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Townsend KM, Prescher JA. Recent advances in bioluminescent probes for neurobiology. NEUROPHOTONICS 2024; 11:024204. [PMID: 38390217 PMCID: PMC10883388 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.11.2.024204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Bioluminescence is a popular modality for imaging in living organisms. The platform relies on enzymatically (luciferase) generated light via the oxidation of small molecule luciferins. Since no external light is needed for photon production, there are no concerns with background autofluorescence or photobleaching over time-features that have historically limited other optical readouts. Bioluminescence is thus routinely used for longitudinal tracking across whole animals. Applications in the brain, though, have been more challenging due to a lack of sufficiently bioavailable, bright, and easily multiplexed probes. Recent years have seen the development of designer luciferase and luciferin pairs that address these issues, providing more sensitive and real-time readouts of biochemical features relevant to neurobiology. This review highlights many of the advances in bioluminescent probe design, with a focus on the small molecule light emitter, the luciferin. Specific efforts to improve luciferin pharmacokinetics and tissue-penetrant emission are covered, in addition to applications that such probes have enabled. The continued development of improved bioluminescent probes will aid in illuminating critical neurochemical processes in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Townsend
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Chemistry, Irvine, California, United States
| | - Jennifer A Prescher
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Chemistry, Irvine, California, United States
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Irvine, California, United States
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irvine, California, United States
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2
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Klein MA, Lazarev S, Gervasi C, Cowan C, Machleidt T, Friedman Ohana R. Luciferase Calibrants Enable Absolute Quantitation of Bioluminescence Power. ACS MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AU 2023; 3:496-503. [PMID: 38145021 PMCID: PMC10740115 DOI: 10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.3c00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence emitted from a luciferase-catalyzed oxidation of luciferin has been broadly utilized to report on biological events, predominantly through relative changes in the light output. Recent advances in protein engineering and synthetic chemistry have yielded bioluminescent systems with markedly improved brightness and bioavailability. These developments have enabled not only the detection of biological events at far lower expression levels but also new opportunities utilizing bioluminescence to power photochemistry in cells. Regardless of the application, bioluminescence analyses have leaned heavily on the use of luminometers to measure the light output of a system. Current luminometers report the light output of a sample in relative units, limiting the ability to compare data between instruments and preventing the absolute power of a bioluminescent system from being quantified. Luminescent solution calibrants comprising luciferases and their cognate luciferins that have been characterized for absolute light output would enable calibration of any given luminometer for absolute photon counting. To this end, we have built a custom light detection apparatus and used it alongside wavelength-matched LED light sources emitting at 450 and 561 nm to characterize the absolute power of a series of NanoLuc and firefly luciferase solutions, respectively. This approach revealed that these two common luciferases produce 3.72 × 10-18 and 7.25 × 10-20 watts/molecule, respectively. Components of these luminescent solution calibrants are commercially available and produce stable bioluminescent signals over 2-5 min, enabling any luminometer to be calibrated for power measurements of bioluminescence emitted by these two luciferases in units of watts or photons per second.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Klein
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | - Sergey Lazarev
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
| | - Charles Gervasi
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, United States
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3
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Xie WJ, Liu D, Wang X, Zhang A, Wei Q, Nandi A, Dong S, Warshel A. Enhancing luciferase activity and stability through generative modeling of natural enzyme sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2312848120. [PMID: 37983512 PMCID: PMC10691223 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312848120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The availability of natural protein sequences synergized with generative AI provides new paradigms to engineer enzymes. Although active enzyme variants with numerous mutations have been designed using generative models, their performance often falls short of their wild type counterparts. Additionally, in practical applications, choosing fewer mutations that can rival the efficacy of extensive sequence alterations is usually more advantageous. Pinpointing beneficial single mutations continues to be a formidable task. In this study, using the generative maximum entropy model to analyze Renilla luciferase (RLuc) homologs, and in conjunction with biochemistry experiments, we demonstrated that natural evolutionary information could be used to predictively improve enzyme activity and stability by engineering the active center and protein scaffold, respectively. The success rate to improve either luciferase activity or stability of designed single mutants is ~50%. This finding highlights nature's ingenious approach to evolving proficient enzymes, wherein diverse evolutionary pressures are preferentially applied to distinct regions of the enzyme, ultimately culminating in an overall high performance. We also reveal an evolutionary preference in RLuc toward emitting blue light that holds advantages in terms of water penetration compared to other light spectra. Taken together, our approach facilitates navigation through enzyme sequence space and offers effective strategies for computer-aided rational enzyme engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jun Xie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL32610
| | - Dangliang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100191, China
| | - Xiaoya Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100191, China
| | - Aoxuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Qijia Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100191, China
| | - Ashim Nandi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Suwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing100191, China
| | - Arieh Warshel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
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4
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Xie WJ, Liu D, Wang X, Zhang A, Wei Q, Nandi A, Dong S, Warshel A. Enhancing Luciferase Activity and Stability through Generative Modeling of Natural Enzyme Sequences. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.18.558367. [PMID: 37786693 PMCID: PMC10541610 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.18.558367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The availability of natural protein sequences synergized with generative artificial intelligence (AI) provides new paradigms to create enzymes. Although active enzyme variants with numerous mutations have been produced using generative models, their performance often falls short compared to their wild-type counterparts. Additionally, in practical applications, choosing fewer mutations that can rival the efficacy of extensive sequence alterations is usually more advantageous. Pinpointing beneficial single mutations continues to be a formidable task. In this study, using the generative maximum entropy model to analyze Renilla luciferase homologs, and in conjunction with biochemistry experiments, we demonstrated that natural evolutionary information could be used to predictively improve enzyme activity and stability by engineering the active center and protein scaffold, respectively. The success rate of designed single mutants is ~50% to improve either luciferase activity or stability. These finding highlights nature's ingenious approach to evolving proficient enzymes, wherein diverse evolutionary pressures are preferentially applied to distinct regions of the enzyme, ultimately culminating in an overall high performance. We also reveal an evolutionary preference in Renilla luciferase towards emitting blue light that holds advantages in terms of water penetration compared to other light spectrum. Taken together, our approach facilitates navigation through enzyme sequence space and offers effective strategies for computer-aided rational enzyme engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jun Xie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Departmet of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dangliang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoya Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Aoxuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Qijia Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ashim Nandi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Suwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Chemical Biology Center, and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Arieh Warshel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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5
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Chang CH, Gómez S, Fontaine DM, Fikas P, Branchini BR, Anderson JC. Bioluminescence, photophysical, computational and molecular docking studies of fully conformationally restricted enamine infraluciferin. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:2941-2949. [PMID: 36928464 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob00247k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
A new rationally designed fully rotationally restricted luciferin has been synthesised. This synthetic luciferin, based upon the structure of infraluciferin, has two intramolecular H-bonds to reduce degrees of freedom, an amine group to enhance ICT process, and an alkenyl group to increase π-conjugation. In the spectroscopic measurements and computational calculations, enamine luciferin showed more red-shifted absorption and fluorescence emission than LH2 and iLH2. With PpyWT luciferase enamine luciferin gave bioluminescence at 564 nm which is similar to LH2 at 561 nm. Further investigation by docking studies revealed that the emission wavelength of enamine luciferin might be attributed to the unwanted twisted structure caused by Asp531 within the enzyme. With mutant luciferase FlucRed, the major emission peak was shifted to 606 nm, a distinct shoulder above 700 nm, and 21% of its spectrum located in the nIR range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hao Chang
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK.
| | - Sandra Gómez
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, University of Salamanca, 37008, Spain
| | | | - Panagiotis Fikas
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK.
| | - Bruce R Branchini
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | - James C Anderson
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK.
