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Schirripa Spagnolo C, Moscardini A, Amodeo R, Beltram F, Luin S. Quantitative determination of fluorescence labeling implemented in cell cultures. BMC Biol 2023; 21:190. [PMID: 37697318 PMCID: PMC10496409 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01685-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Labeling efficiency is a crucial parameter in fluorescence applications, especially when studying biomolecular interactions. Current approaches for estimating the yield of fluorescent labeling have critical drawbacks that usually lead them to be inaccurate or not quantitative. RESULTS We present a method to quantify fluorescent-labeling efficiency that addresses the critical issues marring existing approaches. The method operates in the same conditions of the target experiments by exploiting a ratiometric evaluation with two fluorophores used in sequential reactions. We show the ability of the protocol to extract reliable quantification for different fluorescent probes, reagents concentrations, and reaction timing and to optimize labeling performance. As paradigm, we consider the labeling of the membrane-receptor TrkA through 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase Sfp in living cells, visualizing the results by TIRF microscopy. This investigation allows us to find conditions for demanding single and multi-color single-molecule studies requiring high degrees of labeling. CONCLUSIONS The developed method allows the quantitative determination and the optimization of staining efficiency in any labeling strategy based on stable reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aldo Moscardini
- NEST Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rosy Amodeo
- NEST Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy
- Present address: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Beltram
- NEST Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy
- NEST Laboratory, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Luin
- NEST Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
- NEST Laboratory, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
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Pacifico P, Testa G, Amodeo R, Mainardi M, Tiberi A, Convertino D, Arevalo JC, Marchetti L, Costa M, Cattaneo A, Capsoni S. Human TrkAR649W mutation impairs nociception, sweating and cognitive abilities: a mouse model of HSAN IV. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:1380-1400. [PMID: 36537577 PMCID: PMC10077510 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac295] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A functional nerve growth factor NGF-Tropomyosin Receptor kinase A (TrkA) system is an essential requisite for the generation and maintenance of long-lasting thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia in adult mammals. Indeed, mutations in the gene encoding for TrkA are responsible for a rare condition, named Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy type IV (HSAN IV), characterized by the loss of response to noxious stimuli, anhidrosis and cognitive impairment. However, to date, there is no available mouse model to properly understand how the NGF-TrkA system can lead to pathological phenotypes that are distinctive of HSAN IV. Here, we report the generation of a knock-in mouse line carrying the HSAN IV TrkAR649W mutation. First, by in vitro biochemical and biophysical analyses, we show that the pathological R649W mutation leads to kinase-inactive TrkA also affecting its membrane dynamics and trafficking. In agreement with the HSAN IV human phenotype, TrkAR649W/m mice display a lower response to thermal and chemical noxious stimuli, correlating with reduced skin innervation, in addition to decreased sweating in comparison to TrkAh/m controls. Moreover, the R649W mutation decreases anxiety-like behavior and compromises cognitive abilities, by impairing spatial-working and social memory. Our results further uncover unexplored roles of TrkA in thermoregulation and sociability. In addition to accurately recapitulating the clinical manifestations of HSAN IV patients, our findings contribute to clarifying the involvement of the NGF-TrkA system in pain sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Pacifico
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Giovanna Testa
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Rosy Amodeo
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa 56127, Italy
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Marco Mainardi
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (IN-CNR), Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Alexia Tiberi
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Domenica Convertino
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa 56127, Italy
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Juan Carlos Arevalo
- Departmento de Biología Celular y Patología, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Laura Marchetti
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa 56127, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Mario Costa
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (IN-CNR), Pisa 56124, Italy
- Pisa Center for Research and Clinical Implementation Flash Radiotherapy (CPFR@CISUP), Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
- Rita Levi-Montalcini European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Simona Capsoni
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara 44121, Italy
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Schirripa Spagnolo C, Luin S. Setting up multicolour TIRF microscopy down to the single molecule level. Biomol Concepts 2023; 14:bmc-2022-0032. [PMID: 37428621 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2022-0032] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating biological mechanisms in ever greater detail requires continuous advances in microscopy techniques and setups. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is a well-established technique for visualizing processes on the cell membrane. TIRF allows studies down to the single molecule level, mainly in single-colour applications. Instead, multicolour setups are still limited. Here, we describe our strategies for implementing a multi-channel TIRF microscopy system capable of simultaneous two-channel excitation and detection, starting from a single-colour commercial setup. First, we report some applications at high molecule density and then focus on the challenges we faced for achieving the single molecule level simultaneously in different channels, showing that rigorous optimizations on the setup are needed to increase its sensitivity up to this point, from camera setting to background minimization. We also discuss our strategies regarding crucial points of fluorescent labelling for this type of experiment: labelling strategy, kind of probe, efficiency, and orthogonality of the reaction, all of which are aspects that can influence the achievable results. This work may provide useful guidelines for setting up advanced single-molecule multi-channel TIRF experiments to obtain insights into interaction mechanisms on the cell membrane of living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefano Luin
- NEST Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127, Pisa, Italy
- NEST Laboratory, Istituto Nanoscienze-Consiglio Nazionale delle ricerche (CNR), Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127, Pisa, Italy
