Continuous measurement of targeted promoter activity by a secreted bioluminescence reporter, Vargula hilgendorfii luciferase

Integration of Nanomaterials and Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer Techniques for Sensing Biomolecules

Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) techniques offer a high degree of sensitivity, reliability and ease of use for their application to sensing biomolecules. BRET is a distance dependent, non-radiative energy transfer, which uses a bioluminescent protein to excite an acceptor through the resonance energy transfer. A BRET sensor can quickly detect the change of a target biomolecule quantitatively without an external electromagnetic field, e.g., UV light, which normally can damage tissue. Having been developed quite recently, this technique has evolved rapidly. Here, different bioluminescent proteins have been reviewed. In addition to a multitude of bioluminescent proteins, this manuscript focuses on the recent development of BRET sensors by utilizing quantum dots. The special size-dependent properties of quantum dots have made the BRET sensing technique attractive for the real-time monitoring of the changes of target molecules and bioimaging in vivo. This review offers a look into the basis of the technique, donor/acceptor pairs, experimental applications and prospects.

1001 lights: luciferins, luciferases, their mechanisms of action and applications in chemical analysis, biology and medicine

Bioluminescence (BL) is a spectacular phenomenon involving light emission by live organisms. It is caused by the oxidation of a small organic molecule, luciferin, with molecular oxygen, which is catalysed by the enzyme luciferase. In nature, there are approximately 30 different BL systems, of which only 9 have been studied to various degrees in terms of their reaction mechanisms. A vast range of in vitro and in vivo analytical techniques have been developed based on BL, including tests for different analytes, immunoassays, gene expression assays, drug screening, bioimaging of live organisms, cancer studies, the investigation of infectious diseases and environmental monitoring. This review aims to cover the major existing applications for bioluminescence in the context of the diversity of luciferases and their substrates, luciferins. Particularly, the properties and applications of d-luciferin, coelenterazine, bacterial, Cypridina and dinoflagellate luciferins and their analogues along with their corresponding luciferases are described. Finally, four other rarely studied bioluminescent systems (those of limpet Latia, earthworms Diplocardia and Fridericia and higher fungi), which are promising for future use, are also discussed.

Triple bioluminescence imaging for in vivo monitoring of cellular processes

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has shown to be crucial for monitoring in vivo biological processes. So far, only dual bioluminescence imaging using firefly (Fluc) and Renilla or Gaussia (Gluc) luciferase has been achieved due to the lack of availability of other efficiently expressed luciferases using different substrates. Here, we characterized a codon-optimized luciferase from Vargula hilgendorfii (Vluc) as a reporter for mammalian gene expression. We showed that Vluc can be multiplexed with Gluc and Fluc for sequential imaging of three distinct cellular phenomena in the same biological system using vargulin, coelenterazine, and D-luciferin substrates, respectively. We applied this triple imaging system to monitor the effect of soluble tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (sTRAIL) delivered using an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) on brain tumors in mice. Vluc imaging showed efficient sTRAIL gene delivery to the brain, while Fluc imaging revealed a robust antiglioma therapy. Further, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation in response to sTRAIL binding to glioma cells death receptors was monitored by Gluc imaging. This work is the first demonstration of trimodal in vivo bioluminescence imaging and will have a broad applicability in many different fields including immunology, oncology, virology, and neuroscience.

Monitoring circadian time in rat plasma using a secreted Cypridina luciferase reporter

A firefly luciferase reporter enabled us to monitor promoter activity in vivo as well as ex vivo; however, this requires a sufficient supply of the substrate luciferin and specific monitoring devices. To overcome these disadvantages, we developed transgenic rats carrying a secreted enzyme Cypridina luciferase (CLuc) reporter under the promoter of clock gene Per2 (Per2-CLuc). Per2-CLuc activity in serially sampled blood from freely moving rats exhibited robust circadian rhythms with a peak at early morning. The Per2-CLuc bioluminescence could be quantified even with approximately 100pl of plasma. Plasma Per2-CLuc rhythms were phase reversed, and the level was reduced by restricting food access for 2h during the light phase, suggesting that the plasma Per2-CLuc rhythms reflect the phase of peripheral clocks entrained to feeding cues as well as fuel metabolism. Fasting for 2days did not alter the circadian Per2-CLuc rhythms in rats, suggesting that feeding per se did not affect the circadian Per2-CLuc rhythms. Tissue-specific Per2-CLuc rhythms were observed in culture medium of peripheral tissues. The Per2-CLuc reporter is a powerful tool to access gene expression in vivo as well as ex vivo with ordinary laboratory equipment.

