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Peracino B, Monica V, Primo L, Bracco E, Bozzaro S. Iron metabolism in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum: a role for Ferric Chelate Reductases. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151230. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Cinquetti R, Imperiali FG, Bozzaro S, Zanella D, Vacca F, Roseti C, Peracino B, Castagna M, Bossi E. Characterization of Transport Activity of SLC11 Transporters in Xenopus laevis Oocytes by Fluorophore Quenching. SLAS DISCOVERY 2021; 26:798-810. [PMID: 33825579 DOI: 10.1177/24725552211004123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins are involved in different physiological functions and are the target of pharmaceutical and abuse drugs. Xenopus laevis oocytes provide a powerful heterologous expression system for functional studies of these proteins. Typical experiments investigate transport using electrophysiology and radiolabeled uptake. A two-electrode voltage clamp is suitable only for electrogenic proteins, and uptake measurements require the existence of radiolabeled substrates and adequate laboratory facilities.Recently, Dictyostelium discoideum Nramp1 and NrampB were characterized using multidisciplinary approaches. NrampB showed no measurable electrogenic activity, and it was investigated in Xenopus oocytes by acquiring confocal images of the quenching of injected fluorophore calcein.This method is adequate to measure the variation in emitted fluorescence, and thus transporter activity indirectly, but requires long experimental procedures to collect statistically consistent data. Considering that optimal expression of heterologous proteins lasts for 48-72 h, a slow acquiring process requires the use of more than one batch of oocytes to complete the experiments. Here, a novel approach to measure substrate uptake is reported. Upon injection of a fluorophore, oocytes were incubated with the substrate and the transport activity measured, evaluating fluorescence quenching in a microplate reader. The technique permits the testing of tens of oocytes in different experimental conditions simultaneously, and thus the collection of significant statistical data for each batch, saving time and animals.The method was tested with different metal transporters (SLC11), DMT1, DdNramp1, and DdNrampB, and verified with the peptide transporter PepT1 (SLC15). Comparison with traditional methods (uptake, two-electrode voltage clamp) and with quenching images acquired by fluorescence microscopy confirmed its efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniele Zanella
- University of Insubria, Varese, Lombardia, Italy.,The University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Francesca Vacca
- University of Insubria, Varese, Lombardia, Italy.,Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Elena Bossi
- University of Insubria, Varese, Lombardia, Italy
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Martín‐González J, Montero‐Bullón J, Lacal J. Dictyostelium discoideum as a non-mammalian biomedical model. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:111-125. [PMID: 33124755 PMCID: PMC7888446 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dictyostelium discoideum is one of eight non-mammalian model organisms recognized by the National Institute of Health for the study of human pathology. The use of this slime mould is possible owing to similarities in cell structure, behaviour and intracellular signalling with mammalian cells. Its haploid set of chromosomes completely sequenced amenable to genetic manipulation, its unique and short life cycle with unicellular and multicellular stages, and phenotypic richness encoding many human orthologues, make Dictyostelium a representative and simple model organism to unveil cellular processes in human disease. Dictyostelium studies within the biomedical field have provided fundamental knowledge in the areas of bacterial infection, immune cell chemotaxis, autophagy/phagocytosis and mitochondrial and neurological disorders. Consequently, Dictyostelium has been used to the development of related pharmacological treatments. Herein, we review the utilization of Dictyostelium as a model organism in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Martín‐González
- Molecular Genetics of Human Diseases GroupDepartment of Microbiology and GeneticsFaculty of BiologyUniversity of SalamancaCampus Miguel de UnamunoSalamancaE‐37007Spain
| | - Javier‐Fernando Montero‐Bullón
- Metabolic Engineering GroupDepartment of Microbiology and GeneticsUniversity of SalamancaCampus Miguel de UnamunoSalamancaE‐37007Spain
| | - Jesus Lacal
- Molecular Genetics of Human Diseases GroupDepartment of Microbiology and GeneticsFaculty of BiologyUniversity of SalamancaCampus Miguel de UnamunoSalamancaE‐37007Spain
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