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Bullard MR, Cervantes JCM, Quaicoe NB, Jin A, Adams DA, Lin JM, Iliadis E, Seidler TM, Cervantes-Sandoval I, He HY. Accelerated protein retention expansion microscopy using microwave radiation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.11.593228. [PMID: 38766072 PMCID: PMC11100821 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.11.593228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Protein retention expansion microscopy (ExM) retains genetically encoded fluorescent proteins or antibody-conjugated fluorescent probes in fixed tissue and isotropically expands the tissue through a swellable polymer network to allow nanoscale (<70 nm) resolution on diffraction-limited confocal microscopes. Despite numerous advantages ExM brings to biological studies, the full protocol is time-consuming and can take multiple days to complete. Here, we adapted the ExM protocol to the vibratome-sectioned brain tissue of Xenopus laevis tadpoles and implemented a microwave-assisted protocol to reduce the workflow from days to hours. In addition to the significantly accelerated processing time, our microwave-assisted ExM (M/WExM) protocol maintains the superior resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of the original ExM protocol. Furthermore, the M/WExM protocol yields higher magnitude of expansion, suggesting that in addition to accelerating the process through increased diffusion rate of reagents, microwave radiation may also facilitate the expansion process. To demonstrate the applicability of this method to other specimens and protocols, we adapted the microwave-accelerated protocol to whole mount adult brain tissue of Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, and successfully reduced the total processing time of a widely-used Drosophila IHC-ExM protocol from 6 days to 2 days. Our results demonstrate that with appropriate adjustment of the microwave parameters (wattage, pulse duration, interval, and number of cycles), this protocol can be readily adapted to different model organisms and tissue types to greatly increase the efficiency of ExM experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Amanda Jin
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
| | - Danya A. Adams
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
| | - Jessica M. Lin
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
| | - Elena Iliadis
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
| | - Tess M. Seidler
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
| | | | - Hai-yan He
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
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Link F, Borges A, Karo O, Jungblut M, Müller T, Meyer-Natus E, Krüger T, Sachs S, Jones NG, Morphew M, Sauer M, Stigloher C, McIntosh JR, Engstler M. Continuous endosomes form functional subdomains and orchestrate rapid membrane trafficking in trypanosomes. eLife 2024; 12:RP91194. [PMID: 38619530 PMCID: PMC11018342 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91194] [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] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Endocytosis is a common process observed in most eukaryotic cells, although its complexity varies among different organisms. In Trypanosoma brucei, the endocytic machinery is under special selective pressure because rapid membrane recycling is essential for immune evasion. This unicellular parasite effectively removes host antibodies from its cell surface through hydrodynamic drag and fast endocytic internalization. The entire process of membrane recycling occurs exclusively through the flagellar pocket, an extracellular organelle situated at the posterior pole of the spindle-shaped cell. The high-speed dynamics of membrane flux in trypanosomes do not seem compatible with the conventional concept of distinct compartments for early endosomes (EE), late endosomes (LE), and recycling endosomes (RE). To investigate the underlying structural basis for the remarkably fast membrane traffic in trypanosomes, we employed advanced techniques in light and electron microscopy to examine the three-dimensional architecture of the endosomal system. Our findings reveal that the endosomal system in trypanosomes exhibits a remarkably intricate structure. Instead of being compartmentalized, it constitutes a continuous membrane system, with specific functions of the endosome segregated into membrane subdomains enriched with classical markers for EE, LE, and RE. These membrane subdomains can partly overlap or are interspersed with areas that are negative for endosomal markers. This continuous endosome allows fast membrane flux by facilitated diffusion that is not slowed by multiple fission and fusion events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Link
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Alyssa Borges
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Oliver Karo
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Marvin Jungblut
- Department of Biotechnology & Biophysics, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Elisabeth Meyer-Natus
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Timothy Krüger
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Stefan Sachs
- Department of Biotechnology & Biophysics, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Nicola G Jones
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Mary Morphew
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Markus Sauer
- Department of Biotechnology & Biophysics, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | | | - J Richard McIntosh
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Markus Engstler
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biocentre, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
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Laporte MH, Bertiaux É, Hamel V, Guichard P. [Closer to the native architecture of the cell using Cryo-ExM]. Med Sci (Paris) 2023; 39:351-358. [PMID: 37094268 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2023052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Most cellular imaging techniques, such as light or electron microscopy, require that the biological sample is first fixed by chemical cross-linking agents. This necessary step is also known to damage molecular nanostructures or even sub-cellular organization. To overcome this problem, another fixation approach was invented more than 40 years ago, which consists in cryo-fixing biological samples, thus allowing to preserve their native state. However, this method has been scarcely used in light microscopy due to the complexity of its implementation. In this review, we present a recently developed super-resolution method called expansion microscopy, which, when coupled with cryo-fixation, allows to visualize at a nanometric resolution the cell architecture as close as possible to its native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine H Laporte
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Université de Genève, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Genève, Suisse
| | - Éloïse Bertiaux
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Université de Genève, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Genève, Suisse
| | - Virginie Hamel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Université de Genève, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Genève, Suisse
| | - Paul Guichard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Université de Genève, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Genève, Suisse
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Díaz-Viraqué F, Chiribao ML, Paes-Vieira L, Machado MR, Faral-Tello P, Tomasina R, Trochine A, Robello C. New Insights into the Role of the Trypanosoma cruzi Aldo-Keto Reductase TcAKR. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010085. [PMID: 36678433 PMCID: PMC9860839 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010085] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It is distributed worldwide, affecting around 7 million people; there is no effective treatment, and it constitutes a leading cause of disability and premature death in the Americas. Only two drugs are currently approved for the treatment, Benznidazole and Nifurtimox, and both have to be activated by reducing the nitro-group. The T. cruzi aldo-keto reductase (TcAKR) has been related to the metabolism of benznidazole. TcAKR has been extensively studied, being most efforts focused on characterizing its implication in trypanocidal drug metabolism; however, little is known regarding its biological role. Here, we found that TcAKR is confined, throughout the entire life cycle, into the parasite mitochondria providing new insights into its biological function. In particular, in epimastigotes, TcAKR is associated with the kinetoplast, which suggests additional roles of the protein. The upregulation of TcAKR, which does not affect TcOYE expression, was correlated with an increase in PGF2α, suggesting that this enzyme is related to PGF2α synthesis in T. cruzi. Structural analysis showed that TcAKR contains a catalytic tetrad conserved in the AKR superfamily. Finally, we found that TcAKR is also involved in Nfx metabolization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Díaz-Viraqué
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - María Laura Chiribao
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Lisvane Paes-Vieira
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Matias R. Machado
- Unidad de Proteínas Recombinantes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11300, Uruguay
| | - Paula Faral-Tello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Ramiro Tomasina
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo and Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11300, Uruguay
| | - Andrea Trochine
- Centro de Referencia en Levaduras y Tecnología Cervecera (CRELTEC), Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales (IPATEC), CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Argentina
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Correspondence:
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