Live cell single molecule tracking and localization microscopy of bioorthogonally labeled plasma membrane proteins

Cracking the Code: Reprogramming the Genetic Script in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes to Harness the Power of Noncanonical Amino Acids

Over 500 natural and synthetic amino acids have been genetically encoded in the last two decades. Incorporating these noncanonical amino acids into proteins enables many powerful applications, ranging from basic research to biotechnology, materials science, and medicine. However, major challenges remain to unleash the full potential of genetic code expansion across disciplines. Here, we provide an overview of diverse genetic code expansion methodologies and systems and their final applications in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, represented by Escherichia coli and mammalian cells as the main workhorse model systems. We highlight the power of how new technologies can be first established in simple and then transferred to more complex systems. For example, whole-genome engineering provides an excellent platform in bacteria for enabling transcript-specific genetic code expansion without off-targets in the transcriptome. In contrast, the complexity of a eukaryotic cell poses challenges that require entirely new approaches, such as striving toward establishing novel base pairs or generating orthogonally translating organelles within living cells. We connect the milestones in expanding the genetic code of living cells for encoding novel chemical functionalities to the most recent scientific discoveries, from optimizing the physicochemical properties of noncanonical amino acids to the technological advancements for their in vivo incorporation. This journey offers a glimpse into the promising developments in the years to come.

Cellular and Biophysical Applications of Genetic Code Expansion

Despite their diverse functions, proteins are inherently constructed from a limited set of building blocks. These compositional constraints pose significant challenges to protein research and its practical applications. Strategically manipulating the cellular protein synthesis system to incorporate novel building blocks has emerged as a critical approach for overcoming these constraints in protein research and application. In the past two decades, the field of genetic code expansion (GCE) has achieved significant advancements, enabling the integration of numerous novel functionalities into proteins across a variety of organisms. This technological evolution has paved the way for the extensive application of genetic code expansion across multiple domains, including protein imaging, the introduction of probes for protein research, analysis of protein-protein interactions, spatiotemporal control of protein function, exploration of proteome changes induced by external stimuli, and the synthesis of proteins endowed with novel functions. In this comprehensive Review, we aim to provide an overview of cellular and biophysical applications that have employed GCE technology over the past two decades.

Bioorthogonal Reactions in Bioimaging

Visualization of biomolecules in their native environment or imaging-aided understanding of more complex biomolecular processes are one of the focus areas of chemical biology research, which requires selective, often site-specific labeling of targets. This challenging task is effectively addressed by bioorthogonal chemistry tools in combination with advanced synthetic biology methods. Today, the smart combination of the elements of the bioorthogonal toolbox allows selective installation of multiple markers to selected targets, enabling multicolor or multimodal imaging of biomolecules. Furthermore, recent developments in bioorthogonally applicable probe design that meet the growing demands of superresolution microscopy enable more complex questions to be addressed. These novel, advanced probes enable highly sensitive, low-background, single- or multiphoton imaging of biological species and events in live organisms at resolutions comparable to the size of the biomolecule of interest. Herein, the latest developments in bioorthogonal fluorescent probe design and labeling schemes will be discussed in the context of in cellulo/in vivo (multicolor and/or superresolved) imaging schemes. The second part focuses on the importance of genetically engineered minimal bioorthogonal tags, with a particular interest in site-specific protein tagging applications to answer biological questions.

Evaluation of bioorthogonally applicable tetrazine-Cy3 probes for fluorogenic labeling schemes

The fluorogenic features of three sets of tetrazine-Cy3 probes were evaluated in bioorthogonal tetrazine-cyclooctyne ligation schemes. These studies revealed that the more efficient, internal conversion-based quenching of fluorescence by the tetrazine modul is translated to improved fluorogenicity compared to the more conventional, energy transfer-enabled design. Furthermore, a comparison of directly conjugated probes and vinylene-linked tetrazine-Cy3 probes revealed that more intimate conjugation of the tetrazine and the chromophore results in more efficient IC-based quenching even in spectral ranges where tetrazine exhibits diminished modulation efficiency. The applicability of these tetrazine-quenched fluorogenic Cy3 probes was demonstrated in the fluorogenic labeling schemes of the extra- and intracellular proteins of live cells.

Insights into receptor structure and dynamics at the surface of living cells

Evaluating protein structures in living cells remains a challenge. Here, we investigate Interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) into which the non-canonical amino acid bicyclo[6.1.0]nonyne-lysine (BCNK) is incorporated by genetic code expansion. Bioorthogonal click labeling is performed with tetrazine-conjugated dyes. To quantify the reaction yield in situ, we develop brightness-calibrated ratiometric imaging, a protocol where fluorescent signals in confocal multi-color images are ascribed to local concentrations. Screening receptor mutants bearing BCNK in the extracellular domain uncovered site-specific variations of both click efficiency and Interleukin-4 binding affinity, indicating subtle well-defined structural perturbations. Molecular dynamics and continuum electrostatics calculations suggest solvent polarization to determine site-specific variations of BCNK reactivity. Strikingly, signatures of differential click efficiency, measured for IL-4Rα in ligand-bound and free form, mirror sub-angstrom deformations of the protein backbone at corresponding locations. Thus, click efficiency by itself represents a remarkably informative readout linked to protein structure and dynamics in the native plasma membrane.

