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Pamungkas KKP, Fureraj I, Assies L, Sakai N, Mercier V, Chen XX, Vauthey E, Matile S. Core-Alkynylated Fluorescent Flippers: Altered Ultrafast Photophysics to Track Thick Membranes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202406204. [PMID: 38758302 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Fluorescent flippers have been introduced as small-molecule probes to image membrane tension in living systems. This study describes the design, synthesis, spectroscopic and imaging properties of flippers that are elongated by one and two alkynes inserted between the push and the pull dithienothiophene domains. The resulting mechanophores combine characteristics of flippers, reporting on physical compression in the ground state, and molecular rotors, reporting on torsional motion in the excited state, to take their photophysics to new level of sophistication. Intensity ratios in broadened excitation bands from differently twisted conformers of core-alkynylated flippers thus report on mechanical compression. Lifetime boosts from ultrafast excited-state planarization and lifetime drops from competitive intersystem crossing into triplet states report on viscosity. In standard lipid bilayer membranes, core-alkynylated flippers are too long for one leaflet and tilt or extend into disordered interleaflet space, which preserves rotor-like torsional disorder and thus weak, blue-shifted fluorescence. Flipper-like planarization occurs only in highly ordered membranes of matching leaflet thickness, where they light up and selectively report on these thick membranes with red-shifted, sharpened excitation maxima, high intensity and long lifetime.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ina Fureraj
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lea Assies
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Naomi Sakai
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Xiao-Xiao Chen
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eric Vauthey
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Matile
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Maremonti MI, Panzetta V, Netti PA, Causa F. HiViPore: a highly viable in-flow compression for a one-step cell mechanoporation in microfluidics to induce a free delivery of nano- macro-cargoes. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:441. [PMID: 39068464 PMCID: PMC11282774 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02730-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among mechanoporation techniques for intracellular delivery, microfluidic approaches succeed in high delivery efficiency and throughput. However, especially the entry of large cargoes (e.g. DNA origami, mRNAs, organic/inorganic nanoparticles) is currently impaired since it requires large cell membrane pores with the need to apply multi-step processes and high forces, dramatically reducing cell viability. RESULTS Here, HiViPore presents as a microfluidic viscoelastic contactless compression for one-step cell mechanoporation to produce large pores while preserving high cell viability. Inducing an increase of curvature at the equatorial region of cells, formation of a pore with a size of ~ 1 μm is obtained. The poration is coupled to an increase of membrane tension, measured as a raised fluorescence lifetime of 12% of a planarizable push-pull fluorescent probe (Flipper-TR) labelling the cell plasma membrane. Importantly, the local disruptions of cell membrane are transient and non-invasive, with a complete recovery of cell integrity and functions in ~ 10 min. As result, HiViPore guarantees cell viability as high as ~ 90%. In such conditions, an endocytic-free diffusion of large nanoparticles is obtained with typical size up to 500 nm and with a delivery efficiency up to 12 times higher than not-treated cells. CONCLUSIONS The proposed one-step contactless mechanoporation results in an efficient and safe approach for advancing intracellular delivery strategies. In detail, HiViPore solves the issues of low cell viability when multiple steps of poration are required to obtain large pores across the cell plasma membrane. Moreover, the compression uses a versatile, low-cost, biocompatible viscoelastic fluid, thus also optimizing the operational costs. With HiViPore, we aim to propose an easy-to-use microfluidic device to a wide range of users, involved in biomedical research, imaging techniques and nanotechnology for intracellular delivery applications in cell engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabella Maremonti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80125, Italy
| | - Valeria Panzetta
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80125, Italy
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Naples, 80125, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Netti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80125, Italy
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Naples, 80125, Italy
| | - Filippo Causa
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80125, Italy.