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6
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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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7
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Zhang L, Ying W, Sheng Z, Lv L, Gao J, Xue Y, Liu L. Bioluminescence imaging of fibroblast activation protein-alpha in vivo and human plasma with highly sensitive probe. Anal Biochem 2022; 655:114859. [PMID: 35988797 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAPα) has emerged as a biomarker of tumor stromal fibroblasts. FAP was overexpressed in stromal fibroblasts of human malignancies and positively correlated with the depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic metastasis, distant metastases, high TNM stage and poor prognosis. However, the circulating FAP levels in the plasma of gastric cancer patients and the relationship between FAP levels and gastric cancer remain unknown. Moreover, probes with super selectivity, extremely high sensitivity, and excellent performance in quantitative detection are still lacking. Herein, we developed the bioluminescent probe BL-FAP for sensitive detection and imaging of endogenous FAP in gastric cancer cells and tissues and plasma from gastric cancer patients. The probe exhibited the high signal-to-noise ratio (15000∼fold), the excellent selectivity (FAP/DPP IV ratio and FAP/PREP ratio = 50000∼ fold), and the high sensitivity (18.1 pg/mL). BL-FAP facilitates monitoring of endogenous FAP in living cells and nude mice bearing MGC-803-luc tumors. More importantly, this probe was successfully applied to the measurement of FAP activity levels in plasma from gastric cancer patients for the first time. A significant enhancement in FAP levels was observed in patients with gastric cancer, suggesting that the FAP level may be a potential diagnostic parameter for gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
| | - Weiwu Ying
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Zhijia Sheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Li Lv
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Jian Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Yunsheng Xue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Ling Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
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8
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Zhao P, Wu X, Li J, Dong G, Sun Y, Ma Z, Li M, Du L. Discovery of alkene-conjugated luciferins for redshifted and improved bioluminescence imaging in vitro and in vivo. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:4224-4230. [PMID: 35551298 DOI: 10.1039/d1ob02477a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The firefly luciferase system is the most extensively utilized bioluminescence system in the field of life science at the moment. In this work, we designed and synthesized a series of alkene-conjugated luciferins to develop new firefly bioluminescence substrates, and further evaluated their activities in vitro and in vivo. It is worth noting that the maximum biological emission wavelength of novel luciferin analogue AL3 ((S,E)-2-(6-hydroxy-5-(3-methoxy-3-oxoprop-1-en-1-yl)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole-4-carboxylic acid) is 100 nm red-shifted compared with D-luciferin, while that of analogue AL4 ((S,E)-2-(5-(2-cyanovinyl)-6-hydroxybenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole-4-carboxylic acid) is 75 nm red-shifted. The new substrate AL2 ((S,E)-2-(6-hydroxy-7-(3-methoxy-3-oxoprop-1-en-1-yl)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole-4-carboxylic acid) showed better bioluminescence performance in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Xiaokang Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Gaopan Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Yingai Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Zhao Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Minyong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
| | - Lupei Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
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9
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Vervaeke P, Borgos SE, Sanders NN, Combes F. Regulatory guidelines and preclinical tools to study the biodistribution of RNA therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 184:114236. [PMID: 35351470 PMCID: PMC8957368 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The success of the messenger RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech marks the beginning of a new chapter in modern medicine. However, the rapid rise of mRNA therapeutics has resulted in a regulatory framework that is somewhat lagging. The current guidelines either do not apply, do not mention RNA therapeutics, or do not have widely accepted definitions. This review describes the guidelines for preclinical biodistribution studies of mRNA/siRNA therapeutics and highlights the relevant differences for mRNA vaccines. We also discuss the role of in vivo RNA imaging techniques and other assays to fulfill and/or complement the regulatory requirements. Specifically, quantitative whole-body autoradiography, microautoradiography, mass spectrometry-based assays, hybridization techniques (FISH, bDNA), PCR-based methods, in vivo fluorescence imaging, and in vivo bioluminescence imaging, are discussed. We conclude that this new and rapidly evolving class of medicines demands a multi-layered approach to fully understand its biodistribution and in vivo characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Vervaeke
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - S E Borgos
- SINTEF Industry, Dept. of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, Research Group Mass Spectrometry, Sem Sælands v. 2A, N-7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - N N Sanders
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - F Combes
- SINTEF Industry, Dept. of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, Research Group Mass Spectrometry, Sem Sælands v. 2A, N-7034 Trondheim, Norway.
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Chiem K, Lorenzo MM, Rangel-Moreno J, Garcia-Hernandez MDLL, Park JG, Nogales A, Blasco R, Martínez-Sobrido L. Bi-Reporter Vaccinia Virus for Tracking Viral Infections In Vitro and In Vivo. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0160121. [PMID: 34817228 PMCID: PMC8612144 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01601-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant viruses expressing reporter genes allow visualization and quantification of viral infections and can be used as valid surrogates to identify the presence of the virus in infected cells and animal models. However, one of the limitations of recombinant viruses expressing reporter genes is the use of either fluorescent or luciferase proteins that are used alternatively for different purposes. Vaccinia virus (VV) is widely used as a viral vector, including recombinant (r)VV singly expressing either fluorescent or luciferase reporter genes that are useful for specific purposes. In this report, we engineered two novel rVV stably expressing both fluorescent (Scarlet or GFP) and luciferase (Nluc) reporter genes from different loci in the viral genome. In vitro, these bi-reporter-expressing rVV have similar growth kinetics and plaque phenotype than those of the parental WR VV isolate. In vivo, rVV Nluc/Scarlet and rVV Nluc/GFP effectively infected mice and were easily detected using in vivo imaging systems (IVIS) and ex vivo in the lungs from infected mice. Importantly, we used these bi-reporter-expressing rVV to assess viral pathogenesis, infiltration of immune cells in the lungs, and to directly identify the different subsets of cells infected by VV in the absence of antibody staining. Collectively, these rVV expressing two reporter genes open the feasibility to study the biology of viral infections in vitro and in vivo, including host-pathogen interactions and dynamics or tropism of viral infections. IMPORTANCE Despite the eradication of variola virus (VARV), the causative agent of smallpox, poxviruses still represent an important threat to human health due to their possible use as bioterrorism agents and the emergence of zoonotic poxvirus diseases. Recombinant vaccinia viruses (rVV) expressing easily traceable fluorescent or luciferase reporter genes have significantly contributed to the progress of poxvirus research. However, rVV expressing one marker gene have several constraints for in vitro and in vivo studies, since both fluorescent and luciferase proteins impose certain limitations for specific applications. To overcome these limitations, we generated optimized rVV stably expressing both fluorescent (Scarlet or GFP) and luciferase (Nluc) reporter genes to easily track viral infection in vitro and in vivo. This new generation of double reporter-expressing rVV represent an excellent option to study viral infection dynamics in cultured cells and validated animal models of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chiem
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Maria M. Lorenzo
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Centro Nacional Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Rangel-Moreno
- Division of Allergy/Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | | | - Jun-Gyu Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Aitor Nogales
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
- Animal Health Research Centre (CISA), Centro Nacional Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA, CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Blasco
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Centro Nacional Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Martínez-Sobrido
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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11
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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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12
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The Cutting Edge of Disease Modeling: Synergy of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology and Genetically Encoded Biosensors. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9080960. [PMID: 34440164 PMCID: PMC8392144 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of cell models of human diseases based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and a cell therapy approach based on differentiated iPSC derivatives has provided a powerful stimulus in modern biomedical research development. Moreover, it led to the creation of personalized regenerative medicine. Due to this, in the last decade, the pathological mechanisms of many monogenic diseases at the cell level have been revealed, and clinical trials of various cell products derived from iPSCs have begun. However, it is necessary to reach a qualitatively new level of research with cell models of diseases based on iPSCs for more efficient searching and testing of drugs. Biosensor technology has a great application prospect together with iPSCs. Biosensors enable researchers to monitor ions, molecules, enzyme activities, and channel conformation in live cells and use them in live imaging and drug screening. These probes facilitate the measurement of steady-state concentrations or activity levels and the observation and quantification of in vivo flux and kinetics. Real-time monitoring of drug action in a specific cellular compartment, organ, or tissue type; the ability to screen at the single-cell resolution; and the elimination of the false-positive results caused by low drug bioavailability that is not detected by in vitro testing methods are a few of the benefits of using biosensors in drug screening. Here, we discuss the possibilities of using biosensor technology in combination with cell models based on human iPSCs and gene editing systems. Furthermore, we focus on the current achievements and problems of using these methods.
