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Kuchimaru T. Emerging Synthetic Bioluminescent Reactions for Non-Invasive Imaging of Freely Moving Animals. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7338. [PMID: 39000448 PMCID: PMC11242611 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is an indispensable technique for visualizing the dynamics of diverse biological processes in mammalian animal models, including cancer, viral infections, and immune responses. However, a critical scientific challenge remains: non-invasively visualizing homeostatic and disease mechanisms in freely moving animals to understand the molecular basis of exercises, social behavior, and other phenomena. Classical BLI relies on prolonged camera exposure to accumulate the limited number of photons that traveled from deep tissues in anesthetized or constrained animals. Recent advancements in synthetic bioluminescence reactions, utilizing artificial luciferin-luciferase pairs, have considerably increased the number of detectable photons from deep tissues, facilitating high-speed BLI to capture moving objects. In this review, I provide an overview of emerging synthetic bioluminescence reactions that enable the non-invasive imaging of freely moving animals. This approach holds the potential to uncover unique physiological processes that are inaccessible with current methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Kuchimaru
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
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2
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Zhao S, Xiong Y, Sunnapu R, Zhang Y, Tian X, Ai HW. Bioluminescence Imaging of Potassium Ion Using a Sensory Luciferin and an Engineered Luciferase. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:13406-13416. [PMID: 38698549 PMCID: PMC11100015 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02473] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Bioluminescent indicators are power tools for studying dynamic biological processes. In this study, we present the generation of novel bioluminescent indicators by modifying the luciferin molecule with an analyte-binding moiety. Specifically, we have successfully developed the first bioluminescent indicator for potassium ions (K+), which are critical electrolytes in biological systems. Our approach involved the design and synthesis of a K+-binding luciferin named potassiorin. Additionally, we engineered a luciferase enzyme called BRIPO (bioluminescent red indicator for potassium) to work synergistically with potassiorin, resulting in optimized K+-dependent bioluminescence responses. Through extensive validation in cell lines, primary neurons, and live mice, we demonstrated the efficacy of this new tool for detecting K+. Our research demonstrates an innovative concept of incorporating sensory moieties into luciferins to modulate luciferase activity. This approach has great potential for developing a wide range of bioluminescent indicators, advancing bioluminescence imaging (BLI), and enabling the study of various analytes in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengyu Zhao
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Center
for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University
of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Ying Xiong
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Center
for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University
of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
| | - Ranganayakulu Sunnapu
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Center
for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University
of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
| | - Yiyu Zhang
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Center
for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University
of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
| | - Xiaodong Tian
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Center
for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University
of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
| | - Hui-wang Ai
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Center
for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University
of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
- The
UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, University
of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
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3
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Takano KA, Wong AAL, Brown R, Situ K, Chua BA, Abu AE, Pham TT, Reyes GC, Ramachandran S, Kamata M, Li MMH, Wu TT, Rao DS, Arumugaswami V, Dorshkind K, Cole S, Morizono K. Envelope protein-specific B cell receptors direct lentiviral vector tropism in vivo. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1311-1327. [PMID: 38449314 PMCID: PMC11081870 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.03.002] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
While studying transgene expression after systemic administration of lentiviral vectors, we found that splenic B cells are robustly transduced, regardless of the types of pseudotyped envelope proteins. However, the administration of two different pseudotypes resulted in transduction of two distinct B cell populations, suggesting that each pseudotype uses unique and specific receptors for its attachment and entry into splenic B cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of the transduced cells demonstrated that different pseudotypes transduce distinct B cell subpopulations characterized by specific B cell receptor (BCR) genotypes. Functional analysis of the BCRs of the transduced cells demonstrated that BCRs specific to the pseudotyping envelope proteins mediate viral entry, enabling the vectors to selectively transduce the B cell populations that are capable of producing antibodies specific to their envelope proteins. Lentiviral vector entry via the BCR activated the transduced B cells and induced proliferation and differentiation into mature effectors, such as memory B and plasma cells. BCR-mediated viral entry into clonally specific B cell subpopulations raises new concepts for understanding the biodistribution of transgene expression after systemic administration of lentiviral vectors and offers new opportunities for BCR-targeted gene delivery by pseudotyped lentiviral vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari-Ann Takano
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Anita A L Wong
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rebecca Brown
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kathy Situ
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bernadette Anne Chua
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Angel Elma Abu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Truc T Pham
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Glania Carel Reyes
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sangeetha Ramachandran
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Masakazu Kamata
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Melody M H Li
- UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ting-Ting Wu
- UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dinesh S Rao
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kenneth Dorshkind
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Steve Cole
- Departments of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences and Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kouki Morizono
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; UCLA AIDS Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Tian X, Zhang Y, Ai HW. ATP-Independent Water-Soluble Luciferins Enable Non-Invasive High-Speed Video-Rate Bioluminescence Imaging of Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.30.591933. [PMID: 38746394 PMCID: PMC11092570 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.30.591933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
NanoLuc luciferase and its derivatives are attractive bioluminescent reporters recognized for their efficient photon production and ATP independence. However, utilizing them for in vivo imaging poses notable challenges. Low substrate solubility has been a prominent problem, limiting in vivo brightness, while substrate instability hampers consistent results and handling. To address these issues, we developed a range of caged PEGylated luciferins with improved stability and water solubility of up to 25 mM, resulting in substantial bioluminescence increases in mouse models. This advancement has created the brightest and most sensitive luciferase-luciferin combination, enabling high-speed video-rate imaging of freely moving mice with brain-expressed luciferase. Furthermore, we developed a bioluminescent Ca 2+ indicator with exceptional sensitivity to physiological Ca 2+ changes and paired it with a new substrate to showcase non-invasive, video-rate imaging of Ca 2+ activity in a defined brain region in awake mice. These innovative substrates and the Ca 2+ indicator are poised to become invaluable resources for biological and biomedical fields.