The K2: Open-source simultaneous triple-color TIRF microscope for live-cell and single-molecule imaging

Imaging the dynamics and interactions of biomolecules at the single-molecule level in live cells and reconstituted systems has generated unprecedented knowledge about the biomolecular processes underlying many cellular functions. To achieve the speed and sensitivity needed to detect and follow individual molecules, these experiments typically require custom-built microscopes or custom modifications of commercial systems. The costs of such single-molecule microscopes, their technical complexity and the lack of open-source documentation on how to build custom setups therefore limit the accessibility of single-molecule imaging techniques. To advance the adaptation of dynamic single-molecule imaging by a wider community, we present the "K2": an open-source, simultaneous triple-color total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscope specifically designed for live-cell and single-molecule imaging. We explain our design considerations and provide step-by-step building instructions, parts list and full CAD models. The modular design of this TIRF microscope allows users to customize it to their scientific and financial needs, or to re-use parts of our design to improve the capabilities of their existing setups without necessarily having to build a full copy of the K2 microscope.

Minimal genetically encoded tags for fluorescent protein labeling in living neurons

Modern light microscopy, including super-resolution techniques, has brought about a demand for small labeling tags that bring the fluorophore closer to the target. This challenge can be addressed by labeling unnatural amino acids (UAAs) with bioorthogonal click chemistry. The minimal size of the UAA and the possibility to couple the fluorophores directly to the protein of interest with single-residue precision in living cells make click labeling unique. Here, we establish click labeling in living primary neurons and use it for fixed-cell, live-cell, dual-color pulse-chase, and super-resolution microscopy of neurofilament light chain (NFL). We also show that click labeling can be combined with CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering for tagging endogenous NFL. Due to its versatile nature and compatibility with advanced multicolor microscopy techniques, we anticipate that click labeling will contribute to novel discoveries in the neurobiology field.

Bioorthogonal Ligation-Activated Fluorogenic FRET Dyads

An energy transfer‐based signal amplification relay concept enabling transmission of bioorthogonally activatable fluorogenicity of blue‐excitable coumarins to yellow/red emitting cyanine frames is presented. Such relay mechanism resulted in improved cyanine fluorogenicities together with increased photostabilities and large apparent Stokes‐shifts allowing lower background fluorescence even in no‐wash bioorthogonal fluorogenic labeling schemes of intracellular structures in live cells. These energy transfer dyads sharing the same donor moiety together with their parent donor molecule allowed three‐color imaging of intracellular targets using one single excitation source with separate emission windows. Sub‐diffraction imaging of intracellular structures using the bioorthogonally activatable FRET dyads by STED microscopy is also presented.

Correlative nanophotonic approaches to enlighten the nanoscale dynamics of living cell membranes

Dynamic compartmentalization is a prevailing principle regulating the spatiotemporal organization of the living cell membrane from the nano- up to the mesoscale. This non-arbitrary organization is intricately linked to cell function. On living cell membranes, dynamic domains or 'membrane rafts' enriched with cholesterol, sphingolipids and other certain proteins exist at the nanoscale serving as signaling and sorting platforms. Moreover, it has been postulated that other local organizers of the cell membrane such as intrinsic protein interactions, the extracellular matrix and/or the actin cytoskeleton synergize with rafts to provide spatiotemporal hierarchy to the membrane. Elucidating the intricate coupling of multiple spatial and temporal scales requires the application of correlative techniques, with a particular need for simultaneous nanometer spatial precision and microsecond temporal resolution. Here, we review novel fluorescence-based techniques that readily allow to decode nanoscale membrane dynamics with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution and single-molecule sensitivity. We particularly focus on correlative approaches from the field of nanophotonics. Notably, we introduce a versatile planar nanoantenna platform combined with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to study spatiotemporal heterogeneities on living cell membranes at the nano- up to the mesoscale. Finally, we outline remaining future technological challenges and comment on potential directions to advance our understanding of cell membrane dynamics under the influence of the actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix in uttermost detail.

Real-time imaging of cell-surface proteins with antibody-based fluorogenic probes

Cell-surface proteins, working as key agents in various diseases, are the targets for around 66% of approved human drugs. A general strategy to selectively detect these proteins in a real-time manner is expected to facilitate the development of new drugs and medical diagnoses. Although brilliant successes were attained using small-molecule probes, they could cover a narrow range of targets due to the lack of suitable ligands and some of them suffer from selectivity issues. We report herein an antibody-based fluorogenic probe prepared via a two-step chemical modification under physiological conditions, to fulfill the selective recognition and wash-free imaging of membrane proteins, establishing a modular strategy with broad implications for biochemical research and for therapeutics.