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13
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Mousavi H. A comprehensive survey upon diverse and prolific applications of chitosan-based catalytic systems in one-pot multi-component synthesis of heterocyclic rings. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 186:1003-1166. [PMID: 34174311 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.06.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Heterocyclic compounds are among the most prestigious and valuable chemical molecules with diverse and magnificent applications in various sciences. Due to the remarkable and numerous properties of the heterocyclic frameworks, the development of efficient and convenient synthetic methods for the preparation of such outstanding compounds is of great importance. Undoubtedly, catalysis has a conspicuous role in modern chemical synthesis and green chemistry. Therefore, when designing a chemical reaction, choosing and or preparing powerful and environmentally benign simple catalysts or complicated catalytic systems for an acceleration of the chemical reaction is a pivotal part of work for synthetic chemists. Chitosan, as a biocompatible and biodegradable pseudo-natural polysaccharide is one of the excellent choices for the preparation of suitable catalytic systems due to its unique properties. In this review paper, every effort has been made to cover all research articles in the field of one-pot synthesis of heterocyclic frameworks in the presence of chitosan-based catalytic systems, which were published roughly by the first quarter of 2020. It is hoped that this review paper can be a little help to synthetic scientists, methodologists, and catalyst designers, both on the laboratory and industrial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Mousavi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
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14
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Yevtodiyenko A, Bazhin A, Khodakivskyi P, Godinat A, Budin G, Maric T, Pietramaggiori G, Scherer SS, Kunchulia M, Eppeldauer G, Polyakov SV, Francis KP, Bryan JN, Goun EA. Portable bioluminescent platform for in vivo monitoring of biological processes in non-transgenic animals. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2680. [PMID: 33976191 PMCID: PMC8113525 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22892-9] [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: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) is one of the most powerful and widely used preclinical imaging modalities. However, the current technology relies on the use of transgenic luciferase-expressing cells and animals and therefore can only be applied to a limited number of existing animal models of human disease. Here, we report the development of a “portable bioluminescent” (PBL) technology that overcomes most of the major limitations of traditional BLI. We demonstrate that the PBL method is capable of noninvasive measuring the activity of both extracellular (e.g., dipeptidyl peptidase 4) and intracellular (e.g., cytochrome P450) enzymes in vivo in non-luciferase-expressing mice. Moreover, we successfully utilize PBL technology in dogs and human cadaver, paving the way for the translation of functional BLI to the noninvasive quantification of biological processes in large animals. The PBL methodology can be easily adapted for the noninvasive monitoring of a plethora of diseases across multiple species. Bioluminescence imaging tends to rely on transgenic luciferase-expressing cells and animals. Here the authors report a portable bioluminescent system to non-invasively measure intra- and extracellular enzymes in vivo in non-transgenic animals which do not express luciferase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksey Yevtodiyenko
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Arkadiy Bazhin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pavlo Khodakivskyi
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Aurelien Godinat
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ghyslain Budin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Maric
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giorgio Pietramaggiori
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Global Plastic Surgery, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sandra S Scherer
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Global Plastic Surgery, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marina Kunchulia
- Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences, Free University of Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - George Eppeldauer
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Sergey V Polyakov
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA.,Physics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kevin P Francis
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Bryan
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Elena A Goun
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.
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15
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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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16
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Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging with luciferase-luciferin pairs is routinely used to monitor cellular functions. Multiple targets can be visualized in tandem using luciferases that process unique substrates, but only a handful of such orthogonal probes are known. Multiplexed studies require additional robust, light-emitting molecules. In this work, we report new luciferins for orthogonal imaging that comprise disubstituted cores. These probes were found to be bright emitters with various engineered luciferases. The unique patterns of light output also provided insight into enzyme-substrate interactions necessary for productive emission. Screening studies identified mutant luciferases that could preferentially process the disubstituted analogues, enabling orthogonal imaging with existing bioluminescent reporters. Further mutational analyses revealed the origins of substrate selectivity. Collectively, this work provides insights into luciferase-luciferin features relevant to bioluminescence and expands the number of probes for multicomponent tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J. Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine; Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Clare S. Hwang
- Department of Public Health, University of California, Irvine; Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Prescher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine; Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine; Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine; Irvine, California 92697, United States
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17
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Levinn CM, Pluth MD. Direct Comparison of Triggering Motifs on Chemiluminescent Probes for Hydrogen Sulfide Detection in Water. SENSORS AND ACTUATORS. B, CHEMICAL 2021; 329:129235. [PMID: 35058674 PMCID: PMC8765743 DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.129235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important biomolecule and significant efforts have focused on developing chemical tools to aid different biological investigations. Of such tools, there are relatively few chemiluminescent or bioluminescent methods for H2S detection. Here we report two dioxetane-based chemiluminescent probes for H2S detection. With these probes, we directly compare the probe response to H2S-mediated azide reduction and nucleophilic displacement of 2,4-dinitrophenyl motifs and demonstrate that the SNAr cleavage of the DNP group results in a larger response and greater stability in water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn M Levinn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Materials Science Institute, Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States
| | - Michael D Pluth
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Materials Science Institute, Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States
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18
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Mizui Y, Eguchi M, Tanaka M, Ikeda Y, Yoshimura H, Ozawa T, Citterio D, Hiruta Y. Long-term single cell bioluminescence imaging with C-3 position protected coelenterazine analogues. Org Biomol Chem 2020; 19:579-586. [PMID: 33140803 DOI: 10.1039/d0ob02020f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescence is a powerful imaging modality for monitoring biological phenomena both in vitro and in vivo. Bioluminescence imagin (BLI) is becoming a seamless imaging technology covering the range from cells to organs of small animals. Long-term imaging at the single cell level would lead to a true understanding of the dynamics of life phenomena. This work presents a long-term single cell bioluminescence imaging technology accomplished with C-3 position protected furimazines (FMZs), a CTZ analogues, which generate intense blue emission when paired with a highly stable engineered luciferase, Nanoluc. Four types of FMZs protected at the C-3 position have been synthesized. The type and steric bulkiness of the protection group strongly contributed to storage stability and the kinetics of the bioluminescence reactions of the analogues in human living cells. In particular, two developed FMZ analogues resulted in significantly longer bioluminescence emission with higher S/N ratio than FMZ at single cell level. Long-term bioluminescence single cell imaging technology with the developed FMZ analogues will lead to seamless imaging in the range from cells to organs of small animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Mizui
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Hiyoshi 3-14-1, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan.
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19
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Patel AM, Henley A, Parkes MA, Assmann M, Worth GA, Anderson JC, Fielding HH. Shining light on the electronic structure and relaxation dynamics of the isolated oxyluciferin anion. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:19022-19032. [PMID: 32808948 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp03276j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Firefly bioluminescence is exploited widely in imaging in the biochemical and biomedical sciences; however, our fundamental understanding of the electronic structure and relaxation processes of the oxyluciferin that emits the light is still rudimentary. Here, we employ photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations to investigate the electronic structure and relaxation of a series of model oxyluciferin anions. We find that changing the deprotonation site has a dramatic influence on the relaxation pathway following photoexcitation of higher lying electronically excited states. The keto form of the oxyluciferin anion is found to undergo internal conversion to the fluorescent S1 state, whereas we find evidence to suggest that the enol and enolate forms undergo internal conversion to a dipole bound state, possibly via the fluorescent S1 state. Partially resolved vibrational structure points towards the involvement of out-of-plane torsional motions in internal conversion to the dipole bound state, emphasising the combined electronic and structural role that the microenvironment plays in controlling the electronic relaxation pathway in the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand M Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK.