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5
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Zhao S, Xiong Y, Sunnapu R, Zhang Y, Tian X, Ai HW. Bioluminescence Imaging of Potassium Ion Using a Sensory Luciferin and an Engineered Luciferase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.13.581057. [PMID: 38559024 PMCID: PMC10980066 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.13.581057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Bioluminescent indicators are power tools for studying dynamic biological processes. In this study, we present the generation of novel bioluminescent indicators by modifying the luciferin molecule with an analyte-binding moiety. Specifically, we have successfully developed the first bioluminescent indicator for potassium ions (K+), which are critical electrolytes in biological systems. Our approach involved the design and synthesis of a K+-binding luciferin named potassiorin. Additionally, we engineered a luciferase enzyme called BRIPO (bioluminescent red indicator for potassium) to work synergistically with potassiorin, resulting in optimized K+-dependent bioluminescence responses. Through extensive validation in cell lines, primary neurons, and live mice, we demonstrated the efficacy of this new tool for detecting K+. Our research demonstrates an innovative concept of incorporating sensory moieties into luciferins to modulate luciferase activity. This approach has great potential for developing a wide range of bioluminescent indicators, advancing bioluminescence imaging (BLI), and enabling the study of various analytes in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengyu Zhao
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA
| | - Ying Xiong
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Ranganayakulu Sunnapu
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Yiyu Zhang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Xiaodong Tian
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
| | - Hui-Wang Ai
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA
- The UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
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6
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Boudna M, Campos AD, Vychytilova-Faltejskova P, Machackova T, Slaby O, Souckova K. Strategies for labelling of exogenous and endogenous extracellular vesicles and their application for in vitro and in vivo functional studies. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:171. [PMID: 38461237 PMCID: PMC10924393 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01548-3] [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: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This review presents a comprehensive overview of labelling strategies for endogenous and exogenous extracellular vesicles, that can be utilised both in vitro and in vivo. It covers a broad spectrum of approaches, including fluorescent and bioluminescent labelling, and provides an analysis of their applications, strengths, and limitations. Furthermore, this article presents techniques that use radioactive tracers and contrast agents with the ability to track EVs both spatially and temporally. Emphasis is also placed on endogenous labelling mechanisms, represented by Cre-lox and CRISPR-Cas systems, which are powerful and flexible tools for real-time EV monitoring or tracking their fate in target cells. By summarizing the latest developments across these diverse labelling techniques, this review provides researchers with a reference to select the most appropriate labelling method for their EV based research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Boudna
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Andres Delgado Campos
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Tana Machackova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Slaby
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Kamila Souckova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
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7
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Nemergut M, Pluskal D, Horackova J, Sustrova T, Tulis J, Barta T, Baatallah R, Gagnot G, Novakova V, Majerova M, Sedlackova K, Marques SM, Toul M, Damborsky J, Prokop Z, Bednar D, Janin YL, Marek M. Illuminating the mechanism and allosteric behavior of NanoLuc luciferase. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7864. [PMID: 38030625 PMCID: PMC10687086 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43403-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
NanoLuc, a superior β-barrel fold luciferase, was engineered 10 years ago but the nature of its catalysis remains puzzling. Here experimental and computational techniques are combined, revealing that imidazopyrazinone luciferins bind to an intra-barrel catalytic site but also to an allosteric site shaped on the enzyme surface. Structurally, binding to the allosteric site prevents simultaneous binding to the catalytic site, and vice versa, through concerted conformational changes. We demonstrate that restructuration of the allosteric site can boost the luminescent reaction in the remote active site. Mechanistically, an intra-barrel arginine coordinates the imidazopyrazinone component of luciferin, which reacts with O2 via a radical charge-transfer mechanism, and then it also protonates the resulting excited amide product to form a light-emitting neutral species. Concomitantly, an aspartate, supported by two tyrosines, fine-tunes the blue color emitter to secure a high emission intensity. This information is critical to engineering the next-generation of ultrasensitive bioluminescent reporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Nemergut
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park, P. J. Safarik University in Kosice, Trieda SNP 1, 04011, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Pluskal
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Horackova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Sustrova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Tulis
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Barta
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Racha Baatallah
- Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, Paris, France
| | - Glwadys Gagnot
- Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, 12 rue de l'école de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Veronika Novakova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marika Majerova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karolina Sedlackova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sérgio M Marques
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Toul
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Bednar
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Yves L Janin
- Structure et Instabilité des Génomes (StrInG), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, INSERM, CNRS, Alliance Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Martin Marek
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Bld. C13, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Oliayi M, Emamzadeh R, Rastegar M, Nazari M. Tri-part NanoLuc as a new split technology with potential applications in chemical biology: a mini-review. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2023; 15:3924-3931. [PMID: 37545367 DOI: 10.1039/d3ay00512g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
For several decades, researchers have been using protein-fragment complementation assay (PCA) approaches for biosensing to study protein-protein interaction for a variety of aims, including viral infection, cellular apoptosis, G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, drug and substrate screening, and protein aggregation and protein editing by CRISPR/Cas9. As a reporter, NanoLuc (NLuc), a smaller and the brightest engineered luciferase derived from deep-sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris, has been found to have many benefits over other luminescent enzymes in PCA. Inspired by the split green fluorescent protein (GFP) and its β-barrel structure, two split NLuc consisting of peptide fragments have been reported including the binary and ternary NLuc systems. NanoBiT® (large fragment + peptide) has been used extensively. In contrast, tripart split NLuc (large fragment + 2 peptides) has been applied and hardly used, while it has some advantages over NanoBiT in some studies. Nevertheless, tripart NLuc has some drawbacks and challenges to overcome but has several potential characteristics to become a multifunctional and powerful tool. In this review, several aspects of tripart NLuc are studied and a brief comparison with NanoBiT® is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Oliayi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Rahman Emamzadeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Mojgan Rastegar
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada.
| | - Mahboobeh Nazari
- Endocrine Research Center, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
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9
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Hersh J, Yang YP, Roberts E, Bilbao D, Tao W, Pollack A, Daunert S, Deo SK. Targeted Bioluminescent Imaging of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Using Nanocarrier-Complexed EGFR-Binding Affibody-Gaussia Luciferase Fusion Protein. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1976. [PMID: 37514162 PMCID: PMC10384630 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In vivo imaging has enabled impressive advances in biological research, both preclinical and clinical, and researchers have an arsenal of imaging methods available. Bioluminescence imaging is an advantageous method for in vivo studies that allows for the simple acquisition of images with low background signals. Researchers have increasingly been looking for ways to improve bioluminescent imaging for in vivo applications, which we sought to achieve by developing a bioluminescent probe that could specifically target cells of interest. We chose pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as the disease model because it is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and has an extremely low survival rate. We targeted the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is frequently overexpressed in pancreatic cancer cells, using an EGFR-specific affibody to selectively identify PDAC cells and delivered a Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) bioluminescent protein for imaging by engineering a fusion protein with both the affibody and the bioluminescent protein. This fusion protein was then complexed with a G5-PAMAM dendrimer nanocarrier. The dendrimer was used to improve the protein stability in vivo and increase signal strength. Our targeted bioluminescent complex had an enhanced uptake into PDAC cells in vitro and localized to PDAC tumors in vivo in pancreatic cancer xenograft mice. The bioluminescent complexes could delineate the tumor shape, identify multiple masses, and locate metastases. Through this work, an EGFR-targeted bioluminescent-dendrimer complex enabled the straightforward identification and imaging of pancreatic cancer cells in vivo in preclinical models. This argues for the targeted nanocarrier-mediated delivery of bioluminescent proteins as a way to improve in vivo bioluminescent imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Hersh
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (J.H.); (Y.-P.Y.); (S.D.)
- The Dr. John T. McDonald Foundation Bionanotechnology Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
| | - Yu-Ping Yang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (J.H.); (Y.-P.Y.); (S.D.)
- The Dr. John T. McDonald Foundation Bionanotechnology Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
| | - Evan Roberts
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
| | - Daniel Bilbao
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Wensi Tao
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Alan Pollack
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Sylvia Daunert
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (J.H.); (Y.-P.Y.); (S.D.)
- The Dr. John T. McDonald Foundation Bionanotechnology Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
| | - Sapna K. Deo
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (J.H.); (Y.-P.Y.); (S.D.)
- The Dr. John T. McDonald Foundation Bionanotechnology Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (E.R.); (D.B.); (W.T.); (A.P.)