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Oliveira ECS, Hu P, Shook DR, Wallrabe H, Townsend NN, Bingham GC, Barker TH, Hinton BT. Biomechanical properties of the capsule and extracellular matrix play a major role during the Wolffian/epididymal duct development. Andrology 2024. [PMID: 38988181 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The epididymis is important for sperm maturation and without its proper development, male infertility will result. Biomechanical properties of tissues/organs play key roles during their morphogenesis, including the Wolffian duct. It is hypothesized that structural/bulk stiffness of the capsule and mesenchyme/extracellular matrix that surround the duct is a major biomechanical property that regulates Wolffian duct morphogenesis. These data will provide key information as to the mechanisms that regulate the development of this important organ. OBJECTIVES To measure the structural/bulk stiffness in Pascals (force/area) of the capsule and the capsule and mesenchyme together that surrounds the Wolffian duct during the development. To examine the relative membrane tension of mesenchymal cells during the Wolffian duct development. Since Ptk7 was previously shown to regulate ECM integrity and Wolffian duct elongation and coiling, the hypothesis that Ptk7 regulates structural/bulk stiffness and mesenchymal cell membrane tension was tested. MATERIALS AND METHODS Atomic force microscopy and a microsquisher compression apparatus were used to measure the structural stiffness. Biomechanical properties within the membranes of cells within the capsule and mesenchyme were examined using a membrane-tension fluorescent probe. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The structural stiffness (Pascals) of the capsule and underlying mesenchyme was relatively constant during development, with a significant increase in the capsule at the later stages. However, this increase may reflect the ECM and associated mesenchyme being close to the capsule because the coiling of the duct pushed or compressed them into that space. Keeping the capsule and mesenchyme/ECM at constant stiffness would ensure that the duct will continue to coil under similar biomechanical forces throughout the development. Cells within the capsule and mesenchyme at different Wolffian duct regions during the development had varying degrees of membrane lipid tension. It is hypothesized that the dynamic changes ensure the duct is kept at a constant stiffness regardless of any external forces. Loss of Ptk7 resulted in an increase in stiffness at E18.5, which was presumable due to the loss of integrity of the ECM within the mesenchyme. CONCLUSION Biomechanical properties of the capsule and the mesenchyme/extracellular matrix that surround the Wolffian duct play an important role toward Wolffian duct morphogenesis, thereby allowing for the proper development of the epididymis and subsequent male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika C S Oliveira
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Ping Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - David R Shook
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Horst Wallrabe
- W.M. Keck Center for Cellular Imaging, Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Natalie N Townsend
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Grace C Bingham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Thomas H Barker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Barry T Hinton
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Pinn Hall, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Liu Y, Nemec S, Kopecky C, Stenzel MH, Kilian KA. Hydrogel Microtumor Arrays to Evaluate Nanotherapeutics. Adv Healthc Mater 2022:e2201696. [PMID: 36373218 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202201696] [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: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nanoparticle drug formulations have many advantages for cancer therapy due to benefits in targeting selectivity, lack of systemic toxicity, and increased drug concentration in the tumor microenvironment after delivery. However, the promise of nanomedicine is limited by preclinical models that fail to accurately assess new drugs before entering human trials. In this work a new approach to testing nanomedicine using a microtumor array formed through hydrogel micropatterning is demonstrated. This technique allows partitioning of heterogeneous cell states within a geometric pattern-where boundary regions of curvature prime the stem cell-like fraction-allowing to simultaneously probe drug uptake and efficacy in different cancer cell fractions with high reproducibility. Using melanoma cells of different metastatic potential, a relationship between stem fraction and nanoparticle uptake is discovered. Deformation cytometry reveals that the stem cell-like population exhibits a more mechanically deformable cell membrane. Since the stem fraction in a tumor is implicated in drug resistance, recurrence, and metastasis, the findings suggest that nanoparticle drug formulations are well suited for targeting this dangerous cell population in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiling Liu
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Stephanie Nemec
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,School of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Chantal Kopecky
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Martina H Stenzel
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kristopher A Kilian
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,School of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Adult Cancer Program, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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