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20
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Love AC, Prescher JA. Seeing (and Using) the Light: Recent Developments in Bioluminescence Technology. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:904-920. [PMID: 32795417 PMCID: PMC7472846 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence has long been used to image biological processes in vivo. This technology features luciferase enzymes and luciferin small molecules that produce visible light. Bioluminescent photons can be detected in tissues and live organisms, enabling sensitive and noninvasive readouts on physiological function. Traditional applications have focused on tracking cells and gene expression patterns, but new probes are pushing the frontiers of what can be visualized. The past few years have also seen the merger of bioluminescence with optogenetic platforms. Luciferase-luciferin reactions can drive light-activatable proteins, ultimately triggering signal transduction and other downstream events. This review highlights these and other recent advances in bioluminescence technology, with an emphasis on tool development. We showcase how new luciferins and engineered luciferases are expanding the scope of optical imaging. We also highlight how bioluminescent systems are being leveraged not just for sensing-but also controlling-biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Love
- 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 & 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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21
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Yao Z, Zhang BS, Steinhardt RC, Mills JH, Prescher JA. Multicomponent Bioluminescence Imaging with a π-Extended Luciferin. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:14080-14089. [PMID: 32787261 PMCID: PMC7867379 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c01064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging with luciferase-luciferin pairs is commonly used for monitoring biological processes in cells and whole organisms. Traditional bioluminescent probes are limited in scope, though, as they cannot be easily distinguished in biological environments, precluding efforts to visualize multicellular processes. Additionally, many luciferase-luciferin pairs emit light that is poorly tissue penetrant, hindering efforts to visualize targets in deep tissues. To address these issues, we synthesized a set of π-extended luciferins that were predicted to be red-shifted luminophores. The scaffolds were designed to be rotationally labile such that they produced light only when paired with luciferases capable of enforcing planarity. A luciferin comprising an intramolecular "lock" was identified as a viable light-emitting probe. Native luciferases were unable to efficiently process the analog, but a complementary luciferase was identified via Rosetta-guided enzyme design. The unique enzyme-substrate pair is red-shifted compared to well-known bioluminescent tools. The probe set is also orthogonal to other luciferase-luciferin probes and can be used for multicomponent imaging. Four substrate-resolved luciferases were imaged in a single session. Collectively, this work provides the first example of Rosetta-guided design in engineering bioluminescent tools and expands the scope of orthogonal imaging probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Yao
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Brendan S. Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Rachel C. Steinhardt
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Jeremy H. Mills
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, USA
- The Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, USA
- The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Prescher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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22
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Wang DD, Zou LW, Jin Q, Guan XQ, Yu Y, Zhu YD, Huang J, Gao P, Wang P, Ge GB, Yang L. Bioluminescent Sensor Reveals that Carboxylesterase 1A is a Novel Endoplasmic Reticulum-Derived Serologic Indicator for Hepatocyte Injury. ACS Sens 2020; 5:1987-1995. [PMID: 32529833 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c00384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Discovery of novel liver injury indicators and development of practical assays to detect target indicator(s) would strongly facilitate the diagnosis of liver disorders. Herein, an alternative biomarker discovery strategy was applied to find suitable endoplasmic reticulum-resident protein(s) as serologic indicator(s) for hepatocyte injury via analysis of the human proteome database among plasma and various organs. Both database searching and preliminary experiments suggested that human carboxylesterase 1A (CES1A), one of the most abundant and hepatic-restricted proteins, could serve as a good serologic indicator for hepatocyte injury. Then, a highly selective and practical bioluminescent sensor was developed for real-time sensing of CES1A in various biological systems including plasma. With the help of this bioluminescent sensor, the release of hepatic CES1A into the extracellular medium or the circulation system could be directly monitored. Further investigations demonstrated that serum activity levels of CES1A were elevated dramatically in mice with liver injury or patients with liver diseases. Collectively, this study provided solid evidence to support that CES1A was a novel serological indicator for hepatocyte injury. Furthermore, the strategy used in this study paved a new way for the rational discovery of practical indicators to monitor the dynamic progression of injury in a given tissue or organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Dan Wang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Li-Wei Zou
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiang Jin
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Guan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ya-Di Zhu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shanghai Institute of Food and Drug Control, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Peng Gao
- Dalian Sixth Peoples Hospital Affiliated of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116001, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Guang-Bo Ge
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
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23
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Usukura J, Hiyama M, Kurata M, Hazama Y, Qiu XP, Winnik FM, Akiyama H, Koga N. Theoretical Study of the Wavelength Selection for the Photocleavage of Coumarin-caged D-luciferin. Photochem Photobiol 2020; 96:805-814. [PMID: 31907932 DOI: 10.1111/php.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The equilibrium structures and optical properties of the photolabile caged luciferin, (7-diethylaminocoumarin-4-yl)methyl caged D-luciferin (DEACM-caged D-luciferin), in aqueous solution were investigated via quantum chemical calculations. The probable conformers of DEACM-caged D-luciferin were determined by potential energy curve scans and structural optimizations. We identified 40 possible conformers of DEACM-caged D-luciferin in water by comparing the Gibbs free energy of the optimized structures. Despite the difference in their structures, the conformers were similar in terms of assignments, oscillator strengths and energies of the three low-lying excited states. From the concentrations of the conformers and their oscillator strengths, we obtained a theoretical UV/Vis spectrum of DEACM-caged D-luciferin that has two main bands of shape nearly identical to the experimental UV/Vis spectrum. The absorption bands with maxima ~ 384 and 339 nm were attributed to the electronic excitations of the caged group and the luciferin moiety, respectively, by analysis of the theoretical UV/Vis spectrum. Furthermore, the analysis showed that DEACM-caged D-luciferin is excited in the caged group only by light of wavelength ranging within 400-430 nm, which is in the long-wavelength tail of the 384 nm band. This should be tested to lower damage upon photocleavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Usukura
- Institute for Solid Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Miyabi Hiyama
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Kiryu, Japan
| | - Maki Kurata
- Institute for Solid Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Yuji Hazama
- Institute for Solid Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan.,AIST-UTokyo Advanced Operando-Measurement Technology Open Innovation Laboratory (OPERANDO-OIL), Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Xing-Ping Qiu
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Francoise M Winnik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Akiyama
- Institute for Solid Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan.,AIST-UTokyo Advanced Operando-Measurement Technology Open Innovation Laboratory (OPERANDO-OIL), Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Koga
- Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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24
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Zhao N, Liu JM, Liu S, Ji XM, Lv H, Hu YZ, Wang ZH, Lv SW, Li CY, Wang S. A novel universal nano-luciferase-involved reporter system for long-term probing food-borne probiotics and pathogenic bacteria in mice by in situ bioluminescence imaging. RSC Adv 2020; 10:13029-13036. [PMID: 35492135 PMCID: PMC9051406 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra01283a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Food-borne bacteria have received increasing attention due to their great impact on human health. Bioimaging makes it possible to monitor bacteria inside the living body in real time and in situ. Nano-luciferase (NLuc) as a new member of the luciferase family exhibits superior properties than the commonly used luciferases, including small size, high stability and improved luminescence. Herein, NLuc, CBRLuc and FLuc were well expressed in varied food-borne bacteria. Results showed that the signal intensity of E. coli-NLuc was about 41 times higher than E. coli-CBRLuc, L. plantarum-NLuc was nearly 227 times that of L. plantarum-FLuc in vitro. Moreover, NLuc was applied to trace L. plantarum and E. coli in vivo through the whole body and separated digestive tract imaging, as well as the feces bacterium counting and probing. The persistence of bioluminescent strains was predominantly localized in colon and cecum of mice after oral administration. The NLuc system showed its incomparable superiority, especially in the application of intestinal imaging and the universality for food-borne bacteria. We demonstrated that the NLuc system was a brilliant alternative for specific application of food-borne bacteria in vivo, aiming to collect more accurate and real-time information of food-borne bacteria from the living body for further investigation of their damage mechanism and nutrition effect. Schematic illustration of the preparation of bioluminescent bacteria and the experimental design of tracing of the foodborne bacteria in vivo.![]()
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25
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Zhang L, Shi Y, Sheng Z, Zhang Y, Kai X, Li M, Yin X. Bioluminescence Imaging of Selenocysteine in Vivo with a Highly Sensitive Probe. ACS Sens 2019; 4:3147-3155. [PMID: 31701738 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.9b01268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Selenocysteine (Sec), a vital member of reactive selenium species, is closely implicated in diverse pathophysiological states, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and male infertility. Monitoring Sec in vivo is of significant interest for understanding the physiological roles of Sec and the mechanisms of human diseases associated with abnormal levels of Sec. However, no bioluminescence probe for real-time monitoring of Sec in vivo has been reported. Herein, we present a novel bioluminescent probe BF-1 as an effective tool for the determination of Sec in living cells and in vivo for the first time. BF-1 has advantages of high sensitivity (a detection limit of 8 nM), remarkable bioluminescence enhancement (580-fold), reasonable selectivity, low cytotoxicity, and high signal-to-noise ratio imaging feasibility of Sec in living cells and mice. More importantly, BF-1 affords high sensitivity for monitoring Sec stimulated by Na2SeO3 in tumor-bearing mice. These results demonstrate that our new probe could serve as a powerful tool to selectively monitor Sec in vivo, thus providing a valuable approach for exploring the physiological and pathological functions and anticancer mechanisms of selenium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, PR China