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10
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Beyond luciferase-luciferin system: Modification, improved imaging and biomedical application. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2023.215045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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11
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Yeh AHW, Norn C, Kipnis Y, Tischer D, Pellock SJ, Evans D, Ma P, Lee GR, Zhang JZ, Anishchenko I, Coventry B, Cao L, Dauparas J, Halabiya S, DeWitt M, Carter L, Houk KN, Baker D. De novo design of luciferases using deep learning. Nature 2023; 614:774-780. [PMID: 36813896 PMCID: PMC9946828 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05696-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 97.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
De novo enzyme design has sought to introduce active sites and substrate-binding pockets that are predicted to catalyse a reaction of interest into geometrically compatible native scaffolds1,2, but has been limited by a lack of suitable protein structures and the complexity of native protein sequence-structure relationships. Here we describe a deep-learning-based 'family-wide hallucination' approach that generates large numbers of idealized protein structures containing diverse pocket shapes and designed sequences that encode them. We use these scaffolds to design artificial luciferases that selectively catalyse the oxidative chemiluminescence of the synthetic luciferin substrates diphenylterazine3 and 2-deoxycoelenterazine. The designed active sites position an arginine guanidinium group adjacent to an anion that develops during the reaction in a binding pocket with high shape complementarity. For both luciferin substrates, we obtain designed luciferases with high selectivity; the most active of these is a small (13.9 kDa) and thermostable (with a melting temperature higher than 95 °C) enzyme that has a catalytic efficiency on diphenylterazine (kcat/Km = 106 M-1 s-1) comparable to that of native luciferases, but a much higher substrate specificity. The creation of highly active and specific biocatalysts from scratch with broad applications in biomedicine is a key milestone for computational enzyme design, and our approach should enable generation of a wide range of luciferases and other enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Hsien-Wei Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Christoffer Norn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yakov Kipnis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Doug Tischer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Samuel J Pellock
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Declan Evans
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pengchen Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- School of Chemistry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Sustainable Energy Materials Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Gyu Rie Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jason Z Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ivan Anishchenko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Brian Coventry
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Longxing Cao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Justas Dauparas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Samer Halabiya
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michelle DeWitt
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - K N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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12
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Freidel L, Li S, Choffart A, Kuebler L, Martins AF. Imaging Techniques in Pharmacological Precision Medicine. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2023; 280:213-235. [PMID: 36907970 DOI: 10.1007/164_2023_641] [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] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Biomedical imaging is a powerful tool for medical diagnostics and personalized medicines. Examples of commonly used imaging modalities include Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Ultrasound (US), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and hybrid imaging. By combining these modalities, scientists can gain a comprehensive view and better understand physiology and pathology at the preclinical, clinical, and multiscale levels. This can aid in the accuracy of medical diagnoses and treatment decisions. Moreover, biomedical imaging allows for evaluating the metabolic, functional, and structural details of living tissues. This can be particularly useful for the early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and for the application of personalized medicines. In the case of hybrid imaging, two or more modalities are combined to produce a high-resolution image with enhanced sensitivity and specificity. This can significantly improve the accuracy of diagnosis and offer more detailed treatment plans. In this book chapter, we showcase how continued advancements in biomedical imaging technology can potentially revolutionize medical diagnostics and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Freidel
- Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sixing Li
- Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anais Choffart
- Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Laura Kuebler
- Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tübingen, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - André F Martins
- Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tübingen, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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13
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Apostolidou D, Zhang P, Yang W, Marszalek PE. Mechanical Unfolding and Refolding of NanoLuc via Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy and Computer Simulations. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:5164-5178. [PMID: 36350253 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A highly bioluminescent protein, NanoLuc (Nluc), has seen numerous applications in biological assays since its creation. We recently engineered a NanoLuc polyprotein that showed high bioluminescence but displayed a strong misfolding propensity after mechanical unfolding. Here, we present our single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) studies by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations on two new hybrid protein constructs comprised of Nluc and I91 titin domains, I91-I91-Nluc-I91-I91-I91-I91 (I912-Nluc-I914) and I91-Nluc-I91-Nluc-I91-Nluc-I91, to characterize the unfolding behavior of Nluc in detail and to further investigate its misfolding properties that we observed earlier for the I912-Nluc3-I912 construct. Our SMFS results confirm that Nluc's unfolding proceeds similarly in all constructs; however, Nluc's refolding differs in these constructs, and its misfolding is minimized when Nluc is monomeric or separated by I91 domains. Our simulations on monomeric Nluc, Nluc dyads, and Nluc triads pinpointed the origin of its mechanical stability and captured interesting unfolding intermediates, which we also observed experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Apostolidou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
| | - Pan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
| | - Weitao Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
| | - Piotr E Marszalek
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
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14
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Brennan CK, Yao Z, Ionkina AA, Rathbun CM, Sathishkumar B, Prescher JA. Multiplexed bioluminescence imaging with a substrate unmixing platform. Cell Chem Biol 2022; 29:1649-1660.e4. [PMID: 36283402 PMCID: PMC9675729 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2022.10.004] [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: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescent tools can illuminate cellular features in whole organisms. Multi-component tracking remains challenging, though, owing to a lack of well-resolved probes and long imaging times. To address the need for more rapid, quantitative, and multiplexed bioluminescent readouts, we developed an analysis pipeline featuring sequential substrate administration and serial image acquisition. Light output from each luciferin is layered on top of the previous image, with minimal delay between substrate delivery. A MATLAB algorithm was written to analyze bioluminescent images generated from the rapid imaging protocol and deconvolute (i.e., unmix) signals from luciferase-luciferin pairs. Mixtures comprising three to five luciferase reporters were readily distinguished in under 50 min; this same experiment would require days using conventional workflows. We further showed that the algorithm can be used to accurately quantify luciferase levels in heterogeneous mixtures. Based on its speed and versatility, the multiplexed imaging platform will expand the scope of bioluminescence technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline K Brennan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Zi Yao
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Anastasia A Ionkina
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Colin M Rathbun
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | | | - Jennifer A Prescher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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15
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Ng KK, Prescher JA. Generalized Bioluminescent Platform To Observe and Track Cellular Interactions. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1876-1884. [PMID: 36166258 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cell-to-cell communications are critical to biological processes ranging from embryonic development to cancer progression. Several imaging strategies have been developed to capture such interactions, but many are challenging to deploy in thick tissues and other complex environments. Here, we report a platform termed Luminescence to Observe and Track Intercellular Interactions (LOTIIS). The approach features split fragments of a luciferase enzyme that reassemble when target cells come into proximity. One fragment is secreted by "sender" cells, and the complementary piece is secreted by "receiver" cells. Split reporter assembly is facilitated by a single chain variable fragment (scFv)-peptide interaction on the receiver cell, resulting in localized light production. We demonstrate that LOTIIS can rapidly label cells in close proximity in a time- and distance-dependent fashion. The platform is also compatible with bioluminescence resonance energy transfer probes for multiplexed imaging. Collectively, these data suggest that LOTIIS will enable a variety of cellular interactions to be tracked in biological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Ng
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Jennifer A Prescher
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.,Departments of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.,Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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16
