled bacteria provides information on both the distribution and amount of consumption, but even after patch exhaustion a prominent background signal remains, which complicates quantification. Here, we used a bioluminescent Escherichia coli strain to quantify C. elegans feeding. With light emission tightly coupled to active metabolism, only living bacteria are capable of bioluminescence, so the signal is lost upon ingestion. We quantified the loss of bioluminescence using N2 reference worms and eat-2 mutants, and found a nearly 100-fold increase in signal-to-background ratio and lower background compared to loss of fluorescence. We also quantified feeding using aggregating npr-1 mutant worms. We found that groups of npr-1 mutants first clear bacteria from within the cluster before foraging collectively for more food; similarly, during large population swarming, only worms at the migrating front are in contact with bacteria. These results demonstrate the usefulness of bioluminescent bacteria for quantifying feeding and generating insights into the spatial pattern of food consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Serena Ding
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Maksym Romenskyy
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Karen S Sarkisyan
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Andre E X Brown
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
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13
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Arias-Arias JL, MacPherson DJ, Hill ME, Hardy JA, Mora-Rodríguez R. A fluorescence-activatable reporter of flavivirus NS2B-NS3 protease activity enables live imaging of infection in single cells and viral plaques. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:2212-2226. [PMID: 31919100 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Flavivirus in the family Flaviviridae comprises many medically important viruses, such as dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and yellow fever virus. The quest for therapeutic targets to combat flavivirus infections requires a better understanding of the kinetics of virus-host interactions during infections with native viral strains. However, this is precluded by limitations of current cell-based systems for monitoring flavivirus infection in living cells. In the present study, we report the construction of fluorescence-activatable sensors to detect the activities of flavivirus NS2B-NS3 serine proteases in living cells. The system consists of GFP-based reporters that become fluorescent upon cleavage by recombinant DENV-2/ZIKV proteases in vitro A version of this sensor containing the flavivirus internal NS3 cleavage site linker reported the highest fluorescence activation in stably transduced mammalian cells upon DENV-2/ZIKV infection. Moreover, the onset of fluorescence correlated with viral protease activity. A far-red version of this flavivirus sensor had the best signal-to-noise ratio in a fluorescent Dulbecco's plaque assay, leading to the construction of a multireporter platform combining the flavivirus sensor with reporter dyes for detection of chromatin condensation and cell death, enabling studies of viral plaque formation with single-cell resolution. Finally, the application of this platform enabled the study of cell-population kinetics of infection and cell death by DENV-2, ZIKV, and yellow fever virus. We anticipate that future studies of viral infection kinetics with this reporter system will enable basic investigations of virus-host interactions and facilitate future applications in antiviral drug research to manage flavivirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge L Arias-Arias
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica
| | - Derek J MacPherson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Maureen E Hill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Jeanne A Hardy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Rodrigo Mora-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
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14
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Abstract
Creative engineering of fluorescent proteins has yielded a variety of tools for visualization of biochemical events in vivo. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, To et al. (2016) describe a fluorogenic green fluorescent protein that is activated by caspase-3 activity and enables imaging of apoptosis in developing zebrafish embryos (To et al., 2016).
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Wiens
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Xiaocen Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Robert E Campbell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada.