| | - Yanfen Shi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, PR China
| | - Zhijia Sheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, PR China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, PR China
| | - Xiaoning Kai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, PR China
| | - Minyong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China
| | - Xiaoxing Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, PR China
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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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27
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Stowe CL, Burley TA, Allan H, Vinci M, Kramer-Marek G, Ciobota DM, Parkinson GN, Southworth TL, Agliardi G, Hotblack A, Lythgoe MF, Branchini BR, Kalber TL, Anderson JC, Pule MA. Near-infrared dual bioluminescence imaging in mouse models of cancer using infraluciferin. eLife 2019; 8:e45801. [PMID: 31610848 PMCID: PMC6828332 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is ubiquitous in scientific research for the sensitive tracking of biological processes in small animal models. However, due to the attenuation of visible light by tissue, and the limited set of near-infrared bioluminescent enzymes, BLI is largely restricted to monitoring single processes in vivo. Here we show, that by combining stabilised colour mutants of firefly luciferase (FLuc) with the luciferin (LH2) analogue infraluciferin (iLH2), near-infrared dual BLI can be achieved in vivo. The X-ray crystal structure of FLuc with a high-energy intermediate analogue, 5'-O-[N-(dehydroinfraluciferyl)sulfamoyl] adenosine (iDLSA) provides insight into the FLuc-iLH2 reaction leading to near-infrared light emission. The spectral characterisation and unmixing validation studies reported here established that iLH2 is superior to LH2 for the spectral unmixing of bioluminescent signals in vivo; which led to this novel near-infrared dual BLI system being applied to monitor both tumour burden and CAR T cell therapy within a systemically induced mouse tumour model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Stowe
- Cancer InstituteUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical ImagingUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Helen Allan
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Maria Vinci
- The Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Giulia Agliardi
- Cancer InstituteUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Mark F Lythgoe
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical ImagingUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Tammy L Kalber
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical ImagingUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - James C Anderson
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Martin A Pule
- Cancer InstituteUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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28
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Chang D, Lindberg E, Feng S, Angerani S, Riezman H, Winssinger N. Luciferase‐Induced Photouncaging: Bioluminolysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:16033-16037. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201907734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dalu Chang
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical Biology Faculty of Science University of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Eric Lindberg
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical Biology Faculty of Science University of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
- Present address: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
| | - Suihan Feng
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical Biology Faculty of Science University of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Simona Angerani
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical Biology Faculty of Science University of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Howard Riezman
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical Biology Faculty of Science University of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical Biology Faculty of Science University of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
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29
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Chang D, Lindberg E, Feng S, Angerani S, Riezman H, Winssinger N. Luciferase‐Induced Photouncaging: Bioluminolysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201907734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dalu Chang
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical BiologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Eric Lindberg
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical BiologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
- Present address: National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteNational Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
| | - Suihan Feng
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical BiologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Simona Angerani
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical BiologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Howard Riezman
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical BiologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical BiologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Geneva 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet Geneva Switzerland
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30
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Recent progress in the sensing techniques for the detection of human thyroid stimulating hormone. Trends Analyt Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2019.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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31
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Yang C, Wang Q, Ding W. Recent progress in the imaging detection of enzyme activities in vivo. RSC Adv 2019; 9:25285-25302. [PMID: 35530057 PMCID: PMC9070033 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra04508b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzymatic activities are important for normal physiological processes and are also critical regulatory mechanisms for many pathologies. Identifying the enzyme activities in vivo has considerable importance in disease diagnoses and monitoring of the physiological metabolism. In the past few years, great strides have been made towards the imaging detection of enzyme activity in vivo based on optical modality, MRI modality, nuclear modality, photoacoustic modality and multifunctional modality. This review summarizes the latest advances in the imaging detection of enzyme activities in vivo reported within the past years, mainly concentrating on the probe design, imaging strategies and demonstration of enzyme activities in vivo. This review also highlights the potential challenges and the further directions of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Yang
- College of Health Science, Yuncheng Polytechnic College Yuncheng Shanxi 044000 PR China
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi 712100 PR China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi 712100 PR China
| | - Wu Ding
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi 712100 PR China
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32
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Kiseleva A, Kiselev G, Kessler V, Seisenbaeva G, Gets D, Rumyantseva V, Lyalina T, Fakhardo A, Krivoshapkin P, Krivoshapkina E. Optically Active Hybrid Materials Based on Natural Spider Silk. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:22962-22972. [PMID: 31252494 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b05131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk is a natural material possessing unique properties such as biocompatibility, regenerative and antimicrobial activity, and biodegradability. It is broadly considered an attractive matrix for tissue regeneration applications. Optical monitoring and potential control over tissue regrowth are attractive tools for monitoring of this process. In this work, we show upconversion modification of natural spider silk fibers with inorganic nanoparticles. To achieve upconversion, metal oxide nanoparticles were doped with low concentrations of rare-earth elements, producing potentially biocompatible luminescent nanomaterials. The suggested approach to spider silk modification is efficient and easy to perform, opening up sensing and imaging possibilities of biomaterials in a noninvasive and real-time manner in bio-integration approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grigorii Kiselev
- ITMO University , Lomonosova Street 9 , Saint Petersburg 191002 , Russia
| | - Vadim Kessler
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Biocenter , SLU , P.O. Box 7015, SE-75007 Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Gulaim Seisenbaeva
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Biocenter , SLU , P.O. Box 7015, SE-75007 Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Dmitry Gets
- ITMO University , Lomonosova Street 9 , Saint Petersburg 191002 , Russia
| | | | - Tatiana Lyalina
- ITMO University , Lomonosova Street 9 , Saint Petersburg 191002 , Russia
| | - Anna Fakhardo
- ITMO University , Lomonosova Street 9 , Saint Petersburg 191002 , Russia
| | - Pavel Krivoshapkin
- ITMO University , Lomonosova Street 9 , Saint Petersburg 191002 , Russia
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33
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Yan Y, Shi P, Song W, Bi S. Chemiluminescence and Bioluminescence Imaging for Biosensing and Therapy: In Vitro and In Vivo Perspectives. Theranostics 2019; 9:4047-4065. [PMID: 31281531 PMCID: PMC6592176 DOI: 10.7150/thno.33228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemiluminescence (CL) and bioluminescence (BL) imaging technologies, which require no external light source so as to avoid the photobleaching, background interference and autoluminescence, have become powerful tools in biochemical analysis and biomedical science with the development of advanced imaging equipment. CL imaging technology has been widely applied to high-throughput detection of a variety of analytes because of its high sensitivity, high efficiency and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Using luciferase and fluorescent proteins as reporters, various BL imaging systems have been developed innovatively for real-time monitoring of diverse molecules in vivo based on the reaction between luciferin and the substrate. Meanwhile, the kinetics of protein interactions even in deep tissues has been studied by BL imaging. In this review, we summarize in vitro and in vivo applications of CL and BL imaging for biosensing and therapy. We first focus on in vitro CL imaging from the view of improving the sensitivity. Then, in vivo CL applications in cells and tissues based on different CL systems are demonstrated. Subsequently, the recent in vitro and in vivo applications of BL imaging are summarized. Finally, we provide the insight into the development trends and future perspectives of CL and BL imaging technologies.