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Xiong Y, Zhang Y, Li Z, Reza MS, Li X, Tian X, Ai HW. Engineered Amber-Emitting Nano Luciferase and Its Use for Immunobioluminescence Imaging In Vivo. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:14101-14111. [PMID: 35913786 PMCID: PMC9425369 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c02320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The NanoLuc luciferase (NLuc) and its furimazine (FRZ) substrate have revolutionized bioluminescence (BL) assays and imaging. However, the use of the NLuc-FRZ luciferase-luciferin pair for mammalian tissue imaging is hindered by the low tissue penetration of the emitting blue photons. Here, we present the development of an NLuc mutant, QLuc, which catalyzes the oxidation of a synthetic QTZ luciferin for bright and red-shifted emission peaking at ∼585 nm. Compared to other small single-domain NLuc mutants, this amber-light-emitting luciferase exhibited improved performance for imaging deep-tissue targets in live mice. Leveraging this novel bioluminescent reporter, we further pursued in vivo immunobioluminescence imaging (immunoBLI), which used a fusion protein of a single-chain variable antibody fragment (scFv) and QLuc for molecular imaging of tumor-associated antigens in a xenograft mouse model. As one of the most red-shifted NLuc variants, we expect QLuc to find broad applications in noninvasive mammalian imaging. Moreover, the immunoBLI method complements immunofluorescence imaging and immuno-positron emission tomography (immunoPET), serving as a convenient and nonradioactive molecular imaging tool for animal models in basic and preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xiong
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Yiyu Zhang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Zefan Li
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Md Shamim Reza
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Xinyu Li
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Xiaodong Tian
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Hui-wang Ai
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- The UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
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17
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O'Sullivan JJ, Heffern MC. Development of an ATP-independent bioluminescent probe for detection of extracellular hydrogen peroxide. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:6231-6238. [PMID: 35548907 PMCID: PMC9378503 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob00436d] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This work reports a new ATP-independent bioluminescent probe (bor-DTZ) for detecting hydrogen peroxide that is compatible with the Nanoluciferase enzyme. The probe is designed with an arylboronate ester protecting group appended to a diphenylterazine core via a self-immolative phenolate linker. Reaction with hydrogen peroxide reveals diphenylterazine, which can then react with Nanoluciferase to produce a detectable bioluminescent signal. Bor-DTZ shows a dose-dependent response to hydrogen peroxide and selectivity over other biologically relevant reactive oxygen species and can be applied to detect either intra- or extracellular species. We further demonstrate the ability of this platform to monitor fluxes in extracellular hydrogen peroxide in a breast cancer cell line in response to the anticancer treatment, cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J O'Sullivan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, One Shields Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Marie C Heffern
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, One Shields Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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18
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Tian X, Zhang Y, Li X, Xiong Y, Wu T, Ai HW. A luciferase prosubstrate and a red bioluminescent calcium indicator for imaging neuronal activity in mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3967. [PMID: 35803917 PMCID: PMC9270435 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31673-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although fluorescent indicators have been broadly utilized for monitoring bioactivities, fluorescence imaging, when applied to mammals, is limited to superficial targets or requires invasive surgical procedures. Thus, there is emerging interest in developing bioluminescent indicators for noninvasive mammalian imaging. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of neuronal activity is highly desired but hindered by insufficient photons needed to digitalize fast brain activities. In this work, we develop a luciferase prosubstrate deliverable at an increased dose and activated in vivo by nonspecific esterase. We further engineer a bright, bioluminescent indicator with robust responsiveness to calcium ions (Ca2+) and appreciable emission above 600 nm. Integration of these advantageous components enables the imaging of the activity of neuronal ensembles in awake mice minimally invasively with excellent signal-to-background and subsecond temporal resolution. This study thus establishes a paradigm for studying brain function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Tian
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Yiyu Zhang
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Xinyu Li
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.411643.50000 0004 1761 0411Present Address: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Ying Xiong
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Tianchen Wu
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
| | - Hui-Wang Ai
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XCenter for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA ,grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XThe UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
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19
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Multiplexed bioluminescence microscopy via phasor analysis. Nat Methods 2022; 19:893-898. [PMID: 35739310 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01529-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging with luciferase-luciferin pairs is a well-established technique for visualizing biological processes across tissues and whole organisms. Applications at the microscale, by contrast, have been hindered by a lack of detection platforms and easily resolved probes. We addressed this limitation by combining bioluminescence with phasor analysis, a method commonly used to distinguish spectrally similar fluorophores. We built a camera-based microscope equipped with special optical filters to directly assign phasor locations to unique luciferase-luciferin pairs. Six bioluminescent reporters were easily resolved in live cells, and the readouts were quantitative and instantaneous. Multiplexed imaging was also performed over extended time periods. Bioluminescent phasor further provided direct measures of resonance energy transfer in single cells, setting the stage for dynamic measures of cellular and molecular features. The merger of bioluminescence with phasor analysis fills a long-standing void in imaging capabilities, and will bolster future efforts to visualize biological events in real time and over multiple length scales.
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20
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Engineering and exploiting synthetic allostery of NanoLuc luciferase. Nat Commun 2022; 13:789. [PMID: 35145068 PMCID: PMC8831504 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28425-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Allostery enables proteins to interconvert different biochemical signals and form complex metabolic and signaling networks. We hypothesize that circular permutation of proteins increases the probability of functional coupling of new N- and C- termini with the protein's active center through increased local structural disorder. To test this we construct a synthetically allosteric version of circular permutated NanoLuc luciferase that can be activated through ligand-induced intramolecular non-covalent cyclisation. This switch module is tolerant of the structure of binding domains and their ligands, and can be used to create biosensors of proteins and small molecules. The developed biosensors covers a range of emission wavelengths and displays sensitivity as low as 50pM and dynamic range as high as 16-fold and could quantify their cognate ligand in human fluids. We apply hydrogen exchange kinetic mass spectroscopy to analyze time resolved structural changes in the developed biosensors and observe ligand-mediated folding of newly created termini.
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21
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Kitada N, Maki S, Kim SB. Visible Light Bioluminescence Imaging Platform for Animal Cell Imaging. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2524:37-51. [PMID: 35821461 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2453-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The present protocol introduces a visible light bioluminescence imaging (BLI) platform together with 12 novel coelenterazine (CTZ) analogues and luciferase sets. We exemplify to create diverse hues of bioluminescence (BL) ranging from blue to far red with the combination of marine luciferases and the three groups of CTZ analogues. We also show how to characterize the new CTZ analogues in detail such as the kinetic parameters, dose dependency, and luciferase specificity. The 2-series CTZ analogues interestingly have specificity to artificial luciferases and are completely dark with Renilla luciferase derivatives in contrast. The 3d is highly specific to only NanoLuc. This BL imaging system covering the visible region provides a useful multicolor imaging portfolio that efficiently images molecular events in mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Kitada
- Department of Engineering Science, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shojiro Maki
- Department of Engineering Science, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sung-Bae Kim
- Environmental Management Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
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22
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Liu S, Su Y, Lin MZ, Ronald JA. Brightening up Biology: Advances in Luciferase Systems for in Vivo Imaging. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:2707-2718. [PMID: 34780699 PMCID: PMC8689642 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
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Bioluminescence imaging
(BLI) using luciferase reporters is an
indispensable method for the noninvasive visualization of cell populations
and biochemical events in living animals. BLI is widely performed
with preclinical rodent models to understand disease processes and
evaluate potential cell- or gene-based therapies. However, in vivo BLI remains constrained by low photon production
and tissue attenuation, limiting the sensitivity of reporting from
small numbers of cells in deep locations and hindering its application
to larger animal models. This Review highlights recent advances in
the development of luciferase systems that improve the sensitivity
of in vivo BLI and discusses the expanding array
of biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Liu
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A3K7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A3K7, Canada
| | - Yichi Su
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Michael Z. Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - John A. Ronald
- Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A3K7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A3K7, Canada
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23
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Moreira Teixeira L, Mezzanotte L. New bioimaging avenues for organs‐on‐chips by integration of bioluminescence. VIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Moreira Teixeira