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15
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Fernández-Fernández ÁD, Van der Hoorn RAL, Gevaert K, Van Breusegem F, Stael S. Caught green-handed: methods for in vivo detection and visualization of protease activity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:2125-2141. [PMID: 30805604 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Proteases are enzymes that cleave peptide bonds of other proteins. Their omnipresence and diverse activities make them important players in protein homeostasis and turnover of the total cell proteome as well as in signal transduction in plant stress responses and development. To understand protease function, it is of paramount importance to assess when and where a specific protease is active. Here, we review the existing methods to detect in vivo protease activity by means of imaging chemical activity-based probes and genetically encoded sensors. We focus on the diverse fluorescent and luminescent sensors at the researcher's disposal and evaluate the potential of imaging techniques to deliver in vivo spatiotemporal detail of protease activity. We predict that in the coming years, revised techniques will help to elucidate plant protease activity and functions and hence expand the current status of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Daniel Fernández-Fernández
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Kris Gevaert
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Van Breusegem
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Simon Stael
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
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16
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Wassie AT, Zhao Y, Boyden ES. Expansion microscopy: principles and uses in biological research. Nat Methods 2018; 16:33-41. [PMID: 30573813 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0219-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Many biological investigations require 3D imaging of cells or tissues with nanoscale spatial resolution. We recently discovered that preserved biological specimens can be physically expanded in an isotropic fashion through a chemical process. Expansion microscopy (ExM) allows nanoscale imaging of biological specimens with conventional microscopes, decrowds biomolecules in support of signal amplification and multiplexed readout chemistries, and makes specimens transparent. We review the principles of how ExM works, advances in the technology made by our group and others, and its applications throughout biology and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmamaw T Wassie
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yongxin Zhao
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edward S Boyden
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Center for Neurobiological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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17
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Balderstone LA, Dawson JC, Welman A, Serrels A, Wedge SR, Brunton VG. Development of a fluorescence-based cellular apoptosis reporter. Methods Appl Fluoresc 2018; 7:015001. [PMID: 30353887 PMCID: PMC6372133 DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/aae6f8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark of human cancer, and a desired endpoint of many anticancer agents is the induction of cell death. With the heterogeneity of cancer becoming increasingly apparent, to understand drug mechanisms of action and identify combination therapies in cell populations, the development of tools to assess drug effects at the single cell level is a necessity for future preclinical drug development. Herein we describe the development of pCasFSwitch, a genetically encoded reporter construct designed to identify cells undergoing caspase-3 mediated apoptosis, by a translocation of a GFP signal from the cell membrane into the nucleus. Anticipated cellular distribution was demonstrated by use of confocal microscopy and cleavage by caspase-3 was shown to be required for the translocation of the GFP signal seen in apoptotic cells. Quantification of apoptosis using the construct revealed similar levels to that obtained with a commercially available apoptosis imaging agent (22.6% versus 20.3%). Moreover, we demonstrated its capacity for use in a high-throughput setting making it a powerful tool for drug development pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Balderstone
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, United Kingdom
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18
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Wong JX, Rehm BHA. Design of Modular Polyhydroxyalkanoate Scaffolds for Protein Immobilization by Directed Ligation. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:4098-4112. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Xiang Wong
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag, 11222 Palmerston North, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Bernd H. A. Rehm
- Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan, 4111 Queensland, Australia
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19
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Lossi L, Merighi A. The Use of ex Vivo Rodent Platforms in Neuroscience Translational Research With Attention to the 3Rs Philosophy. Front Vet Sci 2018; 5:164. [PMID: 30073174 PMCID: PMC6060265 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The principles of the 3Rs—Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement—are at the basis of most advanced national and supranational (EU) regulations on animal experimentation and welfare. In the perspective to reduce and refine the use of these animals in translational research, we here discuss the use of rodent acute and organotypically cultured central nervous system slices. We describe novel applications of these ex vivo platforms in medium-throughput screening of neuroactive molecules of potential pharmacological interest, with particular attention to more recent developments that permit to fully exploit the potential of direct genetic engineering of organotypic cultures using transfection techniques. We then describe the perspectives for expanding the use ex vivo platforms in neuroscience studies under the 3Rs philosophy using the following approaches: (1) Use of co-cultures of two brain regions physiologically connected to each other (source-target) to analyze axon regeneration and reconstruction of circuitries; (2) Microinjection or co-cultures of primary cells and/or cell lines releasing one or more neuroactive molecules to screen their physiological and/or pharmacological effects onto neuronal survival and slice circuitry. Microinjected or co-cultured cells are ideally made fluorescent after transfection with a plasmid construct encoding green or red fluorescent protein under the control of a general promoter such as hCMV; (3) Use of “sniffer” cells sensing the release of biologically active molecules from organotypic cultures by means of fluorescent probes. These cells can be prepared with activatable green fluorescent protein, a unique chromophore that remains in a “dark” state because its maturation is inhibited, and can be made fluorescent (de-quenched) if specific cellular enzymes, such as proteases or kinases, are activated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lossi
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Adalberto Merighi
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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20
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Live Cell Reporter Systems for Positive-Sense Single Strand RNA Viruses. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2016; 178:1567-85. [PMID: 26728654 PMCID: PMC7091396 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-015-1968-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based reporter systems have facilitated studies of viral replication and pathogenesis, virus detection, and drug susceptibility testing. There are three types of cell-based reporter systems that express certain reporter protein for positive-sense single strand RNA virus infections. The first type is classical reporter system, which relies on recombinant virus, reporter virus particle, or subgenomic replicon. During infection with the recombinant virus or reporter virus particle, the reporter protein is expressed and can be detected in real time in a dose-dependent manner. Using subgenomic replicon, which are genetically engineered viral RNA molecules that are capable of replication but incapable of producing virions, the translation and replication of the replicon could be tracked by the accumulation of reporter protein. The second type of reporter system involves genetically engineered cells bearing virus-specific protease cleavage sequences, which can sense the incoming viral protease. The third type is based on viral replicase, which can report the specific virus infection via detection of the incoming viral replicase. This review specifically focuses on the major technical breakthroughs in the design of cell-based reporter systems and the application of these systems to the further understanding and control of viruses over the past few decades.