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34
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Rosário J, da Luz LL, Geris R, Ramalho JGS, da Silva AF, Júnior SA, Malta M. Photoluminescent organisms: how to make fungi glow through biointegration with lanthanide metal-organic frameworks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7302. [PMID: 31086220 PMCID: PMC6513872 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43835-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We show that filamentous fungi can emit green or red light after the accumulation of particulate lanthanide metal-organic frameworks over the cell wall. These new biohybrids present photoluminescence properties that are unaffected by the components of the cell wall. In addition, the fungal cells internalise lanthanide metal-organic framework particles, storing them into organelles, thereby making these materials promising for applications in living imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeferson Rosário
- Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Leonis L da Luz
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Regina Geris
- Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Jéssica G S Ramalho
- Institute of Physics, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Antônio F da Silva
- Institute of Physics, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Severino Alves Júnior
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, Brazil.
| | - Marcos Malta
- Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Bahia, Campus Ondina, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
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35
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Liu JM, Zhao N, Wang ZH, Lv SW, Li CY, Wang S. In-Taken Labeling and in Vivo Tracing Foodborne Probiotics via DNA-Encapsulated Persistent Luminescence Nanoprobe Assisted Autofluorescence-Free Bioimaging. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2019; 67:514-519. [PMID: 30563334 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b05937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
An in vivo probing strategy that can real-time and in situ trace target probiotics inside the living body is herein proposed by employing plasmid-like DNA as in-taken assistance, persistent luminescence nanophosphors (PLNPs) as optical labeling, and background-free fluorescence bioimaging as signal readout. PLNPs with superlong afterglow and excellent biocompatibility and stability were surface-modified by DNA molecules with a specific sequence, which greatly promoted the nanoparticle penetration into the bacteria and facilitated the in vivo bioimaging with high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. Compared with the previous surface-labeling strategy by antibody recognition, the in-taken optical labeling demonstrated improved stability, and reached ideal results of real-time and in situ monitoring the in vivo behaviors of target probiotics, supporting the further development of in vivo investigation methodology for foodborne probiotics. Moreover, such a strategy offers a promising platform that leverage nanoscience to food nutrition as well as food-safety research, aiming to collect more accurate and fresh information from the living body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Min Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine , Nankai University , No.94 Weijin Road , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Ning Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine , Nankai University , No.94 Weijin Road , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Zhi-Hao Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine , Nankai University , No.94 Weijin Road , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Shi-Wen Lv
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine , Nankai University , No.94 Weijin Road , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Chun-Yang Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine , Nankai University , No.94 Weijin Road , Tianjin 300071 , China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine , Nankai University , No.94 Weijin Road , Tianjin 300071 , China
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36
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Kleinovink JW, Mezzanotte L, Zambito G, Fransen MF, Cruz LJ, Verbeek JS, Chan A, Ossendorp F, Löwik C. A Dual-Color Bioluminescence Reporter Mouse for Simultaneous in vivo Imaging of T Cell Localization and Function. Front Immunol 2019; 9:3097. [PMID: 30671062 PMCID: PMC6333049 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive imaging technologies to visualize the location and functionality of T cells are of great value in immunology. Here, we describe the design and generation of a transgenic mouse in which all T cells constitutively express green-emitting click-beetle luciferase (CBG99) while expression of the red-emitting firefly luciferase (PpyRE9) is induced by Nuclear Factor of Activated T cells (NFAT) such as during T cell activation, which allows multicolor bioluminescence imaging of T cell location and function. This dual-luciferase mouse, which we named TbiLuc, showed high constitutive luciferase expression in lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes and the spleen. Ex vivo purified CD8+ and CD4+ T cells both constitutively expressed luciferase, whereas B cells showed no detectable signal. We cross-bred TbiLuc mice to T cell receptor-transgenic OT-I mice to obtain luciferase-expressing naïve CD8+ T cells with defined antigen-specificity. TbiLuc*OT-I T cells showed a fully antigen-specific induction of the T cell activation-dependent luciferase. In vaccinated mice, we visualized T cell localization and activation in vaccine-draining lymph nodes with high sensitivity using two distinct luciferase substrates, D-luciferin and CycLuc1, of which the latter specifically reacts with the PpyRE9 enzyme. This dual-luciferase T cell reporter mouse can be applied in many experimental models studying the location and functional state of T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Willem Kleinovink
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Tumor Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Optical Molecular Imaging, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Giorgia Zambito
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Optical Molecular Imaging, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Medres, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marieke F Fransen
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Tumor Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Luis J Cruz
- Translational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - J Sjef Verbeek
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alan Chan
- Percuros B.V., Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Ferry Ossendorp
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Tumor Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Clemens Löwik
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Optical Molecular Imaging, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Oncology, CHUV Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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37
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Bazhin AA, Chambon M, Vesin J, Bortoli J, Collins JW, Turcatti G, Chou CJ, Goun EA. A Universal Assay for Aminopeptidase Activity and Its Application for Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Drug Discovery. Anal Chem 2018; 91:1098-1104. [PMID: 30511572 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aminopeptidases, such as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4, CD26), are potent therapeutic targets for pharmacological interventions because they play key roles in many important pathological pathways. To analyze aminopeptidase activity in vitro (including high-throughput screening [HTS]), in vivo, and ex vivo, we developed a highly sensitive and quantitative bioluminescence-based readout method. We successfully applied this method to screening drugs with potential DPP-4 inhibitory activity. Using this method, we found that cancer drug mitoxantrone possesses significant DPP-4 inhibitory activity both in vitro and in vivo. The pharmacophore of mitoxantrone was further investigated by testing a variety of its structural analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Chieh Jason Chou
- Microbiome and Metabolism , Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA , Lausanne 1015 , Switzerland
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38
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Scarfe L, Taylor A, Sharkey J, Harwood R, Barrow M, Comenge J, Beeken L, Astley C, Santeramo I, Hutchinson C, Ressel L, Smythe J, Austin E, Levy R, Rosseinsky MJ, Adams DJ, Poptani H, Park BK, Murray P, Wilm B. Non-invasive imaging reveals conditions that impact distribution and persistence of cells after in vivo administration. Stem Cell Res Ther 2018; 9:332. [PMID: 30486897 PMCID: PMC6264053 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-018-1076-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cell-based regenerative medicine therapies are now frequently tested in clinical trials. In many conditions, cell therapies are administered systemically, but there is little understanding of their fate, and adverse events are often under-reported. Currently, it is only possible to assess safety and fate of cell therapies in preclinical studies, specifically by monitoring animals longitudinally using multi-modal imaging approaches. Here, using a suite of in vivo imaging modalities to explore the fate of a range of human and murine cells, we investigate how route of administration, cell type and host immune status affect the fate of administered cells. Methods We applied a unique imaging platform combining bioluminescence, optoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging modalities to assess the safety of different human and murine cell types by following their biodistribution and persistence in mice following administration into the venous or arterial system. Results Longitudinal imaging analyses (i) suggested that the intra-arterial route may be more hazardous than intravenous administration for certain cell types, (ii) revealed that the potential of a mouse mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) line to form tumours depended on administration route and mouse strain and (iii) indicated that clinically tested human umbilical cord (hUC)-derived MSCs can transiently and unexpectedly proliferate when administered intravenously to mice. Conclusions In order to perform an adequate safety assessment of potential cell-based therapies, a thorough understanding of cell biodistribution and fate post administration is required. The non-invasive imaging platform used here can expose not only the general organ distribution of these therapies, but also a detailed view of their presence within different organs and, importantly, tumourigenic potential. Our observation that the hUC-MSCs but not the human bone marrow (hBM)-derived MSCs persisted for a period in some animals suggests that therapies with these cells should proceed with caution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13287-018-1076-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Scarfe
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Arthur Taylor
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jack Sharkey
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rachel Harwood
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Michael Barrow
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Joan Comenge
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lydia Beeken
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Cai Astley
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ilaria Santeramo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Claire Hutchinson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lorenzo Ressel
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Public Health, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | | | - Raphael Levy
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Dave J Adams
- School of Chemistry, College of Science and Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Harish Poptani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Brian K Park
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Patricia Murray
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. .,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. .,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.
| | - Bettina Wilm
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. .,Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. .,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.