- Department of Developmental Bioengineering Technical Medical Centre University of Twente Enschede The Netherlands
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Genetics Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
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24
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Yang J, Johnson CH. Bioluminescent Sensors for Ca ++ Flux Imaging and the Introduction of a New Intensity-Based Ca ++ Sensor. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:773353. [PMID: 34778237 PMCID: PMC8578923 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.773353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive detection of biological events is a goal for the design and characterization of sensors that can be used in vitro and in vivo. One important second messenger is Ca++ which has been a focus of using genetically encoded Ca++ indicators (GECIs) within living cells or intact organisms in vivo. An ideal GECI would exhibit high signal intensity, excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), rapid kinetics, a large dynamic range within relevant physiological conditions, and red-shifted emission. Most available GECIs are based on fluorescence, but bioluminescent GECIs have potential advantages in terms of avoiding tissue autofluorescence, phototoxicity, photobleaching, and spectral overlap, as well as enhancing SNR. Here, we summarize current progress in the development of bioluminescent GECIs and introduce a new and previously unpublished biosensor. Because these biosensors require a substrate, we also describe the pros and cons of various substrates used with these sensors. The novel GECI that is introduced here is called CalBiT, and it is a Ca++ indicator based on the functional complementation of NanoBiT which shows a high dynamic change in response to Ca++ fluxes. Here, we use CalBiT for the detection of Ca++ fluctuations in cultured cells, including its ability for real-time imaging in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Carl Hirschie Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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25
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Abstract
Optical imaging is an indispensable tool in clinical diagnostics and fundamental biomedical research. Autofluorescence-free optical imaging, which eliminates real-time optical excitation to minimize background noise, enables clear visualization of biological architecture and physiopathological events deep within living subjects. Molecular probes especially developed for autofluorescence-free optical imaging have been proven to remarkably improve the imaging sensitivity, penetration depth, target specificity, and multiplexing capability. In this Review, we focus on the advancements of autofluorescence-free molecular probes through the lens of particular molecular or photophysical mechanisms that produce long-lasting luminescence after the cessation of light excitation. The versatile design strategies of these molecular probes are discussed along with a broad range of biological applications. Finally, challenges and perspectives are discussed to further advance the next-generation autofluorescence-free molecular probes for in vivo imaging and in vitro biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyan Jiang
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637457, Singapore
| | - Kanyi Pu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637457, Singapore.,School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
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26
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Yao Z, Caldwell DR, Love AC, Kolbaba-Kartchner B, Mills JH, Schnermann MJ, Prescher JA. Coumarin luciferins and mutant luciferases for robust multi-component bioluminescence imaging. Chem Sci 2021; 12:11684-11691. [PMID: 34659703 PMCID: PMC8442684 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc03114g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-component bioluminescence imaging requires an expanded collection of luciferase-luciferin pairs that emit far-red or near-infrared light. Toward this end, we prepared a new class of luciferins based on a red-shifted coumarin scaffold. These probes (CouLuc-1s) were accessed in a two-step sequence via direct modification of commercial dyes. The bioluminescent properties of the CouLuc-1 analogs were also characterized, and complementary luciferase enzymes were identified using a two-pronged screening strategy. The optimized enzyme-substrate pairs displayed robust photon outputs and emitted a significant portion of near-infrared light. The CouLuc-1 scaffolds are also structurally distinct from existing probes, enabling rapid multi-component imaging. Collectively, this work provides novel bioluminescent tools along with a blueprint for crafting additional fluorophore-derived probes for multiplexed imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Yao
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine CA USA
| | - Donald R Caldwell
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD USA
| | - Anna C Love
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine CA USA
| | - Bethany Kolbaba-Kartchner
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
- The Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
| | - Jeremy H Mills
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
- The Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
| | - Martin J Schnermann
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD USA
| | - Jennifer A Prescher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine CA USA
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California Irvine CA USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine CA USA
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27
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Pang Y, Zhang H, Ai HW. Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Redox Indicators for Unveiling Redox Signaling and Oxidative Toxicity. Chem Res Toxicol 2021; 34:1826-1845. [PMID: 34284580 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Redox-active molecules play essential roles in cell homeostasis, signaling, and other biological processes. Dysregulation of redox signaling can lead to toxic effects and subsequently cause diseases. Therefore, real-time tracking of specific redox-signaling molecules in live cells would be critical for deciphering their functional roles in pathophysiology. Fluorescent protein (FP)-based genetically encoded redox indicators (GERIs) have emerged as valuable tools for monitoring the redox states of various redox-active molecules from subcellular compartments to live organisms. In the first section of this review, we overview the background, focusing on the sensing mechanisms of various GERIs. Next, we review a list of selected GERIs according to their analytical targets and discuss their key biophysical and biochemical properties. In the third section, we provide several examples which applied GERIs to understanding redox signaling and oxidative toxicology in pathophysiological processes. Lastly, a summary and outlook section is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Pang
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Hao Zhang
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Hui-Wang Ai
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States.,The UVA Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, United States
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28
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Rathbun CM, Ionkina AA, Yao Z, Jones KA, Porterfield WB, Prescher JA. Rapid Multicomponent Bioluminescence Imaging via Substrate Unmixing. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:682-690. [PMID: 33729750 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies of biological function demand probes that can report on processes in real time and in physiological environments. Bioluminescent tools are uniquely suited for this purpose, as they enable sensitive imaging in cells and tissues. Bioluminescent reporters can also be monitored continuously over time without detriment, as excitation light is not required. Rather, light emission derives from luciferase-luciferin reactions. Several engineered luciferases and luciferins have expanded the scope of bioluminescence imaging in recent years. Multicomponent tracking remains challenging, though, due to a lack of streamlined methods to visualize combinations of bioluminescent reporters. Conventional approaches image one luciferase at a time. Consequently, short-term changes in cell growth or gene expression cannot be easily captured. Here, we report a strategy for rapid, multiplexed imaging with a wide range of luciferases and luciferins. Sequential addition of orthogonal luciferins, followed by substrate unmixing, enabled facile detection of multiple luciferases in vitro and in vivo. Multicomponent imaging in mice was also achieved on the minutes-to-hours time scale.
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29
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Emerging tools for bioluminescence imaging. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 63:86-94. [PMID: 33770744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence (BL) relies on the enzymatic reaction between luciferase, a substrate conventionally named luciferin, and various cofactors. BL imaging has become a widely used technique to interrogate gene expression and cell fate, both in small and large animal models of research. Recent developments include the generation of improved luciferase-luciferin systems for deeper and more sensitive imaging as well as new caged luciferins to report on enzymatic activity and other intracellular functions. Here, we critically evaluate the emerging tools for BL imaging aiming to provide the reader with an updated compendium of the latest developments (2018-2020) and their notable applications.
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30
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Hall MP, Kincaid VA, Jost EA, Smith TP, Hurst R, Forsyth SK, Fitzgerald C, Ressler VT, Zimmermann K, Lazar D, Wood MG, Wood KV, Kirkland TA, Encell LP, Machleidt T, Dart ML. Toward a Point-of-Need Bioluminescence-Based Immunoassay Utilizing a Complete Shelf-Stable Reagent. Anal Chem 2021; 93:5177-5184. [PMID: 33730483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c05074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are used extensively for the detection and quantification of biomolecules in clinical diagnostics as well as in basic research. Although broadly used, the inherent complexities of ELISAs preclude their utility for straightforward point-of-need testing, where speed and simplicity are essential. With this in mind, we developed a bioluminescence-based immunoassay format that provides a sensitive and simple method for detecting biomolecules in clinical samples. We utilized a ternary, split-NanoLuc luciferase complementation reporter consisting of two small peptides (11mer, 13mer) and a 17 kDa polypeptide combined with a luminogenic substrate to create a complete, shelf-stable add-and-read assay detection reagent. Directed evolution was used to optimize reporter constituent sequences to impart chemical and thermal stability, as well as solubility, while formulation optimization was applied to stabilize an all-in-one reagent that can be reconstituted in aqueous buffers or sample matrices. The result of these efforts is a robust, first-generation bioluminescence-based homogenous immunoassay reporter platform where all assay components can be configured into a stable lyophilized cake, supporting homogeneous, rapid, and sensitive one-step biomolecule quantification in complex human samples. This technology represents a promising alternative immunoassay format with significant potential to bring critical diagnostic molecular detection testing closer to the point-of-need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary P Hall