Expression, purification and characterization of the secreted luciferase of the copepod Metridia longa from Sf9 insect cells

Metridia luciferase is a secreted luciferase from a marine copepod and uses coelenterazine as a substrate to produce a blue bioluminescence (lambda(max)=480 nm). This luciferase has been successfully applied as a bioluminescent reporter in mammalian cells. The main advantage of secreted luciferase as a reporter is the capability of measuring intracellular events without destroying the cells or tissues and this property is well suited for development of high throughput screening technologies. However because Metridia luciferase is a Cys-rich protein, Escherichia coli expression systems produce an incorrectly folded protein, hindering its biochemical characterization and application for development of in vitro bioluminescent assays. Here we report the successful expression of Metridia luciferase with its signal peptide for secretion, in insect (Sf9) cells using the baculovirus expression system. Functionally active luciferase secreted by insect cells into the culture media has been efficiently purified with a yield of high purity protein of 2-3 mg/L. This Metridia luciferase expressed in the insect cell system is a monomeric protein showing 3.5-fold greater bioluminescence activity than luciferase expressed and purified from E. coli. The near coincidence of the experimental mass of Metridia luciferase purified from insect cells with that calculated from amino acid sequence, indicates that luciferase does not undergo post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation or glycosylation and also, the cleavage site of the signal peptide for secretion is at VQA-KS, as predicted from sequence analysis.

New reporter system for Per1 and Bmal1 expressions revealed self-sustained circadian rhythms in peripheral tissues

A new reporter system for monitoring expressions of two clock genes, Per1 and Bmal1, from a single tissue in culture was developed in mice. Reporters are Vargula hilgendorfii luciferase (VL) and firefly luciferase (FL), whose activities are increased in parallel with Per1 and Bmal1 expressions, respectively. Formal properties of the circadian system in transgenic mice are indistinguishable from those in wild-type animals. Circadian rhythms in Per1-VL and Bmal1-FL in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were robust and anti-phasic, although they were phase delayed by 4-8 h as compared with circadian rhythms in respective transcript levels in vivo. In peripheral tissues such as liver, circadian rhythms in Bmal1-FL persisted for more than 3 weeks. In the course of prolonged culture, circadian rhythms apparently damped out, but were restored immediately by refreshment of the culture medium. Restoration of the circadian rhythm is unlikely to be due to resetting of desynchronized population oscillation, because peripheral circadian rhythms did not show a type 0 phase response curve (PRC) for medium refreshment, a requirement for instantaneous resetting of circadian oscillation. Long-term persistence of circadian oscillation in spite of external perturbations supports an idea that circadian oscillations in peripheral tissues are self-sustained.

Perfusion-culture-based secreted bioluminescence reporter assay in living cells

Bioluminescence reporter proteins have been widely used in the development of tools for monitoring biological events in living cells. In this study, we describe the development of a reporter system with secreted Cypridina noctiluca luciferase (CLuc) for a pharmacological assay that is based on targeted promoter activity. A model cell line was established with Rat-1 fibroblasts expressing CLuc driven by the promoter of a circadian clock gene, Bmal1. To accurately assay for temporally secreted CLuc activity, a perfusion culture in which the promoter activity was sequentially monitored by the reporter activity in the perfusate was adopted. By pulsing with dexamethasone (DEX), a glucocorticoid (GC) analog, the profile of the reporter activity successfully showed diurnal fluctuation, which is a canonical expression pattern of the Bmal1 gene. Trial studies illustrated that the DEX-pulsed circadian oscillation was reasonably attenuated by RU486, a GC receptor antagonist. Moreover, SP600125, a c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor, caused phase shifting of the rhythmicity. We conclude that the CLuc reporter assay in combination with perfusion culture is a suitable pharmacological tool for drug discovery.

Monitoring for dynamic biological processing by intramolecular bioluminescence resonance energy transfer system using secreted luciferase

Proteolytic processing plays crucial roles in physiological and pathophysiological cellular functions such as peptide generation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. We developed a novel biophysical bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) system between a secreted Vargula luciferase (Vluc) and an enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) for visualization of cell biological processes. The bioluminescence spectrum of the fusion protein (Vluc-EYFP) is bimodal (lambdamax = 460 nm (Vluc) and 525nm (EYFP)), indicating that the excited-state energy of Vluc transfers to EYFP (in short, BRET). The BRET signal can be measured in the culture medium and pursue quantitative production of two neuropeptides, nocistatin (NST) and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) in living cells. NST and N/OFQ are located in tandem on the same precursor, but NST exhibits antagonistic action against N/OFQ-induced central functions. Insertion of a portion of the NST-N/OFQ precursor (Glu-Gln-Lys-Gln-Leu-Gln-Lys-Arg-Phe-Gly-Gly-Phe-Tyr-Gly) in Vluc-EYFP makes the fusion protein cleavable at Lys-Arg in NG108-15 cells, and proprotein convertase 1 enhances this digestion. The change in BRET signals quantifies the processing of the fusion protein. Our novel intramolecular BRET system using a secreted luciferase is useful for investigating peptide processing in living cells.