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39
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Ticho AL, Lee H, Gill RK, Dudeja PK, Saksena S, Lee D, Alrefai WA. A novel bioluminescence-based method to investigate uptake of bile acids in living cells. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2018; 315:G529-G537. [PMID: 29927324 PMCID: PMC6230696 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00133.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Bile acid transporters, including the ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) and the hepatic sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), are crucial for the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. Our objective was to develop a method for measuring bile acid transporter activity in real time to precisely evaluate rapid changes in their function. We designed a reporter system relying on a novel probe: cholic acid attached to luciferin via a disulfide-containing, self-immolating linker (CA-SS-Luc). Incubation of human embryonic kidney-293 cells coexpressing luciferase and ASBT with different concentrations of CA-SS-Luc (0.01-1 μM) resulted in bioluminescence with an intensity that was concentration- and time-dependent. The bioluminescence measured during incubation with 1 μM CA-SS-Luc was dependent on the levels of ASBT or NTCP expressed in the cells. Coincubation of CA-SS-Luc with natural bile acids enhanced the bioluminescence in a concentration-dependent manner with kinetic parameters for ASBT similar to those previously reported using conventional methods. These findings suggest that this method faithfully assesses ASBT function. Further, incubation with tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor III (PTPIII) led to significantly increased bioluminescence in cells expressing ASBT, consistent with previous studies showing an increase in ASBT function by PTPIII. We then investigated CA-SS-Luc in isolated mouse intestinal epithelial cells. Ileal enterocytes displayed significantly higher luminescence compared with jejunal enterocytes, indicating a transport process mediated by ileal ASBT. In conclusion, we have developed a novel method to monitor the activity of bile acid transporters in real time that has potential applications both for in vitro and in vivo studies. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article reports the development of a real-time method for measuring the uptake of bile acids using a bioluminescent bile acid-based probe. This method has been validated for measuring uptake via the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter and the sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide in cell culture and ex vivo intestinal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander L. Ticho
- 3Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Hyunjin Lee
- 4Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ravinder K. Gill
- 1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Pradeep K. Dudeja
- 1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,2Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Seema Saksena
- 1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,2Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Daesung Lee
- 4Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Waddah A. Alrefai
- 1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,2Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
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40
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Yao Z, Zhang BS, Prescher JA. Advances in bioluminescence imaging: new probes from old recipes. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2018; 45:148-156. [PMID: 29879594 PMCID: PMC6076869 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescent probes are powerful tools for visualizing biology in live tissues and whole animals. Recent years have seen a surge in the number of new luciferases, luciferins, and related tools available for bioluminescence imaging. Many were crafted using classic methods of optical probe design and engineering. Here we highlight recent advances in bioluminescent tool discovery and development, along with applications of the probes in cells, tissues, and organisms. Collectively, these tools are improving in vivo imaging capabilities and bolstering new research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Yao
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Brendan S Zhang
- 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 & 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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41
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Abstract
Chemiluminescence imaging offers a low background and high sensitivity approach to imaging analytes in living cells and animals. Intensity-based measurements have been developed, but require careful consideration of kinetics, probe localization, and fluctuations in quantum yield, all of which complicate quantification. Here, we report a ratiometric strategy for quantitative chemiluminescence imaging of pH. The strategy relies on an energy transfer cascade of chemiluminescence emission from a spiroadamantane 1,2-dioxetane to a ratiometric pH indicator via fluorescent dyes in Enhancer solutions. Monitoring the pH-dependent changes in chemiluminescence emission at multiple wavelengths enables ratiometric imaging and quantification of pH independent from variations due to kinetics and probe concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei An
- Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0314, USA.
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42
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Bioluminescent and structural features of native folded Gaussia luciferase. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2018; 183:309-317. [PMID: 29754049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.04.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The secreted luciferases responsible for light emission of marine copepods have gained popularity for being used in noninvasive imaging of intracellular events. The secreted luciferase of copepod Gaussia princeps is a one-subunit protein catalyzing coelenterazine oxidation to emit blue light. It consists of the N-terminal variable part that bears a signal peptide for secretion and the C-terminal catalytic domain containing ten highly conserved Cys residues supposing the existence of up to five SS bonds. Despite wide application of Gaussia luciferase in biomedical research, its biochemical properties are still insufficiently studied due to the general problem of obtaining the proper folded Cys-rich proteins in bacterial cells. Here we report the properties of the proper folded Gaussia luciferase produced in insect cells using baculovirus expression system. This high purity luciferase reveals the highest activity at 15-20 °C but retains only ~20% activity at 37 °C that may hamper its application for in vivo assays. The maximum of bioluminescent activity of GpLuc is found at NaCl concentrations in the range of 1.0-1.5 M and, furthermore, a high NaCl concentration enhances luciferase stability to thermal denaturation, i.e. Gaussia luciferase displays the features characteristic of halophilic enzymes. The studies on bioluminescence kinetics at different coelenterazine concentrations obviously show a positive cooperativity of Gaussia luciferase with coelenterazine (Hill coefficient - 1.8 ± 0.2; K0.5-2.14 ± 0.17 μM). We suggest this effect to be rather due to the so-called kinetic cooperativity conditioned by conformational changes in response to substrate binding than to the presence of two catalytic sites.
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43
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Shakhmin A, Hall MP, Machleidt T, Walker JR, Wood KV, Kirkland TA. Coelenterazine analogues emit red-shifted bioluminescence with NanoLuc. Org Biomol Chem 2018; 15:8559-8567. [PMID: 28972606 DOI: 10.1039/c7ob01985h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We report the synthesis and characterization of novel coelenterazine analogues that demonstrate a red-shift in their bioluminescent emission with NanoLuc luciferase. These coelenterazines can be tuned to shift the bioluminescent emission from blue light in the native system. In particular, direct attachment of an aryl moiety to the imidazopyrazinone core of furimazine at the C8 position provides a significant red-shift while maintaining reasonable light output. In addition, modification of the C6 aryl moiety provided additive red-shifts, and by combining the most promising modifications we report a coelenterazine with a maximum emission near 600 nm with NanoLuc. Finally, we show that this new bioluminescent system is capable of efficient BRET to far-red fluorophores. We anticipate these new principles of NanoLuc substrate design will impact applications that depend on shifting the colour of emission to the red, most notably in vivo bioluminescent imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Shakhmin
- Promega Biosciences LLC, 277 Granada Dr., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA.
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44
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Ikeda Y, Saitoh T, Niwa K, Nakajima T, Kitada N, Maki SA, Sato M, Citterio D, Nishiyama S, Suzuki K. An allylated firefly luciferin analogue with luciferase specific response in living cells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:1774-1777. [PMID: 29383338 DOI: 10.1039/c7cc09720d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
An allylated firefly luciferin was successfully synthesized and its bioluminescence properties were evaluated. When applied to cellular imaging in combination with Eluc, which is one of the commercially available luciferases, this analogue displayed a luciferase-specific bioluminescence signal with prolonged emission (>100 min).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuma Ikeda
- Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Hiyoshi 3-14-1, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan.