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | | | - Emily A Jost
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | - Thomas P Smith
- Promega Biosciences LLC, San Luis Obispo, California 93401, United States
| | - Robin Hurst
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | | | - Connor Fitzgerald
- Promega Biosciences LLC, San Luis Obispo, California 93401, United States
| | | | - Kris Zimmermann
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | - Dan Lazar
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | - Monika G Wood
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | - Keith V Wood
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | - Thomas A Kirkland
- Promega Biosciences LLC, San Luis Obispo, California 93401, United States
| | - Lance P Encell
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | | | - Melanie L Dart
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
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31
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Gaspar N, Walker JR, Zambito G, Marella-Panth K, Lowik C, Kirkland TA, Mezzanotte L. Evaluation of NanoLuc substrates for bioluminescence imaging of transferred cells in mice. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2021; 216:112128. [PMID: 33529963 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2021.112128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
NanoLuc luciferase recently gained popularity due to its small size and superior bioluminescence performance. For in vivo imaging applications, NanoLuc has been limited by its substrate furimazine, which has low solubility and bioavailability. Herein, we compared the performances of recently reported NanoLuc luciferase substrates for in vivo imaging in mice. Two substrates with improved aqueous solubility, hydrofurimazine and fluorofurimazine, were evaluated along with three stabilized O-acetylated furimazine analogues, the hikarazines. All 5 analogues, when tested in vitro, displayed greater signal intensity and reaction duration, in comparison to the standard NanoLuc substrate, furimazine. The two best-performing analogues from the in vitro study were selected for further in vivo testing. The NanoLuc/fluorofurimazine pair demonstrated the highest bioluminescence intensity, post intravenous administration. It was found to be around 9-fold brighter compared to the NanoLuc/furimazine and 11-fold more intense than the NanoLuc/hikarazine-003 pair, with an average of 3-fold higher light emission when the substrate was injected intraperitoneally, in a subcutaneous model. Excitingly, despite the fact that NanoLuc/fluorofurimazine emits mostly blue light, we prove that cells trapped in mice lungs vasculature could be visualised via the NanoLuc/fluorofurimazine pair and compare the results to the AkaLuc/AkaLumine system. Therefore, among the tested analogues, fluorofurimazine enables higher substrate loading and improved optical imaging sensitivity in small animals, upgrading the use of NanoLuc derived bioluminescent systems for deep tissue imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasa Gaspar
- Erasmus Medical Center, Optical molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Molecular Genetics, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Percuros B.V., Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Joel R Walker
- Promega Biosciences L.L.C., San Luis Obispo, United States
| | - Giorgia Zambito
- Erasmus Medical Center, Optical molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Molecular Genetics, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Medres Medical Research GMBH, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kranthi Marella-Panth
- Erasmus Medical Center, Optical molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Molecular Genetics, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Clemens Lowik
- Erasmus Medical Center, Optical molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Molecular Genetics, Rotterdam, Netherlands; University Hospital of Lausanne, CHUV-UNIL, Department of Oncology, Ludwig Cancer Center Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Erasmus Medical Center, Optical molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Molecular Genetics, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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32
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Quijano-Rubio A, Yeh HW, Park J, Lee H, Langan RA, Boyken SE, Lajoie MJ, Cao L, Chow CM, Miranda MC, Wi J, Hong HJ, Stewart L, Oh BH, Baker D. De novo design of modular and tunable protein biosensors. Nature 2021; 591:482-487. [PMID: 33503651 PMCID: PMC8074680 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03258-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Naturally occurring protein switches have been repurposed for the development of biosensors and reporters for cellular and clinical applications1. However, the number of such switches is limited, and reengineering them is challenging. Here we show that a general class of protein-based biosensors can be created by inverting the flow of information through de novo designed protein switches in which the binding of a peptide key triggers biological outputs of interest2. The designed sensors are modular molecular devices with a closed dark state and an open luminescent state; analyte binding drives the switch from the closed to the open state. Because the sensor is based on the thermodynamic coupling of analyte binding to sensor activation, only one target binding domain is required, which simplifies sensor design and allows direct readout in solution. We create biosensors that can sensitively detect the anti-apoptosis protein BCL-2, the IgG1 Fc domain, the HER2 receptor, and Botulinum neurotoxin B, as well as biosensors for cardiac troponin I and an anti-hepatitis B virus antibody with the high sensitivity required to detect these molecules clinically. Given the need for diagnostic tools to track the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)3, we used the approach to design sensors for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and antibodies against the membrane and nucleocapsid proteins. The former, which incorporates a de novo designed spike receptor binding domain (RBD) binder4, has a limit of detection of 15 pM and a luminescence signal 50-fold higher than the background level. The modularity and sensitivity of the platform should enable the rapid construction of sensors for a wide range of analytes, and highlights the power of de novo protein design to create multi-state protein systems with new and useful functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Quijano-Rubio
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Hsien-Wei Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jooyoung Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Hansol Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Robert A. Langan
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Scott E. Boyken
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Marc J. Lajoie
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Longxing Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Cameron M. Chow
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Marcos C. Miranda
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jimin Wi
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jeong Hong
- Department of Systems Immunology, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Lance Stewart
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Byung-Ha Oh
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea,Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to D.B. or B.-H.O
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to D.B. or B.-H.O
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33
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Saito-Moriya R, Nakayama J, Kamiya G, Kitada N, Obata R, Maki SA, Aoyama H. How to Select Firefly Luciferin Analogues for In Vivo Imaging. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1848. [PMID: 33673331 PMCID: PMC7918177 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence reactions are widely applied in optical in vivo imaging in the life science and medical fields. Such reactions produce light upon the oxidation of a luciferin (substrate) catalyzed by a luciferase (enzyme), and this bioluminescence enables the quantification of tumor cells and gene expression in animal models. Many researchers have developed single-color or multicolor bioluminescence systems based on artificial luciferin analogues and/or luciferase mutants, for application in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI). In the current review, we focus on the characteristics of firefly BLI technology and discuss the development of luciferin analogues for high-resolution in vivo BLI. In addition, we discuss the novel luciferin analogues TokeOni and seMpai, which show potential as high-sensitivity in vivo BLI reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryohei Saito-Moriya
- School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan
- Department of Engineering Science, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
- Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Jun Nakayama
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Genta Kamiya
- Department of Engineering Science, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
- Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Nobuo Kitada
- Department of Engineering Science, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
- Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Rika Obata
- Department of Engineering Science, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Shojiro A Maki
- Department of Engineering Science, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
- Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Aoyama
- School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan
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34
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Color-tunable bioluminescence imaging portfolio for cell imaging. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2219. [PMID: 33500496 PMCID: PMC7838199 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81430-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study describes a color-tunable imaging portfolio together with twelve novel coelenterazine (CTZ) analogues. The three groups of CTZ analogues create diverse hues of bioluminescence (BL) ranging from blue to far red with marine luciferases. We found that the hue completes the whole color palette in the visible region and shows red-shifted BL with a marine luciferase: for example, Renilla luciferase 8 (RLuc8) and Artificial Luciferase 16 (ALuc16) show 187 nm- and 105 nm-redshifted spectra, respectively, by simply replacing the substrate CTZ with 1d. The optical properties of the new CTZ analogues were investigated such as the kinetic parameters, dose dependency, and luciferase specificity. The 2-series CTZ analogues interestingly have specificity to ALucs and are completely dark with RLuc derivatives, and 3d is highly specific to only NanoLuc. We further determined the theoretical background of the red-shifted BL maximum wavelengths (λBL) values according to the extended π conjugation of the CTZ backbone using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. This color-tunable BL imaging system provides a useful multicolor imaging portfolio that efficiently images molecular events in mammalian cells.