IFN-gamma increases the hGH gene promoter activity in rat GH3 cells

AIM

To study the effect(s) of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) on the activity of human growth hormone (hGH) gene promoter in rat pituitary GH3 cells and the molecular mechanism underlying the effect(s).

METHODS

Cell transfection and luciferase reporter gene were used.

RESULTS

IFN-gamma (10(2) and 10(3) U/ml) increased the activity of hGH in GH3 cells. The addition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor PD98059 (40 micromol/l) to the cells blocked the stimulatory effect of IFN-gamma. Neither overexpression of Pit-1 nor inhibiting Pit-1 expression affected IFN-gamma induction of hGH promoter activity. To identify the DNA sequence that mediated the effect of IFN-gamma, four deletion constructs of hGH gene promoter were created. The stimulatory effect of IFN-gamma was abolished following deletion of the -250 to -132 fragment.

CONCLUSIONS

IFN-gamma increases the activity of hGH gene promoter in rat pituitary GH3 cells. This stimulatory effect of IFN-gamma appears to require the intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent signaling pathway. The effect of IFN-gamma requires the promoter sequence that spans the -250 to -132 fragment of the gene, but is unrelated to Pit-1 protein.

Progress in Methodology Improved Reporter Gene Assays Used to Identify Ligands Acting on Orphan Seven-Transmembrane Receptors

Seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors play a central role in physiology by facilitating cell communication through recognition of a wide range of ligands. Even more important, they represent important drug targets. Unfortunately, for many of these receptors the endogenous ligands, and hence their functions, remain to be identified. These receptors are referred to as "orphan" receptors. A pre-requisite for the identification of ligands activating orphan receptors is powerful assay systems. Until now, reporter gene assays have not been in common use in this process. Here, we summarize our development of improved reporter gene assays. We optimized reporter gene assays in respect of (i) the promoter region of the construct, (ii) the reporter enzyme used, (iii) and the assay procedure. Furthermore, an unique fluorescence-based clone selection step was introduced, allowing rapid selection of the most sensitive reporter cell clones when establishing stable reporter cell lines. Mathematical formulae are provided to enable a simple and reliable comparison between different cell lines, when tested with a compound of interest. The resulting reporter cell lines responded in a very sensitive way to the stimulation of various test receptors. The reporter system was termed HighTRACE (high-throughput reporter assay with clone election). Its high assay quality makes it suitable as a primary screening tool. Ligands for two recently unknown 7TM receptors were identified using the HighTRACE system i.e., two cell surface free fatty acid receptors, GPR40 (FFA1R) and GPR43 (FFA2R). The identification was accomplished using a reverse pharmacology approach.

Cloning and expression of cDNA for a luciferase from the marine copepod Metridia longa. A novel secreted bioluminescent reporter enzyme

Metridia longa is a marine copepod from which a blue bioluminescence originates as a secretion from epidermal glands in response to various stimuli. We demonstrate that Metridia luciferase is specific for coelenterazine to produce blue light (lambda(max) = 480 nm). Using an expression cDNA library and functional screening, we cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding the Metridia luciferase. The cDNA is an 897-bp fragment with a 656-bp open reading frame, which encodes a 219-amino acid polypeptide with a molecular weight of 23,885. The polypeptide contains an N-terminal signal peptide of 17 amino acid residues for secretion. On expression of the Metridia luciferase gene in mammalian Chinese hamster ovary cells the luciferase is detected in the culture medium confirming the existence of a naturally occurring signal peptide for secretion in the cloned luciferase. The novel secreted luciferase was tested in a practical assay application in which the activity of A2a and NPY2 G-protein-coupled receptors was detected. These results clearly suggest that the secreted Metridia luciferase is well suited as a reporter for monitoring gene expression and, in particular, for the development of novel ultrahigh throughput screening technologies.

Optimized reporter gene assays based on a synthetic multifunctional promoter and a secreted luciferase

Efficient screening for ligands of seven-transmembrane, G-protein-coupled receptors, whether transfected or endogenously expressed, often involves cell-based reporter assays. Here we describe the development of reporter gene assays in HeLa cells. The reporter construct includes a synthetic multifunctional promoter with several different response motifs (NF-kappaB, STAT, and AP-1) and hence efficiently funnels several signaling pathways. The assay, performed with the resulting reporter cell line HFF11, has an exceptional high Z-factor and a large signal-to-background ratio. To facilitate cell handling during screening, we introduced a secreted Renilla luciferase as a reporter enzyme. HR36 reporter cells, equipped with the construct, were added to ligands present in a multiwell plate and after addition of coelenterazine they produced a luminescence readout. This procedure economizes cell handling and at the same time increases assay quality and sensitivity