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Amodeo R, Convertino D, Calvello M, Ceccarelli L, Bonsignore F, Ravelli C, Cattaneo A, Martini C, Luin S, Mitola S, Signore G, Marchetti L. Fluorolabeling of the PPTase-Related Chemical Tags: Comparative Study of Different Membrane Receptors and Different Fluorophores in the Labeling Reactions. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:195. [PMID: 32850976 PMCID: PMC7426934 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The set-up of an advanced imaging experiment requires a careful selection of suitable labeling strategies and fluorophores for the tagging of the molecules of interest. Here we provide an experimental workflow to allow evaluation of fluorolabeling performance of the chemical tags target of phosphopantetheinyl transferase enzymes (PPTases), once inserted in the sequence of different proteins of interest. First, S6 peptide tag was fused to three different single-pass transmembrane proteins (the tyrosine receptor kinases TrkA and VEGFR2 and the tumor necrosis factor receptor p75NTR), providing evidence that all of them can be conveniently albeit differently labeled. Moreover, we chose the S6-tagged TrkA construct to test eight different organic fluorophores for the PPTase labeling of membrane receptors in living cells. We systematically compared their non-specific internalization when added to a S6-tag negative cell culture, the percentage of S6-TrkA expressing cells effectively labeled and the relative mean fluorescence intensity, their photostability upon conjugation, and ratio of specific (cellular) versus background (glass-adhered) signal. This allowed to identify which fluorophores are actually recommended for these labeling reactions. Finally, we compared the PPTase labeling of a purified, YBBR-tagged Nerve Growth Factor with two differently charged organic dyes. We detected some batch-to-batch variability in the labeling yield, regardless of the fluorophore used. However, upon purification of the fluorescent species and incubation with living primary DRG neurons, no significant difference could be appreciated in both internalization and axonal transport of the labeled neurotrophins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosy Amodeo
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy.,Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy
| | - Domenica Convertino
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy.,Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Ceccarelli
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Cosetta Ravelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | | | - Stefano Luin
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy.,CNR-NANO, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Mitola
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Signore
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy.,Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza Onlus, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Marchetti
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Amodeo R, Nifosì R, Giacomelli C, Ravelli C, La Rosa L, Callegari A, Trincavelli ML, Mitola S, Luin S, Marchetti L. Molecular insight on the altered membrane trafficking of TrkA kinase dead mutants. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2019; 1867:118614. [PMID: 31760089 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2019.118614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We address the contribution of kinase domain structure and catalytic activity to membrane trafficking of TrkA receptor tyrosine kinase. We conduct a systematic comparison between TrkA-wt, an ATP-binding defective mutant (TrkA-K544N) and other mutants displaying separate functional impairments of phosphorylation, ubiquitination, or recruitment of intracellular partners. We find that only K544N mutation endows TrkA with restricted membrane mobility and a substantial increase of cell surface pool already in the absence of ligand stimulation. This mutation is predicted to drive a structural destabilization of the αC helix in the N-lobe by molecular dynamics simulations, and enhances interactions with elements of the actin cytoskeleton. On the other hand, a different TrkA membrane immobilization is selectively observed after NGF stimulation, requires both phosphorylation and ubiquitination to occur, and is most probably related to the signaling abilities displayed by the wt but not mutated receptors. In conclusion, our results allow to distinguish two different TrkA membrane immobilization modes and demonstrate that not all kinase-inactive mutants display identical membrane trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosy Amodeo
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy; Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Nifosì
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy; NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Cosetta Ravelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Stefania Mitola
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefano Luin
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy; NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Marchetti
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Fast-diffusing p75 NTR monomers support apoptosis and growth cone collapse by neurotrophin ligands. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:21563-21572. [PMID: 31515449 PMCID: PMC6815156 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902790116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophins (NTs) are homodimeric growth factors displaying fundamental roles in the nervous system. Their activity stems from binding and activation of 3 different receptor types in nervous cell membranes. The p75 NT receptor (p75NTR) was the first to be discovered in 1986; nevertheless, for the numerous structural and functional facets so far reported, its activation mechanisms have remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that its pleiotropic functions are regulated by different redistributions of the receptors, which crucially depend on the available NT and on the involved subcellular compartment but are unrelated to its oligomerization state. Single-particle studies proved receptors to be monomers with a fast-diffusive behavior in the membrane with, at most, transient self-interactions on the millisecond time scale. The p75 neurotrophin (NT) receptor (p75NTR) plays a crucial role in balancing survival-versus-death decisions in the nervous system. Yet, despite 2 decades of structural and biochemical studies, a comprehensive, accepted model for p75NTR activation by NT ligands is still missing. Here, we present a single-molecule study of membrane p75NTR in living cells, demonstrating that the vast majority of receptors are monomers before and after NT activation. Interestingly, the stoichiometry and diffusion properties of the wild-type (wt) p75NTR are almost identical to those of a receptor mutant lacking residues previously believed to induce oligomerization. The wt p75NTR and mutated (mut) p75NTR differ in their partitioning in cholesterol-rich membrane regions upon nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation: We argue that this is the origin of the ability of wt p75NTR , but not of mut p75NTR, to mediate immature NT (proNT)-induced apoptosis. Both p75NTR forms support proNT-induced growth cone retraction: We show that receptor surface accumulation is the driving force for cone collapse. Overall, our data unveil the multifaceted activity of the p75NTR monomer and let us provide a coherent interpretative frame of existing conflicting data in the literature.
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The Structure of the Pro-domain of Mouse proNGF in Contact with the NGF Domain. Structure 2018; 27:78-89.e3. [PMID: 30393051 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is an important neurotrophic factor involved in the regulation of cell differentiation and survival of target neurons. Expressed as a proNGF precursor, NGF is matured by furin-mediated protease cleavage. Increasing evidence suggests that NGF and proNGF have distinct functional roles. While the structure of mature NGF is available, little is known about that of the pro-domain because of its dynamical structural features. We exploited an ad hoc hybrid strategy based on nuclear magnetic resonance and modeling validated by small-angle X-ray scattering to gain novel insights on the pro-domain, both in isolation and in the context of proNGF. We show that the isolated pro-domain is intrinsically unstructured but forms transient intramolecular contacts with mature NGF and has per se the ability to induce growth cone collapse, indicating functional independence. Our data represent an important step toward the structural and functional characterization of the properties of proNGF.
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