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35
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Gagnot G, Hervin V, Coutant EP, Goyard S, Jacob Y, Rose T, Hibti FE, Quatela A, Janin YL. Core-Modified Coelenterazine Luciferin Analogues: Synthesis and Chemiluminescence Properties. Chemistry 2021; 27:2112-2123. [PMID: 33137225 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202004311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In this work on the design and studies of luciferins related to the blue-hued coelenterazine, the synthesis of heterocyclic analogues susceptible to produce a photon, possibly at a different wavelength, is undertaken. Here, the synthesis of O-acetylated derivatives of imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazin-3(5 H)-one, imidazo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazin-7(1 H)-one, imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-ol, imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-1(5 H)-one, benzo[f]imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxalin-3(11 H)-one, imidazo[1',2':1,6]pyrazino[2,3-c]quinolin-3(11 H)-one, and 5,11-dihydro-3 H-chromeno[4,3-e]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-one is described thanks to extensive use of the Buchwald-Hartwig N-arylation reaction. The acidic hydrolysis of these derivatives then gave solutions of the corresponding luciferin analogues, which were studied. Not too unexpectedly, even if these were "dressed" with substituents found in actual substrates of the nanoKAZ/NanoLuc luciferase, no bioluminescence was observed with these compounds. However, in a phosphate buffer, all produced a light signal, by chemiluminescence, with extensive variations in their respective intensity and this could be increased by adding a quaternary ammonium salt in the buffer. This aspect was actually instrumental to determine the emission spectra of many of these luciferin analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glwadys Gagnot
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France.,Université de Paris, 12 rue de l'école de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Hervin
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Eloi P Coutant
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Sophie Goyard
- Center for Innovation and Technological Research, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Yves Jacob
- Unité de Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3569, CNRS, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Thierry Rose
- Center for Innovation and Technological Research, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Fatima Ezzahra Hibti
- HORIBA FRANCE SAS, 14 Boulevard Thomas Gobert, Passage Jobin Yvon CS45002, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Alessia Quatela
- HORIBA FRANCE SAS, 14 Boulevard Thomas Gobert, Passage Jobin Yvon CS45002, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Yves L Janin
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
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36
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Functional Imaging Using Bioluminescent Reporter Genes in Living Subjects. Mol Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816386-3.00004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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37
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Syed AJ, Anderson JC. Applications of bioluminescence in biotechnology and beyond. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:5668-5705. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01492c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescent probes have hugely benefited from the input of synthetic chemistry and protein engineering. Here we review the latest applications of these probes in biotechnology and beyond, with an eye on current limitations and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha J. Syed
- Department of Chemistry
- University College London
- London
- UK
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38
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Abstract
Biological signaling pathways are underpinned by protein switches that sense and respond to molecular inputs. Inspired by nature, engineered protein switches have been designed to directly transduce analyte binding into a quantitative signal in a simple, wash-free, homogeneous assay format. As such, they offer great potential to underpin point-of-need diagnostics that are needed across broad sectors to improve access, costs, and speed compared to laboratory assays. Despite this, protein switch assays are not yet in routine diagnostic use, and a number of barriers to uptake must be overcome to realize this potential. Here, we review the opportunities and challenges in engineering protein switches for rapid diagnostic tests. We evaluate how their design, comprising a recognition element, reporter, and switching mechanism, relates to performance and identify areas for improvement to guide further optimization. Recent modular switches that enable new analytes to be targeted without redesign are crucial to ensure robust and efficient development processes. The importance of translational steps toward practical implementation, including integration into a user-friendly device and thorough assay validation, is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Adamson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Lars J. C. Jeuken
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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39
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Bozec D, Sattiraju A, Bouras A, Jesu Raj JG, Rivera D, Huang Y, Junqueira Alves C, Tejero R, Tsankova NM, Zou H, Hadjipanayis C, Friedel RH. Akaluc bioluminescence offers superior sensitivity to track in vivo glioma expansion. Neurooncol Adv 2020; 2:vdaa134. [PMID: 33241215 PMCID: PMC7680182 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaa134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Longitudinal tracking of tumor growth using noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a key approach for studies of in vivo cancer models, with particular relevance for investigations of malignant gliomas in rodent intracranial transplant paradigms. Akaluciferase (Akaluc) is a new BLI system with higher signal strength than standard firefly luciferase (Fluc). Here, we establish Akaluc BLI as a sensitive method for in vivo tracking of glioma expansion. Methods We engineered a lentiviral vector for expression of Akaluc in high-grade glioma cell lines, including patient-derived glioma stem cell (GSC) lines. Akaluc-expressing glioma cells were compared to matching cells expressing Fluc in both in vitro and in vivo BLI assays. We also conducted proof-of-principle BLI studies with intracranial transplant cohorts receiving chemoradiation therapy. Results Akaluc-expressing glioma cells produced more than 10 times higher BLI signals than Fluc-expressing counterparts when examined in vitro, and more than 100-fold higher signals when compared to Fluc-expressing counterparts in intracranial transplant models in vivo. The high sensitivity of Akaluc permitted detection of intracranial glioma transplants starting as early as 4 h after implantation and with as little as 5000 transplanted cells. The sensitivity of the system allowed us to follow engraftment and expansion of intracranial transplants of GSC lines. Akaluc was also robust for sensitive detection of in vivo tumor regression after therapy and subsequent relapse. Conclusion Akaluc BLI offers superior sensitivity for in vivo tracking of glioma in the intracranial transplant paradigm, facilitating sensitive approaches for the study of glioma growth and response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Bozec
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Brain Tumor Nanotechnology Laboratory, Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anirudh Sattiraju
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alexandros Bouras
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Brain Tumor Nanotechnology Laboratory, Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joe G Jesu Raj
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Brain Tumor Nanotechnology Laboratory, Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Rivera
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Brain Tumor Nanotechnology Laboratory, Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yong Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Chrystian Junqueira Alves
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rut Tejero
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nadejda M Tsankova
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hongyan Zou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Constantinos Hadjipanayis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Brain Tumor Nanotechnology Laboratory, Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Roland H Friedel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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40
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Endo M, Ozawa T. Advanced Bioluminescence System for In Vivo Imaging with Brighter and Red-Shifted Light Emission. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6538. [PMID: 32906768 PMCID: PMC7555964 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI), which is based on luminescence emitted by the luciferase-luciferin reaction, has enabled continuous monitoring of various biochemical processes in living animals. Bright luminescence with a high signal-to-background ratio, ideally red or near-infrared light as the emission maximum, is necessary for in vivo animal experiments. Various attempts have been undertaken to achieve this goal, including genetic engineering of luciferase, chemical modulation of luciferin, and utilization of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). In this review, we overview a recent advance in the development of a bioluminescence system for in vivo BLI. We also specifically examine the improvement in bioluminescence intensity by mutagenic or chemical modulation on several beetle and marine luciferase bioluminescence systems. We further describe that intramolecular BRET enhances luminescence emission, with recent attempts for the development of red-shifted bioluminescence system, showing great potency in in vivo BLI. Perspectives for future improvement of bioluminescence systems are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takeaki Ozawa
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan;
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41
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Su Y, Walker JR, Park Y, Smith TP, Liu LX, Hall MP, Labanieh L, Hurst R, Wang DC, Encell LP, Kim N, Zhang F, Kay MA, Casey KM, Majzner RG, Cochran JR, Mackall CL, Kirkland TA, Lin MZ. Novel NanoLuc substrates enable bright two-population bioluminescence imaging in animals. Nat Methods 2020; 17:852-860. [PMID: 32661427 PMCID: PMC10907227 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0889-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sensitive detection of two biological events in vivo has long been a goal in bioluminescence imaging. Antares, a fusion of the luciferase NanoLuc to the orange fluorescent protein CyOFP, has emerged as a bright bioluminescent reporter with orthogonal substrate specificity to firefly luciferase (FLuc) and its derivatives such as AkaLuc. However, the brightness of Antares in mice is limited by the poor solubility and bioavailability of the NanoLuc substrate furimazine. Here, we report a new substrate, hydrofurimazine, whose enhanced aqueous solubility allows delivery of higher doses to mice. In the liver, Antares with hydrofurimazine exhibited similar brightness to AkaLuc with its substrate AkaLumine. Further chemical exploration generated a second substrate, fluorofurimazine, with even higher brightness in vivo. We used Antares with fluorofurimazine to track tumor size and AkaLuc with AkaLumine to visualize CAR-T cells within the same mice, demonstrating the ability to perform two-population imaging with these two luciferase systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichi Su
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Yunhee Park
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Lan Xiang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Louai Labanieh
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - David C Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Namdoo Kim
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Kongju National University, Gongju, South Korea
| | - Feijie Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mark A Kay
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kerriann M Casey
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robbie G Majzner
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Crystal L Mackall
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Michael Z Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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42
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Abstract
Luciferase enzymes from bioluminescent organisms can be expressed in mice, enabling these rodents to glow when treated with a corresponding luciferin substrate. Light emission occurs where the expression of the genetically-encoded luciferase overlaps with the biodistribution of the administered small molecule luciferin. Here we discuss differences between firefly luciferin analogues for bioluminescence imaging, focusing on transgenic and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-transduced mice.