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21
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A dark-to-bright reporter cell for classical swine fever virus infection. Antiviral Res 2015; 117:44-51. [PMID: 25746332 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Current methods to quantitate classical swine fever virus (CSFV) infectivity in cell culture are time-consuming and labor-intensive. This study described the generation of a dark-to-bright fluorescent reporter cells to facilitate in vitro studies of CSFV infection and replication. This assay was based on a novel reporter cell stably expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fused in-frame to a quenching peptide via a special recognition sequence of the CSFV NS3 protease. Chromophore maturation of EGFP can be prevented by quenching peptide until the quenching peptide was specifically cleaved by NS3 protease during CSFV infection, making it a dark-to-bright reporter of CSFV infection. The result demonstrated that the CSFV-infected cells were clearly distinguishable from mock-infected cells and cells infected with other viruses. There was a strong correlation between the fluorescence intensity and viral RNA replication in CSFV-infected cells. The cell enabled rapid and sensitive detection of CSFV infection and viral replication in cell culture. The best time to examine the fluorescence in CSFV-infected cells was at 48h post-inoculation. These data suggested that the cells can be used as a reporter cell in CSFV infection assays. This reporter cell provides a sensitive method for the detection and isolation of CSFV and it will be useful for the screening of antiviral drugs or neutralizing antibody assays.
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22
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Abstract
Caspases are a family of integral proteases playing a role in apoptosis. The importance of apoptosis in disease has made these proteases not only an attractive drug target but also a focal point for measuring apoptosis in vivo. The critical role caspases play in determining cell death has led to the development of a wide array of technologies to measure caspase activity in vivo, ranging from small molecule PET imaging reagents to fluorescent and luminescent protein-based reporters used in whole animal and cell-based applications. This chapter reviews this wide range of technologies available as well as the most appropriate applications for each reagent and the mechanism of how it measures caspase activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha B Nicholls
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
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23
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Wu P, Nicholls S, Hardy J. A tunable, modular approach to fluorescent protease-activated reporters. Biophys J 2013; 104:1605-14. [PMID: 23561537 PMCID: PMC3617415 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.01.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteases are one of the most important and historically utilized classes of drug targets. To effectively interrogate this class of proteins, which encodes nearly 2% of the human proteome, it is necessary to develop effective and cost-efficient methods that report on their activity both in vitro and in vivo. We have developed a robust reporter of caspase proteolytic activity, called caspase-activatable green fluorescent protein (CA-GFP). The caspases play central roles in homeostatic regulation, as they execute programmed cell death, and in drug design, as caspases are involved in diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegeneration. CA-GFP is a genetically encoded dark-to-bright fluorescent reporter of caspase activity in in vitro, cell-based, and animal systems. Based on the CA-GFP platform, we developed reporters that can discriminate the activities of caspase-6 and -7, two highly related proteases. A second series of reporters, activated by human rhinovirus 3C protease, demonstrated that we could alter the specificity of the reporter by reengineering the protease recognition sequence. Finally, we took advantage of the spectrum of known fluorescent proteins to generate green, yellow, cyan, and red reporters, paving the way for multiplex protease monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeanne A. Hardy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
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