1
|
F Shida J, Ma K, Toll HW, Salinas O, Ma X, Peng CS. Multicolor Long-Term Single-Particle Tracking Using 10 nm Upconverting Nanoparticles. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:4194-4201. [PMID: 38497588 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Single-particle tracking (SPT) is a powerful technique to unveil molecular behaviors crucial to the understanding of many biological processes, but it is limited by factors such as probe photostability and spectral orthogonality. To overcome these limitations, we develop upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs), which are photostable over several hours at the single-particle level, enabling long-term multicolor SPT. We investigate the brightness of core-shell UCNPs as a function of inert shell thickness to minimize particle size while maintaining sufficient signal for SPT. We explore different rare-earth dopants to optimize for the brightest probes and find that UCNPs doped with 2% Tm3+/30% Yb3+, 10% Er3+/90% Yb3+, and 15% Tm3+/85% Yb3+ represent the optimal probes for blue, green, and near-infrared emission, respectively. The multiplexed 10 nm probes enable three-color single-particle tracking on live HeLa cells for tens of minutes using a single, near-infrared excitation source. These photostable and multiplexed probes open new avenues for numerous biological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João F Shida
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kaibo Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Harrison W Toll
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Omar Salinas
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Xiaojie Ma
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Chunte Sam Peng
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Choosing the Probe for Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314949. [PMID: 36499276 PMCID: PMC9735909 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Probe choice in single-molecule microscopy requires deeper evaluations than those adopted for less sensitive fluorescence microscopy studies. Indeed, fluorophore characteristics can alter or hide subtle phenomena observable at the single-molecule level, wasting the potential of the sophisticated instrumentation and algorithms developed for advanced single-molecule applications. There are different reasons for this, linked, e.g., to fluorophore aspecific interactions, brightness, photostability, blinking, and emission and excitation spectra. In particular, these spectra and the excitation source are interdependent, and the latter affects the autofluorescence of sample substrate, medium, and/or biological specimen. Here, we review these and other critical points for fluorophore selection in single-molecule microscopy. We also describe the possible kinds of fluorophores and the microscopy techniques based on single-molecule fluorescence. We explain the importance and impact of the various issues in fluorophore choice, and discuss how this can become more effective and decisive for increasingly demanding experiments in single- and multiple-color applications.
Collapse
|
3
|
Huisjes NM, Retzer TM, Scherr MJ, Agarwal R, Rajappa L, Safaric B, Minnen A, Duderstadt KE. Mars, a molecule archive suite for reproducible analysis and reporting of single-molecule properties from bioimages. eLife 2022; 11:75899. [PMID: 36098381 PMCID: PMC9470159 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of new imaging approaches is generating larger and more complex datasets, revealing the time evolution of individual cells and biomolecules. Single-molecule techniques, in particular, provide access to rare intermediates in complex, multistage molecular pathways. However, few standards exist for processing these information-rich datasets, posing challenges for wider dissemination. Here, we present Mars, an open-source platform for storing and processing image-derived properties of biomolecules. Mars provides Fiji/ImageJ2 commands written in Java for common single-molecule analysis tasks using a Molecule Archive architecture that is easily adapted to complex, multistep analysis workflows. Three diverse workflows involving molecule tracking, multichannel fluorescence imaging, and force spectroscopy, demonstrate the range of analysis applications. A comprehensive graphical user interface written in JavaFX enhances biomolecule feature exploration by providing charting, tagging, region highlighting, scriptable dashboards, and interactive image views. The interoperability of ImageJ2 ensures Molecule Archives can easily be opened in multiple environments, including those written in Python using PyImageJ, for interactive scripting and visualization. Mars provides a flexible solution for reproducible analysis of image-derived properties, facilitating the discovery and quantitative classification of new biological phenomena with an open data format accessible to everyone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadia M Huisjes
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thomas M Retzer
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Matthias J Scherr
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rohit Agarwal
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Lional Rajappa
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Barbara Safaric
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Anita Minnen
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Karl E Duderstadt
- Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Machines, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Blanchard AT, Li Z, Duran EC, Scull CE, Hoff JD, Wright KR, Pan V, Walter NG. Ultra-photostable DNA FluoroCubes: Mechanism of Photostability and Compatibility with FRET and Dark Quenching. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:6235-6244. [PMID: 35881934 PMCID: PMC10080265 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
DNA-based FluoroCubes were recently developed as a solution to photobleaching, a ubiquitous limitation of fluorescence microscopy (Niekamp; ; Stuurman; ; Vale Nature Methods, 2020). FluoroCubes, that is, compact ∼4 × 4 × 5.4 nm3 four-helix bundles coupled to ≤6 fluorescent dyes, remain fluorescent up to ∼50× longer than single dyes and emit up to ∼40× as many photons. The current work answers two important questions about the FluoroCubes. First, what is the mechanism by which photostability is enhanced? Second, are FluoroCubes compatible with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and similar techniques? We use single particle photobleaching studies to show that photostability arises through interactions between the fluorophores and the four-helix DNA bundle. Supporting this, we discover that smaller ∼4 × 4 × 2.7 nm3 FluoroCubes also confer ultraphotostability. However, we find that certain dye-dye interactions negatively impact FluoroCube performance. Accordingly, 4-dye FluoroCubes lacking these interactions perform better than 6-dye FluoroCubes. We also demonstrate that FluoroCubes are compatible with FRET and dark quenching applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T. Blanchard
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
- Michigan Society of Fellows, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Zi Li
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Elizabeth C. Duran
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Catherine E. Scull
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - J. Damon Hoff
- Single Molecule Analysis in Real-Time (SMART) Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Keenan R. Wright
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Victor Pan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322
| | - Nils G. Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
- Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| |
Collapse
|