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45
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Detection of Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity by Bioluminescence via Intein-Mediated Biotinylation of Luciferase. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18030875. [PMID: 29543764 PMCID: PMC5877304 DOI: 10.3390/s18030875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We report bioluminescence analysis of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in biological substances using a surface-bound luciferase probe. Intein-fused luciferase protein enables site-specific biotinylation of luciferase in the presence of N-terminus cysteine-biotin via intein-mediated splicing process, resulting in a strong association with high bioluminescence signal onto a NeutrAvidin-coated surface. When the peptide substrate for MMP-7 was inserted into a region between luciferase and intein, the biotinylated probe detected MMP-7 activity by cleaving the peptide, and surface-induced bioluminescence signal was strongly reduced in the MMP-secreted media or mouse tissue extracts, compared with that in MMP-deficient control set. Our approach is anticipated to be useful for generating biotinylated proteins and for their applications in diagnosing MMP activity in human diseases.
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46
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Zhang BS, Jones KA, McCutcheon DC, Prescher JA. Pyridone Luciferins and Mutant Luciferases for Bioluminescence Imaging. Chembiochem 2018; 19:470-477. [PMID: 29384255 PMCID: PMC6163054 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
New applications for bioluminescence imaging require an expanded set of luciferase enzymes and luciferin substrates. Here, we report two novel luciferins for use in vitro and in cells. These molecules comprise regioisomeric pyridone cores that can be accessed from a common synthetic route. The analogues exhibited unique emission spectra with firefly luciferase, although photon intensities remained weak. Enhanced light outputs were achieved by using mutant luciferase enzymes. One of the luciferin-luciferase pairs produced light on par with native probes in live cells. The pyridone analogues and complementary luciferases add to a growing set of designer probes for bioluminescence imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan S. Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 1120 Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697 (USA),
| | - Krysten A. Jones
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, 3205 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA 92697 (USA)
| | - David C. McCutcheon
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 1120 Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697 (USA),
| | - Jennifer A. Prescher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 1120 Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697 (USA),
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, 3205 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA 92697 (USA)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 147 Bison Modular, Irvine, CA 92697 (USA)
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47
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Hemmi M, Ikeda Y, Shindo Y, Nakajima T, Nishiyama S, Oka K, Sato M, Hiruta Y, Citterio D, Suzuki K. Highly Sensitive Bioluminescent Probe for Thiol Detection in Living Cells. Chem Asian J 2018; 13:648-655. [PMID: 29359483 DOI: 10.1002/asia.201701774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The sensitive detection of thiols including glutathione and cysteine is desirable owing to their roles as indispensable biomolecules in maintaining intracellular biological redox homeostasis. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of SEluc-1 (sulfinate ester luciferin), a chemoselective probe exhibiting a ratiometric and turn-on response towards thiols selectively in fluorescence and bioluminescence, respectively. The probe, which was designed based on the "caged" luciferin strategy, displays excellent selectivity, high signal/noise ratio (>240 in the case of bioluminescence), and a biologically relevant limit of detection (LOD, 80 nm for cysteine), which are all desirable traits for a sensitive bioluminescent sensor. SEluc-1 was further applied to fluorescence imaging of thiol activity in living human cervical cancer HeLa cell cultures, and was successfully able to detect fluctuations in thiol concentrations induced by oxidative stress in a bioluminescent assay utilizing African green monkey fibroblast COS-7 cells and human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayu Hemmi
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuma Ikeda
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yutaka Shindo
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nakajima
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeru Nishiyama
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Moritoshi Sato
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Hiruta
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Daniel Citterio
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Koji Suzuki
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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48
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Liu MD, Warner EA, Morrissey CE, Fick CW, Wu TS, Ornelas MY, Ochoa GV, Zhang B, Rathbun CM, Porterfield WB, Prescher JA, Leconte AM. Statistical Coupling Analysis-Guided Library Design for the Discovery of Mutant Luciferases. Biochemistry 2018; 57:663-671. [PMID: 29224332 PMCID: PMC6192264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Directed evolution has proven to be an invaluable tool for protein engineering; however, there is still a need for developing new approaches to continue to improve the efficiency and efficacy of these methods. Here, we demonstrate a new method for library design that applies a previously developed bioinformatic method, Statistical Coupling Analysis (SCA). SCA uses homologous enzymes to identify amino acid positions that are mutable and functionally important and engage in synergistic interactions between amino acids. We use SCA to guide a library of the protein luciferase and demonstrate that, in a single round of selection, we can identify luciferase mutants with several valuable properties. Specifically, we identify luciferase mutants that possess both red-shifted emission spectra and improved stability relative to those of the wild-type enzyme. We also identify luciferase mutants that possess a >50-fold change in specificity for modified luciferins. To understand the mutational origin of these improved mutants, we demonstrate the role of mutations at N229, S239, and G246 in altered function. These studies show that SCA can be used to guide library design and rapidly identify synergistic amino acid mutations from a small library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira D. Liu
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
| | - Elliot A. Warner
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
| | - Charlotte E. Morrissey
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
| | - Caitlyn W. Fick
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
| | - Taia S. Wu
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
| | - Marya Y. Ornelas
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
| | - Gabriela V. Ochoa
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
| | - Brendan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California – Irvine, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America
| | - Colin M. Rathbun
- Department of Chemistry, University of California – Irvine, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America
| | - William B. Porterfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of California – Irvine, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A. Prescher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California – Irvine, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California – Irvine, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California – Irvine, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America
| | - Aaron M. Leconte
- W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California, 91711, United States of America
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49
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Zhang C, Yuan M, Han G, Gao Y, Tang C, Li X, Du L, Li M. Novel caged luciferin derivatives can prolong bioluminescence imaging in vitro and in vivo. RSC Adv 2018; 8:19596-19599. [PMID: 35540985 PMCID: PMC9080648 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra02312c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on N-cyclobutylaminoluciferin (cybLuc), a set of high and efficient caged bioluminescent derivatives (Clucs) as firefly luciferase pro-substrates has been developed herein. After careful examination, these molecules exhibited low cytotoxicity and prolonged bioluminescence imaging up to 6 h in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, these caged luciferin derivatives have the potential to serve as long-term tracking tools to explore some biological process by using bioluminescent imaging. A set of high and efficient caged luciferin derivatives exhibited low cytotoxicity and prolonged bioluminescence in vitro and in vivo.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochao Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
| | - Mingliang Yuan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
| | - Guangxi Han
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
| | - Yuqi Gao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
| | - Chunchao Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
| | - Lupei Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
| | - Minyong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (MOE)
- School of Pharmacy
- Shandong University
- Jinan
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50
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Rathbun C, Porterfield WB, Jones KA, Sagoe MJ, Reyes MR, Hua CT, Prescher JA. Parallel Screening for Rapid Identification of Orthogonal Bioluminescent Tools. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2017; 3:1254-1261. [PMID: 29296665 PMCID: PMC5746862 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.7b00394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging with luciferase enzymes and luciferin small molecules is a well-established technique for tracking cells and other biological features in rodent models. Despite its popularity, bioluminescence has long been hindered by a lack of distinguishable probes. Here we present a method to rapidly identify new substrate-selective luciferases for multicomponent imaging. Our strategy relies on parallel screening of luciferin analogues with panels of mutant enzymes. The compiled data set is then analyzed in silico to uncover mutually orthogonal sets. Using this approach, we screened 159 mutant enzymes with 12 luciferins. Thousands of orthogonal pairs were revealed with sufficient selectivity for use in biological environments. Over 100 pairs were validated in vitro, and three were applied in cell and animal models. The parallel screening method is both generalizable and scalable and will streamline the search for larger collections of orthogonal probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin
M. Rathbun
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry,
and Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California,
Irvine Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - William B. Porterfield
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry,
and Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California,
Irvine Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Krysten A. Jones
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry,
and Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California,
Irvine Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Marian J. Sagoe
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry,
and Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California,
Irvine Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Monique R. Reyes
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry,
and Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California,
Irvine Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Christine T. Hua
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry,
and Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California,
Irvine Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Prescher
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry,
and Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California,
Irvine Irvine, California 92697, United States
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