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43
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Adams ST, Miller SC. Enzymatic promiscuity and the evolution of bioluminescence. FEBS J 2020; 287:1369-1380. [PMID: 31828943 PMCID: PMC7217382 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence occurs when an enzyme, known as a luciferase, oxidizes a small-molecule substrate, known as a luciferin. Nature has evolved multiple distinct luciferases and luciferins independently, all of which accomplish the impressive feat of light emission. One of the best-known examples of bioluminescence is exhibited by fireflies, a class of beetles that use d-luciferin as their substrate. The evolution of bioluminescence in beetles is thought to have emerged from ancestral fatty acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) enzymes present in all insects. This theory is supported by multiple lines of evidence: Beetle luciferases share high sequence identity with these enzymes, often retain ACS activity, and some ACS enzymes from nonluminous insects can catalyze bioluminescence from synthetic d-luciferin analogues. Recent sequencing of firefly genomes and transcriptomes further illuminates how the duplication of ACS enzymes and subsequent diversification drove the evolution of bioluminescence. These genetic analyses have also uncovered candidate enzymes that may participate in luciferin metabolism. With the publication of the genomes and transcriptomes of fireflies and related insects, we are now better positioned to dissect and learn from the evolution of bioluminescence in beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer T. Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of
Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605 USA
| | - Stephen C. Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of
Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605 USA
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44
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Coutant EP, Gagnot G, Hervin V, Baatallah R, Goyard S, Jacob Y, Rose T, Janin YL. Bioluminescence Profiling of NanoKAZ/NanoLuc Luciferase Using a Chemical Library of Coelenterazine Analogues. Chemistry 2020; 26:948-958. [PMID: 31765054 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201904844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We describe here an extensive structure-bioluminescence relationship study of a chemical library of analogues of coelenterazine, using nanoKAZ/NanoLuc, a mutated luciferase originated from the catalytic subunit of the deep-sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris. Out of the 135 O-acetylated precursors that were prepared by using our recently reported synthesis and following their hydrolysis to give solutions of the corresponding luciferins, notable bioluminescence improvements were achieved in comparison with furimazine, which is currently amongst the best substrates of nanoKAZ/NanoLuc. For instance, the rather more lipophilic analogue 8-(2,3-difluorobenzyl)-2-((5-methylfuran-2-yl)methyl)-6-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(7H)-one provided a 1.5-fold improvement of the total light output over a 2 h period, a close to threefold increase of the initial signal intensity and a signal-to-background ratio five times greater than furimazine. The kinetic parameters for the enzymatic reaction were obtained for a selection of luciferin analogues and provided unexpected insights into the luciferase activity. Most prominently, along with a general substrate-dependent and irreversible inactivation of this enzyme, in the case of the optimized luciferin mentioned above, the consumption of 2664 molecules was found to be required for the detection of a single Relative Light Unit (RLU; a luminometer-dependent fraction of a photon).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloi P Coutant
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Glwadys Gagnot
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 12 rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Hervin
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Racha Baatallah
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Sophie Goyard
- Center for Innovation and Technological Research, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Yves Jacob
- Unité de Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3569, CNRS, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Thierry Rose
- Center for Innovation and Technological Research, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Yves L Janin
- Institut Pasteur, UMR 3523, CNRS, Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
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45
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46
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Williams SJ, Prescher JA. Building Biological Flashlights: Orthogonal Luciferases and Luciferins for in Vivo Imaging. Acc Chem Res 2019; 52:3039-3050. [PMID: 31593431 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.9b00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescence is widely used for real-time imaging in living organisms. This technology features a light-emitting reaction between enzymes (luciferases) and small molecule substrates (luciferins). Photons produced from luciferase-luciferin reactions can penetrate through heterogeneous tissue, enabling readouts of physiological processes. Dozens of bioluminescent probes are now available and many are routinely used to monitor cell proliferation, migration, and gene expression patterns in vivo. Despite the ubiquity of bioluminescence, traditional applications have been largely limited to imaging one biological feature at a time. Only a handful of luciferase-luciferin pairs can be easily used in tandem, and most are poorly resolved in living animals. Efforts to develop spectrally distinct reporters have been successful, but multispectral imaging in large organisms remains a formidable challenge due to interference from surrounding tissue. Consequently, a lack of well-resolved probes has precluded multicomponent tracking. An expanded collection of bioluminescent probes would provide insight into processes where multiple cell types drive physiological tasks, including immune function and organ development. We aimed to expand the bioluminescent toolkit by developing substrate-resolved imaging agents. The goal was to generate multiple orthogonal (i.e., noncross-reactive) luciferases that are responsive to unique scaffolds and could be used concurrently in living animals. We adopted a parallel engineering approach to genetically modify luciferases to accept chemically modified luciferins. When the mutants and analogs are combined, light is produced only when complementary enzyme-substrate partners interact. Thus, the pairs can be distinguished based on substrate selectivity, regardless of the color of light emitted. Sequential administration of the luciferins enables the unique luciferases to be illuminated (and thus resolved) within complex environments, including whole organisms. This Account describes our efforts to develop orthogonal bioluminescent probes, crafting custom luciferases (or "biological flashlights") that can selectively process luciferin analogs (or "batteries") to produce light. In the first section, we describe synthetic methods that were key to accessing diverse luciferin architectures. The second section focuses on identifying complementary luciferase enzymes via a combination of mutagenesis and screening. To expedite the search for orthogonal enzymes and substrates, we developed a computational algorithm to sift through large data sets. The third section features examples of the parallel engineering approach. We identified orthogonal enzyme-substrate pairs comprising two different classes of luciferins. The probes were vetted both in cells and whole organisms. This expanded collection of imaging agents is applicable to studies of immune function and other multicomponent processes. The final section of the Account highlights ongoing work toward building better bioluminescent tools. As ever-brighter and more selective probes are developed, the frontiers of what we can "see" in vivo will continue to expand.
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47
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French A, Tesmer AL, Tantama M. Dual-Mode FRET and BRET Sensors for Detecting cAMP Dynamics. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:15504-15511. [PMID: 31572851 PMCID: PMC6761615 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b01770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Genetically encoded fluorescent and luminescent indicators have revolutionized our ability to monitor physiology in real time, but the separate development of new sensors for each of these imaging modalities involves substantial effort and resources. Methods to rapidly engineer multimodal sensors would, therefore, significantly accelerate the diversification of sensors for simultaneous use in different systems and applications. We hypothesized that the enhanced Nano-lanterns could be incorporated into modular ratiometric sensors as an efficient approach to creating dual-mode fluorescent-luminescent sensors. As a proof-of-concept, we engineered an Epac1-based sensor that responds to cyclic adenosine monophosphate binding with a greater than 80% change in both Förster Resonance Energy Transfer and bioluminescent resonance energy transfer (BRET) modes. We also demonstrate that our new sensor reports cellular changes in G-protein-coupled signaling, and that the ratiometric BRET mode is bright enough for subcutaneous measurements in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander
R. French
- Department
of Chemistry and Institute for Integrated Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Alexander L. Tesmer
- Department
of Chemistry and Institute for Integrated Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Mathew Tantama
- Department
of Chemistry and Institute for Integrated Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
- E-mail:
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