Measurements and characterization of the dynamics of tracer particles in an actin network

The underlying physics governing the diffusion of a tracer particle in a viscoelastic material is a topic of some dispute. The long-term memory in the mechanical response of such materials should induce diffusive motion with a memory kernel, such as fractional Brownian motion (fBM). This is the reason that microrheology is able to provide the shear modulus of polymer networks. Surprisingly, the diffusion of a tracer particle in a network of a purified protein, actin, was found to conform to the continuous time random walk type (CTRW). We set out to resolve this discrepancy by studying the tracer particle diffusion using two different tracer particle sizes, in actin networks of different mesh sizes. We find that the ratio of tracer particle size to the characteristic length scale of a bio-polymer network plays a crucial role in determining the type of diffusion it performs. We find that the diffusion of the tracer particles has features of fBm when the particle is large compared to the mesh size, of normal diffusion when the particle is much smaller than the mesh size, and of the CTRW in between these two limits. Based on our findings, we propose and verify numerically a new model for the motion of the tracer in all regimes. Our model suggests that diffusion in actin networks consists of fBm of the tracer particle coupled with caging events with power-law distributed escape times.

Principles and Applications of Single Particle Tracking in Cell Research

It is a tough challenge for many decades to decipher the complex relationships between cell behaviors and cellular physical properties. Single particle tracking (SPT) with high spatial and temporal resolution has been applied extensively in cell research to understand physicochemical properties of cells and their bio-functions by tracking endogenous or exogenous probes. This review describes the fundamental principles of SPT as well as its applications in intracellular mechanics, membrane dynamics, organelles distribution, and processes of internalization and transport. Finally, challenges and future directions of SPT are also discussed.

Expanding the Genetic Code for Neuronal Studies

Genetic code expansion is one of the most powerful technologies in protein engineering. In addition to the 20 canonical amino acids, the expanded genetic code is supplemented by unnatural amino acids, which have artificial side chains that can be introduced into target proteins in vitro and in vivo. A wide range of chemical groups have been incorporated co-translationally into proteins in single cells and multicellular organisms by using genetic code expansion. Incorporated unnatural amino acids have been used for novel structure-function relationship studies, bioorthogonal labelling of proteins in cellulo for microscopy and in vivo for tissue-specific proteomics, the introduction of post-translational modifications and optical control of protein function, to name a few examples. In this Minireview, the development of genetic code expansion technology is briefly introduced, then its applications in neurobiology are discussed, with a focus on studies using mammalian cells and mice as model organisms.

Super-resolution Microscopy with Single Molecules in Biology and Beyond-Essentials, Current Trends, and Future Challenges

Single-molecule super-resolution microscopy has developed from a specialized technique into one of the most versatile and powerful imaging methods of the nanoscale over the past two decades. In this perspective, we provide a brief overview of the historical development of the field, the fundamental concepts, the methodology required to obtain maximum quantitative information, and the current state of the art. Then, we will discuss emerging perspectives and areas where innovation and further improvement are needed. Despite the tremendous progress, the full potential of single-molecule super-resolution microscopy is yet to be realized, which will be enabled by the research ahead of us.

Using Genetic Code Expansion for Protein Biochemical Studies

Protein identification has gone beyond simply using protein/peptide tags and labeling canonical amino acids. Genetic code expansion has allowed residue- or site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins. By taking advantage of the unique properties of non-canonical amino acids, we can identify spatiotemporal-specific protein states within living cells. Insertion of more than one non-canonical amino acid allows for selective labeling that can aid in the identification of weak or transient protein-protein interactions. This review will discuss recent studies applying genetic code expansion for protein labeling and identifying protein-protein interactions and offer considerations for future work in expanding genetic code expansion methods.

Using unnatural amino acids to selectively label proteins for cellular imaging: a cell biologist viewpoint

Twenty-five years ago, GFP revolutionized the field of cell biology by enabling scientists to visualize, for the first time, proteins in living cells. However, when it comes to current, state-of-the-art imaging technologies, fluorescent proteins (such as GFP) have several limitations that result from their size and photophysics. Over the past decade, an elegant, alternative approach, which is based on the direct labeling of proteins with fluorescent dyes and is compatible with live-cell and super-resolution imaging applications, has been introduced. In this approach, an unnatural amino acid that can covalently bind a fluorescent dye is incorporated into the coding sequence of a protein. The protein of interest is thereby site-specifically fluorescently labeled inside the cell, eliminating the need for protein- or peptide-labeling tags. Whether this labeling approach will change cell biology research is currently unclear, but it clearly has the potential to do so. In this short review, a general overview of this approach is provided, focusing on the imaging of site-specifically labeled proteins in mammalian tissue culture cells, and highlighting its advantages and limitations for cellular imaging.